Using iMove HD to capture in Mpeg-4 format

I have iMovie HD 5.0.2 and was wondering if there is anyway for me to capture video that is saved directly in Mpeg-4 format instead of as a DV clip. I noticed that when you start a new project in iMovie HD, you can select between the ff video formats: DV, HD, Mpeg-4 and iSight. So I assumed that if I select Mpeg-4, than it would capture my video footage from my DV cam (a sonypc350) as Mpeg-4. But it doesn't. It still caputers it as a DV clip. So is there anyway that I can capture in Mpeg-4 format using iMovie HD. My DV cam has analog to digital pass through and I'm trying to figure out a way to create a make-shift TiVo kinda system with the tools I have available.

...a way to capture directly into compressed Mpeg-4 format because DV clips take up a lot of hard drive space. ...
Nope.
iM's internal file format/compressor is dv, any other will/has to be converted...
besides:
mp4 is a lossy codec - you will never get the pic quality as dv...-
video editing is a disk drive consuming process - no workaround.
sorry to say that (owner of ~0,7TB of HD… )

Similar Messages

When I use iMovie 11 to capture HD video from my Handycam, there is a loss of quality that is very noticable when vewing on apple tv3. What is the best way to get full HD video quality for home movies on apple tv?

I currently capture HD 1080i video from my Handycam using iMovie 11, then convert the .mov files to .mp4 using Aunsoft Video Converter. Then view the videos on apple tv. The quality is definitely lacking. Not sure if the loss of qulaity is from using iMovie 11 or the Aunsoft software. Any ideas on how to capture HD qulaity video and view on Apple TV?

I currently capture HD 1080i video from my Handycam using iMovie 11, then convert the .mov files to .mp4 using Aunsoft Video Converter. Then view the videos on apple tv. The quality is definitely lacking. Not sure if the loss of qulaity is from using iMovie 11 or the Aunsoft software. Any ideas on how to capture HD qulaity video and view on Apple TV?

Using Premiere Pro 6 - Capturing HDV .mpegs - These can't be seen by other programs like Compressor?

I'm using XHA1's using a Canon HV20 to capture via FW to my IMAC with 10.7. I'm using Premiere Pro 6 and have been using Plural Eyes to do audio sync for the past year.
About 6 months ago when I upgraded to Plural Eyes 3 (which they don't support video thumbnail preview for HDV) I noticed my MPEG files created in Premiere Pro could not be opened in Compressor to change to Apple Pro Res or do anything else with.
So, what I would like to know is there a way of capturing to some other file format than .mpeg using an HDV preset in Premiere Pro? I do weddings every weekend with 3 cameras doing hour long ceremonies. So, audio sync is real important and being able to see those thumbnails would be great.
Finally, when I export my XML to the desktop and bring it back into to Premiere Pro it "squeeshes" the HDV footage into 4:3 aspect ratio. Which I then create a new Sequence, select all, copy and paste and now I have 2 sequences to keep track of.
I realize these are not earth shattering - but they would sure save precious hours over a weeks time while doing many repetive actions. Thanks for any advice.

I have same experience/problem:
- PluralEyes does not show HDV thumbnails
- Windows version crashes (I tryed initial version when WIN support was added)
- Premiere still needs XML export-import, so stereo audio becomes double mono audio
I'm still using PluralEyes version 2, which is at least working:
- use PluralEyes Connector to export from Premiere directly, that opens PE2 and asks you which timeline you want to sync
- when done, exit PE and it will automatickly open Premiere, import project, and highlight added bins
- grab highlighted bins and drag them to the "new folder" icon in project bin; that will create new bin and put all imported bins/clips in to that bin.
- open synced project and copy all clips and paste them in original timeline (where unsorted clips vere).
OPTIONAL: I do replace all clips than with original clips from project bin, just to get stereo audio back. After I replace all clips I delete added bins/clips, because Premiere duplicate all (it will add them every time you re-import clips, instead of knowing it is already imported). So just to keep premiere project file smaller, I remove doubled clips.
If I need to sync just some files I use Premiere CC built in syncer. But PluralEyes does resolve harder to understand clips and Premiere solution is limited by how many clips is capable of syncing. And it does not work with several video/audio tracks, but only two. At least in my case, if I try to sync more than two clips it is grayed out.
Yes, I'm dissapointed by PluralEyes3, because this was my main reason I bought licence, Only to now using version 2.
regards,
MIHAEL

