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Getting video clips from camcorder into iMovie

S

Stovepiper

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 27, 2011
91
0
It would appear that Apple only intends for iMovie on the iPad to be used with clips taken with the iPad. This is beyond dumb. I'm convinced there has to be a way to get clips from another camcorder on the iPad that can be used in iMovie. Lets figure this out.

So my native clips from my Kodak HD pocket camcorder are in .MOV format. If I try to sync these to the device using iTunes I get an error saying the video isn't playable on the device. I've tried converting the clips to various formats but have not had any luck yet. I've used Handbrake but none of the variations of formats (all in the .M4V container) work. I also tried using Vuze to convert to .MP4 and those don't work either.

I retrieved a clip from the device that was created with the iPad camera and there is nothing special about it that I can tell. It's just a .MOV file. There has to be some way to convert clips to this mysterious IOS friendly format. I've been scouring the web and nothing has turned up yet.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what to try next?

Edit: I should also note that videos that are converted with Handbrake or Vuze can be added to the iPad as a "movie" or "tv show" and play fine but are not available from the Camera Roll and thus are not usable in iMovie. So the error message of "this video isn't playable on this device" when syncing from the Photo's tab in iTunes is strange.
 
Well I managed to get one of my .MOV files onto the iPad using this method:

http://iphone4-life.net/importing-clips-into-camera-roll-for-imovie/

The good news is, the clip (straight from my camcorder) plays in the photo app. The bad news is that it doesn't show up in the list of videos within iMovie. So there is some sort of flag being put on files created with IOS devices that iMovie looks for. We just need a way to flag our own files to make them work.
 
I've seen people mention this issue in a number of other forums, including the official Apple support forums, but have not seen a workaround or fix yet. I'm going to see if I can closer examine the properties of the .MOVs created by the iPad 2's video camera and see if I can get a clue as to what precise format these files need to be in. There has to be a way to get clips into iMovie. Apple need to patch the app ASAP as it is essentially broken at the moment.
 
Stovepiper said:
There has to be a way to get clips into iMovie. Apple need to patch the app ASAP as it is essentially broken at the moment.
Click to expand...

Why do you say this? It seems to me that iMovie on the iPad is the natural extension of the version on the iPhone: something to allow you to quickly edit video shot on the unit and share it elsewhere, not for importing and editing external files. There's honestly not enough storage on the iPad to be able to adequately take in and process very many external video files anyway.

Editing video from external cameras is the realm of full Macs and Macbooks, not of the iPad.

That being said...can it be done? I'm sure someone will figure it out. But I can't agree with you that this App is essentially broken because it can't. It like saying that since you can't rip CDs into your iPad it's broken. It's just not designed for the functionality you are wishing.

Shoot your video on the iPad and iMovie on the iPad will be a fantastic app that will serve you well.
 
mstrze said:
Why do you say this? It seems to me that iMovie on the iPad is the natural extension of the version on the iPhone: something to allow you to quickly edit video shot on the unit and share it elsewhere, not for importing and editing external files. There's honestly not enough storage on the iPad to be able to adequately take in and process very many external video files anyway.

Editing video from external cameras is the realm of full Macs and Macbooks, not of the iPad.

That being said...can it be done? I'm sure someone will figure it out. But I can't agree with you that this App is essentially broken because it can't. It like saying that since you can't rip CDs into your iPad it's broken. It's just not designed for the functionality you are wishing.

Shoot your video on the iPad and iMovie on the iPad will be a fantastic app that will serve you well.
Click to expand...

No offense, but from what I've been reading on numerous other forums and comment sections around the internet, you are very much in the minority as far as this functionality goes. People expect to use iMovie to edit clips from other camcorders. The Apple Camera Connection kit makes it very easy to transfer photos and videos straight to the device. You can also fit a LARGE amount of HD video clips on an iPad, especially a 32 or 64 GB model.

