Shock for a new switcher: Macbook video quality totally sucks ?!!

[FreddySO]

Try a 720p TV show encoded to x.264. I guarantee your jaw will drop.

It also might just be the resolution on your MB is far less than your PC monitor.

Where do I get such files ?

 

[p0intblank]

More importantly, why do you type everything in bold???

 

[ziwi]

Where do I get such files ?

FOr starters try the movie trailers in HD from the Apple site under quicktime.

 

[TheFuzz]

BUT whatever you use Win or mac, WMP or QT there is no way in heck that a 608x366 (just did a get info on an ep of heroes i have) is going to look great on a screen with the res of a Macbook Pro(1440x900 or 1920x1200), or even a mackbook(1280x800 i think) for that matter.

exactly. every video is going to look worse when you view it larger than it is natively. if the original file was 608x366 and you try to watch it fullscreen, of course it's going to look bad. and if your new "fullscreen view" is larger, 1280x800 as opposed to what it was(1024x768), then yes it will look even worse because you're stretching the same amount of info even further(roughly 30%). that's like complaing that a 30in. monitor is trash because when you watch a 720x480 quicktime fullscreen it looks worse than when you watched it fullscreen on a 17in. monitor.

 

[BrunoRino]

Try changing the Target Gamma...

Do try hanging the gamma correction.
Go to System Preferences -> Displays -> Color -> Calibrate... and create a new profile with Target Gamma 2.2. It helps.

Myself I can see that difference when comparing the image from my old iBook and my new MacBook. On the iBook the image looks at lot better (even when Target Gamma is set to 1.8)... No idea why

 

[kaiwai]

Please, if any Mac professional or power user could help me?

Having received my brand new Macbook C2D 2.6 G, 1G Ram, TODAY and having studied several Windows-to-Mac-switcher-guides, I love everything about my Macbook, except one thing, which is so bad that I am thinking of returning to my pc laptop...
I really hope someone here can help me/enlighten me:
Here is my problem: I use my computer mostly to watch videos (tv episodes etc) downloaded from usenet servers. These videos are mostly in .avi format. Now on my PC they played very well in Windows Media Player 10, and while the quality was not DVD-like, it was still pretty enjoyable.
NOW TODAY I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I WATCHED THEM ON MY MACBOOK ! They are totally pixely and blocky and ugly to watch ! I mean, they are still watchable, but you can totally see chunks of pixels, especially when its bright content.

I have the newest version of VLC player, and I have also tried the DivX for Mac player, the WMP for Mac as well as the Quick time player with Perian addon.
NO MATTER WHICH PLAYER I USE MY VIDEOS LOOK BLOCKY AND PIXELY ON MY MACBOOK!!
SOMEONE HELP PLEASE. Is that normal ?!?!?! Could it be that Macs totally suck at playing .avi files ??? If you guys dont believe me / dont know this problem I will have to post screenshots of the Macbook VLC' s chunky pixels in comparison to the smooth/sharper image when playing on PC Windows Media Player!

I know what you're talking about. The issue isn't with Mac but with VLC and/or the CODEC used. I've had it occur on a couple of video's. It doesn't, however, occur on all files.

Oh, and return it for a pc laptop? please, stop being so bloody melodramatic.

 

[Jiddick ExRex]

You could always exchange your brand new mac for one of these babies!. The low 320 X 200 will make your crappy .avi files look amazingly real and crisp!!

And seriously stop typing in bold. It makes my jugular vein throb mightily.



I must agree that it seems weird that even the screenshots look different but that could be the resolution and the gamma difference.

I have never had a problem with viewing low-res .avi files fullscreen on my previous Macbook, my present MBP or on a 20" 1680x1050 display...

Have you tried on another Macbook btw?

 

[v1ncen7]

Just crazy how ignorant some people could be.

sorry, mate, but everything you describe seems terribly logical and normal.

go check some HD stuff for instance at http://www.apple.com/trailers/

and a quick google for 'upscaling video issues' might have help in the first place.

Your MacBook as such a good resolution that it does enable you to see better the compression artifacts of your poorly encoded videos.. big deal..

Oh well excuse my tone, but if you want nicer answers, try next time to post without everything in bold, or uppercase or with double or triple punctuation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???!! : this is annoying.

 

[jpk32092]

Just crazy how ignorant some people could be.

sorry, mate, but everything you describe seems terribly logical and normal.

go check some HD stuff for instance at http://www.apple.com/trailers/

and a quick google for 'upscaling video issues' might have help in the first place.

Your MacBook as such a good resolution that it does enable you to see better the compression artifacts of your poorly encoded videos.. big deal..

Oh well excuse my tone, but if you want nicer answers, try next time to post without everything in bold, or uppercase or with double or triple punctuation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!???!! : this is annoying.

want to know what else is annoying? people bringing back posts from 2007

 

[infernohellion]

Simply like a case where a guy complain about HDTV being overhyped because he bought it to view SDTV contents.

 

[Wolfpup]

want to know what else is annoying? people bringing back posts from 2007

Hee hee. I seriously don't get it. It's like I can see if you have some specific problem that you're trying to get help for, and search and find an old thread.