Best Workflow for Flip UltraHD

[Patrick Boyle]

I tried importing directly into iMovie, but it transcodes into Quicktime even if I tell it to use the original video.

Would it be best to install the FlipShare software and import the video that way, then work with it in other programs?

Forgive the ignorance, I'm new to digital video, and to Macs. Any suggestions would be helpful.

 

[CaptainChunk]

Well, the problem is that Flip cameras record video to an H.264 codec, which must be transcoded in order to edit with iMovie. Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro have to do the same thing. In your case, iMovie is converting the video to AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) and putting it into a Quicktime (.mov) file container.

I'm not familiar with the FlipShare software, but I would imagine that it simply acts as an easy user interface to simply copy the H.264 video files to a specified destination and that still wouldn't help you in this situation.

As you've probably already noticed, once converted to AIC, the file sizes will get significantly larger. This is normal.

 

[Patrick Boyle]

Thank you for the reply. My main concern is quality degradation with transcoding. Will iMovie do a good job, even with it's very basic settings, or should I look into getting software with more features?

 

[mstrze]

My Flip videos all load directly into iPhoto when I hook up the camera. I simply use those files in iMovie....you can locate them on the bottom under "iPhoto Movies"

I have never had a quality issue.

 

[CaptainChunk]

You shouldn't lose any quality in a transcode unless you're telling it to downscale the video (like bringing it in at lower quality in the iMovie preferences). It should otherwise look the same as it did on the camera itself.

 

[reubs]

My Flip videos all load directly into iPhoto when I hook up the camera. I simply use those files in iMovie....you can locate them on the bottom under "iPhoto Movies"

I have never had a quality issue.

They load into iPhoto? And they get renamed and everything when they go into iPhoto? I've been putting them into a folder and then iTunes for eventual streaming. Importing into iPhoto hadn't occurred to me...

Thanks for the thought!

 

[julesw]

same her, when I plug in my flip it opens iphoto, I can see the video there watch them pop out in a window,

then I can export to edit imovie, no rendering or transcoding needed

jules - blogging about Flip video

www.myflip.co.uk

 

[mstrze]

They load into iPhoto? And they get renamed and everything when they go into iPhoto? I've been putting them into a folder and then iTunes for eventual streaming. Importing into iPhoto hadn't occurred to me...

Thanks for the thought!

It wasn't really a thought for me...iPhoto has just always opened and imported the video from my Flip for me....and iMovie has just been able to use those iPhoto movies within the latest versions of the software.

You are welcome, but I am wondering why your computer doesn't already automatically do it this way. :/