Granted, it's not ideal to use the iMovie app to do serious video production, I doubt very few people are expecting to do so. Nor is it feasible to store a massive archive of HD clips on the device. But for relatively simple movie editing on the go, the iPad and iMovie are potentially a perfect solution. Most people also would rather not shoot video with an iPad for a number of reasons. Not the least of which is the sub-par low light conditions, awkward grip, and wide availability of pocket HD camcorders these days that are much better suited for the task.

So yeah, while you may be content to record video using the iPad and edit only that with iMovie, the rest of us consider iMovie broken until it can work with outside clips. Now, I'm perfectly fine taking extra steps to convert clips into a format that the iPad can effectively use. But this "format" is a mystery right now because correctly dimensioned .MOV files will not work in iMovie even though they are perfectly playable elsewhere on the device.

Either Apple will patch this or the internet will find a workaround. I'm getting impatient though.
 
Stovepiper said:
So yeah, while you may be content to record video using the iPad and edit only that with iMovie, the rest of us consider iMovie broken until it can work with outside clips.
Click to expand...

Seeing as how you are the only one talking about this issue here, I hesitate to believe this is as major a problem as you are making it out to be.

It's your thread and aside from me offering a differing opinion, no one else has even said "I agree" in the 3 days it's been up. YOU are the only one responding to your own thread.

I can see your opinion and reasoning for it to be utilized, but don't make it out like it's some huge deal when obviously it's far from that.

I still stand behind the fact that iMovie on the iPad was designed to edit iPad-shot movie files. Adding the ability to edit other video would be a nice addition, but in no way is the application faulty because it doesn't currently offer this option.
 
mstrze said:
Seeing as how you are the only one talking about this issue here, I hesitate to believe this is as major a problem as you are making it out to be.

It's your thread and aside from me offering a differing opinion, no one else has even said "I agree" in the 3 days it's been up. YOU are the only one responding to your own thread.

I can see your opinion and reasoning for it to be utilized, but don't make it out like it's some huge deal when obviously it's far from that.

I still stand behind the fact that iMovie on the iPad was designed to edit iPad-shot movie files. Adding the ability to edit other video would be a nice addition, but in no way is the application faulty because it doesn't currently offer this option.
Click to expand...

You know, before trolling my thread you could have at least bothered to do a little research on the topic. Not doing so just makes you look naive. Here are five other threads from this very forum talking about the issue, a mainstream news article mentioning it, and three threads from the official Apple forums.


https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1116255/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1115847/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1115741/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1115066/

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1115270/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/macworld/20110310/tc_macworld/handsonwithimovieforipad

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2779723&start=0&tstart=0

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=13207877&#13207877

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=13220915&#13220915


It is a legitimate problem and worthy of discussion. It apparently doesn't affect you since you are content to use iMovie in a very limited way. Do you have any other insightful commentary to contribute to this thread? If not move along, there is nothing for you to see here.
 
im one of the ones who posted on apple's forum bout this issue.. i too want to know if there is a way to move videos even if you have to convert them first onto the iPad so iMovie can edit them.. it would be nice to add small clips from other cameras onto the iPad.. i cant believe the only videos that will work are ones from an apple phone or ipad/ipod.. i dunno about you but those videos used in the demo of iMovie look too professional to be filmed with one of those devices.. i know i felt kinda silly holding my ipad up in full sunlight barely can see the video thru my reflection when i was doing test videos up on the Blue Ridge Parkway with cars passing me.. they probably thought i was an idiot lol..
 
blueridge said:
im one of the ones who posted on apple's forum bout this issue.. i too want to know if there is a way to move videos even if you have to convert them first onto the iPad so iMovie can edit them.. it would be nice to add small clips from other cameras onto the iPad.. i cant believe the only videos that will work are ones from an apple phone or ipad/ipod.. i dunno about you but those videos used in the demo of iMovie look too professional to be filmed with one of those devices.. i know i felt kinda silly holding my ipad up in full sunlight barely can see the video thru my reflection when i was doing test videos up on the Blue Ridge Parkway with cars passing me.. they probably thought i was an idiot lol..
Click to expand...

