Is iMovie compatible with HDV footage?

Hello guys,
is iMovie compatible with HDV video?
Log and Capture via FireWire, exporting as Quick Time..etc? Or do I need at least Final Cut Express
for HDV?
Thank you so much

Imovie is very compatible with HDV. As long as you have firewire port, you are golden. FYI--log and transfer is Final cut express way of handle AVCHD files.

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Is imovie compatible with canon vixia M50?

Is imovie compatible with canon vixia M50? I have the latest version OSX 10.8.2

I cannot find it on this list:
http://help.apple.com/imovie/cameras/en/index.html
That does not mean it will not work, but if you haven't purchased the camcorder yet then I recommend limiting your search to those known to be compatible. Better yet, limit your search to manufacturers that specifically indicate iMovie compatibility.
Panasonic does; I am not certain about Canon.

How to work efficiently with HDV footage in Final Cut Pro 6

Hello everyone! I am fairly new to Final Cut & Mac. I have worked with Final Cut Pro 5 on my Powerbook G4 two years ago. But when I moved to HD, I switched to a PC with Adobe Premiere. Recently, I made the move back to Final Cut as I had problem with the stability of both Premiere 2.0 and CS3. I am really happy with it so far. In Premiere, I used the Cineform codec which performed very well. I also got a license for their MAC codec but unfortunately, I still have to capture under Windows.
Since I have not worked with HDV on the Mac before, I have a few questions which I hope people on these boards can answer.
1) How does Final Cut Pro 6 handle native HDV?
2) Is it beneficial to convert to Pro Res 422 (in terms of quality, but also in terms of editing speed, rendering time, in favor of processing speed etc.)
3) Which Pro Res 422 setting is advised? I will be capturing HDV through firewire and then recompress to Pro Res 422. The Canon XL-H1 squeezes 1080i into 1440x1080. So I figured I need the 1440x1080 setting. There are two options: normal and (HQ). The HQ files are around 4-times bigger then the native HDV file. The normal setting results in files around 2-times bigger. Coming from HDV, do I see the difference between normal and HQ?
4) What systems are recommended so I can work efficiently? i.e. how to setup the scratch disks. I currently have the applications installed on Disk 1, all scratch disks on Disk 2 + 3 (RAID 0) and final results on Disk 4.
I have the following system setup:
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- 5GB of RAM
- ATI X1900XT 512MB
- Harddisks:
-1- Western Digital 750GB SE
-2- Western Digital 500GB RE2 (member of "VIDEO" - raid 0)
-3- Western Digital 500GB RE2 (member of "VIDEO" - raid 0)
-4- Western Digital 500GB SE
- Two Dell 2407 FWP 24" LCD monitors
Thanks for your help and don't feel obliged to answer all questions, I am already happy if one of them is answered!!

1) How does Final Cut Pro 6 handle native HDV?
Just like FC5.... no worries
2) Is it beneficial to convert to Pro Res 422
Just like the Cineform codec you will benefit from an all i-frame codec when working with titles and graphics. I wouldn't recommend capturing native then converting to ProRez as this will take an extremely long time. Many have found editing native up until the compositing then dropping the sequence into a ProRez timeline to render. I prefer to uncompress the HDV with hardware into a capture card and transcode on capture in real time. Depending on the flavor of HDV and the equipment you use you can probably find a method for this. I shoot run & gun field work on to tape, then with the deck I can export via HDMI and together with another product from Convergent Design it is converted to HD-SDI in the a Kona LHe into FC. The benefit for me is the all digital decompression from 1440x1080 4:2:0 to a 1920x1080 4:2:2 uncompressed HD-SDI signal to use anyway I need to. As to which level of PR I can't comment but I have used the lower level and it looks great. As to raid setup I can recommend www.maxupgrades.com to help you add two - four more drives internally for unbelievable speed and expanded storage space you will want. The owner (Syed) will give you all the support you need to take advantage of the Mac Pro capabilities for a low cost high performance raid solution. Sounds like you have a great setup in mind, you may want to look into the Kona LHe capture card for capturing and monitoring and a Convergent Design product like the HD-Connect SI or MI depending on the deck you are using. If you need broadcast quality monitoring look into the Matrox MXO.
Good Luck
Z1

Final Cut Pro 3.0 - Compatible with HDV?!?

Does any use HDV with their FCP 3.0 program? Is there settings I can change to import this file type, or do I have to convert it to SD? Thanks for your help!

