Formats in iMovie?!?!?!??

Okay, I dont know which one to pick???
If I pick HDV 1080i will the file be bigger??
Will it be better quaily?
will I be able to make it into an iDVD?
Cause someone please explain what all these formats mean (dv, widescreen DV, 480i, 1080i)
iMac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 80GB HD, 160GB External HD

Hi TheCTSCornDog - It would be helpful if you tell us what the source of your footage is. Unless you have one of the latest High Definition video cameras, almost certainly you will use the DV option. That is the standard format used by digital vidcams that record onto tape.
I am assuming by the way, that you are wanting to make a movie from material recorded on such a camera.

Similar Messages

Video: MOV/H.264 format for iMovie

For years I have used a Sony HandyCam with digital tape, inside of a Sony underwater housing to do underwater video. Great quality and editing it in iMovie is a piece of cake. I have had no compatability issues. Trouble is hauling the housing, the tapes, etc. I am thinking about buying an Olympus TG-2 IHS which records in MOV/H.264 format. One camera to do it all.
I am concerned about editing in iMovie since this format is a compressed format versus the digital tape. Does anyone have any experience to share with this format in iMovie?

That will require conversion to a format that iMovie can use, which will give slight quality loss.
You forgot to mention what Mac you have, what verisons of OS X and iMovie, so:
iMovie 11 - cameras supported:
http://help.apple.com/imovie/cameras/en/index.html?lang=en_US
iMovie 9 - cameras supported:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3290?viewlocale=en_US
iMovie 8 Camcorders supported:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014
Digital camera RAW formats supported by OS X Lion:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4757?viewlocale=en_US
Digital camera RAW formats supported by OS X Snow Leopard:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3825?viewlocale=en_US

Best clip format for iMovie 8?

I have a few .avi clips from a Nikon CoolPix which load alright into iMovie, but they take a long time to load. Is there a better format for iMovie and should I convert the clips to that format?
Thank you,
ray

iM is meant by concept for camcorder imports.
its internal codec is appeleintermediate.
I doubt, a 'manual' conversion is faster than iM's.
but give it a try, a popular (and free) tool is Mpeg Streamclip

Converting mts to format for Imovie

Still trying and trying to find an answer. So I have tried http://www.iskysoft.com/topic-mts/convert-mtsm2ts-files-to-imovie-on-mac.html which says it will convert it to a version for imovie so I downloaded trial so that I could try it. TOok an mts file Converted it to the version for imovie. Tried to drag and drop it into imovie. Nope wont do it. Tried converting it to the MPEG format in this trial version nope wont drag and drop into imovie either.
Im willing to buy a converter but want to make sure it will work. Have found nothing thus far that I can figure out how to convert an MTS file to a version that can be dragged and dropped into Imovie.
Sigh so frustrated by this.
I have mts video files on my desktop in a folder. Which I had taken from camera. They are no longer on my camera so I cant download directly into imovie. Trying to figure out how to convert them to a format for imovie and have tried several trials another of those being wondershare.
Maybe I am just slow but have had no success so far.
I have spent literally hours so far tonight trying to solve this problem.

mts doesn't need a 'conversion' just a re-wrapping.
two options
• ReWrap2M4V - google for it, it's a free automator script; to make it run, you have to install two other items, basically to get a functioning installtion of the ffmpeg package - sounds tricky, just follow installtion advices, easy. re-wraps any mts within split-seconds
• AVCCAM - is a QT-plugin provided by Panasonic; it teaches any QT-based app to handle mts; after DL in installation, use most popular tool Mpeg Streamclip to open your mts; then, without any settings nor conversions, goto 'save as' and choose mov.

Why can't I import h264/x264 format in iMovie?

Is there any reason that I can not do this? I understand what files are compatible with iMovie and all, but I just want to know why it is that there is no support for these formats in iMovie?

Is there any reason that I can not do this? I understand what files are compatible with iMovie and all, but I just want to know why it is that there is no support for these formats in iMovie?

How to import videos MOV.MOD format to iMovie?

how to import videos MOV.MOD format to iMovie?

you haven't told us (yet).
but you'll find an 'Import from camera' button in your old version too..

