AVCHD Import into Imovie

So here is my problem, and it a big one. I recorded some video with a sony camera that records AVCHD ( .mts ) So I imported into imovie first try everything was great! So i recored more and now i want to import the footage. Same camera Same computer same program. I connect the usb to the camera and computer. Click connect usb on the camera just like i did before. Now in imovie I see the little circle spinning for a few seconds then quits. No window pops up. Then I click the camera button in imvoie and my webcam comes up. My camera is showing up on my desktop. I dont understant Before I could esaily import every thing. Now I cant? What is the problem? I browsed ever forum on this topic and cant find anything like it... Please help. Im using imoive 09.

Any ideas? Without converting, say to mp4 or something?

Similar Messages

Why do I have to make disk image of AVCHD to import into iMovie?

iMovie imports AVCHD format file structure from the camera quite easily. (or so I hear, I have not done so myself yet). I have footage from the camera saved to an external hard disk which I want to import into iMovie08. I am a newbie to Apple/Mac things. From these fora I learned that I need to make a disk image of the AVCHD directory and mount it. I did that and it seems to work.
But this process is painful. For the 12Gig save I made on 27Jan08, the disk utility took forever to make a disk image. It failed once complaining lack of disk space. I thought the firewire external disk was overwhelmed by IO and copied the directory to the internal disk, and made a disk image. I thought it was hung after about 15 minutes killed the diskutility. I had a corrupted image file. Then left diskutility running overnight and seems to have finished the job. This morning iMovie looked at the disk image and is estimating it is going to take 3 hours to bring it in. May be it is transcoding to a more editable format like mpeg-4 or something.
Why do I have to jump through so many hoops to make iMovie recognize the AVCHD structure? Why can't I just drag a AVCHD directory into iMovie and make it read it? If I can reclaim the 24 gigs in the internal disk at the end of the process, I guess I can live with it. But, come on, copying 12 gigs over Firewire, another hour to make a disk image... I was expecting better user experience than this. (Did I mention I am newbie for Apple? Recent refugee from the vistaland)

AppleMan1958 wrote:
I would not recommend waiting until you have 12GB of AVCHD (which might import as 120GB of AIC). You could lose it all if your camera is dropped. I suggest you get in the habit of importing from your camera on a regular basis.
I agree, it is not a good idea to accumulate so much footage in the camera. But these were downloaded from the camera way back before I even bought the iMac. At that time, the only device that can deliver 1920x1080 video to my shiny 50inch TV in the living room was the camcorder! (and the OTA antenna). So I kept the clips in the camcorder, even after taking regular backups to the hard disk. That way I can show the clips to friends and family in full HD glory!
BTW 12 Gig is just 2 hours in HD. It is not much. I dread bringing my second backup 4 hours of our trip to Anguilla, St Marten etc. We all know HD requires ooodles and oodles of data and storage. I am not really complaining about the disk usage. My most important beef was: iMovie imports AVCHD from the camera easily. But it is unable to start from a AVCHD folder in the internal hard disk and start reading it. I can burn a DVD-ROM with AVCHD directory in the root and it reads it. I can copy AVCHD folder to the root of a thumbdrive and it reads it.
But put the very same AVCHD deeply nested in the external drive it barfs.
I am going to experiment after going home. I will create a symbolic link to the AVCHD folder from the root of the external disk. Heck, I am root here, I can even do an ln -s /nested/directory/deep/in/the/external/drive/AVCHD /AVCHD
and see if I can fool iMovie to import the files without creating a diskimage. If someone who has immediate access to iMac would do the experiment it would be very helpful

Importing into iMovie

I was wondering what type of files are you able to import into iMovie? Thanks!!

