Converting Files in FCE 4

I am new to FCE4 having used Pinnacle in my PC days. I have converted most of my old VHS home movies to DVD. I would like to load these movies into FCE4 but continue to get error messages. I used a product called HandBrake to get them onto my iMac. I can view them in QuickTime Player but FCE4 will not recognize them. Suggestions?

Thanks for the advice in trying DVDxDV. I loaded their test version to try it out, and it did a great job in converting a DVD of my old home movies into a format that FCE4 accepted. At $25, it will get the job done. Thanks

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Anyone here using FCE to edit Flip Mino HD .avi converted files- Rendering

This question may have been answered in bits and pieces in other posts but I'm hoping some smart person here can give me the settings I need to avoid rendering .avi HD-to-quicktime clips in Final Cut Express 2.0.1.
I'm shooting HD video with a Flip Mino HD camera which produces .avi files. I am aware FCE doesn't work with .avi files. The native codec of these .avi video files is H.264 ACC with a frame size of 1280 x 720. The quality is excellent but I am aware that H.264 is not an editing codec.
I'm using Mpeg Streamclip to convert those .avi video files into Quicktime files. With the MPEG Streamclip program there are MANY choices for compression including Apple DV/DVCPRO NTSC, Apple Intermediate Codec and even the H.264 codec native to the Flip Mino HD. I've tried all of them with 24 frames and also 29.97 frames per second.
And there are several frame size choices as well including the native 1280 x 720. But to avoid distortion I'm keeping with 1280 x 720 unscaled.
The problem is, no matter what settings I seem to chose, when I import those converted clips into Final Cut Express, they need to be rendered before they can be played back or edited. I'm not talking about transitions like dissolves or titles, just straight clips. This problem does not happen in iMovie only FCE. But I hate editing in iMovie.
I have tried to match the setting in the sequence as best I can in FCE, including RT unlimited in playback.
Nothing has worked. Each time I import a converted clip into FCE v.2.0.1 I am forced to render the video.
I've read the MPEG Streamclip tutorial and I've seen the demos on Youtube but nothing is working. These MPEG options and conversions may work with Final Cut Pro but they are not working for me with Final Cut Express 2.0.1 on an intel iMac running 10.4.11.
My goal is to maintain the format frame size and quality, that I get from the Flip Mino HD, all the way into the final export from FCE 2.0.1.
Is there anything you can suggest? Am I missing some small setting? Do I need another third party program or do I need to upgrade to the latest FCE?
Thanks

Dear Tom,
With your help I made it work.
I bought Final Cut Express 4 and installed it in my 13 inch Macbook Pro.
I imported the H.264 HD Mpeg 4 clips, shot with my Flip Mino HD camera, into my MBpro.
I used MPEG Streamclip to convert these Flip video files into Quicktime files using the following settings:
Apple Intermediate Codec at 100% quality, 48 kHz, frame rate 29.97. Lower Field, Interlaced Scaling checked. 1280x720 HDTV 720p.
I then opened FCE4 with a sequence setting of DV NTSC 48kHz Anamorphic.
I imported the MPEG converted to QT Clips into FCE4
FCE4 gave me a warning that my clips did not perfectly match my sequence setting and asked me if I wanted to correct that. I said "yes". (I'm assuming it corrected the sequence settings and not the clips)
I was then able to drag those clips into the timeline WITHOUT having to render first!!!!
I was able to edit those clips, add dissolves, fade outs, page wipes and a text title etc.
I then exported the timeline sequence as a QT movie and the final outcome was very good. Keeping the original HD wide screen 16:9 format from the Flip camera.
I then imported that exported QT video from FCE4 into iMovie 8. Using iMovie 8 I easily uploaded that video on to the share function for Youtube. The final edited on Youtube held the HD quality of 720p and format 16:9 that I originally got from the Flip Mino HD camera.
It was a lot of steps and a lot of trial and error but the results were what I wanted.
Thanks for your help.
Steve

Converting .m2ts files into FCE

I have been sent some video files, that when I unzipped them, they turned into .m2ts files. FCE does not read them. How do I convert them so they can be used In FCE?
Mike

It's just accumulated knowledge and experience, much of which has been hard earned! The beauty of this forum is that there are almost always multiple participants who can answer your questions, no matter how arcane! It's a great group of contributors - don't hesitate to ask when you need some help.

