If you're watching your rendered video using Vegas, then listen to johnmeyer.
If you're using WMP or something else, it may be your video card Overlay settings. Mine keep changing on me, even though I reset them.
But usually all I have to do is start to bring up my nvidia card settings and before I do anything, it switches to a normal look. I don't have the time fo figure that one out, so I usually just watch within Vegas, which always looks normal except during capture.
That's when I start to adjust my settings and they suddenly switch to a normal look.
That's also what I have to do to watch my WMP or it looks horrible

I think that might be it, I have a geoforce 7600 GS card, but I can't find any overlay settings, I see that if I adjust the Video and Television - Adjust video color settings brightness, the blacks get better. Is there something else I should be looking at?
Thanks

John, I have numerous clips that are all 0-255 on the histogram, I tried applying a broadcast filter to the entire project, but that did not solve the problem?
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Im trying to figure out the same exact thing right now. I have the NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GS as well.

I've tried rendering mp4 (via Sony AVC templates). When I play it with Quicktime player the blacks look gray, when I play it through Windows Media Player the blacks are crushed. When I watch the mp4 I just rendered in Vegas timeline it looks ok.

I am able to render Windows media files that looks fine in Windows media player.

Would be greatful of help as well.

-EDIT-
Just looked at the files on my laptop and they all look fine! So I guess its the video card. I cant find any overlay settings either. Can someone point out how this is done?
-EDIT-

Sami

assuming you have nvidia control panel installed, eith go via control panel, or right click on desktop, and select nvidia control panel.

left menu (assuming you have sleected "advanced view")
"video & television" settings - you have control over appearances there, from brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, gamma, RGB gamma, edge enhancements and noise reduciton)

I downloaded VLC media player and everything I play in that looks perfect! Jeff, give it a try if it works for you? http://www.videolan.org/vlc/

Kennymusicman, wouldnt adjusting those settings effect all programs? Or are they program specific. The nVidia settings look like a jungle and I have it in Finnish language no less :(

Sami

Oh boy. Mine is the Nvidia GS 7600 too.
This is what I do:
Right click on empty protion of your screen and choose Nvidia control panel and when the window pops up choose "Display". Then choose "Adjust desktop color settings"
At this point I will bring up the same wmv in both Vegas and WMP. Vegas will look normal, but WMP will look bizarre. Move the sliders in the Adjust Desktop Color Settings until the WMP looks like Vegas (not easy)

My problem is whenever I watch a video in WMP, it looks bizarre again, but as soon as I open the Nvidia settings and hover my mouse over the word "Display", it suddenly changes to what I adjusted it to.
We probably need a new driver or something, but it's so easy for me to just open the Nvidia settings.

I'm now downloading some newer (to me) drivers. I'll report back after installation with some information. I'm at EVGA downloading Driver version: 163.75 for 32bit Windows XP. These are whql approved
This version is a bit higher than version 91.47, which I installed in Sept 2006

Alright. One of the reasons I waited so long is because there is now a million adjustments I had to make to each of my two LCDs and that's time consuming.
The good news, my WMP seems to be functioning right now and I swear it looks better than I remember.

Are you in VMR9 mode?

While that mode produces a better looking picture, it also passes the full 0-255 range whereas "overlay mode" may or may not depending upon your video card settings. It may only pass 16-255. Blacker than black and whiter than white values may be clipped. These problems are more noticeable on LCD displays because they are digital than on CRT displays which blend better.

You may need to calibrate your LCD display to account for this.

John

Thanks all,

The rendered washed out video when uploaded to a web site has the blacks. I can adjust the brightness in the nvidia control panel. I was spending alot of time with Vegas when it seems to be the video card.