My experiences of importing different formats into IMovie...!!

I’ve been through a lot of pain with IMovie for the last 6 months, and cracked it a couple of days ago. I therefore feel the need to write about my experiences.
I have lots of old footage on:-
1. DV tape
2. HI8 tapes
3. Sony mini-DVDs
4. DVDs
5. Sony standard def hard disk camcorder files.
1. DV tape
This was a joy to import. OK, so I had to invest a small amount of cash to buy a new cheapie DV camcorder (as my old one broke years ago), but the import itself was easy. Just connect the camcorder, the import window appears, and away to go. Events are imported with the correct date and time, and it even creates a new event for different days imported.
2. HI8 tapes
As I’ve only got a few of these, I decided to ‘cheat’, so I’ve recorded them onto DVDs using my domestic DVD recorder sitting under my TV. So the problem is shifted from HI8 tapes onto DVDs.
3. Sony mini-DVDs
I’ve been trying to crack this issue for months. Clips are imported in random order, even though they are shown in the correct order in the preview. Hopefully it will get sorted. See the following thread:-
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=9404421&tstart=0
4. DVDs
Haven’t tried this yet, until the mini-DVD issue is sorted. I might go down the road of converting the VIDEO_TS folders into DV files using MPEG Streamclip from squared5.com but I’d rather wait and import them ‘properly’ as the software intended.
5. Sony standard def hard disk camcorder files.
Now this is the biggie…..
I had about 1,000 MPEG2 files on my hard disk, that I’ve moved from my camcorder over the years. To my annoyance, when I switched from a PC to the Mac, I needed to buy the MPEG add-on to Quicktime. OK, so no big deal, but even then, all I could get was the video with no sound. After weeks of digging about, I found out that the reason there was no sound is because apparently Quicktime can’t handle MPEG files with AC3 dolby digital sound. As all of my files are recorded in this format, this was a major hurdle.
I then dug around and discovered that on the Sony CD that comes with the camcorder, there is a utility to down mix the AC3 audio to stereo. But it can only do one file at a time – no good for 1,000 files.
Even so, I tried a few files, and yes – they now played under Quicktime WITH audio.
But when doing an import into IMovie 09, the files are greyed out and cannot be selected. So back to the drawing board...
I then looked into various bits of software, finally deciding to get MPEG Streamclip, in order to convert the files in something more Apple friendly.
I did lots of experiments over many weeks in converting files to different formats for import into IMovie, and even though some of them looked excellent, when exporting to different sized export files (e.g. IPod, AppleTV), some of them had artifacts and shimmering all over the place.
Reluctantly I took the helpful advice of someone to convert them into DV files. I say ‘reluctantly’ because the files are HUGE. So much so, I then shelled out (even) more cash on a Drobo to store all the converted DV files.
Next problem...
Because MPEG Streamclip converts the files into DV files, the original date and time information is lost. This is a real pain and means IMovie thinks all the files are 2009.
I then purchased the excellent ‘A better finder renamer’ and ‘A better finder attributes’, to see if I could rename the files. Unfortunately there is no easy way to say ‘change the date/time on the new DV file to be the same as the old MPEG file’ a thousand times over.
I then approached a company about writing a bespoke automator script to do this for me. But it was going to be expensive.
I then set about manually changing some of the dates of the files.
Even then, IMovie was getting confused during the import, and putting some of the scenes in the wrong order. Looks like because MPEG Streamclip is so quick at doing the conversion to DV, that some of the files have the same time stamp, so IMovie gets confused.
I then looked into software to slow my Mac down, so that MPEG Streamclip would run slower (I wanted to guarantee that each file out of the thousand that it created was created in a different MINUTE to the last file). This was proving fruitless however.
I then had useful discussions with Appleman1958 - see thread -
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=1979095&tstart=0
who suggested that I could rename the files with the IMovie notation, i.e.
clip-yyyy-mm-dd hh;mm;ss.ext
I even worked out how to do this automatically using ‘a better finder renamer’.
But there was still one more issue.
When the files were imported into IMovie, the thousand files would just come in as one event (unlike importing DV tape where it splits into days).
Being unhappy with this, I had a brain wave and decided to try something else. AppleMan1958 helpfully suggested putting the files into different folders “behind IMovie’s back”, something I was open to doing, but wanted to try something else first...
I resurrected my old camcorder from my attic, and filmed a few minutes of footage.
I then plugged the camcorder into my Mac. To my AMAZEMENT, the import window appeared in IMovie (just like it does for DV tapes), AND the audio played as well as the video. I was absolutely staggered.
I then noticed an ‘archive’ button within the import window, so decided to press it. It then copied the MPEG file from the camcorder onto the hard disk. But it did so in the structure of the original camcorder (i.e. it creates a series of specially named folders, just like on the camcorder).
I then decided to copy all 1,000 of my MPEG2 files into the new special structure that had just been created.
All 1,000 files were then accessible using the standard import function!!!!
(By the way – I’m sure people already know this information – and I’m in no way taking credit for any of it, as it’s probably been suggested by other people in the past).
I’ve now happily imported all of the files.
(Interestingly, a couple of times it said ‘Error!’ on importing some of the files. The third time I tried it, it worked. How random!!)
What amazes me is that now the Mac CAN seemingly handle MPEG video AND ac3 audio, whereas it can’t handle it by double-clicking the files in the finder. I can’t see why this should be the case. Also, it’s really annoying that when importing the files from hard disk, the files are totally greyed out – but it CAN import them by fooling IMovie into thinking it’s a camera archive.
Ofcourse now I’ve spent all this extra money, it’s time to dust off the old camcorder and use that for a few more years, until I pluck up the courage to go hi-def...
Hope you enjoyed reading – thought I’d share my experiences incase there are any newbies out there with similar issues. It’s annoying that Apple make it seem like childsplay to connect your new shiny camcorder to IMovie, but seem give little help in the more technical issues.
Now, if only they’ll fix the mini-DVD import bug too...!
Brad