Steps for using .wmv file in FCE

I have used FCE to edit files captured on my camera for a while now. But I was sent a DVD with an .wmv I would like to edit in FCE. I have never done this, and really need a very basic, step by step directions for how to convert this file for use in FCE. Please walk me through the conversion and import into FCE processes. Thank you in advance.

I agree - if all you need to do it access the file and convert it to something else, PlayerPro will be good. I have one of the higher versions (Studio), which has additional presets for saving content TO an WMV, but as you just need to convert FROM it, PlayerPro is all you need.
After installing, you'll be able to open the wmv in the QuickTime Player and export as a file that FCE edits natively. For example, is this a standard-def file? If so, then you'll want to export as a QuickTime Movie with the video settings set to "DV/DVCPRO - NTSC". Then you can import it into FCE and it will treat the clip as if you had captured it from your camera.

Can't import uncompressed quicktime file into FCE 3.5.1

I've imported other files of this type before and feel a little stymied.
It's an uncompressed quicktime, 507 megabytes, 720 x 486, codecs are Integer (Big Endian), Animation. When I try to import it I keep getting an error message. I've gotten the message before but could figure out the problem - for example, one movie had AAC audio and FCE wouldn't take it. Don't know what the problem is here and it's driving me nuts.
I tried converting it using quicktime pro (with the DV/DVCPRO NTSC) but FCE still ends up reconverting the file again and the resulting file looks fairly crappy as a result.
Anybody know why the file won't import? Or can someone suggest what codec to use with Quicktime Pro to convert the file so FCE what re-compress it?
Any help would be much appreciated.

Hi(Bonjour)!
FCE is a fixed format application. It can handles natively (without rendering)standard def DV, HDV and AVCHD.
The timeline(sequence) format can just be either standard or hight definition one. Not quicktime animation. So the non native material has to be rendered before playing the timeline. The rendered material will have the same resolution (or format) than your timeline, thus the poor quality as you display DV material (an interlaced format designed to be monitored on TV sets).(Quicktime animation format is an uncompressed format).
Converting your non-native material with QT Pro and importing into FCE is the way to go as this process allows editing in native format.
Did you monitor your timeline content on a TV monitor?
Michel Boissonneault

How to import .mpg files into FCE ?

I have succesfully installed the MPEG StreamClip & flip4mac into my iMac. So now I can both play wmv files on my iMac as well as importing wmv files into iMovie & FCE.
But now I have another problem:
1) How do I play mpg files on my iMac ?
2) How do I bring import mpg files into FCE ?
Thank you.

R. Mitchell Fore wrote:
QTPro gives you many more capabilities than the free player, but I don't think you need it to do anything you've described. You DO need the MPEG-2 Playback component. I'd start there, then see if you need any of the options provided by QTPro.
Hi there,
I have purchased the MPEG-2 Playback component from the Apple Store.
I can now convert the mpg files to mov using the MPEG StreamClip.
However, I cannot playback the original mpg files using QuickTime Player. I can only playback the original mpg files if I click on the mpg file then goto more info & change open with MPEG StreamClip.
But how do I open with QuickTime MPEG-2 playback ? I do not even know where the OS installed the MPEG-2 Playback component to ?
Thanks

Midi files in FCE HD ?

Is there a way to import a midi audio file into FCE HD. When I try I get an error message saying it is an invalid file? thanks joanlvh

Hey joanlvh
If you have QT Pro simply open the MIDI file in QT Pro and then Export as an aiff. Thats it.
The quality of your MIDI file will be determined (besides the quality of the MIDI data) by the quality of your sound card. What a lot of the MIDI crowd do is they run the MIDI file through a sound module or tone generator which is a piece of machinery which converts the MIDI signal into a more life like /relaistic sound and then record it into their LINE IN on the computer.
But getting to your question, yes, it can certainly be done and done easily enough. QT Pro does it fine.

Can FCP6 edit avi files? FCE 3.5 does.

Can FCP6 edit avi files? FCE 3.5 does. I have Quicktime 7.6.2. If I go to more recent Quicktine will Final Cut Pro6 edit avi clips? Thanks for any help. It's confusing because my Final Cut Express does edit avi.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, FCE 3.5 does handle .AVI without rendering, the same as if it was a .mov. I just tried it to make sure I wasn't imagining it. I don't understand how you would render it in FCP before working with it. An AVI just shows up as black frames. And once you work with it wouldn't it become surrendered? I've been using QuickTime to convert from AVI to mov. Is that the bet way. I'm using 1080p video. I wonder why dcs will do AVI, but not fcp?? Thanks again.