I watched your videos on youtube, nice illustration of what iMovie is capable of! Being able to record video on the iPad is nice in a pinch. But I have hours and hours of clips I've recorded over the years. Occasionally I'd like to copy over a few of them and make little movies on the iPad in my spare time (saving serious projects for my iMac). For me, next to the GarageBand demo, the iMovie demo was the most exciting part of Apples press event the other day and I'm sure I'm not along. I also have a hard time believing the video clips used in that demo were shot with an iPad.
 
Stovepiper said:
I watched your videos on youtube, nice illustration of what iMovie is capable of! Being able to record video on the iPad is nice in a pinch. But I have hours and hours of clips I've recorded over the years. Occasionally I'd like to copy over a few of them and make little movies on the iPad in my spare time (saving serious projects for my iMac). For me, next to the GarageBand demo, the iMovie demo was the most exciting part of Apples press event the other day and I'm sure I'm not along. I also have a hard time believing the video clips used in that demo were shot with an iPad.
Click to expand...


thanks for the comments.. yah me too.. i use my quad core HTPC box for most of my video editing but i thought how cool would it be to be on site and have my ipad, camcorder and have the ability to quickly pull videos from the SD card with camera kit to edit in iMovie then goto a wifi hotspot and upload to youtube.. it was a selling point for me.. same with garageband.. im going to learn that and use it for background music for my other videos.. its not the point of not having another computer to do the job of editing.. its the point that i was led to believe it was possible.. its not the reason i got an ipad 2 but i can understand someone's disappointment if they had no other alternative to edit videos and thought iMovie's simple touch and drop simplicity would be a selling point for them to purchase an ipad 2.. i surely hope there is an update or something similar.. especially since it carries the 'iMovie' name.. if not. someone will figure out a 'hack' way to do it..
 
Well for those interested right now Reel Director might be a good alternative. Lets you add video from your photos album that you transfer by iPhoto. More transitions and other options that iMovie is lacking. You can also record sound in the app. It is formatted to the iPad. Its only $5 I believe. The only down side is you can't play through your video clip as you edit. You have to make sure you have it the way you want it and do some guessing unfortunately.

EDIT: Reel Director is only $2 in the app store.
 
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I've seen a possible solution posted a couple of places but won't get a chance to try it for myself until tonight. Basically they are saying that if a clip is stored in a photo "album" and synced to the iPad with iTunes, iMovie can see it (as opposed to just getting it on the camera roll). On a Mac this would be in an iPhoto album, not sure about PCs. My assumption is that you would still need to ensure that the clips are generally in an iPad friendly format. I will report back after I get a chance to test it.

I spent a little time with iMovie using video shot with the iPad today and it really is a slick app for doing very quick editing. There are some aspects of it, such as voice over recording that glitched up on me, but killing and restarting the app fixed them. Overall, I think a lot of people will find this very useful if it can be made to work with clips from a variety of sources.
 
It seems like the issue could be related to the Camera Roll "folder" on the iPad 2. Here is a comment someone made on the Apple forums:

I am starting to believe that those iMovie importing issues are only happening on the Ipad 2. I am running iMovie on an iPad 1, which doesn't even have a "Camera Roll". iMovie is looking in ALL photo/video folders instead. As a result, almost all my videos can be imported to iMovie.

This is quite funny, given the fact that iMovie is not even supported on the iPad 1.
Click to expand...

Edit:

Here is a method that claims to work but I've not had a chance to try it yet: http://www.macvideoconverter.org/ipad-2/convert-video-to-imovie-on-ipad-2.html

Here is another suggestion that I did try and found it didn't work with my files: http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2011/0...hone-or-other-cameras-into-imovie-for-ipad-2/

I feel we are getting closer to a solution as lots of people are working on it.
 
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I was looking on doing small editing shot from my iPhone, my water proof camera and some old clips. I really hope this is a mistake or some glitch in a system. The whole idea is to make it simple to edit, ALL YOUR CLIPS...
 
Holy Crap I found a solution! It was from one of the links I posted earlier and it is very simple (I thought I had tried it previously but must have been mistaken):

http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2011/0...hone-or-other-cameras-into-imovie-for-ipad-2/


1) Open video clip in QuickTime Player

2) Choose File->Save As

3) Select the "HD 720p" format

4) Sync the resulting file to the iPad using the Photos section of iTunes

5) The clip shows up in the iMovie app on the iPad 2!

