My Custom Background Image is Blurry?

[LarSeib]

Hi Folks - I'm trying to create a background for my Zoom meetings, so I went into the video settings and uploaded a background photo. The photo is pretty simple and its a high resolution photo (5333x3000). When I view the photo on my desktop it looks great. it's very clear and crisp. But when I upload it into Zoom and put it in my background for a video call, its blurry. The text that has my name and company name are barely legible when viewed on a 32" monitor. I don't see an option to enhance the quality of the upload, and I wonder if I've done something incorrect? I've attached a photo in this thread. 

Any suggestions by the Zoom pro's?

[chrismenard7]

Hello. Thank you for the image. That helps. Your image is 1967x961. The recommended size is 1920x1080. For an easy test, grab an image that is 1920x1080 and see if that looks better.  On my Zoom resource page is a lot of backgrounds - all free. Scroll down below my Zoom blog post and grab one unless you have another image. 

https://chrismenardtraining.com/zoom/zoom-resource-center

Let me know if that looks better in a test. If yes, you need to change your image to 1920x1080. Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Thank you. 

[LarSeib]

Chris, thanks for the reply. The image I attached is a screenshot, its not the original image. The original image is attached and its a 5333x3000. Which is more than double the resolution of 1920x1080.

I've attached the original image in this reply. Not sure if that helps,

[chrismenard7]

Here is how I appear on camera in Zoom with your background at 1920 x 1080.  Looks good to me. 🙂 Nice background btw.

[RachelGomez123]

Blurry desktop wallpaper on a Windows 8 system may be an indication of a problem with the device's display settings. Desktop wallpaper can be detailed or visually impressive, so that if there are any resolution problems, you will immediately notice them. These issues likely arise due to Windows 8's compatibility problems with lower-resolution screens.

Increase the Resolution
Windows 8 requires running a resolution of at least 1024 by 768 pixels; however, it's likely that your screen supports a higher resolution. Monitors with higher resolutions relative to the screen size produce a sharper-looking image. The human eye can discern block-like irregularities in a low-resolution image that's stretched out over a large viewing space. Configuring your monitor to use a higher resolution when possible may help resolve blurry wallpaper.

Run Native Resolution
Older CRT monitors are very good at changing resolutions; however, LCD monitors are designed to only run in a specific resolution. LCD monitors scale lower-resolution image content to line up with higher-resolution screens, but may appear blurry because the screen can't evenly adjust the image detail. For example, the on-screen image, including the wallpaper, will look very blurry if the monitor supports a 1920 by 1080 resolution, but Windows 8 is configured to output at a 1366 by 768 resolution. The lower-resolution image needs to be upconverted, or stretched, to fit on the screen. The computer's video card needs to support the monitor's native resolution in order to use the native setting, so updating your graphics driver to the latest version may work out incompatibilities.

Adjusting Resolution
Configure your monitor resolution through Windows 8's Display menu. Select "Settings" from the Charms bar, choose "Change PC settings," open the "PC & devices" option, and then select "Display." Adjust the resolution by dragging the black rectangle along the "Resolution" bar. Windows 8 signifies the monitor's native resolution by displaying "(Recommended)" next to the option. Choose "Apply" to change the resolution to the new configuration.

Check the Image for Problems
Before blaming Windows 8 for the blurry wallpaper, make sure the image itself isn't at fault. Right-click on the desktop and select "Personalize" from the context menu, and then choose "Desktop Background." Change the "picture position" setting to "Center," and then click "Save changes" to display the wallpaper without stretching it. If the monitor is displaying in its native resolution and the image still looks blurry, the problem lies with the image, in which case you can replace the wallpaper with a higher-resolution version that either matches or exceeds the computer screen resolution. The wallpaper's aspect ratio should also match the screen's aspect ratio. If there's no alternative sizes to the wallpaper, use a photo-editing program to sharpen the image and reduce its blurriness.

Regards,

Rachel Gomez