MiniDV to AppleTV

Any thoughts on the best workflow where the end result is that I can watch a whole MiniDV sourced tape on AppleTV (unedited) at best possible quality AND be able to edit it if I feel like it in a few years. I have about 30 tapes that once were archived with FCPX, but I never bought FCPX (could do so if it will save me time or enhance quality), but prefer to work in iMovie or Quicktime 7 Pro so I am not committed to paying for FCP down the road. I also have the camcorder and tapes still and I'd be willing to reimport if needed, but it would be great if I could use the archived "tapes".
Can I import the FCPX archives into iMovie 10 or do I need to re-import the tapes into iMovie 10? Then I'd have to create a project for every 'tape' and share to iTunes to view on AppleTV.
Are there any quality benefits from using FCPX vs iMovie for this purpose?

Thanks for confirming I cannot open/process the archives in iMovie.
I already used my free trial of FCPX so next step will be to either buy FCPX or figure out how to use iMovie going forward.
If I buy FCPX I assume it's pretty straightforward to import from the FCPX archives (.mov files) rather than getting the camcorder and tapes out again. I assume I need to do it per archived tape though and there is no batch process, correct?
If I go down that route, I'd also need to create a project for every tape to be able to ultimately watch it as one long video (per tape) on the AppleTV. Is that the way to go about it and I'll be able to view that on AppleTV in the best possible quality by sharing to iTunes? If so, how straightforward is that for someone not used to FCPX? Do I need to use custom settings to maximize the viewing quality on AppleTV since this content is interlaced or will FCPX and sharing to iTunes take care of that automatically?
Thanks in advance!

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Why Is There A loss In Quality When I impoer a Minidv tape into Imovie 08

I have the latest version of Imovie and this is my first Mac.
I am using SD MiniDV camcorder (NTSC). I import the entire tape into iMovie. Then I export it to a large h.264 m4v file. I am somewhat disappointed about the picture quality of the m4v file.
When I play the tape through my camcorder connected to the TV through svideo things it looks pretty good.
When I play the m4v file on MacbookPro connected to a TV via svdeo or using the TV (DVI to HDMI) as second monitor the picture quality isn't as crisp.
Any idea what I am doing wrong. My goal is to move all my Minidv home moves onto a hard drive at the best possible quality. My tapes are getting old and this seems like the best way of preserving them.
Thanks,
Dan

sorry for 'overwhelming' you with info
yes, all apps copy the dv-encoded material from miniDV devices 'natively' = lossless import..
but only iM08 then adds some 'loss' .. nobody knows exactly, what & how.. but you are not able to EXport lossless from within iM08 ..
example: import dv, export dv = adds blurr and 'magnifies' somehow the same file .. ( ! )
using iMHD≤6, FCE/P allows you, to export lossless = highest quality possible (except the parts of your project, which need renderning, e.g. titles, transitions...)
example: import dv, export dv = same quality ...
so, if _pic quality_ is your major concern, avoid iM08 ..
if you want fast results and export quality doesn't matter: iM08
if you want a Library off all imports ever and full integration into AppleTV/, YT.. = iM08
if you want other codecs than dv and simple use = iM08
if you want all imports for any future project and high dv quality = FCE/P
if you want easy to use and high dv quality = iMHD≤6 ..
if you want other codecs than dv and Hollywood quality = FCP

MiniDV versus AVCHD

I am just starting to use FCE. I have version 4.0.1, running on a MacPro 2x2.8 Quad-Core Intel, Mac OSX 10.5.8.
Up until now I have been importing video from my old analog Hi-8 Camcorder, via an analog to digital converter (firewire). After editing, I am exporting to iTunes as H.264, for use on AppleTV. Most of my use of FCE is editing clips, adding sound, titles, etc. I do little "tweaking" of the images, such as contrast, brightness, etc.
I think it is time to upgrade to an HD camcorder.
Is miniDV the "best"? My biggest concern is how long it will take to download the tape into the Mac. Do you find that it is much slower to download from a miniDV than it would be from an AVCHD unit? How much quality will I lose if I go with an AVCHD camcorder? Will using the compressed format limit my ability to edit well? Is the image quality equal between the two?
Many thanks for any advice.
Mark

