All iPads: Video editing on iPad

[lbhskier37]

I want to bring some videos I shot on my Canon T2i onto the iPad and try it out for editing with iMovie. I normally transcode my files into DNxHD for editing on my Windows computer, but it appears the iPad won't accept those files. Anyone know a good editable codec that is supported by the iPad? I've read AIC, but I only have a Windows computer so I don't think I can convert to that.

[ZZ Bottom]

Did you try the files directly as they come from the Canon (h.264 mov)? I saw mentioned on another forum that iMovie for iPad won't support higher than 30 fps, so give either 1080 30fps or 720 fps a try.

Also, what made you choose that codec for Windows editing? Most of the time I'm compositing short clips (less than 2 minute) in AE and I just leave the clips as is (I use a 60D). What programs do you work with in Windows?

[danpass]

Originally Posted by lbhskier37

I want to bring some videos I shot on my Canon T2i onto the iPad and try it out for editing with iMovie. I normally transcode my files into DNxHD for editing on my Windows computer, but it appears the iPad won't accept those files. Anyone know a good editable codec that is supported by the iPad? I've read AIC, but I only have a Windows computer so I don't think I can convert to that.

Forget all that. The ipad will import direct from the camera using this adapter:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...apter?fnode=3a


There is also an sd adapter that comes in handy. Possibly more so if the T2i is sd card.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...eader?fnode=3a



I have both lol


The ipad will also import gopro video (using the sd adapter). Other files that work on the Mini are canon 7D and 1DX (both 1080p30) and Nikon P7000 video (720p24).


I did this all on imovie ipad mini using gopro video, 1080p30, straight into mini.

http://youtu.be/yVVx4SsW9G0

.

[lbhskier37]

Originally Posted by ZZ Bottom

Did you try the files directly as they come from the Canon (h.264 mov)? I saw mentioned on another forum that iMovie for iPad won't support higher than 30 fps, so give either 1080 30fps or 720 fps a try.

Also, what made you choose that codec for Windows editing? Most of the time I'm compositing short clips (less than 2 minute) in AE and I just leave the clips as is (I use a 60D). What programs do you work with in Windows?

I'm using Premier Elements 9. I can edit the files direct from the camera, but my computer is pretty weak and I've found transcoding them makes working in Premier less painfull. I was thinking that on a Mini, transcoding could make editing smoother. I just converted one file with handbrake using the Apple TV 3 preset so I will try that.

[ZZ Bottom]

Originally Posted by lbhskier37

I'm using Premier Elements 9. I can edit the files direct from the camera, but my computer is pretty weak and I've found transcoding them makes working in Premier less painfull. I was thinking that on a Mini, transcoding could make editing smoother. I just converted one file with handbrake using the Apple TV 3 preset so I will try that.

Converting using handbrake will result in a compressed mp4/m4v h.264 that will possibly be slightly more difficult for the iPad to edit. I'm currently downloading iMovie onto my iPad, which I have already imported a clip directly from my Canon 60D onto. The 60D creates identical video file types as your T2i.

If you don't have a camera kit for your iPad, try syncing some of your native T2i video clips using the Photos section in iTunes. You want them to be in your camera roll to access them in iMovie.

I will report back whether I have any success just to echo what Danpass said.

[lbhskier37]

Originally Posted by ZZ Bottom

Converting using handbrake will result in a compressed mp4/m4v h.264 that will possibly be slightly more difficult for the iPad to edit. I'm currently downloading iMovie onto my iPad, which I have already imported a clip directly from my Canon 60D onto. The 60D creates identical video file types as your T2i.

If you don't have a camera kit for your iPad, try syncing some of your native T2i video clips using the Photos section in iTunes. You want them to be in your camera roll to access them in iMovie.

I will report back whether I have any success just to echo what Danpass said.

I just tried syncing the files from the camera through photos and it tells me it cannot be played. I'm shooting in 1080p 30fps off my T2i, maybe that is too much for this thing? I'm giving up for the night, I'll dig up some 720p stuff tomorrow and try.

I did get the handbrake .m4v files to sync, but they are pretty compressed (75mb for a 1min clip) so I'm not impressed so far.

Btw, this is the mini so it doesn't have quiet the horsepower of the 3 or 4, so maybe there are some more restrictions on it.

[danpass]

Syncing thru photos? As in thru iTunes?

I never tried that but the files I've done direct, using the adapters, were 1080p30 native files and the P7000 was 720p24.

This is all on the Mini.

[TJ61]

I'd be wary about getting video into your Camera Roll by syncing through iTunes. For pictures, Apple implies that they resize the pics during sync to an "optimum" size for your device. Who knows what they're doing to video (although I'm sure it's magical).

I use the PhotoSync app to transfer from my Windows pc to my Mini's Camera Roll so I know the video isn't getting messed up.

BTW, 1080/30 itself is not a problem, as I've edited 1080/30 from my iPhone, transferred via PhotoSync.

Regards,
Tom

[darngooddesign]

Originally Posted by TJ61

...Who knows what they're doing to video (although I'm sure it's magical).

If you played both videos back you would know if the difference even matters.

[lbhskier37]

Originally Posted by TJ61

I'd be wary about getting video into your Camera Roll by syncing through iTunes. For pictures, Apple implies that they resize the pics during sync to an "optimum" size for your device. Who knows what they're doing to video (although I'm sure it's magical).