I was wondering what type of files are you able to import into iMovie?
DV for all versions. HDV and DV for HD and later versions. Any "conversion" compatible compression format for which you have the appropriate codecs for versions prior to iMovie '08. "Edit" compatible compression formats for Finder level imports to iMovie '08 (to include DV, AIC, M-JPEG, Photo-JPEG, "standard" MPEG-4, "standard" H.264 with DV, Linear PCM (Big Endian, Little Endian, Unsigned Integer, etc.), AAC, etc.); Apple Animation and Apple Video will import and edit but cannot currently be exported properly. Additional compression formats via iMovie '08 "Camera Import" option -- AVCHD (Intel Machines only) and "muxed" MPEG2/AC3 from HDD/DVD camcorders or images thereof. Any file you can convert manually to an iMovie '08 "edit" compatible format in QT or third-party applications (e.g., Voltaic for import of AVCHD to PPC machines).

Why do 4 video clips import into iMovie and one doesn't?

I attempted to import 5 short clips into my MacBook Pro from the same event, shot with an ipad2. Four of the clips easily imported into iMovie. IMovie said that the fifth clip wouldnt import because it is 'not compatible with iMovie'. All of the clips are 1280x720, H.264/AAC, encoding 7.0.2. Importing to IMovie 11, version 9.0.9. I've read thru some of the strings but haven't quite found this problem. Any ideas?
thank you

I think this is an SD memory card camera. It does not work in a format that FCE uses. FCE only works with DV, HDV or AVCHD material. Everything else has to be converted to a format FCE works with.

Older DV Tapes Will Not Play or Import Into iMovie

I have a lot of DV tapes shot ten years ago on a JVC camcorder that I want to import into iMovie.
I have a new Canon Vixia hv 30 and I'm assuming these older mini DV tapes are compatible because these old tapes play fine in the camcorder itself, and also on my TV, but when I try to import them into iMovie, they do not display in the iMovie import window. However, new tapes shot recently with the new hv 30 display and import just fine.
Is there a problem with the old tapes being incompatible in some way I'm not understanding?
Dino1956 answered a similar problem in 2008:
*iMovie Camcorder Import Fix*
*Connect your camera. put it in 'play' mode (sometimes also called vcr). start up imovie (hd or 08; both work, but i use HD). go to the blue 'import' screen. it should just say 'camera connected'.*
*Now comes the trick. don't click import, but instead put your camera in 'record' mode. you should now see whatever it is that your aiming the camera at on your computer screen.*
*QUICKLY put your camera back in play mode. again very quickly press the 'play' button, either on the imovie import screen or on your camera. your DV tape will start to play back.*
*-On my computer, the video now suddenly shows up in imovie! You can now click the 'import' button in imovie, and imovie will start importing the tape in realtime. This is a bit slower than the normal import method, but hey, at least you can now get your video into imovie!*
...but this solution doesn't work for me. I cannot "quickly" click the Play button on the camera monitor or in the iMovie window after switching from record to Play on the camera because there is a 5 second time lag on both the camera's monitor and in the iMovie window while the iMovie screen/camera monitor switches over from Record to Play.
Is there any way I can get older DV footage into iMovie from my Vixia hv 30? My resources are at a very low ebb right now.

I found a clue on the www.hv20 website: Old DV tapes recorded before HDV...you need to go into the hv 30 menu and select "DV" rather than "HDV", then the video shows up in the iMovie import screen and imports easily.

How can i import into imovie using the camera's built in memory?

How can I import into imovie from my cannon video camera built in memory. All that comes up when I connect the USB cable is what is stored on the memory card and it doesn't give me the option to use what is stored on the built in memory

That is not a feature of iPhoto - suggest to Apple - iPhoto Menu ==> provide iPhoto feedback.
With the new Photo app later this year the integration between IOS and the Mac will be much greater
LN

Why do some AVI files not import into iMovie?

Some of my AVI video does not import into iMovie. When I try, it gives me a non-specific error message. Is there a way I can import it? Other AVI files import with no problem.

