Answers.Body: <p><strong>Windows:</strong>
  If you are on windows 7/Vista, you should have Windows Live Movie Maker. You can open your video in that, go to the Visual Effects tab, and select the brightness button. Then you have to re-encode your video. This will decrease the quality.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started" rel="nofollow">Free Windows Live Movie Maker</a></p>
  
  <p>The problem with Windows Live Movie Maker is that there are limited effects and no way to create custom effects. However, Windows Movie Maker from Vista (i.e. WMM 6.0) does support custom effects, etc.</p>
  
  <p><a href="http://movies.blainesville.com/p/wmm-60-on-windows-7.html" rel="nofollow">You can download WMM 6.0 for Windows 7 here.</a></p>
  
  <p><a href="http://movies.blainesville.com/p/movie-maker-add-ons.html" rel="nofollow">Blaine also provides an extensive list of add on effects here.</a> Which includes contrast effects to increase the contrast.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p><strong>Mac:</strong>
  If you have a MAC and iMovie, I found this <a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=468159" rel="nofollow">link</a>. You hover over the thumbnail and a "sun" symbol should show up, clicking that should bring up color controls.</p>
  
  <hr>
  
  <p>Hopefully one of those will work. If not, you'll have to dive into the world of opensource video editing tools, which is a nightmare.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-19T04:49:08.113Z
Answers.Text: +1 I go it. The brightness is on the visual effects tab, right? It didn't seem to help much, and I can't find any contrast. Any other suggestions?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mawg
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-20T00:35:19.410Z
Answers.Text: @Mawg, that is correct. I do not think that it is possible to change the contrast.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Onlyjus
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-20T00:50:18.700Z
Answers.Text: @Mawg, I added another option to use the old WMM 6.0 (vista) and custom effects to change the contrast. I edited the answer above.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Onlyjus
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-08T03:24:15.403Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-09-20T00:49:15.253Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-09-20T00:49:15.253Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Onlyjus
Answers.Body: <p>I've used <a href="http://www.virtualdub.org/" rel="nofollow">VirtualDub</a> (one of the open source tools) with some success for just this.</p>
  
  <p>It's not trivial to use, and I'm afraid I don't remember the exact settings, etc., but there are plenty of tutorials/explanations around the web.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-19T04:53:54.333Z
Answers.Text: +1 I am trying it now, but when I try Video/Filter, it complains "couldn't locate decompressor for format Xvid" and says it requires a "VFW compatible compressor".  I D/Led from http://www.xvid.org/ and it looks good. I will check it out & get back to you. Thanks
Answers.UserDisplayName: Mawg
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-09-08T14:32:42.760Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-09-13T14:48:20.700Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2012-09-13T14:48:20.700Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: pdbartlett
Body: <p>The title says it all. My video is too dark. I Learned how to avoid it next time (after the horse had bolted).</p>
  
  <p>Is there anything I can do to lighten it up? Preferably freeware and not to complex. THe video is .AVI format</p>
  
  <p>[update] Windows 7 pro (and I am wondering whether brightness or contrast is the way to go (ans if some magic s/w has an "auto" feature))</p>
  
  <p>Thanks a 1,000,000 in advance</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2012-09-19T04:42:35.580Z
Comments.Text: interesting. I gave your comment +1 when it was on the photo site. The question got migrated to the video site & now I can give it another +1   ;-)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Mawg
Tags: <video>
Title: Seeking free and simple way to brighten a dark video
UserDisplayName: Mawg
ThreadText: # Seeking free and simple way to brighten a dark video
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-09-08)
  
  The title says it all. My video is too dark. I Learned how to avoid it next time (after the horse had bolted).
  
  Is there anything I can do to lighten it up? Preferably freeware and not to complex. THe video is .AVI format
  
  [update] Windows 7 pro (and I am wondering whether brightness or contrast is the way to go (ans if some magic s/w has an "auto" feature))
  
  Thanks a 1,000,000 in advance
  
  **Tags:** video
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: interesting. I gave your comment +1 when it was on the photo site. The question got migrated to the video site & now I can give it another +1   ;-)  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2012-09-08. Score: 5 | Accepted answer
  
  I've used [VirtualDub](http://www.virtualdub.org/) (one of the open source tools) with some success for just this.
  
  It's not trivial to use, and I'm afraid I don't remember the exact settings, etc., but there are plenty of tutorials/explanations around the web.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: +1 I am trying it now, but when I try Video/Filter, it complains "couldn't locate decompressor for format Xvid" and says it requires a "VFW compatible compressor".  I D/Led from http://www.xvid.org/ and it looks good. I will check it out & get back to you. Thanks  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-09-08. Score: 5
  
  **Windows:**
  If you are on windows 7/Vista, you should have Windows Live Movie Maker. You can open your video in that, go to the Visual Effects tab, and select the brightness button. Then you have to re-encode your video. This will decrease the quality.
  
  [Free Windows Live Movie Maker](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started)
  
  The problem with Windows Live Movie Maker is that there are limited effects and no way to create custom effects. However, Windows Movie Maker from Vista (i.e. WMM 6.0) does support custom effects, etc.
  
  [You can download WMM 6.0 for Windows 7 here.](http://movies.blainesville.com/p/wmm-60-on-windows-7.html)
  
  [Blaine also provides an extensive list of add on effects here.](http://movies.blainesville.com/p/movie-maker-add-ons.html) Which includes contrast effects to increase the contrast.
  
  ---
  
  **Mac:**
  If you have a MAC and iMovie, I found this [link](http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=468159). You hover over the thumbnail and a "sun" symbol should show up, clicking that should bring up color controls.
  
  ---
  
  Hopefully one of those will work. If not, you'll have to dive into the world of opensource video editing tools, which is a nightmare.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: +1 I go it. The brightness is on the visual effects tab, right? It didn't seem to help much, and I can't find any contrast. Any other suggestions?  
  > **username_1**: @username_0, that is correct. I do not think that it is possible to change the contrast.  
  > **username_1**: @username_0, I added another option to use the old WMM 6.0 (vista) and custom effects to change the contrast. I edited the answer above.  
  
  ---
  
  