Convert DV AVI to DV MOV and retain timecode

How can I convert a DV AVI created on Windows to something that Final Cut understands? I can import the AVI directly into FCP, but I lose the timecode and I need to render it. I can convert the AVI to MOV, but I lose the timecode information in the file. Any recommendations on what software can do what I need? I have tried MPEG Streamclip and QT Pro. I can record to raw .dv files if needed. It also needs to be a lossless conversion - just basically looking to change the wrapper so that FCP understands the file.

I guess the biggest issue is that if my TC does not match what is on tape then I can't imagine trying to get the footage re-captured from tape if the file gets corrupted or deleted. I already know the answer to that - "be sure to always back up your data". Yes, but for us the video tape is the backup. File gets deleted? No problem. Right click, batch capture, insert tape, wait the capture time, done. If I don't have matching TC then I would need to backup all of our footage daily, which is out of the question due to the amount of footage we have and the cost associated with that.
I know how to assign new TC to a clip, but without a painstaking process of manually looking for a good sync point on the clip and the tape to find what TC I need to manually put in I don't know a better/faster way.
Capturing in FCP of course is not a problem. TC remains what it should be, all is well there.
I have not looked into Live Capture Plus, but I really need something for PCs due to cost of Mac hardware.

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I recently purchased QuickTime 7 Pro to convert avi files to mov files for editing on Imovie. However, QuickTime won't play the files. How can I get them to play and how can I convert them to mov files?

I recently purchased QuickTime 7 Pro to convert avi files to mov files for editing on Imovie. However, QuickTime won't play the files. How can I get them to play and how can I convert them to mov files?

I recently purchased QuickTime 7 Pro to convert avi files to mov files for editing on Imovie. However, QuickTime won't play the files. How can I get them to play and how can I convert them to mov files?
Both the AVI and the MOV file extensions refer to the file container and not the compressed data the file contains. Both are generic file containers in that each may contain any valid combination of audio and/or video data that is compatible with the codec component configuration of the system on which the file was created. On the other hand, whether a file is playback compatible, conversion compatible, and/or edit compatible depends on the data actually contained in the file container. So, you are basically dealing with two separate issues here—the container and what is inside it.
Basically, if you want to make your files ediit compatible with iMovie, you must change your file container to one that is acceptable to iMovie and convert the data to edit compatible audio and/or video compression formats as may be necessary. The best approach is to determine what codecs were actually used to create the original AVI files and add them to your system if possible. In most cases a codec package like Perian can be added to your system's codec component configuration to may the AVI file playable. Once they are playable, in the QT 7 app then they can be chnged or converted to file types and compression formats that can be edited in iMovie. (While Perian handles most codecs commonly used to create AVI files, it does not handle all possibilities and, while the Perian codec package still works under cureent Mac OS versions, its development group has decided to drop further development/support of the package.)
Background: AVI is a file container originally developed by Microsoft back in 1992 but for which official support was discontinued about 11 years. Despite its limitations, Windows users still tend to use this file based on its open source ease of use and generic nature, thus, making its use so popular that most users are unwilling to switch to more modern but less generic file types. Since some AVI legacy compression formats have never been transcoded for the Mac or use beyond OS 9 or OS X PPC platforms, it is often important to know what specific compression formats are contained in the AVI file to know which codecs to add to your system and which not to add in order to avoid possible codec conflicts.
You can use many different converters to convert AVI files to iMovie edit compatible files. Most third-party apps contain their own buit-in codecs which do not relay on the Mac codec component configuration. Free ones, like HandBrake, usually have limited conversion capabilities while those that have more varied outputs are usually commercial in nature and will cost you additional cash. QT 7 Pro or the free MPEG Streamclip app allow you to access you own system's component configuration and use any available codec component like DV, AIC, MPEG-4, H.264, Photo JPEG, etc.—all of which are iMovie compatible for editing purposes—but only after making the AVI file QT 7 player compatible.
In order to determine what compression formats wewre used in your AVI files you can
1) Try checking the Finder "Info" window,
2) Use the "Inspector", "Media Info", or "Properties" window of any player app that will open the file, or
3) Use a general media utility app like "MediaInfo" to read the file characteristics.