Image quality using iMovie 08 vs Final Cut Pro

I read in November's Macworld that if I use a tapeless camcorder, "you won't get the best image quality if you use iMovie '08 because the software converts each movie clip to smaller, more manageable size. To get the highest quality you'll need to be running Final Cut Pro on a Mac Pro with at least 2GB of RAM." Do you all agree with this? And if so, please consider the following. I used a mini DV camcorder to transfer all my tapes to my computer and to an external hard drive. Have I already lost that image quality in doing so using iMovie? If so, can Final Cut Pro import from iMovie and improve that quality by decompressing or will I need to retransfer the tapes using Final Cut Pro or will the difference be too negligible to be noticed and not to bother. Thanks, SWestD

I read in November's Macworld that if I use a tapeless camcorder, "you won't get the best image quality if you use iMovie '08 because the software converts each movie clip to smaller, more manageable size. To get the highest quality you'll need to be running Final Cut Pro on a Mac Pro with at least 2GB of RAM." Do you all agree with this?
It depends on the format. In general, the consumer tapeless cameras shoot some highly compressed variant of the mpeg2 or mpeg4 format (delivery formats). These formats are not designed to be edited but rather to be displayed directly from the camera to the TV. In order to edit the material, you must first convert the files from their delivery format to something editiable. This conversion usually results in LARGER not smaller files. There is the potential for some minimal alteration of the image in the transcoding process. This is the trade-off for shooting with such a compressed format.
And if so, please consider the following. I used a mini DV camcorder to transfer all my tapes to my computer and to an external hard drive. Have I already lost that image quality in doing so using iMovie?
No, capturing DV material from tapes using iMovie is a direct digital transfer. DV/NTSC or DV/PAL video as captured from tape is the muxed (mixed audio and video) DV stream. It is an exact replica of what is on the tape.
If so, can Final Cut Pro import from iMovie and improve that quality by decompressing or will I need to retransfer the tapes using Final Cut Pro or will the difference be too negligible to be noticed and not to bother.
FCE and FCP capture material from tapes slightly differently than iMovie. While iMovie brings the material from the tape unaltered, FCE/FCP uses Quicktime during capture to pull the audio and video into separate streams with in the resulting file. By having the audio demuxed, the programs are able to edit multiple video streams simultaneously while iMovie is limited on one at a time. The video quality is not altered in this demuxing process.
If you choose to shoot with a tapeless camera and edit the material in FCE or FCP, FCP has a wider range of formats that can be handled by the program, but in no way will it deal with them all. Many still need to be converted into an edit friendly format before you bring them into the program.
x

Using iMovie footage in FCP: 32-bit floating point audio?

I'd like to use iMovie 7 to capture my DV footage because I like its cataloging and skimming features, and the way it splits up clips based on DV stops. I want to do my editing in Final Cut Pro 5. Unfortunately, I've found that the audio depth in the clips I've captured with iMovie is 32-bit floating point, rather than 16-bit integer, and FCP has to render the audio before it can play back. Strange, since the FCP browser says that the sequence I dropped the iMovie footage into IS 32-bit. Any ideas on how to get FCP to playback this bit depth without rendering, and without having to convert my footage?