AVI is a container, not a format; the audio and video in an AVI may use any codec, and some codecs can't be used in Mac OS X. Installing Perian may help.
(34138)

Certain mp4 files are not importing into iMovie

I downloaded various files from the video page at a blog website [ http://www.911blogger.com/ ]; they're mp4 QuickTime. They won't properly import into iMovie, and quickly return a "An Unknown Error Has Occured" message box.
This is confusing, especially since iMovie can make mp4 movies. And since mp4 is a QuickTime format -- and QuickTime is made by Apple, who also makes iMovie.
It doesn't matter what size of file; none import. I asked the guys who own/operate the blog website if they put any special locking features on their video file downloads from their podcasts, and they said they (paraphrasing) "didn't do anything except use an iPod video converter" or something to that effect.
So, any idea's?

I have QuickTime 7.1.1 installed, with a license for QuickTime Pro.
QuickTime Pro shouldn't affect the ability to import to iMovie. All QuickTime Pro does is enable certain movie editing commands in QuickTime Player. It doesn't add any codecs or new elements to QuickTime.
But third-party QuickTime codecs could certainly be affecting iMovie 6's ability to import a movie. If any are installed, they should be temporarily removed and the Mac restarted.
They are discussed here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1852869#1852869
Karl

Can't select multiple video clips to import into iMovie

Hi, i can't select multiple video clips to import into iMovie, it only lets me import one video at a time. Apple please fix in next update or if anyone has a solution please post.

Obviously you can not select the video to import until after iMovie populates the list of videos that are available to be imported
LN

I need to share raw footage that is already imported into iMove, how do I do that?

I have raw footage imported into iMovie '11 that I need to beable to give to someone else, is this possible without first turning it into a project and exporting it that way?

Go to ~/movies/imovie/imovie events, then copy the files to a DVD or an external hard drive.

1080P movie imported into iMovie at optimised 920x540 but is oddly finalised at 1080p?

Hi.
I have a video shot in 1080p which I imported into iMovie from my camcorder using the optimised setting (920x540px). I edited the movie and now want to finalise it. But I'm wondering why when I click finalise the project it says it's doing so in 1080p?
I assumed when it imported the project it did so at 920x540px and would have disgarded the additional data 1080p data.
What's happening?
Thanks!

Just had a thought. Something AppleMan1958 said in another post.
Is this because iMovie also imports the original 1080p file into the Camera Originals folder? So when I finalise the edited project it does with the original 1080p footage?

Is an 8.7GB file too big to import into iMovie 9?

Is an 8.7GB file too big to import into iMovie 9? I am using iMovie 8.0.6 on a Macbook Pro running OS 10.6.8 on 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 2 GB Memory. I can't get my movie file to import into iMovie...any advice would be much appreciated!

When you import into iMovie, your video is converted into DV format. This uses 13 GB per hour of video. So the first thing you have to do is make sure you have 26 GB free on your hard drive, plus another 10GB free for OSX to perform, plus 10GB free if you plan on burning a DVD.
iMovie has non-destructive editing. If you have used any part of a clip and discard the rest, that entire clip is still saved in your project - unused but eating up disc space. If you use no part of a clip and discard the clip, then the clip can go in the trash and you get back disc space. So...
If you import 2 hours of video (26GB) as one clip, and only use 2 minutes, your 2-minute segment retains its 2-hr source in memory. 2 min = 26 GB.
One thing you can do is set the iMovie preferences to automatically create new clips every 3 minutes. (2 hours of 3-min clips = 40 clips.) This allows you to find the 2-minute segment you want and delete all of the unused clips. Say your 2-minute segment comes from 2 of these 3-min clips, so you keep 6 minutes of source footage and delete the rest. Clips that are entirely unused will be completely deleted and give you back disc space. At .65 GB per clip, your 6-minute project is now only 1.3 GB, and you've just regained 24.7 GB of disc space.

Screen Capture Video Loses Quality When Imported Into iMovie - WHY?

