IMovie 11 DV video import quality

I have a lot of VHS and mini DV tapes I want to convert to digital to preserve them. I have been frustrated with PC issues for the past 15 years and I just made the switch from PC to Mac. All I have ever heard about is the quality of video editing capabilities of a Mac! So I bought a new Mac mini and was planning to get the Elgato video capture cable for the VHS tapes, but thought I would try the DV tapes first. I Hooked the firewire up to my JVC mini DV camera and was anticipating a great import into IMovie only to be sooo disappointed by the grainy dingy results. The transfer quality is better in my dinosaur HP using Arcsoft Showbiz! From what I have been reading this may be a problem with the new IMovie version. Mine is a new Mac Mini so I believe it is IMovie 11. I was hoping someone could tell me how to change some settings but I think I may have made a mistake switching to a Mac! Can anyone help me here???
Signed, very disappointed and frustrated New Mac User

but I think I may have made a mistake switching to a Mac!
You did not.
and was planning to get the Elgato video capture cable for the VHS tapes
A USB device (like Elgato) can't "keep up" with a video stream, unless it uses single-field processing. This means every other horizontal line of the video is thrown out, which reduces the sharpness of the footage.
I have done LOTS of this. Here is how to do it.
To get your VHS video into iMovie, look at the Grassvally ADVC300. Audio and Video go in, FireWire comes out. It also comes with a nice Macintosh application that works flawlessly with iMovie 06 and iDVD 09/11 (I have used it a few times with iMovie 09 and 11).
The program that comes with the ADVC300 has some nice filters that can improve video and audio of the source material. The ADVC300 will take Audio and Video from any source (VCR, Tivo, Satellite Receiver) and convert it to FireWire (iMovie will treat it like a camera).
http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc300
I would use iMovie 06 with iDVD 09/11, why?
iMovie 09/11 uses 'single field processing' meaning every other horizontal line of the video is thrown out, which reduces the sharpness of the footage. iMovie 06 uses ALL of the image to form the video.
If your primary workflow is editing DV clips and making DVDs, iMovie '06 is better suited. Your movie will arrive at iDVD in DV format, which is an ideal match for making a DVD: same resolution, same pixels aspect ratio, and original quality. If you share your movie from iMovie 09/11, it gets re-rendered at 640x480 or less, and then iDVD upscales it back to 720x480. The end result is obviously not as good.
iMovie 06 and iDVD 09/11 is a "lossless" combination. My movies are diamond sharp, with the same quality you get from Hollywood.
You can get iMovie 06 in a number of ways. You cannot download it FROM APPLE any longer (it was free for a time). You can also find iMovie 06 on the iLife 06 install disc. You can buy iLife 06 on Amazon or eBay.

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Lennart Thelander wrote:
The LCD in the camera is designed to be used outdoors, so it's naturally much brighter than any computer.
Yes, but that wouldn't explain the difference between this and material imported into previous projects.
Calibrate your monitor:
http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6008.shtml
Actually, that made it worse, unfortunately.
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Lennart Thelander wrote:
The LCD in the camera is designed to be used outdoors, so it's naturally much brighter than any computer.
Yes, but that wouldn't explain the difference between this and material imported into previous projects.
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http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6008.shtml
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Here's one:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2105598&#2105598
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Welcome to discussions!
You may just need to adjust your monitor.
http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6008.shtml
Plus, it will look better on a TV than your monitor.
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Hypothesis:
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Thoughts?

Really? You don't see the difference?
Ok, well here is it blown up to 2X to make it more obvious:
and here it is blown up to 2X and with the contrast increased to make it even more apparent:
I perhaps didn't pick the best frame as an example, but it is very obvious in motion. If necessary I suppose I could post a small movie clip to show.
Message was edited by: Richard_

Confused about how imovie converted clips on import

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Hi
A Wild Suggestion - By not using iMovie'08 to 11
You want a DVD and as good as possibly I guess then iM'08 to 11 are not tools of choice as Your miniDV tapes are interlaced SD-Video and non of them can in any way I know of Export over to iDVD this but only every second line = Less quality
If You use - iMovie HD6 - then (Not Share to iDVD - but)
• close iMovie when done and import the Movie Project (icon with a blac Star on it) into iDVD. Now iDVD will render and does this So Much Better
• AND - You import Your miniDV tapes in sequence - same as it/they was recorded.
Yours Bengt W

IMovie 11 DV video import quality

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