I have some video files on an external HD from my old computer with iMovie 08. On my new iMac with iMovie 09, I have opened up one of those video files, or imported it. My question is this: Is there any need to keep the original file from my old computer, or has it now been stored on my new one with iMove 09? I'm thinking if I keep the old one, I am storing it twice. I am backing up my iMac, so that's not an issue. I'm just trying to figure out if I am keeping a "third" copy when it's not really needed.
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How does iMovie store the original video?
- Thread starter vbmike73
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you are right!
if you have it imported in imovie 09 and you are backing up your new Mac with time machine, then, as you said, you have two copies of the file already(given that you chose to backup this file during your setup of time machine).
if you have it imported in imovie 09 and you are backing up your new Mac with time machine, then, as you said, you have two copies of the file already(given that you chose to backup this file during your setup of time machine).
Great. So now that I have that, what if I run out of room on my iMac, and want to get rid of some of the projects in iMovie. Where are the files stored so that I could move them off to an external and delete them out of iMovie, while still leaving me the highest quailty video on my external? In other words, I want to make sure I am copying the source video file at its max quality.
iMovie stores its projects and videos at Macintosh HD (name of the volume/HDD your Mac OS resides on) / Users / YOU / Movies / iMovie Events and iMovie Projects.
If you copy those folders, you will backup the files you edit with in its original quality. The source files (from the camera or camcorder) are not stored there, only the transcoded (in another word: converted) ones.
If you copy those folders, you will backup the files you edit with in its original quality. The source files (from the camera or camcorder) are not stored there, only the transcoded (in another word: converted) ones.
Ok, so just to clarify, the converted ones are all I would need to throw together a new video down the road, once I've brought them back into iMovie, right?
Basically, I'm burning all my camcorder tapes to DVD, as well as exporting them to a digital file for iTunes. So my process is that I first export my project with bookmarks to the highest quality file type. I do not share it with the media browser. Then, once that's done, I have a digital file for iTunes, then can open that file in iDVD and make my DVD. Then basically I want to be able to keep that original content for future use, using up as little HD space as possible.
Basically, I'm burning all my camcorder tapes to DVD, as well as exporting them to a digital file for iTunes. So my process is that I first export my project with bookmarks to the highest quality file type. I do not share it with the media browser. Then, once that's done, I have a digital file for iTunes, then can open that file in iDVD and make my DVD. Then basically I want to be able to keep that original content for future use, using up as little HD space as possible.