I am using screen capture software to make a video of my screen at 1024x768. The video is for a tutorial. I want to use iMove to get things like transitions and such into the movie, and to add text and audio. The problem is that, although the video looks great in QuickTime, it loses quality significanly when I import into iMove. The text on the screen is blurry, and the quality of everything else is terrible as well.
Is this s limitation of iMove? Can screen capture video be imported? Does it only work with DV?
Also, I tried to convert the file to many other formats, from QuickTime to MPEG-4, so it's not the file type.
If anyone can help me out, I've be very grateful.
Thanks!
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Your dimensions are getting in the way. iMovie converts your 1024X768 to a DV Stream file that is 720X480.
One workaround would be to set your display resolution smaller. Try 800X600 (if your windows fit that size).
If you're using Snapz Pro you should set your window capture to 640X480. This size will import nicely into iMovie.
An even better way would be to do all of the work using QuickTime Pro. Again a 1024X768 QT.mov file would not fit on the most common display settings used. When you add the QT Player window the controller would be below the screen and not accessible for most users.
800X600 would make a better file (smaller, too). It would still be 4:3 aspect and would also import into iMovie.

Saving files from Photoshop to Import into iMovie 09

1. What is the best file format for saving images from Photoshop to bring into iMovie 09?
2. What should the image size of the file be set to from Photoshop? I would like the best quality while working in iMovie prior to exporting and compressing after I am done editing.
Thank you in advance.

kat.hayes wrote:
1. What is the best file format for saving images from Photoshop to bring into iMovie 09?
I see you have not marked your topic "Answered", so you may be hoping for some other suggestions. If your item 1 is intended to ask about file "type" (.psd, .jpg, .png, .tif, etc.), here is my suggestion.
Because of the large file size of PhotoShop (PS) .psd image files, *unless you need to keep the PS version with Layers, Adjustments, etc*., _and unless you do NOT keep a separate folder of PS images_, I suggest that you NOT save the PS .psd file "format" (type) into iPhoto (or iMovie.)
I keep all PS (.psd) image files that I want to retain in separate folders outside iPhoto. I also save the finished (PS) image as a .jpg or .png version which I import into iPhoto for easy import into iMovie via the media browser. Whether to use jpeg or png depends on the image quality I need.
If you are capturing the snapshots that you are editing with PS from an iSight, other webcam, or a Flip camcorder, the jpg version will probably give you all the quality you need. However, to make your decision easier, you can save multiple file type (and compression settings) versions of the edited file when you are finished in PS. Then import all the various jpgs, pngs, tiffs, etc, into a test movie, lable (title) them for easy identification, save the movie, and see if you can tell any difference in quality or each image when you replay your test movie. If you can tell a difference, you can decide how much quality you need and match that need with the file type and size that gives the necessary quality level. If you cannot see a difference in the move regardless of which file type or compression level, you can save space by using the smallest image file.
+re: your item 2:+ I have nothing to add to Karsten's expert comments on resolution and file size.
EZ Jim
G5 DP 1.8GHz w/Mac OS X (10.5.8) PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

Converting files to import into iMovie HD

I've been searching the forum but cant find anything that helps me...
I have an mpeg (a .m2p file)
I've tried converting it into all sorts of things to import into iMovie, using the likes of "ffmpegx" and "mpeg streamclip".
I've tried converting to mpeg4 mov files, mpeg4 mp4 files, H264, .DV.
Most of the time even quicktime will not play them, or in the case of the .DV files, not only is it massive (like 50 gig) but takes hours to import.
Basically I have a 2gig .m2p (mpeg2) file and want to convert it into something that iMovie will read without taking 6 hours.
I'm new to OS X, and video editing/converting in general... someone please point me in the right direction.

.m2p file
Have you tried this with MPEG Streamclip (Notice that MPEG2 conversions require the $20 Apple MPEG-2 Playback Component):
"File/Export to DV.../Compression: DV (DV25)". Choose "Split DV stream in Segments" if the content is more than 9 minutes 27 seconds because iMovie 1-4 can't reliably handle longer clip files and it might be a good idea to limit the converted .dv file's size anyway (segmented clips play seamlessly in iMovie).
You can save the converted DV directly into iMovie project's Media folder to save time and HD space (iMovie prompts you what to do with the clip when the project is opened. Notice that iMovie HD 5 now stores its project folder as a package -- MPEG Streamclip can save straight into the package's /Media folder!)
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCDon_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convertMPEG

AVCHD Import into Imovie

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