Do a search here and you will find all kinds of post on this very subject.
The main problems with using iMove to capture for FCP are
1. iMovie and FCP capture in very different ways. iMovie captures footage as a DV stream, problematic for editing in FCP
2. iMovie captures will not give you the timecode from your tape... may or may not be important to you unless you ever need to recapture and reconnect the footage.
In short, if you are editing in FCP... capture with FCP. If you want to split the footage based on tape start/stop, use the Start Stop detect function after you have captured.
rh

AIC 1280 X 720 to MPEG-2 Looks like crud using imovie | buy compressor?

Repost from "compressor" group.
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2075563&tstart=0
I am a complete newbie to the video editing and compression world. Please forgive me and thank you in advance for your advice.
Here is the low down. I am using Final Cut express. I edited a 4 hours training video with screenshots and some screen capture. This is training video on how to use some technical database software so the screen captures are movies of my computer screen captured with iShowU. My FCE sequence and screen capture video was recorded using Apple Intermediate Codec 1280 x 720. When I try to use imovie to burn the footage to a DVD everything looks very grainy. It looks like crud. When I export to Quicktime in the AIC format looks great.
Since I am a newbie, I know I probably should have recorded my screen captures in another codec and not 1280 x 720. Hindsight is 20/20.
I have noticed when I export from Final Cut Express to H.264 it even starts too look grainy. I really need to actually get in on several DVDs in the MPEG-2 format.
So my questions for you is:
Do you think this is something that Compressor will handle? Can I take 1280X720 AIC and use compressor to encode to MPEG-2 and not get grainy resolution? I think compressor can crop instead of scale which I think is what iMovie is doing when it encodes from AIC to MPEG-2. I was using the iMove professional encoding and even tested it with a 30 second clip and it looks like crud. I know compressor offers more fined grained control. I think the grainy MPEG-2 results are from iMovie trying to scale from 1280x720 to 720x480. (I think)
Or should I go back and create a new sequence and re-record all my screen captures in a better resolution that is DVD/MPEG-2 compatible.
I am not sure if this is a screw up in my choice of capture resolution or if it is a limitation of imovie. I am just hesitant to drop the coin on FCP if this is not going to work. Thanks again

No, I don't think Compressor can handle it. MPEG-2 is too heavily compressed to handle compressing screen captures. It's always going to look awful. The limitation is in the DVD format and MPEG-2. Most training DVDs for software are not made using MPEG-2, but using computer formats with a runtime player for playback on a computer monitor not a TV set.

I'm using ezcap.tv 116 ezgamer capture card to record my PS3, this is on a windows laptop, Im then moving the recorded videos in mpg format over to my MacBook Pro to use IMovie to edit them to upload to youtube but it won't let me import them.

I'm using ezcap.tv 116 ezgamer capture card to record my PS3, this is on a windows laptop, Im then moving the recorded videos in mpg format over to my MacBook Pro to use IMovie to edit them so i can upload them to youtube but it won't let me import them, even after changeing them to MP4 format, it just comes up with the message: "No Importable Files None of the selected files or folders can be imported. Change the selection and try again."
Ive even tried opening in itunes and copying from thier but they wont open in Itunes, no message or anything they simple just dont open. its strange because it does open in quicktime player.
please if anyone has any ideas that can help me please let me know XD thanks.

First problem: You're fine. The hotter it gets, the more the fans spin up. The computer is designed so that at max load, at max fan speed, it won't overheat (unless it's obstructed by something, e.g. sitting on your bed swallowed by a comforter). It's not the best thing to keep it that toasty for days at a time, but a couple hours at a time shouldn't be a problem.
Second problem: If something in the trash won't delete, just use Secure Empty Trash and it should be fine. Since .torrent files are quite small, it should only take a couple seconds.