Hi Mark,
For an iMovie or FCE user, HDV and AVCHD video are both visually very good and almost indistinguishable from each other. Some reviewers who have done side-by-side comparisons give HDV better scores on 720p video, and AVCHD slightly better scores on 1080i video. But that's about it in real life. Most of the arguments for or against one or the other have to to with technical specs. Since both HDV and AVCHD are transcoded to Apple Intermediate Codec during capture, editing in FCE is the same in both cases.
With an HDV camcorder you will be recording onto miniDV tapes; capturing the tapes takes 'real time', meaning that if you have a 1-hour tape, it will take 1 hour to capture. AVCHD is faster because it's on a hard drive or flash memory in the camcorder and can effectively be transferred to your Mac at drive speeds. But hold on a minute ... FCE transcodes both HDV and AVCHD into Apple Intermediate Codec during capture, so AVCHD loses some of its apparent transfer speed in the process. Bottom line, yes it takes longer to capture HDV because it is tape-based, but not hugely different compared to capturing AVCHD.
Keep in mind that since HDV uses miniDV tapes, you can set the tapes aside and keep them as backups. Can't do that with AVCHD.

Minidv import

So my understanding is that imovie 11 is not a good solution for importing 'old' minidv tapes. Will adobe premiere elements work? If so, can one later export to imovie for editing or is one stuck in adobe premiere if that's where the import is done? Any other ideas for lossless import from minidv (standard definition)?

Tack Bengt,
So DVD is not really the issue for me. Let me explain.
First, I have a new HD AVCHD camcorder and my iMovie 11 process for that camcorder has been to import at highest quality, do some minor editing (mostly cutting out unwanted video in the project, but no audio editing at all so far), and then use the share feature via youtube so far (and itunes for future AppleTV). That's been working pretty well since I got it a couple of months ago and started working with iMovie 11. The results are pretty good so far.
Now, I'm thinking I want to do a similar process with my old Standard Definition minidv tapes. Import at best possible quality for future storage so I don't need to capture from tapes again, but while I'm at it, also do some simple edits (mostly cutting), and export/share it with family (via youtube, vimeo etc or whichever is better) .
So last night I did capture one minidv tape via firewire and iMovie 11. However, before even creating a project and doing my minor editing, I played some of the event to check it out and it looked pretty poor. It was not sharp and it looked darker too. While maybe not a good comparision it looks much worse than I had expected based on my perceived quality of the minidv video from hooking up the camcorder to the TV. Concerned about this quality I decided to do some research (before even trying editing and sharing) and came across a lot of the posts (including yours) about iMovie 11 and poor minidv results and recommendations to use iMovie 6 or Final Cut Pro X instead which I do not have.
So, if I just want to 1) capture all these old minidv tapes (while my minidv camcorder is still working) at highest possible quality 2) do minor editing and then share with distant family members via youtube or some other sharing site (again, best possible quality desired) as well as use AppleTV via itunes to view it on my television, are you saying iMovie 11 should be fine?
If not, do I need to go to Finaly Cut Pro X, which seems like an overkill from all other standpoints given my basic editing needs. Again, I only want to do all this capture once, since it's time consuming, and therefore video quality is absolutely critical to me.

IMovie DVD vs iMovie AppleTV quality

A DV edited in iMovie and burned to DVD looses some quality from the original miniDV source. How does that compare to a DV exported through iMovie to AppleTV? Is the compression the same as if you were burning to a DVD or can you select a higher quality setting since you don't have a 4.4gb limit to deal with?

Welcome to the  Discussion Forums.
At best quality a DVD made in iDVD will be around 8 Mbps, the DVD standard has a maximum of 9.6 Mbps, but encoding data at such high rates can cause issues on some DVD players, so most would keep at around 8 or less to ensure a reasonably compatible output.
The tv is capable of 5 Mbps, but the tv handles h.264 which is better than twice as efficient as mpeg2 which is used on a DVD.
So to answer your question, the tv should give you the better picture.

Three movies I bought from iTunes this morning do not show up on the 1st Gen AppleTV.

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Movies do not show up on AppleTV but they are in iTunes

I have around 220 movies in iTunes. Most all were purchased through Apple. I am having an issue where several of my movies are not showing up on my Apple TV. The movies that do not show up were all purchased and watched on my Apple TV but once it synced to my iTunes library they no longer show up.. I have reset and restored everything including my entire iTunes library, took almost an entire day, but still have the same issue. My apple TV is a 1st gen. The ones that do not show up are a mix between HD and SD so that is not the issue. The only common thread between these movies is that they were all purchased and watched initially through my apple TV. HELP please!