Hi Brad,
when you use Streamclip to convert media, use the same name for the exported file (only with different extension). Then make a shell script calling
touch -r origFileName.mp2 newFileName.mov
This will copy the exact time and date from origFileName.mp2 to newFileName.mov
The script may look like this (save the file, give an exec permission to it and call it in the right directory):
#!/bin/bash
for i in `ls *.mp2`; do
NEWNAME=$(ls "$i" | sed -e 's/mp2/mov/')
touch -r $i $NEWNAME
done
You may need to adapt the extension names used (in the example above .mp2 is input file to get the date/time stamp from and .mov is the output file to stamp.
Have fun and cheers

Image size and format for IMovie

I am trying to make a short stop motion animation in IMovie. I have made my images in Adobe illustrator. I transfer the images into IMovie as JPEGS.the images, which are basically line drawings, look sharp and clean but as soon as you watch them as moving pictures they become broken up.
what am I doing wrong? does this have to do with my image size or format?

iDVD will try to downsize the image to work, but your TV often will overscan with the result being edges clipped off. The amount of clipping can vary, so the "TV Safe" settings will typically be the center 80-90% of the image. So, if you add a border that makes the image 10-15% larger, that should display the whole image. For example, if you had a 150 dpi image that was 640x480, you could put a 10% border on it so the final image was 704x528.
John

Universal Disc format to iMovie

Recorded a DVD from a VHS tape on a Sony VHS-DVD recorder. I am able to open in my Mac in the DVD player, but I cannot import to iMovie. The disc shows up as a folder icon in the desktop in a Universal Disc Format. How can I import to iMovie. Thanks

the usual reply in the iM section of this board would be... :
DVDs are in a socalled delivery format (mpeg2), which isn't meant and made for any processing as editing...
for using the iLife apps, you have to convert'em first, in recommended order, choose one of the following tools/workarounds:
* DVDxDV (free trial, 25$, Pro: 90$)
* Apple mpeg2 plugin (19$) + Streamclip (free)
* VisualHub (23.32$)
* Cinematize >60$
* Mpeg2Works >25$ + Apple plug-in
* Toast 6/7/8 allows converting to dv/insert dvd, hit apple-k
* connect a miniDV Camcorder with analogue input to a DVD-player and transfer disk to tape/use as converter
none of these apps override copyprotection mechanisms as on commercial dvds...
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6010.shtml
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6018.shtml

