Converting old VHS for iMovie

Dear all,
I am looking for a device that is able to transform my old VHS recordings for iMovie to edit and then burn on DVD with iDVD. My old miniDV camera has AV input and is able to work as a converter directly into iMovie - through the firewire - but I bought a camera for my father and I could not find any model that is able to do that. (They do not have AV input.) He needs editing because the old VHS recordings are full of useless material.
What can I do?
Laszlo

in addition to Lennart's helpful reply:
aside 'expensive' converters, another option is purchasing an EyeTV stick with analogue-IN.. you can use as converter PLUS you are able to watch and record TV.. .. and this opiton is cheaper than converter-only solutions.

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Converting old dvd for imovie

Six years ago I converted old home movies with a VHS/DVD converter. I would now like to get them into imovie for editing but it couldn't import/read them. So, I downloaded Handbrake and converted the DVDs to .m4v and Imovie wouldn't import that either. I saw on some previous discussion that suggested changing the file extension to MOV, I did that and imovie will still not recognize them.
When I try to just open it normal with quicktime/itunes I get the message that it is not in a format recognized.
Are there some setting in Handbrake that I am missing when I originally convert?
Thank you!

You didn't say what format you converted them to, but if you don't feel like spending $55:
You need to convert the files to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
If you are running Lion:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it.
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

Converting old VHS tapes through camcorder to IMovie???

HELP! Have set up VHS and video with output cable to camcorder (Samsung Mini DV). Then firewire from camcorder to IMac and STILL NO LUCK with converting video! Thought I could convert old VHS tapes into IMovie this way, without having to use a Pinnacle Box, etc.....?
Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. This has been an ongoing family "project" I have taken upon myself and refuse to take tape to a professional when I know my Mac and IMovie can do a BETTER job!

Sue, that was not my point per se. I am not rich enough to own two video cameras. For others in my position a tried and tested analogue to digital converter seems a simpler answer, and a lot less work.

10.2 crashes when I try to convert old libraries for use in the new software. Is there a workaround for this? Or will i have to continue using the previous version to complete older projects?

Final Cut Pro X 10.2 crashes when I try to convert old libraries for use in the new software. Is there a workaround for this? Or will I have to continue using the previous version to complete older projects? the only foreseeable solution is to begin any new projects on 10.2 or importing footage on 10.2 and starting form scratch--which is something i definitely don't want to do or have time to do. ANY advice, thoughts, or opinions would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
Running 10.10.3 // MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013) // 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7 // 8 GB 1600 MHz DDR3

Exactly the same problem with me.
Some other threads advice to remove fonts, clean the caches, remove add ins but nothing works consistenty, for some it looks like it works, for me it failed.
What I did not try yet, was to move the Render files out of the malicious library to trash.

Conversion of VHS for iMovie use

Have some old VHS tapes of kids / wedding etc that I want to convert to DVD. I would also like to be able to use the footage in iMovie to create a couple of family DVDs. Can I use DVDs as a media source for iMovie - someone suggested using Handbrake for ripping the footage but in the FAQ on handbrake it says the output format is perhaps not suitable. Should I just convert the VHS tapes to mini DV and then run them out of my DV camera?

Yes, absolutely you should use your miniDV camcorder. Then you know the files for sure are in the right format. You can either dub from your VHS tapes onto your camcorder, then play that back into the Mac. Or if your camcorder supports pass thru analog to digital conversion, you might be able to do it in one step (i.e. play VHS tape thru camcorder right into the Mac without recording it to DV tape first.
Patrick

Converting old VHS to DVD

I am in the process of converting some old VHS to DVD. I am running the VHS feed in through my cameras analog input which converts to digital on the fly. The footage seems dull and I am wondering if there is a loss of saturation or maybe just a gamma adjustment that will fix it up. I wasn't sure if it was something I should do in FCP with a filter or if I can possibly just fix it in compressor on output. Any ideas on what is happening on import to dull the footage and what recommended steps I should take?

It will lose a little saturation on the capture, which can be corrected with the CC filter.
It will not look the same, as the video on the computer monitor is only a proxy representation, and the monitor gamma is different. You should hook the TV to the output of your camera and monitor FCP over Firewire. Then you can really tell.
As a side note...If all you need to do is convert VHS to DVD, and don't need any fancy things like menus and such, look at the JVC SR-MV40/45 or MV55 combo decks. They have good quality hardware compression (better than standard Compressor software settings), and are much more convenient. MV-45 can be had for around $400. I recommend it with two thumbs.
tim

Have converted old VHS to DVD, now how do I get that into iMovie for edit?

Hi, I am a little of a novice, and am not sure how to get a regular DVD movie imported to iMovie ... is more conversion needed? I get iMovie to look into the VIDEO_TS folder on the DVD and it doesn't recognize any files.... I hope I haven't wasted money with all those conversions!!!

