Is a switch from imovie to FCE HD with 10.3.9 OK? Or do I need Tiger?

OK, finally looking to switch from imovie to FCE, but have reviewed many posts regarding compatibility with Panther vs. Tiger, and I've been through the QT7 upgrade mistake with 10.3.9, and then went back to QT 6.5.2 (this is my first post, as most other imovie problems I have been able to resolve after checking the imovie posts - such as the QT7 issue and purchased iTunes songs not uploading unless burned to a CD first, etc., etc....).
The FCE 3.5 requirements recommend 10.4.6+ and QT 7.0.4+, but it looks like many FCE users are still with 10.3.9, but maybe they're not using FCE 3.5. Should I try and find an earlier version of FCE and stick with 10.3.9? Any other recommendations or upgrade suggestions based on my current configuration for a "smooth" (not "jaggy" or "jumpy") transition from imovie?

Ideally if you do serious, processor intensive work, such as video editing, music production or photo-manipulation, you should have a dedicated computer that nobody else touches - especially kids!
Machines are like animals and wives - they should have only one master!
I realise that last statement is not considered PC but as we are on a Mac forum, anything that is not PC should be OK.
Anyway, I'm the master in my own house, when my wife lets me.
Your machine may benefit from a little spring-cleaning. Open Disk-Utility and "Repair Permissions" on your boot HD and "Repair" all the others.
Also run the Cron scripts with a free utility like MacJanitor:-
http://personalpages.tds.net/~brian_hill/macjanitor.html
Actually, you haven't said why you want to move from iMovie. Is there something you need to do that iMovie cannot?
Ian.

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Switching from imovie to FCE.4 - advice

FCE users
I currently use imovie 06 and am ready for the next phase. With every call to Apple sales, tech support and Apple Store visit, I learn something new. In the past, my husband and I have multiple sports team video and life celebration projects. We are looking to expand our talents into a home based business. We have outgrown the G4 and looking to upgrade. I have also purchased a Canon X1AH to use with video production. My question is will I be happy with my IMac purchase and FCE to create professional type dvds? Any advice is greatly appreciated, especially from semi-professionals and professionals who use FCE and have transitioned from the imovie software in which importing video, pictures, and music is so easy.
Thank you for helping a fledgling FCE user.

hey there sdciemnt & welcome to Discussions,
get an iMac & add another GB or more of RAM(have @ least 2GB) & maybe consider a 2nd 17-19" widescreen LCD display for the future-Canvas playback window is only 5" diagonal on my 20" Cinema Display, can get tiring trying to see everything in the frame. also get a 500-750 GB FW HDD to hold your project media assets as a start. i used FCE 1 to 3.5 & the skills i learned there have helped me transition to FCS2. so FCE's an excellent learning upgrade path should you decide to go that way. i don't shoot as much HDV as i do widescreen DV, but HDV>AIC will quadruple your projects storage requirements.
FCE has a bit of a learning curve, so i recommend Tom Wolsky's book for it's tutorials & keep it handy for reference. don't try to do a major, paying project right out of the gate. though it's not as expensive & doesn't have all the apps of FCS, FCE along w/ LiveType are still pro styled apps & can deliver great results if you take the time to learn them. & don't toss iLife totally aside iPhoto, iDVD & Garageband, even iMovie(i sometimes use it to make a quick movie of photos for DVD menus) can still have a place.
good luck.
Message was edited by: Donna Jones1

Exporting DV/HD files from iMovie to FCE-different sizes in canvas?

Hi!
Desperately need your help. I have a problem with moving my files from iMovie to FCE to edit. Pre cut in iMovie from both DV and HD files (canon 5D) and moving the project to FCE through XML. When in FCE the files line up with different sizes, the old DV files small, 1/3 of the canvas, the HD files perfect.
Are there any settings which can be changed to fix this?
Another problem I have is when exporting to QT the quality simply is not the same as when I export from iMovie and play on 50" plasma. Why? I have tried all options available.
Hope someone out there has some experience and advise.
Kind regards
Olafur

When in FCE the files line up with different sizes, the old DV files small, 1/3 of the canvas, the HD files perfect.
I assume your Sequence settings are for HD which would be why the SD files are so small in comparison.
-DH

I have recorded mono on a sony hxrmc200e how can i play stereo when I download from imovie to fce 4??