As far as the resolution, I do not have the exact info but they were all purchased through iTunes via my AppleTV.
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I bought a movie from iTunes on my Mac and it is not showing up on my AppleTV purchased movies. Is there a way to get this to sync?

I bought a movie from iTunes on my new macbook pro and it is not showing up on my AppleTV, any ideas?

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Remote app no longer sees AppleTV and shares

I've noticed that the Remote App on my iPhone 4 looks different than it used to, so I guess it's been updated recently. Anyways, now I don't have AirPlay anymore in any video or audio apps. I haven't changed anything in terms of network set up, AppleTV configuration, nor my PC and Mac itunes sharing. Everything is the same.
The ONLY thing I can think of, other than the Remote app being updated is that I had my wireless router turned off for two weeks while on vacation. However, on returning, EVERYTHING JUST WORKS. iphone wifi access is fine, Apple TV access is fine (been watching podcasts and netflix no problem), and PCs and laptops connect same as always.
THe ONLY difference is my iphone cannot "see" AppleTV in Remote App and Airplay feature is GONE. My homesharing is still displayed as selectable libraries in the app, but selecting one NEVER CONNECTS. This also used to work perfectly fine.
I'm quite frustrated at losing such a feature.
For what it's worth, the AppleTV doesn't seem to "see" my shared library either (under "Computers")

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Try the following steps, check whether things are working after each step where appropriate, before trying the next.
Check AirPlay is turned on on the Apple TV (turn it off and on if it already is)
Check that both devices are on the same network (Settings > Wifi, on the mobile device and Settings > General > Network, on the Apple TV).
Restart the Apple TV (Settings > General > Restart).
Restart the Apple TV by removing ALL the cables for 30 seconds.
Restart your router. (Also try removing it’s power cord for at least 30 seconds)
Restart your mobile device.

February 2012,I bought an AppleTV in the US, to bring it to where I live, CHILE, where voltage is 220V. Is the device multivoltage or do I need a voltage converter?

February 2012,I bought an AppleTV in the US, to bring it to where I live, CHILE, where voltage is 220V. Is the device multivoltage or do I need a voltage converter?
Thanks!

only a cable that fit your wall socket is required

New password in iTunes and not my appleTV is not working

I changed it two weeks ago. Tried to access my appleTV today and it keeps asking me to enter my password, over, and over, and over again without allowing me to advance. What gives?

Welcome to the Apple Community.
Try the following steps, check whether things are working after each step where appropriate, before trying the next.
Restart the Apple TV (Settings > General > Restart).
Restart the Apple TV by removing ALL the cables for 30 seconds.
Restart your router. (Also try removing it’s power cord for at least 30 seconds)
Reset the Apple TV (Settings > General > Reset > Reset all settings)
Restore the Apple TV (Settings > General > Reset > Restore)

Unable to Capture with MiniDV Deck - Strange Problem

Hello everyone,
I apologize if this is a repeat, but I couldn't find an answer among other discussions. I'll try to be as specific as possible..
The problem revolves around capturing a MiniDV tape. We are using a Sony GV-D1000 deck, which is connected via Firewire. Final Cut Pro recognizes the deck as a Device Control and Capture/Input setting.
We can control the deck, but we can't capture from it. The Log and Capture window reads "Preview Disabled". When attempting to capture, it pauses for a second and then says "The operation could not be completed as there is no video." This is very odd since the deck's display shows actively running video..
Our system is as follows:
8-core Mac Pro 2x3 GHz
10GB RAM
ATI RadeonX1900
BlackMagic DeckLink HD Extreme Card
w/a bunch of Lacie hard drives which I kept off during the troubleshooting..
Things I have tried:
- Restarting without Firewire devices running
- Trashing FCP prefs in the library folder
- Repairing Permissions in Disk Utility
I found an article here that was interesting...
http://support.apple.com/kb/TA24110
It kinda implies that the other audio card (BlackMagic HD Extreme) might be the problem. But there is no way to disable this card... or is there?
Can anyone help me?
Thanks in advance.