1) Download and install the Apple MPEG2 QuickTime Component ($20) - available online from Apple.
2) Download and install MPEG Streamclip from Squared 5 (free).
3) Start MPEG Streamclip
4) Insert your DVD into your Mac. If DVD Player or Front Row starts automatically quit those.
5) Open a Finder window. Navigate to your DVD to the Video_TS folder.
6) Drag the .VOB files from the Video_TS folder and drop then into MPEG Streamclip.
7) If MPEG Streamclip offers to fix timecode breaks, say yes.
8) Use FILE/EXPORT USING QUICKTIME to convert the files to Apple Intermediate Codec (or h.264 if you prefer)
9a) Optional: You can deinterlace your footage in this step, if you like
9b) optional: If you know the date and or time of the footage, name your file
clip-yyyy-mm-dd hh;mm;ss
(let mpeg streamclip provide the extension). This will provide metadata that iMovie will use to put the event in the right year and month.
9c) Optional: If you don't want to make one huge clip out of your DVD, you can make smaller clips by using MPEG Streamclip. Move the cursor to the "in" point of the clip, and press i. Move the cursor to the "Out" point of the clip, and press o. Then do steps 8 through 10 and repeat until you have done this for all clips you want.
10) Save the resulting file in a place where you can find it, like your Desktop.
11) Open iMovie.
12) In iMovie, choose FILE/IMPORT/From File and choose the file you saved in steps 8, 9, 10.
13) iMovie will generate thumbnails and you can edit.

How to convert old VHS tapes to digital

I am hoping someone can give me an overview of what kind of equipment/software is necessary to convert VHS tapes into a digital format that could be saved in iMovie. Do I just need the right cables for the VCR or something more complicated? Thanks!

I recommend that you download the free iMovie HD6 for those with iMovie 08 who do not have a prior version of iMovie HD6. You can get it here: http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html
And, do this tutorial: http://www.apple.com/support/imovie/tutorial/
It is more capable of creative editing and you have a quite a bit more control over your iMovie with it.
+So, your method worked using just a VCR, a camcorder, and your computer? No special converters?+
Yes, I just used the AV connectors that came with my camcorder to hook the camcorder to the VCR....which was in a combo TV/VCR unit so I could see the footage on my tv, just to make it easier. The AV connector cable has a special prong that fits into the camcorder, and those white/red/yellow prongs at the VCR end. The TV/VCR is a few years old, certainly not anything fancy or new.
I didn't bother with a converter since I just used the camcorder.
My computer and that VCR are not physically close enough to try to import directly, and since I wanted the digital tapes of the original footage, recording first to the miniDV tapes worked for me. Canopus makes a couple of nice converters...they are around $150-250, I think.
Then, to connect to the computer with the camcorder you will need a 4-6 pin Firewire cable.
+I might do it sooner or I might put it off for awhile while I practice messing around with iMovie.+
The benefit of recording from VHS to miniDV tapes is that the tapes are digital, they store easily and the footage will not degrade before you get around to creating your iMovies and DVDs. iMovies can take up lots of drive space, so don't be thinking that you will just import them all and save them for editing later. You would need a huge amount of space for this. Most of my movies are just under 2 hours, and occupy between 25-40 GB each. A couple of my movies were well over 100-140GB!!!! Yes, that is correct. I have a couple of external drives that I use for my movies while I am creating them. I usually have about two or three that I am working on at the same time.
+We want to put them in a digital format that will be easier to store and play and safer from eroding over time, so I guess the end format I'm looking for is DVDs.+
Because DVDs can break/crack/warp/melt/etc, you should consider exporting your finished iMovies back to the camcorder so that you have the miniDV tapes for more permanent storage and as a backup to your DVDs.
That is one of the big reasons that I don't use iMovie 08---it does not permit exporting back to a camcorder.
Although I do not save my created iMovies on my computer after I have made the DVD and exported the edited movie back to tape, I do save all my iDVD projects as disk images. A disk image can be up to 4.7 GB--even my large movies were automatically compressed down when put into iDVD. The limitation in iDVD is the total length of the movie in TIME, not SIZE. I use single-layer DVDs, which can hold up to 2 hours of content. Creating disk images allows you to have an exact copy of your iDVD projects, self-contained so that you can delete the original iMovies and the original iDVD projects. You can use the disk image to burn your disks when you first create them, and any time in the future. It is a good backup for the entire DVD.
Enjoy being creative with your movie projects! Post back with any more questions, and feel free to email me if you want.
Regards,
Beverly

Converting old vhs movie to dvd

I have an old video on vhs format that we want to view on our dvd player. How do I convert this so that we can view it?

...a couple of options here.
1. Buy a VHS/DVD combo unit that has a built in DVD recorder.
http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/navigate.do?dest=5&upc=2724271605&pid=_Froogle
However, Ive never been a fan of the combo units.
2. Buy or borrow a seperate VHS player and buy a DVD recorder such as the Toshiba D-R400 and make your transfers. This will be the most cost-effective way- VHS players are cheap.
3. Buy or borrow a VHS player and import it into your FCP with a converter box such as a matrox card, or first make a transfer to DV and then import. This option, in my opinion is overkill and time consuming. However, you would have more control over adding music, chapters, ect.
4. Have the transfers done for you by a local A/V company.
If you have only one VHS tape, I would probably take it to a local A/V company and get it transfered to DVD for approx $30...
Hope this helps- Mike
Message was edited by: Mike Jensen1

Converting video files for iMovie

is there a way to convert .wmv files (Windows Media Player) to a format that can be imported into iMovie?