Using iMovie to Capture Video

Hi all,
With a lot of my projects, I log and capture using Final Cut. However, when I have footage I don't want to log (I have about 11 minutes of video of firefighters dealing with a blaze across the street), and I just want to capture it and edit it down a bit, I have been using iMovie. I like how iMovie creates a new media file upon "scene break" which I don't know if Final Cut does. Once my footage is captured to disk, I just drag the media files into my Final Cut project.
The problem is that these media files, for whatever reason, play back very choppy in the viewer. When I bring them into the timeline however, they play smoothly and I can jog or shuttle or whatever easily. I'm thinking it might have somehting to do with the fact that the audio needs to be rendered on the fly or something...
Has anyone experienced this? Or can you suggest a way I can capture easily with Final Cut (in the way that iMovie captures my footage)?
Thanks,
Cyrus

As you've discovered it can be done but after all the effort to move between the 2 and then render, you could have captured the entire 11 minute clip using capture now (self flagellates as chastisement for recommending using capture now) or better still simply setting an in point at the start and end point at the end and making the proverbial cup of tea/pouring a Guinness (Zeb) or an Islay single malt (X) etc etc while waiting for the capture to complete, then scrubbed thro' the entire clip for the best bits (err.. AKA editing) and this must be the longest single sentence seen around these parts in a long time so I'll shut up, you get the point.
By the way, I don't have a solution to the create a separate clip on scene break problem unless you move to HDV.

Questions about using iMovie HD (6.0.4) with a new, as yet undecided, camcorder

Hi,
I want to keep on using iMovie HD (6.0.4) with whatever new camcorder I am getting. iMovie HD accepts mpeg-4 video so any camcorder that uses that format should work, shouldn't it? I will (probably) be bringing the video in via USB, as I don't think any new camcorders have Firewire ports anymore but I'd love to know about any that do. The plan is to find the files on the camcorder and drag and drop or otherwise transfer them into my MacBook Pro. (See my last question for the Thunderbolt/Firewire adapter problem.)
I've read that some?/all? Canon camcorders can record in both AVCHD and mpeg-4 so I'm looking into them. Any other brands I should check out? Using AVCHD looks like it will be too much trouble so I'm ruling those out, unless you have better ideas.
I've heard that Sony uses their own proprietary "wrapper" for mpeg-4 files their camcorders create. I think there is software out there, possibly for free, that will simply "re-wrap" them, not re-ecode them, so that they may be more easily used. Will Sony camcorders be a problem?
Will file sizes be a problem? I've read so much on AVCHD and other formats that maybe this doesn't apply but I've read that one hour of video can be 60 gb? I don't remember what context that was in.
Can I use mpeg-2 files? From what I have read, I don't think I can. If converting them would make them work, would it take a long time to do that and would file sizes be huge?
I have been using a 21 year old Sony DCR-TRV 9 mini DV cam. This past weekend the LCD screen died. I can still use the viewfinder but that's going to be challenging, so I am shopping for an inexpensive new camcorder. Less than $500, somewhere in the $100-$300 range is preferred but no toys.... HD seems to be out of reach with most starting around $500 but if you recommend any under $500, I'd love to know about them. SD should be fine otherwise. I prefer some sort of card for storage storage rather than a DVD or hard drive. The more popular format, the better.
Any advice is welcome. I do want to stay with iMovie HD though. I have tried iMovie 11 and don't like it. HD suits me fine.
One last question: Since my MacBook Pro doesn't have a Firewire port, I have found it simpler to use my old Powerbook that does. I then transfer the files over to the MacBook Pro to edit them. I have tried using a Thunderbolt/Firewire adapter so I could use the MBP but it didn't work well with video. The question is: is there a better way to transfer the video files onto the MBP from whatever new camcorder I get than USB? Are there good Thunderbolt connectors that will work well with camcorders?
Many thanks.
Cheers,
John L

