Video becomes blurry when I add it to project

Report · May 10, 2024

I hope someone here can help. I am using Premiere Elements 2020 and am having an issue I have never encountered. I am making a compilation of many videos (both landscape and portrait) and when I add in the portrait videos they become blurry. Totally crisp before adding them. I thought maybe because they are portrait so in a separate file I reconfigured them to add a background layer that made them landscape size. I have exported in different sizes ( SD 720x480, HD 1280x720 and HD 1920x1080) They are all crystal clear until I add them to my montage and then they become blurry. I have spent hours upon hours editing this and was finally done until I realized this and its going to take hours to fix IF I can figure out how. Any ideas? Playback is on highest.

Report · May 10, 2024

Most likely you're looking at soft renders of the video, which will appear blurry when the video doesn't match your project settings.

To see a clear preview of your video, click the Render button on your timeline or press the Enter key. When the yellow or orange line along the top of your timeline turns green, you'll see a preview that's much closer to what your final output will look like.

Report · May 13, 2024

Hi Steve, Im having same issues as oritl1998. Just a recent thing that started last week. . I bring in asset video and its blurry when viewed in timeline, even after render. Ive been watching all your training videos to try figure out the problem. Even went to project settings and started new project- set the project 3840 2160 at 30fps, checked all my cam settings and phone settings to same but nothing works. Im using Elements 2022.

Report · May 14, 2024

The quality of your video depends on a) the resolution of your orignal video and how closely it matches your original video, b) your project settings and c) the output resolution for your exported video. If, for instance, your original video is shot in 4K at 30p and your project settings are set up for a 4K project at 30p and you select a 4K 30p output, your finished video should look virtually identical to your original source.

Report · May 14, 2024

Hi Steve,

Learnt all I knout about Elements from you by the way- so thanks. Have made about 60 vids over past 2 years and no problems like this. Did some more experimenting. I film on a camera on XAVC S 4K 30p 60M and on my iphone through a gimbal app 4K 30p. Elements new project settings set up on Landscape 16:9 3840 2160 30fps.

The footage is clear and perfect when I review the MP4 itself. It stays that quality when I bring it onto the timeline BUT when I hit the render button it makes it go blurry. There is even one clip where half is blurry and half is clear (green line on the time stamp = blurry yellow line on time stamp clear.) Ive tried everything you have suggested, including starting a new project and dropping a new clip onto the timeline to set the settings. No success. See samples below.

Report · May 15, 2024

What does your final output look like?

Remember that even a rendered timeline is only a preview. In fact, in the program's preferences you can set the quality of the preview to a higher level if you'd like.

But what matters is what your final video looks like. If you're using 4K 30p as your source, your project settings and your output settings, your finished piece should look as good as the original.

The only qualifier is that you're using HEVC video from an iPhone, which version 2020 may struggle with.

Report · May 15, 2024

Short answer:

Yes I film 4k, edit 4k settings and output at 4k and FAIL. Ive tried all your tricks and some footage fine, some blurry.

Long answer:

Cant keep loosing footage so bought Elements 2024. Confirmed all settings in Elements, camera and iphone (was already set already to optimise save and comes out MP4).

I did try and use some of the footage from the other day in 2024 and same issue. So Im writing off those two episodes and starting again.

Did some test footage and edits and everything seems like normal. Filming again tomo so fingers crossed

Thanks for your help from Australia.

Report · May 19, 2024

UPDATE:

Turns out one of the videos I was using had one second that was corrupt. once I edited that out and added the video back in, it worked fine! I put it into iMovie to try to see why it wasn't working and that's how I figure out that one part was corrupt.

Report · May 19, 2024

Glad you were able to figure out what's up! Happy moviemaking!