SkaMan wrote:
is there a way to convert .wmv files (Windows Media Player) to a format that can be imported into iMovie?
sure, purchase a licence from www.flip4mac.com for their plug-in, which teaches any Quicktime based software wmv handling ..
Plan B) purchase VisualHub (half the price of flip4mac) and use it as external, standalone converter..

Elgato Video Capture to convert old VHS - H.264 or MPEG-4?

Elgato offers two different settings for capturing video...
Video resolution: 640×480 (4:3)
Video format: H.264 at 1.4 MBit/sec or MPEG-4 at 2.4 MBit/sec
Audio: AAC, 48kHZ, 128 kBit/sec
Which one of these would be best for importing into FCPX v10.1?
Thanks!

Thanks... that's what it looked like when I did a test import of some VHS footage using both settings. I opened them up in Quicktime and enlarged them and saw no noticeable difference between the two when comparing the exact same freeze frame. It seems MPEG-4 would be slightly better based on the extra 1 MBit/sec but I didn't see the difference it in the freeze frame.
At any rate, it's a pretty handy tool when connected to a VCR via S-Video and you have hundreds of VHS tapes to convert. I assume that when the video is captured by the Elgato it is doing a conversion that loses quality from the original and then FCP is transcoding it to when it gets imported for more quality loss but I guess that's unavoidable.
Appreciate the reply!

Converting .mod files for imovie

Hey so I have some game film I have on a dvd. I copied all the .MOD files onto my desktop and want to make all the files one video that I can upload to youtube so I can share it with coaches. I would think I need iMovie to put them together, so how do I do that? or do I need a different program?

Solution may be found if you search in the "More Like This" section over in the right column.

Need help converting old Applescript for Snow Leopard

Ok, so I've downloaded the app "PowerHour" for mac. It needs to use the date function which is different in Snow Leopard, so I've heard. I don't program in Apple Script so I can't figure out what syntax to use. Can anyone help me fix this code below?
I'm trying to code this because I don't think the original developer has any hand in this program anymore.
The app on macupdate: http://www.macupdate.com/app/mac/24107/power-hour
Here's the part that is giving the errors:
set gameLengthAsDate to (date (zeroTime)) + (enteredMinutes * minutes)
set songLengthAsDate to date (songLength)
set gameStart to current date
set songStart to gameStart
set gameEnd to gameStart + (time of gameLengthAsDate)
set songEnd to songStart + (time of songLengthAsDate)

AppleScript in Snow Leopard is a bit pickier about specifying dates. From the AppleScript Release Notes, "the [date] string must exactly match one of the system date formats".
It looks like the script is using a shortcut to set the time of the current date. I didn't test a modified application (just that the script statements set a valid date), but you might give the following a try:
1) change the following properties (declared at the beginning of the script)property zeroTime : 0
property songLength : 60
2) change the statements that set the time toset gameLengthAsDate to (current date)
set time of gameLengthAsDate to zeroTime + (enteredMinutes * minutes)
set songLengthAsDate to (current date)
set time of songLengthAsDate to songLength

What is the best VHS converter to DVD for mac

Ready to convert old VHS tapes to DVD. What is considered to be the best on the market now for Macs? Thank you for your help.

Grassvalley ADVC300
I've played around with countless other conversion systems, ranging in price from $79 to $399. Short verison, this is the ONLY unit to own. No dropped frames at all, even with questionable quality tapes, no jitter, great color, excellent sound quality. Zero setup with iMovie 06 and iDVD 09/11.
This is a prosumer deck. The time code function is alone worth the price if you have old analog footage. Absolutely NO "Out Of Sync" audio.
ADVC300 is for anyone who wants to do editing and is concerned about quality of color and speed, for the novice it is an incredible gizmo that will restore VHS tapes to a state close to the original fixing midtones, highlights and shadows on the fly. Not only can you simply convert analog to digital you can actually manipulate the signal going in (if you want to).
A bit pricey but it WORKS.
The program that comes with the ADVC300 has some nice filters that can improve video and audio of the source material.
I would use iMovie 06 with iDVD 09/11. VERY easy and 100% "lossless"

Device for importing old VHS tapes into Mac to edit and make DVDs

Having tried one device unsuccessfully, we're looking for a device that we can use to convert old VHS tapes so we can edit in iPhoto/ Movie and store on DVDs. The one we tried came from the Apple retail store, but the Genius Bar was not able to get it to work. Thanks.

Here is how I do that (this only works with non-copy protected videos):
Connect the VHS tape player via RCA cables to an analogue-to-digital converter like, for example, the Canopus ADVC110.
Connect the converter via firewire to your Mac.
Import into iMovie as DV stream (I use iMovie 6). Edit out irritating commercials (from TV programs) and other glitches.
Convert to standard DVD format of mpeg2 in iDVD and burn to reliable media like Verbatim DVD-R.
Job done!

Converting old VHS for iMovie

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