I heartily support your decision to continue to use iMovie 6! I use nothing else!
imovie 6 was originally designed to import DV video streams from tape via firewire. However, in practise it can do much more. Useful sources of information:
iMovie 6 Help:
http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/iMovie_HD_6_Getting_Started.pdf
from which this is excerpt:
iMovie HD can transfer, or import,
video in many video formats and from many different
types of camcorders, including DV camcorders (including those that support
widescreen) and high definition (HDV) camcorders. In most cases, iMovie HD can
automatically recognize and import the video you’re using, so you don’t have to pay
attention to video formats.
In this step, you will import your own video into your iMovie project. If you have a
camcorder with a FireWire connection, follow the instructions to connect your
camcorder and import the video using the capture controls in iMovie HD. If you have
another type of digital video device or have footage in a file on your computer, see the
instructions on page 13.
To import video from a camcorder:
1
Set the camcorder to VTR mode (some camcorders call this Play or VCR) and turn it on,
if necessary.
2
Connect your camcorder to your computer using a FireWire cable.
This MaciLife PDF is also good:
http://www.macilife.com/PDF/iMovie_HD_6_Chapter.pdf
There is also a video tutorial here (with links to others):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=654013474999069361#
The excerpt I quoted from the Apple link is less informative than it could be. It also succesfully imports video from my Fuji FinePix S4500 (actually a digital still camera) via USB2, as well from my Sony video camera via firewire!
Can I use mpeg-2 files? From what I have read, I don't think I can. If converting them would make them work, would it take a long time to do that and would file sizes be huge?
No. mpeg2 is the final compressed standard format of a DVD (and will be created by iDVD). To use that in iMovie 6 requires you 'reverse engineer' the file back to a DV stream, with commensurate loss of quality. If you really want to do that, post back for instructions.
I have no experience with Thunderbolt so can't help you there, but hopefully Karsten will see this thread and chime in with his usual excellent advice!

Importing mpeg-2 format in imovie hd6

Just bought a JVC hd video recorder (mpeg-2 format) and have now realized that imovie only captures mpeg -4. Does anyone know if there is somesort of download to convert files or something else that may allow me to use imove?

Hello yazzman,
the best thing is to convert your MPEG-2 footage to DV format. Find some more info in Dan Slagle's Unofficial iMovie FAQ: Using Mpeg (DVD) footage
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6010.shtml
and also Matti Haveri's website: How can I edit MPEG or convert DVD or MPEG to DV
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/%7Eshmhav/SVCDon_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convertMPEG
Tools:
MPEG StreamClip:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html
Apple MPEG2 PlayBack:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
DVDxDV
http://www.dvdxdv.com/
hope this helps
mish

Imovie unable to capture DV, apple support told me that a pc is better!!!

I recently bought an apple imac with a view to editing DV footage taken previously.
I had captured some of these tapes on to a PC previously using Pinnacle studio. These files I was able to edit on imovie (once I had transferred them from the pc hard drive). HOWEVER although I could control my dv camera through imovie (and FCE) none of my old DV tapes could be captured to the imac. An error message states that the frame rate is incorrect.
I have apple care protection and have spent ages trying to get support for this only to be told that imovie will not capture my old DV tapes! The support person told me that I should go back to a PC!
Unfortunately I have just spent thousands on this very nice looking imac and FCE that is apparently unable to do the most basic capturing. Does anybody have any ideas (other than going back to pc) for getting my DV footage captured?
Needles to say I have foind all thi incredibly frustrating as a new apple user. Are these sorts of issues common to imacs?
cheers
rupert

