Best format for editing [Archive]

KettyKrueger

Jan 29, 2009, 10:36 AM

Hey All

My Samsung camcorder (model escapes me, (1080i)) records in .mp4 format but iMovie (all versions) struggle to play the video smoothly (using video skimming) so I'm sure I need to convert it to a more friendly format.

Anyone got any suggestions? I've got MPEG Streamclip so some ideal settings would useful!

I'm after no quality loss, so size is irrelevant.

Thanks.

LethalWolfe

Jan 29, 2009, 11:03 AM

Since you are using iMovie convert it into the Apple Intermediate Codec.

Lethal

thunderclap

Jan 29, 2009, 11:16 AM

Since you are using iMovie convert it into the Apple Intermediate Codec.

I agree. Plus, if you try converting HDV 1080i footage for use with DVD (MPEG-2) later it looks terrible. Converting your HDV footage using Apple's Intermediate Codec resolves both these problems.

mhokie

Jan 29, 2009, 04:55 PM

Hey All

My Samsung camcorder (model escapes me, (1080i)) records in .mp4 format but iMovie (all versions) struggle to play the video smoothly (using video skimming) so I'm sure I need to convert it to a more friendly format.

Anyone got any suggestions? I've got MPEG Streamclip so some ideal settings would useful!

I'm after no quality loss, so size is irrelevant.

Thanks.

The problem is that the codec Samsung camcorders use is a proprietary form of AVI. I had a Samsung camcorder ant taking the footage off was a real pain. I would suggest if possible trying to return it because the conversion process diminishes the quality quite a bit.

KettyKrueger

Jan 30, 2009, 12:39 AM

The problem is that the codec Samsung camcorders use is a proprietary form of AVI. I had a Samsung camcorder ant taking the footage off was a real pain. I would suggest if possible trying to return it because the conversion process diminishes the quality quite a bit.

Are you sure it's .avi? Is .mp4 is form of .avi?

hazmatzak

Jan 30, 2009, 05:31 AM

Is .mp4 is form of .avi?No, they are two different container formats (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Container_format_(digital)). There's generally no reason to customize the file format, but the codec used to encode the video (and/or audio) in the container is sometimes proprietary, or simply unsuitable for editing.

Unfortunately, "mp4" means several different things. It is possible to use an MPEG-4-derived codec in an AVI.

JamesDV

Jan 30, 2009, 11:44 AM

What's the best rendering format for Final Cut Express to youtube? I usually use mp4.