I have recorded mono on a sony hxrmc200e how can i play stereo when I download from imovie to fce 4??

While you really can't make a mono track true stereo, you can make it play to both left and right channels. Pan the track to center (0), or you can duplicate the track and pan one copy left (-1) and the other right (1) ... or select both tracks in the Timeline (original and copy) and hit Option l (lowercase L) to make them a stereo pair.
-DH

What are highest quality export settings from iMovie to FCE 4.0?

I am using iMovie '08 to create Ken Burns effect movies from iPhoto photos to import into FCE. I want the least amount of loss from iMovie to FCE.
What are the highest quality settings for exporting from iMovie to FCE.
I do not care about size of file etc. Highest quality is all that matters to me.
Cheers,
Chuck

Well here are the facts.
My original question rephrased: "I want to know what are the settings to export Ken Burns created movies (therefore using photos) from iMovie (in this case iMovie '08) with the least loss and regardless of file size for importation into Final Cut Express".
I went to the local Apple store and some of the users (employees) of Final Cut Pro mentioned appropriately they thought .DV would be the best. However when we played some created videos they looked horrible when compared to .MOV with H.264. This just did not make sense, but we went by what we were seeing. Not being able to think with this I did more research and found this article which explained why .DV lookes like pooh pooh compared to H.264 video.
The article http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93002 explains a setting in Quicktime preferences that if not selected some videos appear pixelated.
So, when this preference in Quicktime is selected (never thought to try playing on VLC) the .DV movies look better than those using H.264. So with this resolved then my trial and error testing was realistic. That is I could try different export settings and see which ones looked better to determine the best export setting.
I tried what I thought was everything as far as "Export using Quicktime..." settings. Then I read in "iMovie '08 & iDVD: The Missing Manuals" under "The Video Codecs: A Catalog" an explanation of every type of compression when using the settings under "Movie to QuickTime Movie". Finally someone wrote more data on the codecs. I never found such explanation on the apple website (discussions etc). I really got tired of reading how H.264 is the better than sliced bread "greatest quality for the file size" which I think is true but did nothing to answer my original question. The book then mentioned the option "none". I was like I don't remember this option for "Compression Type". (BTW this all applies to iPhoto '08, Final Cut Express 4, and QuickTime Pro). So I tried "None".
Wow! Zero pixelation! Vivid colors! So I created three videos. One using H.264, DV/DVCPRO - NTSC and None (I had already tried many others but for this last experiment just these three). I also maxed out the Quality for each compressor. Results:
- H.264 colors looked a little faded from the original photos and minor minor fuzziness, file size about 6 MB
- DV/DVCPRO - NTSC colors a little more vivid and less fuzziness, file size about 60 MB
- None...Bam! absolutely photo quality resolution and color, file size about 600 MB. I didn't care about the size.
So, bingo "None" as as the compressor settings in Quicktime to export iMovie '08 Ken Burns effect slide shows for importation into Final Cut Express (FCE) with minimal loss and who cares about the file size. Yeah, this is mammoth file but this allows me to make snappy Extremely High Quality Ken Burns effect videos in iMovie for FCE. Then when I export from FCE I don't make a copy of a copy but make my first compression of the video.
That is my answer!
I consider this thread closed and will only open if I find any of this is incorrect. BTW I already imported the iMovie '08 video with compression "None" into FCE and after rendering it looks awesome and plays well.
Cheers,
Chuck

How does one transfer from imovie to fce without loss of quality. Using a panasonic hdc-tm15 full hd 1920x1080

I am capturing my footage on a Panasonic hdc-tm15 full hd 1920x1080 avchd. The format recorded is not compatible with fce so i have to import to imovie first. what export settings do i need to use to ensure i dont lose quality when going from imovie to fce?

