Common Video Errors and Solutions                                                                     

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Macroblocking 

These are square areas or pixels in the video frame that do not show the correct part of the image.

How It Happens

This is typically the result of an encoding error but occasionally the result of a transfer error. Information was missed or omitted during the creation of the final video file, during the capturing of the original source footage, or during the uploading of the video.

How It’s Fixed

Confirm whether this issue is in the original source or not. Re-capture the video if it is in the source, Re-export the final video file and re-upload if it is not. Be sure to export and upload without running  other programs so to maximize your computer's resources.

Aspect Ratio

This relates to the size of images, not necessarily whether the picture is 16x9 or 4x3, but whether  the image sitting inside that frame is correct or distorted. When an image has the wrong aspect ratio  it will typically look either pulled or squashed. This can be hard to spot sometimes but using circles,  well known objects, and similar shots - you can determine when something is not correct.

How It Happens

This is usually the result of mixed picture sizes in one video sequence, 4x3 image in a 16x9 sequence  and vice versa. Videos that have footage from different cameras and sources can tend to have this issue.

How It’s Fixed

Most often this will not be fix-able on our end and will require going back to the original video project  and correcting the incorrect images. For example, adding 4x3 content to a 16x9 video will require allowing black borders to frame the image or scaling the image up to fill the screen.

Ghosting

This is when there appears to be a faint second image or "ghost" of the original. It will follow the original and can be most noticeable during motion. This is a common error when dealing with various frame rates.

How It Happens

Typically this can be the result of forced frame rate conversions, bad slow motion or even bad de-interlacing. An interlaced video actually breaks frames of video into two parts, when not put  back together correctly, ghosting can result.

How It’s Fixed

Go back to the video project file and make sure you are editing your video in a proper sequence.  Please submit your video in its native format. If it was shot and edited interlaced, please send us  an interlaced final video. It is always best to allow us to perform the deinterlacing.

Audio Dropout

This is exactly what it sounds like, the audio has dropped out. Instead of the waveform continuing, a chunk of the audio (usually very small) has disappeared.

How It Happens

This is a common problem when rendering audio and is typically the result of rendering an mp3  in your video sequence.

How It’s Fixed

Most often this problem can not be corrected properly on our end, the best fix for something like this is  to replace the original audio (most likely an mp3) with a wav or aiff file. Both the wav and aiff file formats will not require rendering in most video editing software.

Mono Audio

This is when the audio file or music plays back without any imaging. This means the same thing is being heard on both the left and right channels, not typical of modern music or mixing practices.

How It Happens

This can be tricky because it does not directly relate to the number of audio tracks. Even though your project may have two audio tracks if they are not panned hard left and hard right the imaging will be lost when you create your final video file.

How It’s Fixed

This can not be corrected on our end and requires that you go back to your video project and make sure both audio tracks are panned before exporting your final video. A simple test, but not completely accurate, is to view the audio meters and look for discrepancies in the audio levels of the two tracks.   If using Final Cut Studio the MultiMeter in Soundtrack Pro will show dynamics on the left and right channels, this screenshot shows none, a straight line. If working on a PC explore your editing program's audio meters for a goniometer.

Interlacing Artifacts

Interlacing is very common in video, however it is not acceptable for online broadcasting or digital delivery. Certain formats of video shoot interlaced. This means each frame of video is separated into two fields and then interlaced back together during broadcast or playback on a broadcast monitor. However, on a computer monitor they will show the "comb" like lines. If interlacing is in the proper cadence  or sequence removing it is not an issue however often times multiple frame rates are used and bad de-interlacing is done resulting in visible "baked in" interlacing lines. If a video has failed for this, it is because it could not be corrected on our end and therefore, needs to be corrected in the original video project file prior to creating a final video file.

Video Glitch / Bad Line

This is an error with a wide range of explanations. It can sometimes be a green line or grey blocks that shoot straight across the video, as seen in the screenshot.

How It Happens

This is usually the result of either a bad transfer from hard drive/ftp, or a render/encoding error.

How It’s Fixed

To properly correct this, the video would need to be downloaded/uploaded again or re-exported.

Missing Media

This is when a piece of visual media video or graphics is missing from your video. Most of the latest editing programs will display an error message if a piece of media can not be found.

How It Happens

This can happen if file locations have been changed since beginning your project.

How It’s Fixed

The only way to correct this is to reconnect your project to the new location of the file or by re-doing  the edit and placing the media back into your project.

Compression Artifacts

This is when colors or blacks begin to break up and pixels can be seen. This happens when the data rate  Is too low to contain all of the information from the source file or image - the result   is over-compressed video.

How It Happens

Video can become over compressed in a few ways, when the video is exported out of the editing program at too low of a bit rate, too many filters have been added to the video and the color has been degraded,  or from a combination of poor lighting and the use of a low resolution camera.

How It’s Fixed

Re-export the final video file using a higher bit rate or codec and/or remove filters that could be degrading the video quality.