HOWEVER although I could control my dv camera through imovie (and FCE)
none of my old DV tapes could be captured to the imac. An error message
states that the frame rate is incorrect.
Rupert, first be aware that I've never done what you are trying doing so I'm not an expert. But perhaps I can clarify some things to help others.
It's not entirely clear what you mean by "capture". The word normally means capturing video from a camcorder to iMovie/FCE. In fact, you say you can control your DV camera just fine, which I assume means you can capture video successfully from your camera to iMovie.
The problem you have, rather, seems to be the inability to IMPORT the DV video files previously captured on the PC.
Is that correct? Is the problem the inability to import those files?
An error message states that the frame rate is incorrect.
If yours is an import problem, that error message may be an important clue. iMovie can work with both NTSC and PAL video -- which have different frame rates -- but not both in the same project. It may be that your iMovie project is NTSC, but you're trying to import PAL video.
The General tab of iMovie preferences lets you set the default frame rate of a new project. In the popUp menu the bottom of the page, NTSC is 29.97 frames per second and PAL is 25. They become the default frame rate for new projects.
iMovie respects that frame rate for a new project, but will switch if you connect your camera and import some video of the OTHER type. If your camera is PAL, iMovie will switch your new NTSC project to PAL. Once switched, however, it won't switch back. Once switched to PAL, it will ONLY allow you to capture PAL video from a camera, and, I suspect, only allow you to import PAL video files.
So... If your PC-captured video files are PAL and your iMovie project is NTSC, iMovie might complain with that error. (But as I said earlier, I don't know for sure.) The trick may be to set the iMovie preference to match the captured DV files.
If you open one of the PC files in QuickTime Player, the Show Movie Info window will tell you its frame rate. Make sure your iMovie preferences are consistent with that frame rate, create a new iMovie project, and try to import the file. If it works, that was the problem.
Karl

Importing from iMovie 06, lose capture dates

When I import old iMovie 06 movies, the capture dates gets lost. Here is one of the original clips in iMovie 06:
However, after importing in iMovie 11, the capture dates are lost. I tried many variations, like import the iMovie 06 project, or cd to the *.iMovieProject directory and import the actual clips, etc.
Now, good iMovie11 clips have the capture date imbedded in the file name (as in clip-2010-03-14 hh;mm;ss.dv). However, the ones imported from iMovie 06 end up in iMovie 11 with simple names such as clip55.dv. So it's not surprising I cannot see the capture dates in iMovie 11.
So I looked inside the *.iMovieProject directory hoping to find the capture dates either in the file name or in a plist, but I couldn't (nothing in the plists below)
... Jan 23 2010 Cache/Thumbnails.plist
... Jan 23 2010 Cache/Timeline Movie Data.plist
... Jan 23 2010 Cache/Timeline Movie.mov
... Nov 8 2009 Media/Clip55.dv
etc
Finally, I opened Clip55.dv in QuickTime and looked at MovieInspector, but I could not see any capture date (similar to exif in jpegs).
So obviously I missed them. My question is where in the iMovie 06 project can I find them? If accessible, I can write a script to fix the clips imported in iMovie11 by changing their names. I tried it manually, and it worked.
Thanks in advance

Hi - Couple of things.
Click on the offending clip that you imported from iMovie in your FCP Bin and type Command + 9 to see the item properties. Either report those item properties, or if easier, take a screen shot of the item properties and post that.
Then click any where on the timeline you are having trouble with and type Command + 0 (Zero) to see the sequence settings. Either report those settings or take a screen shot of the Sequence Settings window and post that.
In order for FCP to use the video without rendering, both the items properties of the source clip, and the sequence settings must match - and both must be within standard production parameters.
Also, you can click on the source clip in the FCP Bin, then control-click on the clip and select Reveal in Finder from the drop down menu. Once that file is revealed, open it in Quicktime 7 and see if if plays correctly there.
Hope this helps.
MtD

How do I get the Movies off my new Sony Handycam using iMovie?

