Importing DVD-RAM vs. DVD-R into imovie'08

Question

Hi,
I have an older Panasonic model VDR-M50PP which records unto both DVD-RAM and DVD-R discs. Over the years, I have made recordings in both types of discs... I know one of these is incompatible with iMovie but I am confused as to which. Can someone explain? I'm anxious to get my home movies into iMovie, but I guess I picked the wrong camcorder all those years ago. But if I can get either my DVD-RAM discs or my DVR-R discs to transfer, then at least I'll have something to work with. This camcorder has an USB cable and a Windows disc driver. Thanks!
Fio

Answer 1

I have an older Panasonic model VDR-M50PP which records unto both DVD-RAM and DVD-R discs. Over the years, I have made recordings in both types of discs... I know one of these is incompatible with iMovie but I am confused as to which. Can someone explain?
Compatibility issues can most simply be divided into two categories: either the content is recognized for what it is or it is not. In the first case, iMovie '08 will open/switch to the "Import from Camera..." mode and import/convert the content to an iMovie '08 edit compatible compression format. In the second, the content is recognized as a file and is handled by the "Import Movies..." module which does not perform any automatic conversions. The ultimate reason for the failure of a particular media format (hardware incompatibility, media incompatibility, format incompatibility, improper work flow, etc.) is immaterial if all you want to do is get the content into iMovie '08 (or iMovie HD for that matter).
Once you reach this disjunction, there are three possible strategies -- find the reason for the incompatibility and correct it (IF YOU CAN), image the data to your hard drive so that iMovie '08 will recognize the content as being on/from a camcorder, or simply convert the content manually to a compression format acceptable to any specific or all video editors.
1) As incompatibility and work flow issues are usually unique in nature or next to impossible to diagnose without being physically preset to observe the work flow, I won't attempt to address this area here.
2) In the case of HDD or DVD content, the data files/folders can be placed in an image file. When opened, the image content will appears as a separate volume as if a camcorder had been plugged into you computer. I don't use this option wery ofent but when I have used it, an ISO image file seemed to work for me most often.
3) In most cases, I would personally recommend the manual conversion of your content which I assume to be MPEG-2 video multiplexed with AC3 audio in an MPEG, VOB, VRO, or similar file container. As such compression is not natively compatible with the QT structure nor editable by the QT engine, a third-party MPEG-based conversion application is required. I usually use MPEG Streamclip here since it is a free but full featured converter application which complements the capabilities of QT Pr which I also use for other tasks. Unfortunately, MPEG Streamclip is designed to rely on your complement of installed QT components and, thus, requires the Apple QT MPEG-2 Playback component ($20) be installed. I prefer this combination as it allows me to convert directly to any of the iMovie '08 native editing compression formats -- DV, AIC, Motion-JPEG, Photo-JPEG, and compatible MPEG-4 and H.264 profiles along with their commonly associated audio compression formats. Depending on the files types involved, iSquint (free)/Visual Hub (pay-ware) applications will also work if you already have one or the other but are no longer supported by their developer. FFmpegX (donation-ware) and MPEG2 Works (pay-ware) should also work. (With the exception of MPEG2 Works, these applications do not require the QT MPEG-2 Playback component.)