Can't import MPEG4//video blackout in YouTube upload?

Question

Two issues:
1) I can't import a QT/MPEG4 .mov file to work on as an event. Ideas? It's 4.3 GB...
2) Have a 1:30 video finished in iMovie, looks great in preview... but when uploaded to YouTube account, all video is gone; audio is fine, and intro and outro title cards on black are fine. Only the footage in between is a black screen, as the audio plays underneath it. Tried uploading again twice. Am I missing something?
thanks,
Larry

Answer 1

DV is simply "digital video"?
It might be more appropriate to consider it the standard for NTSC/PAL compression/recording for the last decade. Almost every frame level editor will accept and edit it -- including all versions of iMovie, FCE, FCP, and most pro/semi-pro third-party software editors as well. Most DACs (Digital-Analog Converters) for editing convert to DV owing to its universal acceptance.
The Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) is normally used as an intermediate editing compression format for HD content (HDV or AVCHD). I also like to use it for SD content since it is about 22-29% more efficient than DV25 and thus saves a bit of space without much loss in quality.
Can't find anything on your Miglia card (site is currently down for routine maint.) let alone the various compression formats and their stats for capture/storage so I won't try to second guess anything further here. If you don't have QT Pro, would recommend you download MPEG Stremclip (free). Use it to "trim" a snippet from your long "problem" movie, and save it as a separate file. Then try to import the snippet. If it imports then you have a "workaround" and can look into why later. If it doesn't import, try a conversion to any of the acceptable iMovie '08 audio and video compression formats and see if that will import. Once again, you are looking for an immediate "workaround" which will later help identify a specific problem.
Also, while searching, I thought I noted a reference to a "fallback" M-JPEG compression format (again no audio format given). Have you tried it? Also, are you still using Tiger as indicated?
Meanwhile, nothing I check for either Properties in QT (no Pro) or Finder Get Info is just "MPEG-4." If you can explain it on "my" level, is there another layer or corner to look in?
If you don't have QT Pro, you can't access the "Properties" window. You can, however, access the "Inspector" window. What you need to check are the "Format:" entry lines. This should give compression formats for both audio (codec, channels, and sampling rate) and video (codec, encoded dimensions, and color depth). This is where you should start any time a clip does not import correctly.
The Miglia conversion got me a zillion rare & noncommercial & aircheck VHS tapes converted for iDVD burning; seemed like it would continue to be useful as it has.
The unit may still be useful for the purpose of digitizing. The problem here is that the requirements for import have increased one level from merely being "conversion" compatible with iMovie HD to being "edit" compatible for import to iMovie '08. Obviously, any file that plays as is can be re-compressed to to any of the acceptable iMovie '08 compression format. But that means more time lost. In fact, you could always run that long file through MPEG Streamclip to convert it to a DV or Widescreen DV files and it will even properly set the anamorphic flag which iMovie '08 also now requires proper preview during editing and to set the output aspect ratio. (Another change to iMovie.)