This seems to work perfectly for the HD video clips my Kodak Playsport produces. I'm going to try it for my Canon Rebel T2i next. It will be a bit of a pain to have to convert lots of files but at least we have a solution. I'm sure there is a way to convert in bulk.

:)

Edit:

All we really need here is a Handbrake preset for this particular setting and we can queue up clips to convert in bulk and we'll be in business. I still don't understand why Quicktime Player is producing a file that is different than any other "iPad friendly" format but oh well.
 
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i wonder if there is a way to do this on a PC.. i looked in quicktime where it can convert/save as.. but i dont see the HD 720p option..
 
touchmonkey said:
$30 for Quicktime Pro for windows with the save as feature, If I'm correct.
Ouch.
Click to expand...

It should be noted too that method I described above was done with QuickTime Player X for Mac. I can't confirm if QuickTime 7 (Pro) can do it, so some additional research should probably be done before spending $30 just to make this work.

I expect there to be a number of free utilities available soon that target this specific need.
 
Stovepiper said:
It should be noted too that method I described above was done with QuickTime Player X for Mac. I can't confirm if QuickTime 7 (Pro) can do it, so some additional research should probably be done before spending $30 just to make this work.

I expect there to be a number of free utilities available soon that target this specific need.
Click to expand...

Thanks for this heads up. There is hope.
I have, fyi, also tried my pinnacle editor which has a .mov 720 output setting, but didn't work.....so the search continues....not gonna spend the $30 to find out if qt windows works, or, even if its confirmed that it does, unless I have to .....thanks again for giving us hope for a work around.....and I think you're right about free utilities coming....(paging Handbrake to the courtesy phone)
imho another glaring miss by apple....maybe intentional...
should add that the file I started with wasn't .mov.....will try again if I find one on my 'puter..... will report back
 
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Stovepiper said:
Holy Crap I found a solution! It was from one of the links I posted earlier and it is very simple (I thought I had tried it previously but must have been mistaken):

http://www.theiphoneguru.net/2011/0...hone-or-other-cameras-into-imovie-for-ipad-2/


1) Open video clip in QuickTime Player

2) Choose File->Save As

3) Select the "HD 720p" format

4) Sync the resulting file to the iPad using the Photos section of iTunes

5) The clip shows up in the iMovie app on the iPad 2!

This seems to work perfectly for the HD video clips my Kodak Playsport produces. I'm going to try it for my Canon Rebel T2i next. It will be a bit of a pain to have to convert lots of files but at least we have a solution. I'm sure there is a way to convert in bulk.

:)

Edit:

All we really need here is a Handbrake preset for this particular setting and we can queue up clips to convert in bulk and we'll be in business. I still don't understand why Quicktime Player is producing a file that is different than any other "iPad friendly" format but oh well.
Click to expand...

It'd be great to not have to use a computer to do this, and just import videos from one's camera directly to the iPad 2 via the Camera Connection Kit. I discovered this morning that the iPad 2 imports and plays 720p24 footage from my Nikon D7000 perfectly. I just can't use it in iMovie because the video files aren't in the "Camera Roll" album. :mad: Booooo Apple. Fix this!
 
OK, after hours of working it out, I think I have a solution, at least its working for me.
1. Download Aleesoft Free iPad Video Converter.
2. Open up the program and select new task.
3. Open up the video you want iMovies to "see"
4. Select "iPad HD Video (*.mp4)" then click options.
5. On the audio tab, the following should be selected:
-Double Channel
-aac
-44100 sampling rate
-128 bit rate
6. On the video tab, the following should be selected:
-h264 video codec
-30 frame rate
-2500 bit rate
7. On the resize tab, select the custom size and make it 1280X720, aspect ratio normal
8. Click save and apply.
9. Then pick your destination folder and select "Convert"
10. Once its done, put that video into any of your "Photo" folders that syncs with iTunes and you should be able to see the video in iMovie.

Good Luck.
 
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