Is capturing in iMovie before transfer to FCP affect clip quality?

Capturing in iMovie detects all the start/stops. Then, importing in FCP is a fast and easy way to get all start/stops. But, does the resulting video quality just as good as if the capturing had been done entirely in FCP ?
jcjber
PowerBook 12" Mac OS X (10.4.6)

#20 Using iMovie to Capture for FCP edit
Shane's Stock Answer #20:
iMovie handles the media differently from FCP, specifically where audio is concerned. So it is not a recommended workflow. Here's why...
iMovie captures using DV Stream (.dv) standard which does not use timecode. That is a big disadvantage over the way that FCP captures in that you can't go back and recapture the material at a later date if you need to revisit a project.
The DV/NTSC specification (the one FCP uses) also calls for seperate tracks for audio and video, even if you capture it as one clip. iMovie' DV stream format is muxed audio and video, which means that they are tied together (I can't get into specifics because I ain't no engineer or programmer). FCP is a bit more demanding and captures the seperate audio/video tracks, either in a single media file or as seperate video and audio files. With FCP you could capture video only or audio only because each is defined by the DV specs. while with iMovie you can't.
Also, if you drop the iMovie footage into the timeline, your will get the RED render bar forcing you to render the footage in order to see it...
Shane

Similar Messages

Capturing VHS through DV cam to FCP - Audio clipping!!

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I'm capturing a VHS through my DV cam (it has analogue to digital version) and when it comes into FCP the audio is clipping (going above 0db)
Is there anyway to lower the input volume?
Thankyou
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The camera doesn't let you change the input volume
What I did was:
Made the VIDEO ONLY go from VCR > DV CAM > MAC
But made the audio go to VCR > PC LINE IN > PC LINE OUT > DV CAM > MAC
When the audio came through my PC - I lowered the LINE IN volume so on the FCP audio level meters the audio peaked at -6dbs.
Not a bad idea hey
Lucky I had all the cables and connectors laying around.

I can capture with iMovie 6, but not with FCP 6.0 ('no data from device')

I didn't have any problem with FCP 5, but am getting nowhere with FCP 6 using the same settings (I think). FCP seems to see the camcorder, but can't control it and, even if I manually start the camera, reports 'no data from device' when I do a 'Capture Now'. Device control isn't critical, but I'd sure like to find out why it doesn't see the data stream from the camera (Sony HDR-HC7 / FW400). I must be missing a setting some place, but sure can't find it. On the other hand, I have full device control and zero dropout capture with iMovie (exact same hardware configuration). Any ideas?

Wolfgang Matzl wrote:
canopus works fine, as well as all other devices.
i have tons of tapes and tried a few, none worked.
i tried to capture on both my new imac and my mbpro, no way.
but now i'm sure there is something wrong with the sony handycam, i tried to import with my old final cut studio, and it's not possible, also. fc pro says: waiting for timecode.
so i'm confused now. does the sony dcr-trv not send a timecode? maybe, and this will explain the troubles. but on the other hand i imported successfully some footage with exact this device.
maybe i used the canopus then to correct the timebase, i can't remember how i did it. but this would mean i have to accept loss of quality, since i have to connect the sony with s-vhs with the canopus and convert it.
right now i'm importing a tape with imovie and will have a look how the result is, but as far as i remember, the audio has to be re-rendered when importing in fcpx…
My finger is pointing to a Timecode issue.
Is timecode enabled in the camera?
Is it continuous on the tape?
Al

Capturing with iMovie and importing into fce 4

Hi, everytime I try to capture mini dv footage from my Panasonic camcorder using final cut express, the transfer/capture crashes.
However, capturing using iMovie 08 gives me no problems at all.
Before I spend more time looking into the errors, if I capture using iMovie 08 and then import that into fce 4, am I losing any audio / video quality? I read somewhere that iMovie works off raw dv files - is this what would get imported into fce?
Note: I would import the iMovie project into fce and not be exporting first from iMovie and then importing into fce.
thanks

My video is on mini-DV. The camera I used to record was a panasonic ag-dvx100 PAL. I am using DV-PAL easy setup. I am playing back with a panasonic nv-ds30 camcorder (I rented the other one).
I have now managed to get past the dropped frames - that seemed to have been the test tape. I am now using a different tape, the actual tape i used for the footage. Now everytime I capture (using either mark in/out or capture now) the capture stops with a locating timecode and then breaks. I can't seem to capture it all in one go. This scene when I shot it was a single scene so there were no stops/pauses during the recording.
There seemed to be some discussion on this in the thread (http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4183209#4183209) but that was a different camera.
any help would be great.