Importing MP4 format into Imovie

I have just purchase a New HD video camera which seems to record in MP4 format, which shows an error message when I try to import into Imovie (an error occurred during import) my previous camera recorded in avi format, which did not create a problem.
Will Imovie accept MP4 format or do I need to change some settings.
Thanks for anyhelp

sorry, I'm a bit lost in your narration, so in my words, you like to:
• convert DVDs
• you need just a few selections of each DVD
• combine those clips to one movie, not as individual clips on one DVD
right?
1) you could speed-up that process dramatically, if you just want to 'select and combine' by avoiding any conversion (editing mp2 directly).. therefor, you have to learn other, very different (=less convenient) tools than iApps.
2) or, by using a diff. converter, namely Mpeg Streamclip, you can select and convert just the parts you need from DVD, illustrated advice on my site: http://karsten.schluter.googlepages.com/convertdvdstodvs
3) general advice: slow processing indicates a lack of disk-space on internal/'startup' drive.. keep 15-30Gigs free while doing any 'video work'
and, btw, welcome, Mactooth92, to the  iMovie boards..

Why no MPEG2 format in imovie? (imovie 9)

If you need a MPEG2 file to burn a DVD, why does imovie not offer this format as an option?

But if your goal is to burn a DVD, is there a loss of quality going from one format to another?

Convert DVDs (make on iDVD) back to DV format for iMovie

I have quite a collection of DVDs of home video all made on iMovie and iDVD.
Not thinking to well, i figured this was the be all and end all solution to managing my home videos. As a result i no longer have the original film from which the video was taken.
The issue now is that i want to reuse some clips from these DVDs. And with the new iMovie, keep all your video in a library (which now makes sense), i would like to convert my DVDs back to a digital format.
I have used handbrake in the past to import the video as mpg4.
This is not ideal. Making DVD = DV to mpg1. Hanbrake from DVD = mpg4. Editing mpg4 in imove *****. reburn to DVD = mpg1. The quality by now is super bad.
Does anybody have a better solution to this issue. Can i import to a DV format ... ?
(PS The tabs in this text editor looks strangely like they are from Windows XP)

DVDs are in a socalled delivery format (mpeg2), which isn't meant and made for any processing as editing...
for using the iLife apps, you have to convert'em first, in recommended order, choose one of the following tools/workarounds:
DVDxDV (free trial, 25$, Pro: 90$)
Apple mpeg2 plugin (19$) + Streamclip (free)
VisualHub (23.32$)
Drop2DV (free)
Cinematize >60$
Mpeg2Works >25$ + Apple plug-in
Toast 6/7/8 allows converting to dv/insert dvd, hit apple-k
connect a miniDV Camcorder with analogue input to a DVD-player and transfer disk to tape/use as converter
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6010.shtml
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6018.shtml
http://karsten.schluter.googlepages.com/convertdvdstodvs
none of these methods or tools override copy protection/DRM mechanisms.. advice on 'ripping' is a violation of the ToU of this board ..
+be nice to copy rights ...+

How to convert Mpeg 2 to usable format for imovie

I have been trying for months, and am completely frustrated. I have a 2x2.8 Ghz Quad Core Tower running 10.6.8. I have all three imovies installed - Imovie HD, imovie 7.1 and imovie 9. All have the most recent updates. I had trouble importing several HD tapes, using my Canon Vixia HV30 - when I plugged it in, Imovie did not recognize it. After trying several suggestions on apple boards, I finally gave up, and I sent the tapes out to be recorded to an external drive. They came back - several in .mpeg format and 3 in .avi.
I can import the .avi format without difficulty, but not the Mpegs. They are greyed out in imovie. After researching, I purchased and downloaded the Quicktime Mpeg plug-in (for $30 CDN) and also Mpeg Streamclip. When I try to convert using Mpeg Streamclip, the program just freezes at 1% encoded. Perhaps I am not using the proper settings in Streamclip?
Does anyone have a suggestion for how I import these clips into imovies?
I am SO frustrated. All I want to do is edit 2 years worth (about 10 hours?) of home movies in imovie - a presumably simple thing. Does anyone have any suggestions?