Mac Convert MPEG to AVI, FLV to AVI, F4V, and Quicktime MOV to AVI. You can also convert from AVI to MPEG or other major formats.

What is tyhe best video /audio converter to use on a Mac? To convert
Convert MPEG to AVI, FLV to AVI, F4V, and Quicktime MOV to AVI. to convert from AVI to MPEG or other major formats?

I prefer using Mac Video Converter software to do video conversion. I convert Quicktime MOV to AVI so that I can play the video on PS3.

Converting between .mkv .mov and .mp4

I have been given some h264 video files in .mkv format and am able to convert these to .mov by resaving them out to .mov from QuickTime Player 7.
I can change the file extension in Finder to .mp4 and they seem to then more or less behave as .mp4 files.
Are they actually .mp4, or QT doesn't care and just opens them anyway?
What is the best method of handling these files for widest usage on multiple devices?
I have read up as much as I can on the file formats but no-where does it say what OSX is actually doing when I change the extension.
Am I right in wanting them to be .mp4 files?
Peter

I didn't state the audio format(s) because it has rarely been an issue, if it fails it fails at the first hurdle. The container.
Non-AAC audio will likely fail to load/play if the MKV Extension is changed at the Finder Level. Using MPEG Streamclip to move the compressed data to a "real" MP4 file container will normally strip the audio from the final file. If you wish to retain the audio, use the QT 7 Pro "Movie to MPEG-4" option, use video passthrough, and transcode the audio to AAC.
Most of the .mkv files have aac audio, but not all. Chapters are irrelevant, never having found any nor thought them useful.
This is a user preference. I prefer to keep the original chapter markers for apps that use them rather than falling back on the defaulted markers added by some device players.
I am playing the files on several Macs, 2 PCs, an iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad 2 and possibly future Android devices. There are even 2 TVs which seem to be stuck with only reading avi.
Macs, iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPad will play H.264/AAC compressed data natively in MOV, MP4, or M4v file containers. PCs and Android playback will depend on the compatibility of the player app used on the device. Macs will play H.264 with any audio supported by your Mac codec component configuration in the MOV file container.
My main target however is a PS3, which has turned out to be the most flexible media device in the house but does object to some files for indeterminant reasons. I will need to do comprehensive testing to find exactly what it is it doesn't like. Mostly it is good, once you update the system.
Do not own a PS3 but believe it is supossed to be compatible iTunes and mobile device supported formats. Again, the file container of choice would depend on the content you wish to include in the file. If you want to include AC3 DD5.1 sourround soud audio, I would normally recommend the MV4 or MOV containers.
The secondary target is iTunes so that I can get the files onto my iPod Touch and iPhone. I'm sort of used to that level of Apple devices (and I presume AppleTV) "Just not working" unless it suits Apple. So I restrict my viewing to mp4 files of my own creation or mkv files so over the top in size that recompression does little to degrade them.
Again, the M4V file container with H.264/AAC with or without AC3 surround audio, alternative AAC audio, and/or chapters is usually the preferred norm. If you plan to use a "universal" file format, then the display dimensions, frame rate, profile, and level for encodes may depend on the specific devices involved. I.e., that is why I limit my files to 720p30 Main Profile Level 3.1 to High Profile Level 4.0 compression and rarely use even half (more commonly only about a quarter to a third) of the video data rates allowed with these settings.
XBMC and other Media Server software seem, like VLC to be pretty tolerant, and whilst I haven't yet built myself a Media Server, it is on my longer term To-Do list.
I use iTunes for in-house media server software to TV and mobile devices with Air Video as my primary server software externally via the internet to mobile devices when away from home. Both access the same Promise Pegasus R6 12 TB RAID storage device. (Have moved most of my content from an old Drobo Pro RAID and am in the process of upgrading the current 16 TB unit to 24 TBs as individual drives fail for the storage of raw video footage.)
The h264 should pass straight through in a simple QT resave? Same if it has AAC audio?
If the source MKV file is playback compatible with your system's current codec component configuration, then the QT 7 Pro or MPEG Streamclip "Save As..." option can copy the data in the MKV file directly to a new MOV file container without transcoding/recompressing any of the data. Unfortunately, the QT X player is a bit more iffy. Basically, Apple has combined the "Save, Export, and Save As..." options in to a single menu option. The result is that sometimes the app will recompress the data and at other times it may not—dependent on a numbe of variables.)