Having a prob importing a large file from a sony DR 60 external drive via log a transfer in FCP this is the first time this has happened have the sony plug. HDisc compatibility is sorted as the first 2 short clips are imported. Any advice will be welcome

problem importing a large file from a Sony DR60 external drive to FCP. Never had a problem before first two shot clips are captured in log and transfer but the larger 2 hour clip only downloads the first few seconds. Any advice?

I can think of 2 things to check.
1. The Scratch disc has plenty of space.
2. System Settings>Scratch Disc does not have a restriction in the Limit Capture/Export File Size Segment To:
Al

Can't capture HDV from Sony z1 on FCP 7

Hi,
I have set 'easy setup' to HDV (I have also tried HDV Fire wire basic) I've followed tutorial on all the set ups to capture. But when I go to capture, FCP can control the play buttons and I can see the time code on screen but there is no picture or sound coming through to capture and is says 'Capture was aborted due to no incoming data from device'.
I have checked everything.
I followed all the suggestions in an older discussion in this forum -
Unable to capture HDV footage with FCP 5.1
This was the last post in that discussion:
"Re: Unable to capture HDV footage with FCP 5.1
May 23, 2010 4:37 PM (in response to MrMajesticMole)
I just got off the phone with a friend of mine who was having the same problem as you. Although you say the camera playback is set properly, please recheck this. go into your camera's playback menu>menu>standard set>VCR HDV/DV. Unplug your firewire from the camera. Make sure camera is set to HDV NOT auto. replace firewire cable. Now open FCP. Go in Audio/video settings>A/V devices (farthest tab on right). In box for playback edit to tape different from video output (make sure it's checked) mirrored (checked) Video playback 1080i50, Audio HDV. I hope that works now."
I followed all these tips and nothing has changed. This is the first time I am using HDV in FCP. I have used the same Sony z1 camera to shoot and capture DV footage in my current FCP set up and I've had no problems.
The only wierd thing is that under easy set up I selected HDV first with 'all rates' under frame rate. When that didn't work I tried "HDV fire wire basic". Then I tried to put the frame rate in a 50fps. When nothing made any difference I put the frame rate back to all frame rates and while still on Format: HDV selected HDV 1080i50 and also have tried HDV 1080i50 with 'all frame rates' and everythime I go back, it's defaulted to 'HDV 720p50' in the 'use box and frame rate 50fps.
I would really appreciate help with this.

Hi Russ,
Thanks for getting back so quickly.
I was feeling hopeful because I realised I had the fps rate set to 50 and when you said 25fps I thought that must be it. Unfortunatly it hasn't worked at all. It keeps saying there's no data incoming data from device, yet it acknowledges the timecode and I can control the camera from FCP.
I double checked my settings and made sure the camera was on before launching FCP. I am going to study the document you included to see if there is anything else I am doing that isn't working. I am wondering if there are some audio settings mucking it up.
If you have any other thoughts let me know. I will let you know if I figure it out.
Cheers,
Carolyn

How to transfer edited FCP project back to miniDV tape

Hi to all. I'm trying this for the 1st time, and it didn't work. I have a feeling I'm missin some connection between my Sony GV-D1000 miniDV deck and the G5 computer.
I'm trying to get back to tape my edited version (non-compressed).
From FCP I went to File - Print to Video. The software recognized the deck and it seemed to be recording, but when rewound the tape and played it back, nothing was there.
Any assistance of course is highly valued and appreciated. Currently, I'm connected to the computer via a firewire cable (to the back of the deck with a DV connection.

Make sure you can SEE it on the Deck first.
Shane's Stock Answer #8:
A simple path is mac > firewire > camera or deck > rca cables > tv
Then start up your camera and tv, then open fcp.
Then go View > External video > all frames
Video playback should be Apple firewire NTSC (If you are using an NTSC set)
Audio playback should be Audio follows Video
Techinially, this should send synched video to your TV
If for some reason you can't view your timeline on your external monitor, there are a few things to try:
1) Make sure that the camera/deck is connected and powered on BEFORE you open FCP.
2) In the Final Cut Pro menu select AUDIO/VIDEO Preferences and make sure your signal is being sent out thru Firewire DV.
3) Go to the menu and select VIEW>EXTERNAL>ALL FRAMES.
4) Click in the % box above the image and select FIT TO WINDOW.
5) Go to VIEW->refresh A/V devices
6) Make sure the Log & Capture window is closed
If you want it to play in both the canvas and the external monitor you need to go to the FINAL CUT PRO menu and select AUDIO/VIDIO settings and make sure MIRROR ON DESKTOP is selected under the PLAYBACK OUTPUT section
Shane

Log and capture or Log and transfer?