I use the PhotoSync app to transfer from my Windows pc to my Mini's Camera Roll so I know the video isn't getting messed up.

BTW, 1080/30 itself is not a problem, as I've edited 1080/30 from my iPhone, transferred via PhotoSync.

Regards,
Tom

Do u have a link to that app in the App Store? It sounds like the camera connect kit would allow me to dump the video files direct from the camera to iMovie, but I'd rather not drop another $30 if a $1.99 app would let me do the same thing from my computer.

[ZZ Bottom]

Okay so I tested taking a 1080p30 clip that was imported directly from my Canon 60D onto the iPad 4 using the CCK, and I opened it in iMovie. It works perfectly; no different from clips filmed on the iPad itself.

I suspect if you attempt this same method and it doesn't work, then it's a limitation of the iPad Mini. Try importing 720p30 footage from the T2i. I have read many threads describing iTunes playback of 1080p being blocked on the non-Retina iPads, so this would only make sense.

[TJ61]

Originally Posted by lbhskier37

Do u have a link to that app in the App Store? It sounds like the camera connect kit would allow me to dump the video files direct from the camera to iMovie, but I'd rather not drop another $30 if a $1.99 app would let me do the same thing from my computer.

PhotoSync Link

You'll need to download and install a Windows app from their website. To transfer from PC to iPad, start the app on your iPad, then drag the file on your PC to the PhotoSync window. One catch that I can think of: the PC needs to be on WiFi also.

Also, the app is universal, so you can use it to transfer between iDevices. It'll use Bluetooth if WiFi is unavailable.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards,
Tom

[lbhskier37]

Originally Posted by TJ61

PhotoSync Link

You'll need to download and install a Windows app from their website. To transfer from PC to iPad, start the app on your iPad, then drag the file on your PC to the PhotoSync window. One catch that I can think of: the PC needs to be on WiFi also.

Also, the app is universal, so you can use it to transfer between iDevices. It'll use Bluetooth if WiFi is unavailable.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Regards,
Tom

Tom

What types of 1080p files are you using? From a canon dslr? Are you using a retina ipad? I got photosync and it failed trying to push 1080p or 720p video files as they came off my T2i.

----------

Originally Posted by danpass

Forget all that. The ipad will import direct from the camera using this adapter:

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...apter?fnode=3a


There is also an sd adapter that comes in handy. Possibly more so if the T2i is sd card.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/MD...eader?fnode=3a



I have both lol


The ipad will also import gopro video (using the sd adapter). Other files that work on the Mini are canon 7D and 1DX (both 1080p30) and Nikon P7000 video (720p24).


I did this all on imovie ipad mini using gopro video, 1080p30, straight into mini.

http://youtu.be/yVVx4SsW9G0

.

So just to confirm, you have a Mini and have pushed eos video files directly from the camera to the ipad without any transcoding using the camera connect kit? Just wondering why it would work with the camera connect kit and not iTunes? If camera connect for sure works, ill do it but I don't want to drop $30 if I'm not sure.

[danpass]

Yep.

You have 14 days to return the CCK

[flavr]

I simply uploaded the files converted to MP4 (other codecs might work) to dropbox from computer, then pulled them into and saved to my photo library on my iPad using the dropbox app...

[ZZ Bottom]

Originally Posted by flavr

I simply uploaded the files converted to MP4 (other codecs might work) to dropbox from computer, then pulled them into and saved to my photo library on my iPad using the dropbox app...

A work around, but quite absurd to do frequently for long clips.

A similar but better solution is to use Goodreader app: add file to Goodreader using iTunes, then Goodreader let's you transfer photos/videos into camera roll. Then delete from Goodreader to avoid redundancy. No long upload time wait, only LAN or USB transfer time.

[TJ61]

Originally Posted by lbhskier37

Tom

What types of 1080p files are you using? From a canon dslr? Are you using a retina ipad? I got photosync and it failed trying to push 1080p or 720p video files as they came off my T2i.

These were 1080p files from an iPhone to an iPad Mini via PhotoSync. I would expect the same performance transferring from a computer. I have transferred other video from the computer into the Camera Roll (and subsquently iMovie), but it was some 640x480 mp4 stuff (because that's all I had).

Just now though, I transferred a movie from my computer which came from a Canon Powershot 230, to my iPad Mini via PhotoSync. The video was 1280x720, 30fps, h.264, 26Mbps (.mov file). It was 49s long, and a total of ~150MB file size. On the iPad, I imported it from the Camera Roll into iMovie where it plays just fine.

Regards,
Tom
p.s. I would really suggest to anyone against converting to mp4 if the plan is to edit in iMovie. I think losing quality before you edit is not a good plan.

Added Later: BTW, how did the transfer fail? Do you for sure have enough room on the iPad?

[lbhskier37]

Said the file was not playable on this iPad. The files are from a Canon T2i. H.264 in a .MOV wrapper. 1080p 30fps. They are about 360mb/min of video.

It appears that the camera connect kit is the only way to get these in here.

[TJ61]

Originally Posted by lbhskier37

It appears that the camera connect kit is the only way to get these in here.

I guess so. On the bright side, it will be a nice piece of equipment to have. And, as someone pointed out, if for some reason it doesn't solve the problem you can get your money back.

Good luck!

Regards,
Tom

[danpass]

iMovie on iPad mini

http://youtu.be/odZPLxd8-go