If the MKV file contains H.264 video and AAC audio, then the MPEG Streamclip "Save As..." option allows you to select either MOV or MP4 as the target file container. If the MKV file contains H.264 video but the audio is not AAC but is still export-compatible with the QT 7 Pro app, then you can use the QT 7 Pro "Movie to MPEG-4" Export option to pass the H.264 video unchanged to a new MP4 file container while simultaneously coverting the audio to AAC. Since you still have not stated what non-AAC formats are included in some of your MKV files, I cannot tell at this point if this is a viable workflow for you.
That covers most cases. I'm still not a 100% clear on tghe real differences between .mov and .mp4 containers and how much it really matters in the scheme of things. .mp4 seems to the go, does .mov cause a problem? If so how and how best to rectify that?
The containers are different. They have different internal identifiers, features, capabilities, and sometimes limitations. CDs, DVDs, and BDs are all different types of optical media but each has different capacities, ratings, and features that determine how they can be used, what kind of media can be recoded on it, and what kind of a device must be used for playback. MP4 containers are very limited. Thay can only conatain MPEG-4 (MPEG-4/H.264) video and MPEG-4 (AAC) audio. M4V file containers are less limited and may typically contain H.264 video, AAC and/or AC3 audio, and chapter tracks. MOV file containers are generic and can hold up to 99 tracks of audio, video, image, text, 'tween, sprite, etc. data that is compatible with the system on which it was created. As to MOV files causing a problem—yes and no, depending on how you use it. Put "muxed" MPEG-2 data in an MOV file in an MOV file container and it will play normally in the QT 7 player (with the QT MPEG-2 component installed)—i.e., no problem. But try to play the same file in the QT X player and it will tell you that you are missing a codec component—a definite problem since you tried to play playable content in a container the media player did not expect to contain that particular form of compression. As to fixing aproblem. I would be better able to answer that if I knoew what specific problem you were referring to here.
This is why I keep harping about knowing which player is to be used, what audio and video compression format is being used and what container is to be used. And we have not even gotten around to checking the H.264 settings. QT based players are standards conscious. Each Profile and level combination tells the player the max macroblock decoding rate, number of macroblocks allowed per frame, the maximum video data rate allowed, the highest useable resolution @ the highest frame rate, what features are supported by profile, etc. Unfortunately, some third-party venders sometimes hybridize these settings which can make the files unplayable in QT apps but they may still play on other players which do not check on or trap on the use of non-standard settings.
BTW I did a quick hunt around on h265 and can't see what Apple is doing. Giving it a miss like it did with Bluray?
Apple is not known for embracing such technology quickly—especially since they are still drafting and reviewing drafted standards. (I believe DivX released a draft version on the 15th of this month.) The current evolution of QT X will probably take another 5-7 years and Apple will have to design hardware capable of handling 4K and 8K if anyone is actually going to put it to use on future Mac systems. The development of mobile devices have, for the most part, only been supporting 1080p resolutions for a relatively short period and jumping to 8K would represent something of a quantum leap at the consumer level.

Problem converting long AVI to MOV

I am trying to convert one hour AVI file into a MOV format using Quicktime
PRO on a PC.If I try and convert a short AVI video of less than 5 minutes I
can can convert it and change the settings of both Video and Audio to suit
my specification.If however I try and convert a longer AVI say one hour I
can only set the video characteristics but NO audio at all.The audio
settings area is greyed out and not changeable.
My question is this.Is it possible to convert a long AVI video (say 1 hour)
to a MOV format in Quicktime PRO on a PC and still be able to set the audio
to the required specification?
Thanks Stu
P.S im using QT Pro 7.3

If the audio settings in the export dialog can't be adjusted then the audio codec used in the file isn't supported by QuickTime Pro export.
MPEG-1 is playback only.
MPEG Streamclip (free) can convert your AVI with MPEG-1 audio.
http://perian.org can also help QuickTime Pro with some codecs used in AVI's.