You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle.
a DVD is in a compresed format called mpeg2, which is standard across all DVDs. This is what is known as a 'final delivery format' and is not suitable for editing. Because is is compressed, a 4.7GB DVD can hold a two hour movie (dual layer DVDs twice that), whereas the DV stream from a video camera, which runs at about 13GB per hour, is not compressed and IS intended for editing.
In other words you have to 'reverse engineer' the DVD back to an uncompressed format in ordfer to edit it. There is a penalty for doing this in terms of slight quality loss, but it is one you can live with.
When you have your DVD as an icon on your desktop, double-click it, and it will open to reveal a TS-Folder containing a number of various files, some called VOB. These are the constituent parts of any video DVD.
When you have downloaded and installed mpegStreamclip, and purchased and installed the Apple mpeg2 plugin, open mpegStreamclip and drag the entire TS Folder into its window. Then using the various menus available to you (just explore them and you will get the hang of it) ask it to convert to DV.
That DV file, which will be many times larger than the original TS Folder, and which can a while to create (be patient - make coffee or prune the roses!) is what you can now import into iMovie for editing etc.
When you have finished doing that, you then have to turn the project back into a DVD.
mpegStreamclip can be downloaded from here:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
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.

HT3290 what is the best video format for iMovie?

I'm a basic newbe on imac compiuters. Although I like it the transition is a bit painful.
I download stuff from my (cheep) video cameras BUT after closing the oniginal window I can't find the vids OR pictures I just downloaded from the devices.
I am hsving a difficult time figuring out what is the BEST video promat to record in that can be used in imovie AND final cut pro.
I'd appreciate any assoistance at this point.
All tips appreciated,
:-) Cheers

iMovie is friendly with .mp4, .mov, .m4v etc video formats. Here this article about iMovie supported video formats may help you.

Best file format for iMovie import?

I'm having some old home movie Hi8 tapes digitized by a local video shop and saved to DVD. I intend to import the digitized footage into iMovie to edit and create DVDs.
Any suggestions on what is the best format(s) I should have them convert to?
THANKS!

From an editing standpoint DV would be preferable.
However MPEG 4 would work. MPEG4 is really a playback codec, not an editing codec, because it is highly compressed. However, iMovie will edit it and if necessary, convert it to an editing codec.
iMovie should be able to import MPEG4. If it is not standard MPEG4, you may need to install Perian from Perian.org. Try it to see if it works, but if it does not, keep Perian in mind.

Best file format for iMovie when transferring standard 8 to DVD for use under iMovie.

I have some old Standard 8 cine film which I want transfered to DVD or CD so I can edit under iMovie.
What file format should I ask for i.e. .avi etc,
Should I get them onto DVD or CD.
Does anyone know a reliable transfer companies ?
I have Mac OS X 10.6.8 and iMovie 09 8.0.6 (821)
Many thanks for any help.

If you have 8MM film, I have found a company called Mymovietransfer.com or Debenham media that will convert the 8MM to 1080P in the format you specify. I chose Motion JPEG, and it worked great in iMovie. If you have Final Cut Pro, you can choose ProRes or Uncompressed instead.
When you get your film converted to DVD, it will be standard definition and lose some quality. If you prefer to go standard definition you are better off finding someone who will convert it to DV codec rather than a DVD, which is highly compressed MPEG2.
So my suggestion would ne to find a company that can convert it in the highest quality possible. You can then edit it in iMovie and share to YouTube, DVD, etc.
Here is a sample video of mine in 1080P from 8MM converted by Mymovietransfer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9h8InMb0Ys
I have no affiliation with this company except as a satisfied customer.

Formats in iMovie?!?!?!??

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