You have two options.
1. Down convert in the camera to DV and capture that way. No guarantee it will work.
2. upgrade your system to a more recent version of FCP. FCP 4.5 could deal with HDV if you used Luminaire's codec but it would be better to head up the food chain to at least 5.0/5.1 which was the first to deal with HDV natively. FCP6 (aka FC Studio 2) is what is shipping now. It has some steep hardware requirements, so check carefully if you decide to go that route.
good luck.
x

Problems with HDV footage from sony HDR - HC9

I have a new sony HDR-HC9 cam corder. I want to shoot in hi def (HDV) format for best quality, but I produce standard def DVDs as a finished product. I was hoping to use the built in iLink conversion from HDV to DV when downloading to the computer into iMovie. I have had many problems with this.
Usually, when I set it up to do the downconversion, I see a blue screen in iMovie, although iMovie will ff and rew the camera, no images come across. I experimented with setting the camera in DV record mode at the same time as I had the iLink down conversion set, and this appeared to work. I started downloading an hour tape, and when I came back 65minutes later (after it should have been done), saw the message that iMovie had quit. Reopened the project, and saw an hour worth of footage in the trash, but it was too crazy to reorder the clips from the trash back to the clips pane.
I resigned to import in hdv (1080i) format and not mess with hardware downconversion. This worked fine. I then added some chapter markers and shared the project with iDVD. I saved the project as an image file and then mounted it to check it for errors. The video was OK, but towards the end of the project, the sound was out of sync by a few seconds with the video.
I deleted encoded assets from the iDVD project, then reburned (save as image file). Same defect.
I then started a new iMovie project in standard DV widescreen, and dragged all of the clips from the HDV (1080i) project into the time line. It took over an hour for my mac mini to run the conversion, but the movie in iMovie appeared OK. I redid the iDVD project, and saved as image file. It appears to have worked correctly (although I have not looked at it on my widescreen TV yet to assess image quality.
Questions:
1) Has anyone had any luck getting HDR-HC9 iLink HDV-DV hardware conversion to work with iMovie, consistently?
2) Can anyone comment on image quality issues with converting HDV to DV footage using iMovie software.
3) Has anyone seen audio sync problems with iDVD from HDV original footage.
Thanks

Hi - you may get a more exact answer in the BlackMagic Macintosh forum, since there aren't a lot of BlackMagic queries on the Apple Discussions forums:
http://forum.blackmagicdesign.com/viewforum.php?f=11

Working with HDV footage in FCP3

Hello folks,
I have a HDV clip which is .mov file, 1080i60 HDV. I am trying to find the way to be able to import it into FCP3. If I leave it as it it, FCP is telling me that it is an unknown file. So I am wondering, how can I convert it into some file the older FCP could read. I have tried to use a Compressor and compress it to DV, but I ended up with a video squeezed from 16:9 to 4:3.
Thanks for any input,
Cheers

You can't. FCP didn't support HDV until version 5. Unless you have FCP 5 or higher installed on the computer, you cannot even view the file to convert it. Te people who supplied you with the file will have to either recapture it as DV (the camera can downconvert the footage to DV) or convert it with the Media Manager.
Or you need up upgrade.
Shane

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I have Final Cut Pro 5 and it will not recognize my JVC BR-HD50 tape deck.
The deck is connected to the computer through IEEE1394 fire wire at the front of the tower.
iMovieHD is able to recognize the deck and plays the image.
Although FCP5 physically recognizes the deck, it is not playing in "log and capture" mode. In this mode I can operate the deck but there is neither sound nor image.
The footage has been shot in 720p30 using a JVC GY-HD100U camera with a HDV and DV tapes.
Also, I have downloaded LumiereHD, both versions, because it is understood that this program was designed to link between JVC's ProHD mode and FCP. LumiereHD does not recognize the deck at all.
How do I get FCP5 to fully recognize my JVC deck so I can log and capture and edit in FCP5?
Where am I going wrong?
I would greatly appreciate it if someone will help me troubleshoot the problem. THANK YOU!
Quad Mac G 5 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Well, I've made some tests with the new firmware.
It's VTR CPU 101.
I've recorded a 1 hour tape, captured it, and the clips were only split by start/stop detection, so there were no "broken" clips.
Tried re-capturing footage already recorded before the firmware update and it's still being split.
The tape deck, although it didn't have the firmware updated, produced the same results as capturing with the camera: clips not broken.
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Esteban
MacBook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.9)

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I have tried the best quality option but it's still a disaster. I taught about using compressor but It would take 110 hours to compress this movie in h:264
What is my solution?

I have tried the best quality option but it's still a disaster.
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Is iMovie compatible with iMovie HD?