It is suggested to output MOV with AIC codec to keep the raw video quality at max.
Output like this: Share->Export Using QuickTime..
In pop-up windows, click Options->in Moive Settings pop-up window, click Settings button->In Compression Type box, choose Apple Intermediate Codec
Good luck.

Hey Apple, How do you export from imovie to fce without losing quality?

I am capturing my footage on a Panasonic hdc-tm15 full hd 1920x1080 avchd. The format recorded is not compatible with fce so i have to import to imovie first. what export settings do i need to use to ensure i dont lose quality when going from imovie to fce?

If you shot Progressive it won't work directly, whereas Interlaed will with the suggested File>Log and Transfer method over USB.
You will also need to select the matching Easy Setup before starting a New Project and transfering clips.
That's usually an AVCHD 1920 x 1080i 50 or 60.
50 for PAL, 60 for NTSC.
Al

What is the best program to use to burn dvd's from iMovie? I guess with ilife, idvd doesn't come with it anymore...

Please recommend a good program to use. I just want to be able to put my movies from imovie to dvd for my family to watch on regular dvd player. I have been exporting it out to my home computer and burning with adobe premerie but gettings sick of having to use two computers. Thanks for any info you can provide.

So is there no app on my Macbook Pro Retina with Mountain Lion that I can use to put IMovies on a disk??????
Right.
Seems really strange.
Yes, very.
And IMovie 11 ( I assume it's the latest) has a menu item that says Share to IDVD. If they don't sell it anymore, why is it there?
It's there if you buy iDVD, you can purchase iLife 11 (includes iDVD) on disk.
IDVD is a wonderful piece of software and well worth the low cost of $40.
http://www.amazon.com/Apple-MC623Z-A-iLife-VERSION/dp/B003XKRZES/ref=sr_1_1?ie=U
http://dealmac.com/lw/artclick.html?1,527850,1872219
Tell Apple what you think. ( It will be read. )
http://www.apple.com/feedback/

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Want to upgrade from iMovie to FCE. What will be the difference?

I am currently working through hours of DV footage from my camcorder using my Macbook and iMovie. Although I have been pleased with the results I know now that I want to upgrade to both a better computer and to Final Cut Express. I have also been considering going the full way to Final Cut 2 but as this is a lot more money I am wondering whether the upgrade to FCE will be enough. What extra do you get with FCE over iMovie and what more will it allow me to do. I have been pretty amazed at how good iMovie is at a consumer level so would expect FCE to allow me to be even more creative but am not sure exactly how. Is the upgrade enough or would FC2 be a better option. I will not be needing to make broadcast or professional productions, just do a good job at a serious amateur level. I do not need to use a lot of effects but I do want to be able to add good soundtracks and transitions. The audio is an important part of my movies.
thanks

Brilliant..just what I wanted. Thanks. Looks like I will need to read up on some of the terminology to get a good idea of what each feature before buying but thats a great table.

Transferring clips from iMovie to FCE and back without losing quality

I wish to export a clip from an iMovie HD 6.0.3 DV PAL Widescreen project into FCE HD 3.5.1 to apply a video filter and then export it back into iMovie . Can anyone tell me what settings to use for the exports/imports and also which Easy Setup to use in FCE, in order to do this without any loss of video quality (apart from any resulting from applying the filter). The clip is a DV clip captured originally from a Canon XL H1. Thanks.

Tom,
I'm still having problems. Final import back into iMovie is poor quality and slightly squashed (Black space at left hand side). My import and export settings are probably not exactly right. Would appreciate it if you could tell me in detail what these settings should be. Thanks again for your help so far and apologies for taking up your time.
Maurice.

