SD card footage only looks good when viewed on TV through camcorder, nowhere else

Trickster30

12harry,
Thanks very much for your reply. I did try to email Sony about it, basically for advice. They answered with quite a hardline 'this is not a fault of the camera' - I never said it was, I was just seeking advice on how best to use the camera with the SD cards and a PC. It is a shame that there is such a default position.

I haven't tried the files with anyone else no. Though, guess it would be hard unless they were sat in my room seeing what im seeing on the TV (via the camera and then via the SD card alone). But it is definitely worth an option (if nothing else, to see if there is anything odd-looking about the file itself).

The quality isn't massive but it is noticeable especially on movement - then its really quite noticeable.

Thanks for the advice on the card-reader. Think I will definitely try this. Though, I have thought of another option here.  Regarding a card reader, I have a still DSLR camera. I have found that I can put the SD card in there and download all the files to the PC (without having to use the sony play-memories software). Would this be the same technique that a card reader would perform (i.e do I not need a separate card reader).

Anyway, even using this technique, the files are exactly the same (i.e. not as good). Even when I copy to the PC, then copy straight to the external hard drive (without any intervention) and play on TV the footage is still the same (not as good as when played through camera). This is an external hard drive using USB 3.0 to connect to the TV.

I thought a good thing to try was to import to PC, then copy straight back to the SD card and play it through the sony video camera (so I would then know either way whether transferring it to the PC was somehow causing issue). But....even though I can copy to the SD card, when I hook the camera up to the TV via HDMI, it doesn't display that file (even though its exactly the same (with a 2 after the name to distinguish it form the original). It is very strange (and frustrating). If I could do this, I could at least see whether the two files look the same.

I'm with you on the software. I just want to copy across, put it in my own folder and have it ready to use in premiere pro. Play Memories stores every file in its own date folder.

I can tell straight away that the files are 4K using the properties (plus a 20 second clip is 200mb).

I formatted the SD card as soon as I was prompted to when I first inserted it in the camera.

The TV may well be applying some effect as you say. But then, would it not do that even if the camera is playing through it via HDMI (which is so far the only way I can see the footage at its best quality).

Thank you so much for all your comments though, it has given me a lot to think about.

Trickster30

JH4
Again, thank you for your comments. It may well be the TV. And I have given up trying to edit at the moment. Right now, I am just trying to get the files to look as good as they do on the TV when played through the video camera. And I think this may well be the issue. But just to reiterate the options I have tried:

Playing files through the video camera to the TV via HDMI cable - Footage looks great.
Playing files through the SD card alone through the TV (via the SD slot on the TV - footage not as good.
The same goes for importing files to PC then back to the SD - exactly the same (as you would expect).
Also same goes for importing files to PC, copying them to external hard drive, then playing that through the TV via USB 3.00 - same, not as good.

I wish I could copy the files to PC, then put them straight back on the SD card (say, with a slightly different name) then play that through the TV via the video camera. But as mentioned above, once copied back to the camera, I cant find that file (even though I know its on the SD card) the camera wont display it. Maybe cause of the xmp though I have tried to change that to suit.

I will check on the MX or VLC player - are these programs on your sony TV ?​

JH4

Yes, I have these players on my Sony, plus a few more. See my post above.

JabbaNut

Check the specification of camcorder playback cable and computer to TV cable.

When playing back from camcorder check resolution and TV image mode TV reports. Then do the same for Computer to TV playback.

MarkE19

This looks to me to be an issue with the media player software installed on the TV.

Playback from the camcorder just displays the image it is receiving via the HDMI cable. But connecting the SD card or an External HDD to the TV uses the software media player built into the TV.
Another possible option to check if this is the issue is to plug a hardware media player (even an UHD disc player that has media playback features) and see how that looks on the tV. This is bypassing the TV's software and using the software of the player - same as when using the camcorder as the playback device.

Mark.

JH4

Someone agrees with me !

Trickster30

Hi guys. More and more I am beginning to think it is down to the TVs software more than anything else. It does play through its own media player. Maybe I should stop making the connection that the TV and the PC play back the footage poorly for the same reasons (i.e. the card/files etc) - as this is probably due to completely different reasons. Footage will never look as good on a pc as it would through a dedicated 4K tv (though in this case they are pretty much the same). Maybe this is as good as it gets when using the external drive on the TV. I mean, its ok, its just that when you see footage which is better (through the camcorder) makes you feel like you are missing out.

Mark, fantastic suggestion to play it through a separate hardware player as this bypasses the TVs software....though I don't have one :-(   I have a bluray player (haven't made the jump to a 4K player yet) so guessing using that wont really be of any help. But I will have a look - And not even sure how I would play it through that anyway - presumably with a SD slot or a HDMI in cable port ??

I will check the camcorders playback via TV, see if I can get some info off either the camcorder or the TV.

"Video", MX player, Kodi, "Album" Google Play, VLC playe  - Are these located on your TV ??

MarkE19

Either an SD card slot or a USB input port, but as you only have an HD BDP it is unlikely to give good quality output even if it can play the files as everything would just get downscaled to 1080p

4K media players are coming down in price if you do want to try to see if playback using it is as good as when using the camcorder. If bought from the likes of Amazon you can send it back easily if it is no better than using the TV's media player.

Mark.

JH4

This may help. I have just played some 4K videos that I recorded on  a Panasonic HC X1 pro camcorder in 3840 X 2160 150Mb/s, stored on a HDD, and plugged into my 4K Sony TV's USB port, and played back using the VLC player that I installed on it. They play back superb, in glorious 4K ! Hope this helps. ( They are MP4 files, btw. ) Download the VLC player via the Google Play Icon on an Android TV.

12harry

I wonder if others are becoming as confused like me?  The original prob wasn't with:- the 4K Camcorder-HDMI-TV
It was when the file went via PC.
-did we know the PC spec is up to dealing with this amount of playback data?
-is the PC output via the (same) TV using HDMI or the dreaded PC connection?
I read also that some files copied from camcorder-to-HDD are also of lower quality - there should be no difference since the copy/save-process takes as long as it needs.
FWIW my own PC has an HDMI output, but I don't think the graphics card will suit 4K - it's only 500Mb which was OK for HD.  My 42" TV is 'HD-ready' and shows a good image from a modern HD-tuner, via HDMI.  I have no 4K files. but the camcorder HD files are pretty good, considering the TV is shows SD as everyday programmes.

Of course it is possible that some data is being transferred to the TV to tell it to "improve" the files ( and presumably the camcorder knows when it is being used for HDMI-Playback) - so  could that trigger some image boost?

Maybe the fix may be to try HD files, where the spec. of the interfaces, etc. are more tolerant.
Re using the old DSLR for file transfer . . . probably OK as the digital file takes as long as it likes; but you may have issues with larger SD-Cards, as older kit may not recognise them. For about £20 I'd think buying a USB3 Reader is a good investment, as it should eliminate transfer issues to the PC.
If your PC writes a file to camcorder SD-card it may not be recognised, as the FAT won't be updated unless it's inside the camcorder. Some clever folks may know a "workaround" - but even these may not be the whole answer.

Apart from the above.... are you enjoying the AX700 . . . maybe waiting for the weather to improve?
Cheers.