Does iMovie alter movies imported at full 1080i (1920x1080) ?

I have a new Sony HDR HC9 1080i camcorder (Mini DV tape).
I heard rumors that iMovie converts movies imported at full 1920x1080 to something like 900 x 480.
Is there any truth to this ugly rumor?
Thanks.
Paul

This not not exactly true.
iMovie imports movies into Event files at the same resolution as their source. If you import 1920x1080 in AVCHD, the event contains an AIC file in 1920x1080.
However, when you use the Event footage in a project, the standard iMovie pre-sets for rendering top out at 960x540 (which is exactly half of 1920x1080). However, by using the Export to QuickTime option, it is possible to render in full 1920x1080.
However, for most people, the 960x540 is good enough. It is about the largest size that can be reasonably streamed over the internet. It is the largest size accepted by the Apple TV. And it easily upscales to 1920x1080 on a high quality receiver/TV with upscaling circuitry. If you are burning a DVD, it will be downscaled to 480i anyway.
As I mentioned, you can export in full 1920x1080 through QuickTime. The issue is "How do I play it?". Some people have reportedly been successful playing these files on a Sony Playstation 3. The new version of Toast allows you to Author BluRay DVDs and you may be able to play them on a BluRay player. You can also play them on your Mac Screen if you have the display resolution set high enough. A 1920x1080 will take up most, if not all, of your computer screen.
As for the Toast BluRay option: It is not practical for me to buy a BluRay burner for USB, since these run over $1000. The SATA BluRay burners are around $300, but my iMac does not have an external SATA port. However, with Toast 9, they claim you can make a BluRay-playable disk from a standard DVD. It holds about 20 minutes of high def content. I am going to burn a BluRay disk using the same project rendered in 1920x1080 and 960x540 to see if I can tell the difference.
Message was edited by: AppleMan1958

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http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/joelq/DSC_1679.jpg
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i211/joelq/DSC_1680.jpg
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Does iMovie alter movies imported at full 1080i (1920x1080) ?

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