Do i lose quality from iMovie to FCE HD

Sorry to clarify that last post i am asking if i connect my camcorder to my laptop and then import the footage to iMovie and then import the clips into FCE HD if i would lose any quality from the video
thanks alot,
Hunter

Hunter,
There is no loss of picture quality but there are some limitations:
- you must render all media to convert it to FCE compatible format
- you can't "recapture" any media that originated in iMovie
- don't throw away the iMovie media files, you may need them again
- iMovie sound effects, titles, transitions, effects or iDVD chapter markers won't import.
I believe if you have a timecode jump FCE will create a new file, but not sure. I recall reading something about this and can't quickly find it.
G5 Mac OS X (10.4.3) 1GB RAM, 60GB + 400 GB

Importing clips from Imovie into FCE - Clips don't match

Hi
OK I have been successfully importing Imovie clips into FCE, but have recently hit a problem. I make a rough edit in IMovie but when I open the imported file in FCE I get different footage to that which sits in the IMovie project.
Yes I am opening the right clips

nothing?
ok I have worked around it a little by importing all the footage and that way I get most of it but still not all of it makes it through

How can I create MWV file from iMovie that is compatible with Windows

Hi Folks:
I have have an iMovie project that I need to share as a WMV file that I can upload to a website that is then able to be opened in a Windows browser.
I've already created a QuickTime version that seems to work in Mac and Windows browsers. Just need a way to create a WMV file that works.
I have purchased software (Flip4Mac WMV) that lets me make a WMV file but the files that I make with that software open up in Mac browsers (Firefox and Safari) but will not open in either Firefox or IE for Windows. The windows browsers both report that the page is not available. One of the options is to refresh the page. I do this on Win 2K IE6 and the movie is played in Media Player in a pane at the left side of the browser. On Windows XP IE 7 the page just does not produce anything that is useful.
Anyone able to tell me what I should do to make the WMV files OK for Windows or some software that actually creates WMV files that work on Windows? Or is this a Web Page Formatting problem?
Is it something I am doing on the site? I am using the "embedding" technique recommended by Apple to use a JS function to embed the file in a web page as shown below: (slightly modified)
function InsertMovie(movie)
document.write('<object CLASSID="clsid:02BF25D5-8C17-4B23-BC80-D3488ABDDC6B" width="320" height="256" CODEBASE="http://www.apple.com/qtactivex/qtplugin.cab">\n');
document.write('<param name="src" value="movies/' + movie +'" />\n');
document.write('<param name="controller" value="true" />\n');
document.write('<param name="autoplay" value="false" />\n');
document.write('<embed src="movies/'+movie +'" width="320" height="256" autoplay="false" loop="false" controller="true" pluginspage="http://www.apple.com/quicktime/"></embed>\n');
document.write('</object>\n');
This works in that the movie is presented to the Windows browsers are presented with the movie but they don't want to display it. I have two versions of the Movie and the one that's an H264 encoded QT movie loads fine in both IE and Firefox on Windows with QT installed. It is the WMV file that is not being handled as I would like.
Any help would be appreciated a great deal. In fact, I will give a registration code for RollingCredits to anyone able to solve this problem for me.
I know, resorting to bribery could be considered bad form but I am in need of a solution. And I know there are a lot of smart people out there.
Cheers
David

Are you saying that my problem is that I am not using
the correct software to create the WMV file or that
VisualHub is a less expensive alternative.
My problem seems to be that the file that I create is
not being recognized by the browser -- not that it is
not a WMV file.
As I'm sure you know, WMV, like QuickTime mov files, come in many flavors. VisualHub may give a slightly different 'flavor'.
After I made my original post, it occurred to me that Flash video is probably a more universal solution to your problem. Had you considered Flash video?
But your suggestion(s) to try VisualHub have not gone unheeded.
It's the least expensive way I've found so far to create Flash video files.
F Shippey

Is a switch from imovie to FCE HD with 10.3.9 OK? Or do I need Tiger?

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