I'm a newbie to FCP, I've been working at it and researching, so I have a basic understanding, been able to do some good stuff, now I'm looking to find more time-economical ways to do things. I'm a football coach, looking to cut up game films into individual plays (1 play per clip), and ideally being able to name each clip by it's play name "Trap" or "Pop Pass" for example. It looks like I need to get into logging if possible. My workflow at present when dealing with an opponent's film is to take a DVD, and get it onto my computer using MPEG Streamclip. I've been using DVC-PAL as a codec at someone's suggestion, I can't rmemeber where I got that. Is this a mistake? Anyhow, I now import that movie file into FCP using File>Import. At this point I can't do any logging though, if I try Log and Capture or Log and Transfer I get "Unable to initialize video deck", though it tells me I can still use Capture Now. Once it opens the Log and Capture window, I get "Error: this operation requires a controllable deck." and directs me to the Audio/Video Settings. Here's where I'm pretty much lost. Do I try to adjust settings from here? If so, to what? Do I need to start by changing my MPEG Streamclip settings and then trying to match those up in my FCP Audio/Video Settings? Or do I need to completely overhaul the way I'm approaching this? ARGH! I've been impressed with myself getting to this point, any help from here would be greatly appreciated, thanks all!
Grouch

Log and Capture is used if you are capturing footage from tape based formats. DV, HDV, HDCAM...others.
Log and Transfer is for tapeless camera systems. P2, XDCAM, Canon DSLR, AVCHD.
If your footage comes from DVDs...and you convert the footage to QT files...then you simply go to FILE>IMPORT. You don't log with this method. Just import and work with the footage.

Reading files captured in iMovie

I read somewhere that it's good to capture footage in iMovie and then edit in FC Express. I tried that but now I can't figure out how to transfer to FC express. When I try to save a hi rez Quicktime it takes about 6 hours for a five minute clip.

if u want to capture in imovie then send it into fce....then when ur done importing u go to the top click share...then click quicktime...then when it say compress for..youll put full quality..then after that ull save it. and then open fce and go to import and itll be there.

Video captured in iMovie is split with frames missing

I have a client who sends me video to edit for him in FCP that he captures in iMovie.
Always around the 15 minutes mark there is a break in the footage. Looking in the 'iMovie Events' folder I see two files clip-2165-02-15 22;26;25.mov & clip.mov.
clip.mov is the first part and clip-2165-02-15 22;26;25.mov is the second part.
This would not if when I joined them in the FCP timeline they matched up, but there seems to be a few frames missing.
Does anyone one know what is going on?

FCP's 20 year old, nomenclature and file management are clumsy and capturing is unstable.
FCP isn't even 10 years old. Not even the app that Apple bought and made into FCP is 10 years old yet. And I beg to differ on the capturing being unstable. If it was so unstable, why would over 1 million people be using it? Why would over half of the production companies in Los Angeles be using it if it was so awful and unstable? No. The application is very stable, and very easy to use. If it isn't working right, then something is wrong... Bad tape, bad deck, bad cable, bad install of the app, machine issues, user error.
I've often captured footage in iMove that was causing too much grief in FCP Or when I actually wanted separate clips on TC breaks.
iMovie captures without timecode, nor reel numbers. That is a hugely important thing for professional editors. That is the basis for good file management, and since iMovie lacks that, it's worse at file management then FCP. A professional wouldn't work without TC and reel numbers. It also captures in a codec that mixes audio and video in ways that make the format uneditable in FCP without rendering.
And, BTW, FCP will make separate clips. It has a SCENE DETECTOR that will break up a big clip into subclips (or does it just add markers)...if you want that "easy button."
Attempting to capture this footage in FCP would probably just cause even more headaches.
What footage?
And there are at least as many threads about capturing problems in FCP as there are "iMovie footage" threads. The two are directly correlated.
No...iMovie is consumer, FCP is professional. And capturing problems can be caused by one of a dozen reasons. I listed them above.
If Apple isn't going to fix FCP the least they can do is allow iMovie to share the codecs that are installed with FCP and encourage cross compatibility rather than hobbling it.
Allow FCP to use consumer codecs? Lacking timecode and reel numbers? Ugh...I hope not. And what is broken about FCP? Is EVERYONE having the SAME capture issue? You see a few dozen posts about how capturing footage doesn't work and you think EVERYONE has the issue? With over 1 million FCP copies out there, unless you saw nearly that many posts about the issue, it isn't something that is broken in the application. It is an isolated event happening to a few people.
Looking at posts on FCP is much like sitting in a hospital waiting room. You only see the problems that occur. If you see a dozen people coming in with broken arms, you now assume that EVERYONE has a broken arm? Or that with all these sick people wandering about, that the whole town is sick? No, only a small percentage is sick.
Shane

I am trying to capture from Sony HDV 1080i VTR FCP giving an error of not able to initialize

i am trying to capture from Sony HDV 1080i VTR FCP giving an error of not able to initialize. I am not able to capture the content in DV mode. i am using a Firewire 800 to 400 converter and a 6 pin firewire cable to connect to the SonyHDV VTR. Please suggest me how do i do this.

