Final output of Final Cut Express HD 3.5 is blurry and out of focus.

Using clear/sharp '.mov' files as clips. Doing simple editing, nothing fancy. When I finally output the project using 'Export/Using QuickTime Conversion,' the final is blurry and out of focus. I've tried every compression type (H264, Animation, etc.). Same problem. Anyone know why this is happening?
Although the specs for my computer are well within the Final Cut Express guidelines (I've even upgraded my graphics card to a Radeon 9800 Pro 256 MB), I'm still thinking that perhaps the G4 I'm using doesn't have enough juice to run the FCE software. By the way, I don't have any other programs active when using FCE. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
G4 (Mirror Drive Doors)/1.25 GHz/2.0 GB Memory/Radeon 9800XT (256 MB) Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2 Internal 120 GB Hard Drives (RAID)/2 CD-DVD Drives: Super Drive & Combo Drive
G4 (Mirror Drive Doors)/1.25 GHz/2.0 GB Memory/Radeon 9800XT (256 MB) Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2 Internal 120 GB Hard Drives (RAID)/2 CD-DVD Drives: Super Drive & Combo Drive

Thanks for your response.
Here's what I'm (trying) to do:
I'm creating short 5 minute tutorial movies that will be distributed as QuickTime movies (burned to disk) for short run distribution (college).
Here's the process: the movie itself is a recording of monitor screen actions recorded (audio and video) using Snapz Pro movie mode. The recorded size is 800 x 600. There might be 5 such 1 or 2 minute clips. The quality is excellent. I bring them in to FCE, drop all the clips on the same track, and add simple transitions. That's it.
Now I need to somehow get a final QuickTime movie, with close to the same quality I had in the clips.
So... I take the FCE file, output it using 'Export>QuickTime Conversion,' using the same size I originally recorded in, 800 x 600. Tried every codec available. Every time, the end result is a very blurred version of the original Snapz Pro recordings.
I've even tried outputting the FCE file as 'Export>QuickTime Move' (not using the conversion method). Opened that up in QuickTime Pro with the same result: blurred and out of focus.
I'm viewing the exported file in QuickTime Pro, with the 'Movie Properties' setting of 'High Quality.'
Any clue? This is driving me crazy. But I'm determined to get this right.
G4 (Mirror Drive Doors)/1.25 GHz/2.0 GB Memory/Radeon 9800XT (256 MB) Mac OS X (10.4.9) 2 Internal 120 GB Hard Drives (RAID)/2 CD-DVD Drives: Super Drive & Combo Drive

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