WOW! I didn’t think that this would be such an issue!
So, I purchase a new Sony Handycam DCR-SR42 with a 30 GB
Hard Drive in it. I ask the sales person “Is this camera compatible
with my G5 Mac?” He says, it sure is! I take it home record the kids
around the house, and my daughter’s ballet recidal. COOL!
Then I go and try and downlaod the movies to my Mac. I come to
find out that the 2 cds that came with the camera are pretty worthless!
Sony states in one of the bullet points in the instruction manuel
that the software on the cd will not work on a Macintosh computer.
So, I figured, NO big deal, I will be using iMovie! Unfortunately
iMovie does not recognize the camera when I hook it up, because
it can only hook up using a USB connection. It doesn’t even offer
a Firewire connection, and iMovie ONLY recognizes Firewire.
I then find on one of the cds, a PDF of the Handycam Handbook.
It states in the PDF, that Mac users need to open the disk icon
on the desk top for the camera, and copy the files from the camera
to my hard drive. So I follow the steps and do this. Then I go to
open one of the files using Qucktime, and I get an error message
stating that Quicktime cannot open the file because it could not
parse it -2048!?!?!
Next, I go to the Apple web site to see if I can find anything to
resolve all this. I find an article “iMovie does not work with muxed
MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 clips” In the article it states that if the files
are MPEG2 Muxed files, iMovie can not support them!
I come to find out that the files are MPEG2 Muxed files. It seems
that the newer camcorders are using this format, because the files
are heavily compressed to allow the camera to cram more data
on the hard disk. The problem is you need some kind of software
to decompress these files in order to use them, and Sony doesn’t
include it for the Mac!
After more research I find - QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback on the
Apple web site. I purchase it for $19.99 from the site hoping this
will be the answer. Nope! It allowed me to open the movies in
QuickTime, and copy them into iMovie but they are only the
video portion. They have NO audio!
Anyone else run into this whole pile of BS?!?!!? If so, were you
able to figure out a work around? Or, are you stuck with a cool
camera full of movies, with NO way of getting them off with
sound? Well. unless you find someone with a PC that has
a DVD burner in it! Man, that thought scares the ---- out of me!
°Jeff Camp
camper
G5 Mac OS X (10.3.9)

Get a nice Sony miniDV camcorder. It is not too expensive; it is small and easy to carry around to shoot your video. Most importantly, it will be instantly compatible with iMovie. You don't have to install any software, just connect it via FireWire (Sony calls this iLink) and you are good to go!
I have had several Sonys and love them. You don't need one with fancy editing capabilities because you will edit your movies in iMovie. Just be sure that it has AV In and Out so you can import and export back to the camcorder.
My current version is the small DCR HC-26. There are newer versions of that HC-30something and 40something. Look at the specs on Sony's website
Some of them require the use of a dock to import and export. I am not really fond of that feature. I like just connecting directly to the camera.

Does anyone use a LaCie external hard drive with their Mac using imovie '09? I have some questions.

Does anyone use a LaCie external hard drive with their Mac using imovie '09? I have some questions.

Are you actually having a problem with the new Lacie drive, or are you just asking is the Lacie drive somehow different from your old G-Drive?
From a connection standpoint, most Lacie desktop drives have both USB and FireWire connections, just like the G-Drives do. You would connect and use it the same as a G-Drive.
Regarding capturing to the external HD, if you are using a camcorder that has FireWire (iLink) connection, it is not advisable to have an external FireWire HD connected to your Mac at the same time as your camcorder; there are often communication conflicts between the camcorder and the hard drive if they are connected at the same time. The conflicts usually appear as either dropped frames or a complete freeze. This is more common with Canon miniDV camcorders but I have also seen this behavior with Sony miniDV camcorders. (The problem is the camcorder's FW implementation, not the hard drive.) The workaround is to capture to your Mac's internal HD and later copy the captured video to your external HD.

Using Imovie clip files on a pc

Hi
I used Imovie to log and capture from dvcam then i copied everything from the clips folder to dvd. the problem is my doesnt recognise the format.
Is there anyway i can use these on my pc?
I intend to use premier pro1.5 and i dont mind re-rendering them to a PC friendly format so any help would be appreicated.
Thanks

Your iMovie clips are probably in DV Stream format, which is basically raw data straight from the camcorder. Here's some info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DV#Applicationsoftwaresupport
You should probably go back into iMovie and export them properly, either to DVD or to QuickTime. If possible, choose a pretty high bit rate so you don't lose quality.
AlBook 15

Using iMove HD to capture in Mpeg-4 format

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