The 800-400 converter plugs have proved a problem for this. What version of the software are you using. It sounds like an older version of FCP, if so you should ask your question on the Final Cut Studio forum.

How can I import an iMovie HD file into FCP?

I did a rough cut of a short film in iMovie HD, and now I need for my editor to be able to access it and hopefully generate an EDL. Even opening it in a newer version of iMovie throws out everything but the :30 title sequence I built at the beginning.

You can't access iMovie project data in FCP.
Apple gave iMovie '08 users the possibility to re-download a copy of iMovie HD. That offer was discontinued in 2009
The only possibility now is to go back to the source tapes and eye match to your rough cut.

SONY XDCAM LOG and TRANSFER CRASHING FCP

I am trying to log and transfer xd cam footage. every time i open the log and transfer window, FCP crashes. What is the cleanest way to get rid of the xdcam plugin.
the error message reads:
The application Final Cut Pro quit unexpectedly after it was relaunched. The problem may have been caused by the SonyXDCAM plug-in.
I have tried to get rid of it and obviously failed because i keep getting that message which tells me it's still there.
Can someone give me a step by step on how to get rid of it?
Model Name: Mac Pro
Model Identifier: MacPro3,1
Processor Name: Quad-Core Intel Xeon
Processor Speed: 3.2 GHz
Number Of Processors: 2
Total Number Of Cores: 8
L2 Cache (per processor): 12 MB
Memory: 8 GB
Bus Speed: 1.6 GHz

Shane's Stock Answer #44: FCP acting weird or unusual. Just not like is normally should
If the program was working fine, and now isn't, or just isn't working the way it should, the first things to do are:
1) Trash your FCP preferences. Download the Preference Manager from Digital Rebellion: http://www.digitalrebellion.com/pref_man.htm
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/trashing_fcpprefs.html
2) Open the Disk Utility and Repair Permissions.
3) Shut down for 10 min. Go for a quick walk around the block and get SOME exercise today. Come back, turn on the computer and see how things are.
4) (optional) Do the Hokey Pokey and turn your self about. Results may vary.
Shane

Why system is capturing Log for Document transfer and Compliance check

Hi All
Although I have removed
TD_MAP Movement Data : Document Replication Mapping (Live)
TD_CCH Movement Data : Compliance check Document (Live)
in custom document configuration , then also system is capturing log for document transfer and Compliance check result.
If my understanding is wrong then what is the use of Log control in customs document configuration for
Document Transfer
Document Check
Thanks
Akhil..

Hi Akhil,
For some situations, GTS allows you some control over the logging by specifying the Profile to use. But if you do not specify a Profile, logging still occurs using the default values in the standard code.
Regards,
Dave

Importing Files Captured in iMovie HD

Hello,
I'm running Final Cut Express 2.0.3. When I try to import clips to FCE that I captured in iMovie HD 5.0.2 and double-click them so they play in the Viewer, the clip will appear in the viewer but when I press play it will play fine for like a second and then the video stops moving and the audio keeps going and then it gets out of sync. For every single file. They are not HD files, just plain old Mini DV clips. Files captured in FCE play fine, but these files originated from iMovie and just will not play in the viewer. However, if I drag them down to the Timeline and play back in the Canvas window, they play fine (after having to render the audio).
Anyone know why this would happen? They are both Apple software products and one would assume you could simply import files from the lower end to the higher end software. Better yet, why should I have to sit and wait to render the audio? I don't understand why FCE can't just natively handle that format. But I digress; my biggest problem is at least getting them to play properly in the the Viewer window.
Thanks...

OK, here's what I'd do based on what I've tried so far in getting iMovie .dv files into FCE and avoiding having to render.
Open your iMovie .dv file in Quicktime Pro.
Extract the audio track
Export the audio track as a Quicktime Movie, Linear PCM format, Channels Stereo (L R), 48kHz, 16bit sample size
Delete the audio track from the .dv file
Open the exported audio file, select all and copy.
Select All in the .dv file
Add the exported Audio file using Add to Movie
Export/Save As the .dv file as a self contained Quicktime Movie
Use this movie in FCE
The benefit of this approach as opposed to exporting .dv file in one go is that the only thing that is truely exported, etc is the Audio track which is relatively quick. The video track is left unchanged so there is no loss in quality.
The resultant file never has to be rendered in FCE.

Is capturing in iMovie before transfer to FCP affect clip quality?

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