I have to make a documentary using iMovie. Am I able to use iMovie and iMovie HD, or is it not compatible?

Your question is not quite clear.
If you mean: can a project created in iMovie 6 be used in iMovie 11, the answer may well be no, but much depends on at what stage you are transferring the project.

Not possible with FCP6: HDV Footage and external TV (monitor) viewing ?

Hi all, I learned from another FCP6 forum when I'm working with HDV footage, FCP 6 allows you to view this via firewire on an external monitor or TV, but ONLY as downconverted DV. This works fine but in a worse quality on my external TV. Is there really no possibility to view on an external TV via TRUE HDV via HDMI output ?

The MXO from Matrox might work OK (though it will only output HD via SDI or Component analog, no HDMI output) but I'd contact Matrox first about using a DVI adapter with the unit. It connects via a full sized DVI connection.
But quite frankly, you'd be very happy with the power of a MacPro. Especially working with HDV files. Rendering would be a lot faster, Motion and Color would also benefit from the added power of an 8 core machine... plus you can use that Kona 3 card. Best there is IMHO.
Jerry
P.S. You are running professional software that really is desinged to be run on a professional machine like a Mac Pro...

HDR-HC1 - import as DV from HDV footage

The HDR-HC1 is able to export HDV footage as DV through in-camera conversion. However, when I try to import as DV into iMovie I get no image.
Can anyone else get the HDR-HC1 and iMovie to import HDV footage as DV??? If so can they please post the magic setting you need to use in the camera and the sequence of steps to setup a new iMovie project so that it can accept the DV stream?

It's slightly tricky to solve, but with a bit of logical thought it can be done (..I've just tested it for you ..but I'm sure you would have found the answer with some persistence..)
Firstly, of course, set the camcorder (..in the 'Standard Set' menu..) to "i.Link Conv - ON (HDV>DV)" ..so that it converts HDV to DV as the video finds its way out down the FireWire cable.
Then create a New Project in iMovie 5.0.2 (..that's what I'm using for this test..) as 'DV Widescreen' ..because that's the 16:9 shape of the original HDV.
When you connect your camcorder, iMovie will show that it's incompatible with the project! ..Why? ..Because the camcorder's own screen is showing "HDV1080i" in the top-left corner, because that's the original tape format which it's playing. (Make sure, by the way, that the 'Standard Set' menu is also set to "Auto" in "VCR HDV/DV", so that the camcorder isn't forced into HDV playback, but just plays whatever format is on the tape.) Make sure that the camera is NOT connected to iMovie - yet!
Now scroll down the camera's menu to "TV TYPE" and choose "4:3". [..I found that if I was set to the - obvious - 16:9 (i.e; widescreen) the next step gave a squeezed playback in iMovie..]
Start playing your movie on the camcorder, and - while it's playing - with iMovie onscreen, plug in your FireWire cable. Wait. The project should be fooled into thinking there's simply a camera - e.g; an iSight - connected, and will display your video onscreen, and instead of an 'Import' button onscreen, it should show a button marked 'Capture from camera' or similar wording. Click that button, and it'll import.
Don't be dismayed if the footage appears to be squashed in the 'thumbnail' picture in the right-hand clips pane of iMovie. When necessary, click on the 'Capture' button again to stop importing, stop the tape by touching the HC1's screen, and wind forwards or backwards to the next clip you want to capture, then touch 'Play' on the HC1 screen, and click 'Capture' again on the iMovie screen.
The second or third thumbnail clip should display in proper widescreen shape in the right-hand clips pane. Don't stop till you've finished all* your capturing/importing, though you may click Apple+S to Save your project from time to time.
When you Save, or finally Quit after importing all the footage you want, and you then then restart iMovie, any squeezed thumbnails should expand to be their proper shape in the clips pane. You can then play and edit clips as normal ..though they may at first 'overflow' the normal iMovie playback window, and temporarily obscure the Timeline counter.
I mentioned, above*, to keep going till you've captured all your clips, as you probably won't find it possible to import more clips this way once you've Quit from that project ..because once iMovie has labelled the project as "iSight" (..because you've fooled it!..) it will say that you're using an incompatible camera when it next detects your HC1 camcorder.
So you have to fool it, and then - during that period of importing - import all the footage you want.
That's what's just worked for me, anyway.
In summary; there's a bug: even though you set the camcorder to convert the HDV footage to DV, nevertheless, iMovie 5 seems to read the original format of the tape (..what appears on your HC1's playback screen..) and thus believes that what you're sending it is not DV but is HDV. I don't know if the bug is in iMovie (..a possible failure to read the format that's coming down the FireWire cable..) or is Sony's fault (..possible failure to deliver the correct info from the camcorder). So don't necessarily blame Apple without knowing the reason for this camera-to-program communication error.
You may try sending a bug report to Apple - via iMovie Feedback - but Apple's already on iMovie HD version 6, so little may be done to adjust iMovie HD 5 now.
iMovie HD 6.0.1 has a very similar bug (..not absolutely identical, as it may display 'HD' just below the Timeline - having detected it - but may accept that the camera is set to 'DV'..) and so a bug report to Apple, just describing your versions as plain "iMovie HD", may produce an improved version 6.0.2, but I've no idea if they'll update version 5 to remove this apparent inability of iMovie to recognise that the camcorder has been set to deliver DV from the original HDV footage.
So experiment at 'fooling' iMovie HD 5. I managed to do it ..but "your mileage may vary"..