Import m2ts files to FCE

Hi,
I have a problem importing m2ts files from an external HD into fce.
Can I do that without using some kind of converter which will probably do something to the quality.
Another problem is, that when I import directly from the camera(using Log and Transfer) I don't think the quality is as good as if I connect the camera directly to my TV.
I'm using Sony camera HDR-TG7 and Final Cut Express HD
Hope some of you guys can help me..?

In order to ingest .m2ts files into FCE from somewhere other than your camera, you need to have the entire folder (directory) structure that was on your camera's memory card/hard drive. If you only have the .m2ts files themselves, you will need to use something like Clipwrap to convert them to QuickTime before you will be able to import them into FCE and use them.
You could also try MPEG Streamclip (free) to convert them although you may also need the QuickTime MPEG2 Playback Component if you do not already have it on your Mac.

Trouble importing .MPG files to FCE HD

I'm trying to import .MPG files into FCE HD, but I just get an error message "unknown file". The same happened when I tried to import to iMovie. The footage is from a friend's camera so I don't know any more details. The files are codec MPEG-2 Video, AC3 and 720 × 576 if that helps...
Would be grateful for any help!

The files are codec MPEG-2 Video, AC3 and 720 × 576
You can't import this into FCE or iMovie, neither application supports MPEG2 video.
It would be best if you can find out & tell us the specific make & model camcorder your friend used. And even better what settings he used in the camcorder when he made the video(s).
Beyond that, MPEG2 files generally need to be converted to QuickTime, probably using Apple DV PAL codec (based on your 720x576 frame size, which is a PAL frame size). You can do this using MPEG Streamclip + the Apple QuickTime MPEG2 Playback component. But be aware - it's important to know your geography because North America uses NTSC whereas Europe uses PAL so you can choose the correct codec when you convert the files & select the correct Easy Setup in FCE.

Can you transfer FCP 7 files to FCE?

My teacher asked me this because Im working with FCE and he FCP 7, and he wants to transfer files so I can work on the same stuff. We want to do this, because I have FCE on my laptop and he has FCP 7 on a desktop and we can't bring that on the trip we are going on, so he wants to transfer the FCP 7 files from the desktop to my laptop. Will I be able to use the files in FCE?

It depends on the codec of the files. FCP works with many different codec, while FCE only works natively with QuickTime DV and AIC. If needed, you could convert any non-native files so they will be compatible with FCE.
-DH

Using adobe on trial to convert word documents to pdf files...where are my converted files?

where is my files that i converted ?? please advise.

Hi nan7080,
You can find your converted files by logging in to your account at cloud.acrobat.com using your Adobe ID and password.
Please let us know if you have additional questions.
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How can I access files from a flash drive that were previously saved using a Windows computer? When I attempt to open the file on MacBook Pro, it is asking to "convert file to"; I also have Microsoft Word installed on the Mac as well.

How can I access files from a flash drive that were previously saved using a Windows computer? When I attempt to open the file on MacBook Pro, it is asking to "convert file to"; none of the options I choose work. I also have Microsoft Office (with Word) installed on the Mac as well.

Format the external drive as FAT32 or ExFAT. Both computers will then be able to read and write to it.

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how to convert file.class to file.java....if i have not the .java file

Trying to reverse engineer someone else's work? or trying to recover your own code ;)
Search for "java decompiler" on google or some other similar search tool.

I am trying to convert a file from pdf. I can't see it after I hit convert to word and view converted files. How do I know if I have a subscription? Adobe is on my mac dashboard.

How do I tell if I have already paid for a membership? When I try to convert a pdf file to word, it looks like it is processing the task, but then I can't find the converted file when it says view converted file. Huh? Adobe is on my mac dashboard, I have had an account but can't see the results . . . thanks.

Hi subscription question,
I've checked your account; it looks like you tried to place two separate orders this morning, but it doesn't appear that either went through. However, it does sound as though you've been able to convert a file successfully. What happens when you log in to your account at https://cloud.acrobat.com/files? Do you see your converted file there? All converted files are automatically stored in your online account, even when you convert from within Reader.
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Converting Files in FCE 4

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