Quicktime file playing sound but no video

[macomac]

I'm having a problem with a several Quicktime mov files. It's footage a friend shot with his HDV camcorder and imported to an external hard drive using FCP. (He has a MacBook Pro or Powerbook, I have an aluminum MacBook.)
After he captured it, we found the Quicktime mov files and copied them to my computer.
I've tried watching/importing the footage with QuickTime Pro, MPEG Streamclip, iMovie '09, FCE and VLC player. VLC is the only application that plays both the sound and video. With everything else, I only hear sound. No picture.
Quicktime says: "Additional software is required for QuickTime to playback this media. It may be available from the QuickTime Components page..."
I've downloaded and installed almost all the codecs on that page...Still not working.
MPEG Streamclip plays sound w/out video.
iMovie 09 just won't import it
FCE says "Codec could not be opened"

Here's the file info for one of the files from "Get Info":
Dimensions 1440x0180
Codecs: HDV 1080i60, Integer (Little Endian), Timecode
Duration: 28:02
Channel count: 2
Total bit rate: 26,546

Does anyone have any suggestions about what to do next? What codec is it that is not supported by iMovie 09 or FCE? I need to be able to edit these video files in either iMovie HD, 09 or FCE. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you so much.

 

[LethalWolfe]

The Apple HDV codec only comes w/FCP and FCP is the only Apple app that can edit HDV files natively.


Lethal

 

[macomac]

Hdv

Wow. Thanks. What a bummer that iMovie and FCE won't take HDV. Of course you have to spend $1300 to capture HDV. Is there another way to do it? I can't justify - or afford- that for the amount of type of video editing I do.
Thanks!

 

[lokibrehm]

When my final cut pro acts out with HD inputs, I use iMovie and it works just fine for capturing.


but I reread your initial post and it seems you've already tried imovie. I've always had FCP on my macs so I suppose I've been spoiled.
on a more useful note, sometimes running clips, expecially large ones from external hardrives affects the playability of the files.

 

[-DH]

While FCP can edit HDV natively, iMovie and FCE capture HDV using the AIC codec. Since the footage is already captured as HDV, neither iMovie or FCE can read them.

You could capture the footage using your system (iMovie or FCE) so you'd have AIC files to work with.

-DH

 

[macomac]

Ok, so I've gotten iMovie HD to import the files, but the picture is being squished on import - it was filmed in 16:9 and for some reason now it's importing in 4:3. I've tried importing into a 16:9 file, a 1080i file and a 720p file and they all do the same thing. The movie is flanked by black bars every time.
I have the files on my computer's hard drive, not an external now, so I'm importing from there. I don't have the original tapes anymore.
If I found someone with FCP and brought them the files, would they be able to convert them on there for me and make them into Quicktime files that FCE or iMovie would understand? Would I lose a lot of quality?
Thanks so much! This has been really frustrating to figure out.

 

[MacSanDiego]

Getting video into iMovie

I'm having the same problem as Macomac trying to import an video shot in HD and saved as a .mov file. (I'd love to know how you got it to import, Macomac, squished video and all)

Its format is HDV1080i60, 1140x1080 (1888x1062), millions, 16-bit Integer (Little Endian), Stereo, 48.000 kHz.

If I bring it into Streamclip, I get audio no video; same with iMovieHD 6.0.3 and I can't import it into iMovie 8.0 at all.

In Streamclip I tried exporting using Apple Intermediate Codec, with no luck.

It doesn't sound like I have the right tools to do this - and even buying FCE won't help me.

I'd greatly appreciate any help. This is for a colleague's retirement video and I don't have any time to lose.