Error message when adding a filter to DV and HDV footage

Hi,
I do not understand why I am getting an error message saying,
" The effect 'refraction, twirl, insect eye' failed to render: Your Hardware cannot render at the requested size and depth"
Can some help me out?
I have a first generation Mac Pro 2..66 with 8gb of ram and the Ati radeon and Nvidia graffics card. This is a high end computer, why can't it render a video filter like refraction and son on?
I tried re-installing FCP and erasing those files in the preferences folder, but still not luck.
To make matters worse the render works on my MacBook Pro (1st gen.) and not on the Mac Pro quad core?
There must be something going on in my settings, is anybody else having this problem?
The footage I am working with are 2 formats, one is DV Ntsc shot with a DVX 100 and the other one I was working with HDV footage.
Why am I not able to render with the hardware power of this monster computer.
Thanks for you help,
Alessandro

Hi Varkgirl,
That would be great but I don't really know where to start with this. Can you help?
Sorry for the delay in responding but I run my own business as well as doing my wife's website.
My email address is [email protected] if you could send me your advice that way if it's ok with you.
Thanks.
Philip

Final Cut Exp - Working with HDV format & exporting for web in 16:9 format

I'm working with SONY HVR-A1U prosumer camcorder which captures footage in 1440x1080resolution. My goal is to produce movies fro web in 16:9 size and upload them on "Brightcove" website
After editing this footage in Final Cut Express I'm trying now to export my movie using "File-Export-Using Quick Time Conversion" option ... and I ran into the big issue with video size settings and how the video gets squezed when uploaded on Brightcove website.
To get 16:9 size out of FCE, I need to:
Set the "custom" size 640x360 and set "preserve aspect ration" - use letter box
Then the resulting movie plays as 16:9 in Quicktime ... however after uploading it on Brightcove it chages the aspect again ... and becomes squashed.
I would appreciate any advice how to overcome this "squashing" of export when working with HDV footage.
Thanks
Peter

hI(Bonjour)!
Try this link:
http://www.kenstone.net/fcphomepage/qt_movies_fromfcp.html
May be it's a problem with the web interface programation on your upload site?
Michel Boissonneault

Compatible to HDV

I seriously have no idea what the **** im doing. I'm sorry but im ****** the **** off right now. Ok, all I want to do is record my project back on to my camera (on DVC HD tape im not trying to go to the ******* moon), I go to print to video and it says "The sequence is not compatible with HDV Print to Video" What the **** does that mean? My camera is Sony HDV 1080i i recorded using 24a progressive scan. I apologize for the language but I really want to go back to Adobe Premier.

A couple of things to check. Is your camera set to record in HDV or did you inadvertently set it to record in DV? Then check your sequence settings. Either right click or control click on your timeline sequence icon in your Browser. From the drop down menu click settings. Should be HD.Quicktime Video settings should be HDV 1080p24. (or HDV 1080i/60) Or another and probably easier way to check is click Final Cut pro>Audio/video settings: Sequence preset should be HDV 1080p24.(or 1080i 60) If your sequence is in these format(s) it will print to video. I tried it on my system with either of these sequence settings and it worked. Stay calm.
Steve

*** Settings for importing down-converted HDV footage

Working with a Sony Z1U with HDV footage. Have printed HDV footage to tape and now want to import it as SD footage in order to go to DVD. In the settings on the Z1U, do I choose the "squeeze" or "letterbox" option? I think squeeze, but I want to double check. I want this to fill widescreen tv's and appear letterboxed on tubes.
Thanks in advance!

you will probably get better help on this topic at the creativecow.net forums

Is iMovie compatible with HDV footage?

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