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so i recently converted .avi files to .mov using perian in quicktime. i imported them into itunes, and they play just fine there. unfortunately, they won't load onto my ipod. i get an error that the format is not recognized by my ipod. has anyone had this issue? if so, am i doing something wrong, and/or how can i correct this? i'm using a 2 ghz powerpc g5, and a 160 gb ipod classic. thanks!

You need to convert to MPEG-4.
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Problem Converting AVI (DV) to MOV (DV)

I have a number of AVI (DV) files that were previously imported on my PC, which I want to covert (using my Mac) to the more Mac friendly MOV (DV) file format.
I read that the best way to achieve this is to open the AVI files in Quicktime Pro and to convert the files to MOV using “SAVE AS”, as opposed to “EXPORT”. I understand that the benefit of using “SAVE AS” is that there is no recompression of the DV stream and that only the Container is changed (which results in a lossless conversion).
The problem is that the new MOV (DV) file is significantly larger than the original AVI (DV) file. For example, the size of a 13.5 minute clip increases from 2.95 GB to 5.88 GB.
I wouldn't expect such a significant change in file size if only the Container is indeed being changed.
I have also tried MPEG Streamclip to do the conversion, but I get the following message when I try to open the AVI (DV) file “File open error: this movie file is not supported”.
I have confirmed using Gspot that the AVI (DV) file is a 'Type 1' as opposed to a 'Type 2' file. Gspot also indicates the following information about the file “Multipart OpenDML AVL (3 parts). I don’t know if this is relevant.
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UPDATE PROBLEM SOLVED:
I was able to fix this problem by following a reply that I received on forum.videohelp.com. Basically, I was able to fix the problem by using a program called DVdate to convert my AVI (DV) files from Type 1 to Type 2. Now all is well. Here is the link below to the answer.
http://forum.videohelp.com/threads/331883-Problem-Converting-AVI-(DV)-to-MOV-(DV)?p=2057056#post2057056

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Have a look at that note:
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http://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop-elements/kb/common-catalog-issues-upgrade-elements.html
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If for example I wanted to make a fan film using footage from another source, how would I go about this - it seems very time consuming considering every single shot needs to be fully rendered every time I move it / edit it.

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ventibold wrote:
Sorry about the iphone comments, i will address that seperately.
I went to VLC media, downloaded that. However the .avi movie file comes in email and I have only one option to download the movie. So I click that and the movie tries to open and I get the message that apple cannot open that type of avi movie. I try to drag it to the VCL 'drag video here' box and it does not work.
I went to mydlink and clicked on the 'set up for mac user' link and the page opens blank.
thank you for your feedback. i didn't really think i was going to get any support but you all have been so nice.
i will definitely provide more input when i make an inquiry next time.
in any event, i still cannot get it to work =(
There is also a good chance that the .avi is simply corrupt as often hapens with this format. I have often had .avis that simply will not open, no matter what program or converter you try using. It's a bummer, but being an older format, it is becoming more common.
Good Luck
Pete

Need to convert music videos that are tagged as "Movies" and re-rag them as "Music Videos" to get them out of my movies library and into the Music Video folder. Likewise, I ha e some educational videos that belong in "Podcasts." Help?

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Message was edited by: Sakahara

Hello, Welcome to Apple Discussions.
Below you will find more information about your options of relocating iTunes Library and backing it up.
iTunes for Mac: Moving your iTunes Music folder
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1449
How to use your iPod to move your music to a new computer
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1329
Back up your iTunes library by copying to an external hard drive
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1751
How to back up your media in iTunes
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1382

Convert DV AVI to DV MOV and retain timecode

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