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the troubleshooting. Getting close to identifying the problem.
I brought the deck home with me to try it out on my personal MacBook Pro system. Same problem. the tape would play back, you could control the deck, but it would not import.
David brought up the tape itself, which, logically, I hadn't even thought of. So I threw in a completely different tape and voila! No problems. Was able to control the deck, view the video on my Mac's display (finally!) and yes, capture video to disk.
Just to make sure the deck wasn't being screwy, I tested both the original tape and the other on my personal miniDV camera and yielded the same results. Except when playing back the original, video wouldn't even display on the camera's LCD screen..
In short:
There has to be something funky with this tape that they gave us. We will probably ship it to another post house and see if they can get it to work out on a different deck. When I return to the office, I will try the other tape just to confirm there's nothing wrong with our Mac Pro system there..
Thank you all for you troubleshooting wisdom. I owe you all one.

Unable to properly capture HD video from miniDV tape in FCE

unable to capture HD video from miniDV tape
When I connect my Sony HDR-HC3 miniDV HDV camcorder to my iMac via firewire cable and use Final Cut Express to capture the video from the tape, I do not get a Capture window that allows me to specify in and out points, I just get a playback window that immediately starts capturing and the only option I have in this window is hit ESC to stop capturing. If I let this capture window continue to capture the video from the camera with miniDV HD tape, then the entire tape would be captured as one massive single video clip.
QUESTION: Is there something I change or do to make the proper capture window appear where I can specify in and out points to capture from tape for each clip?
NOTE: using same camera and tape with iMovie with automatic capture enabled, all the clips get captured properly. I also tried to use the manual setting in iMovie and it worked too.
More details(read only if you want more information)
I have a several miniDV tapes containing HD video created on a Sony Sony HDR-HC5 and Sony HDR-HC7. Unfortunately, both these camera were stolen, and I have since moved to a camera that uses flash memory, not tape. However, I need to get the video footage off these tapes, so I bought a used Sony HDR-HC3, it plays the HD miniDV tapes just fine and iMovie reads the video from this camera just fine, but Final Cut Express does not.
When I setup Final Cut Express, I used the Easy Setup and specified:
Format: HD
Rate: 29.97 fps
Use: HDV-Apple Intermediate Codec 1080i60
These setting match those of the camera and recorded tape. If I use any other settings but these, then Final Cut Express never sees the camera and never opens any capture window at all. Using Quicktime 10 movie inspector on the clips captured by iMovie from same camera, all the clips match this setting too.
Final Cut Express version 4.0.1
iMovie 09 Version 8.0.2 (821)
iMac 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 4GB 1067 MHz DDR3 running
Mac OS X Version 10.6.4
My Final Cut Express scratch disk is a Seagate 2TB external USB 2.0 Hard Drive that has been formatted to be Mac OS Extended (Journaled). This external disk is also where iMovie successfully captured all the video from the same camera.

Thanks for the answer. It makes me sad. I thought using Final Cut Express would be an upgrade to a more robust editing system from iMovie, yet iMovie does a superior job of logging and capturing video from HDV video on miniDV tape in comparison to FCE. Not only does iMovie capture each clip on the tape into it's own video file automatically, it also includes timestamp information in the filename indicating when the clip was originally recorded, which appears to be something that is missing from Final Cut Express. Now I realize that HDV miniDV cameras had a relatively short life span in the consumer marketplace and have since all been replaced by flash and hard drive based AVCHD cameras, but from circa 2004 to 2007, miniDV HDV camcorders were very popular and I am sure there are lots of consumers that must be super frustrated by Final Cut Express limited ability to log and capture clips properly from these cameras.
Assuming I do not want to make a rough cut of video in iMovie and prefer to begin my editing project in Final Cut Express (not doing XML export of iMovie project), I need to determine the best way to get clips captured via iMovie into Final Cut Express and determine if there is anything inferior in the iMovie captured clips that I need to be aware of. So far it appears that both iMovie and Final Cut Express reduce the 5.1 surround sound captured on the HDV miniDV tapes to stereo sound, which is not a big lose given the 5.1 sound was recorded from camera's built-in microphone, but it makes me wonder if the video is reduced in any way by the iMovie import process, examining the video in quicktime's inspector window the video appears to be the same in both iMovie and FCE, but I'll research the answers to these questions elsewhere on this forum and post additional questions if I do not find the information I need.

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MiniDV to AppleTV

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