How to convert videos from camera in iPhoto folder

[2ge]

Hello all,

I want little bit "compress" videos, which I imported from camera to iPhoto. Basically I have 2 questions:
- to which format it is good to convert video from camera, so I can cut it in iMovie or another software (I find out iMovie can not open DivX/XviD videos...)
- exists some utility (can be commandline), where I put folder, recursive option and output format, and it will convert all videos there ? Coz doing it one by one is just not possible here (more then 150 GB of pictures/videos).

Thanks for any help.

 

[spinnerlys]

Hello all,

I want little bit "compress" videos, which I imported from camera to iPhoto. Basically I have 2 questions:
- to which format it is good to convert video from camera, so I can cut it in iMovie or another software (I find out iMovie can not open DivX/XviD videos...)
- exists some utility (can be commandline), where I put folder, recursive option and output format, and it will convert all videos there ? Coz doing it one by one is just not possible here (more then 150 GB of pictures/videos).

Thanks for any help.

By "little bit "compress" videos" do you mean you want to compress your videos more?

Editing video is not working that good with compressed video, as compressed video does not store/save every frame, but more a group of pictures/frames (GOP), and editing applications need all frames to make precise cuts.

For example you have an MPEG-2 encoded video (video DVDs use MPEG-2 and maybe even your camera) which stores information like this:

original video frames from uncompressed source:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
1 x x x x x x x x x xx xx xx xx xx 02 xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx 03
saved frames after compression (x = not saved)

When you want to make a cut at frame 23, you can't do that, as there is no information on frame 23, it is only an approximation between frame 15 and 30.

So in order to edit your videos you have to convert them to something less compressed like the DV codec for SD footage (maximum resolution of 720x576) or the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) for HD footage (maximum resolution of 1920x1080).

You can use MPEG Streamclip at www.squared5.com to batch convert your source video to something less compressed if you really want to edti your videos.

DV encoded video takes up 12GB/hour of footage, AIC encoded footage takes up 30-60GB per hour (depending on the resolution and sources, I had footage that took up 1GB/min with that codec.


WHat kind of camera are you shooting with and what files do you get with that?

 

[2ge]

hi, thanks for fast answer. I know how compression (divx) works, I have been working with videos. Maybe mpeg2 is solution. Anyway, these videos are only funny videos, no need to make something special, just I want to show them to friends, quality can be worse, so something like DivX is ok for me, but on another side, if I want to cut it in iMovie, I can't.

So maybe I should ask something different: which kind of format, the most compressing, I can edit in iMovie, so I can save some space on HDD.

I also tried MPEG streamclip, I have to select videos one by one, it doesnt even see my iPhoto library...

I know I am asking something special, and maybe best thing is forgetting about this issue and bought 3rd 1TB hdd...

anyway, here is info from my CANON IXUS 860 IS camera:

*** MediaInfo Mac // Plain text file report
2009-12-21 17:39:22 +0700
Information for File: MVI_2326.AVI

General / Container Stream # 1
	Total Video Streams for this File -> 1
	Total Audio Streams for this File -> 1
	Video Codecs Used -> M-JPEG
	Audio Codecs Used -> PCM
	File Format -> AVI
	Play Time -> 16s 967ms
	Total File Size -> 16.7 MiB
	Total Stream BitRate -> 8 269 Kbps
	Encoded with -> CanonMVI06
Video Stream # 1
	Codec (Human Name) -> M-JPEG
	Codec (FourCC) -> MJPG
	Frame Width -> 640 pixels
	Frame Height -> 480 pixels
	Frame Rate -> 30.000 fps
	Total Frames -> 509
	Display Aspect Ratio -> 4/3
	Scan Type -> Progressive
	QF (like Gordian Knot) -> 0.820
	Video Stream Length -> 16s 966ms
	Video Stream BitRate -> 7 558 Kbps
	Bit Depth -> 24 bits
	Video Stream Size -> 15.3 MiB (91%)
Audio Stream # 1
	Codec -> PCM
	Codec (FourCC) -> 1
	Audio Stream Length -> 16s 967ms
	Audio Stream BitRate -> 705.6 Kbps
	Audio Stream BitRate Mode -> CBR
	Number of Audio Channels -> 1
	Sampling Rate -> 44.1 KHz
	Bit Depth -> 16 bits
	Audio Stream Size -> 1.43 MiB (9%)

 

[spinnerlys]

hi, thanks for fast answer. I know how compression (divx) works, I have been working with videos. Maybe mpeg2 is solution. Anyway, these videos are only funny videos, no need to make something special, just I want to show them to friends, quality can be worse, so something like DivX is ok for me, but on another side, if I want to cut it in iMovie, I can't.

So maybe I should ask something different: which kind of format, the most compressing, I can edit in iMovie, so I can save some space on HDD.

I also tried MPEG streamclip, I have to select videos one by one, it doesnt even see my iPhoto library...

I know I am asking something special, and maybe best thing is forgetting about this issue and bought 3rd 1TB hdd...

anyway, here is info from my CANON IXUS 860 IS camera:

*** MediaInfo Mac // Plain text file report
2009-12-21 17:39:22 +0700
Information for File: MVI_2326.AVI

General / Container Stream # 1
	Total Video Streams for this File -> 1
	Total Audio Streams for this File -> 1
	Video Codecs Used -> M-JPEG
	Audio Codecs Used -> PCM
	File Format -> AVI
	Play Time -> 16s 967ms
	Total File Size -> 16.7 MiB
	Total Stream BitRate -> 8 269 Kbps
	Encoded with -> CanonMVI06
Video Stream # 1
	Codec (Human Name) -> M-JPEG
	Codec (FourCC) -> MJPG
	Frame Width -> 640 pixels
	Frame Height -> 480 pixels
	Frame Rate -> 30.000 fps
	Total Frames -> 509
	Display Aspect Ratio -> 4/3
	Scan Type -> Progressive
	QF (like Gordian Knot) -> 0.820
	Video Stream Length -> 16s 966ms
	Video Stream BitRate -> 7 558 Kbps
	Bit Depth -> 24 bits
	Video Stream Size -> 15.3 MiB (91%)
Audio Stream # 1
	Codec -> PCM
	Codec (FourCC) -> 1
	Audio Stream Length -> 16s 967ms
	Audio Stream BitRate -> 705.6 Kbps
	Audio Stream BitRate Mode -> CBR
	Number of Audio Channels -> 1
	Sampling Rate -> 44.1 KHz
	Bit Depth -> 16 bits
	Audio Stream Size -> 1.43 MiB (9%)

First, MPEG Streamclip has a batch function, accessed by CMD+B. You can add videos to that list and then select one setting for all the videos to convert to, and then just press the Go button.

Also the iPhoto library is one big file now, which can be accessed via Finder and right clicking on the iPhoto Library and selecting Show Package Contents.
From there you have to copy the videos out to some other place, I don't know if simple drag and drop works with that.

I don't know which compressed codecs iMovie supports, but most of the times, even when it can read a compressed file, it will convert it to either AIC or something else.