iMovie '09 and the X264 codec

[MacDenney]

I've learned that the X264 codec is better then the H264 codec at producing quality movies from iDVD '09 to a DVD, from a movie project generated by iMovie '09.
I found a volume on google to download that says X264 Encoder. Trouble is, I don't know how to install it, or use it. It sits on my desktop!

I have been importing both converted VHS footage into dv, as well as AVCHD footage into iMovie '09.

Have a HDR SR-11 Sony AVCHD camcorder; 1st gen intel iMac, 2GB RAM, 1TB external drive.

Can anyone help? Thanks

 

[spinnerlys]

If I understand you correct, you currently use the .H264 codec to export form iMovie and the import into iDVD?

If that is the case, then you make a redundant step.

A video DVD uses the MPEG-2 codec to encode its video, the .H264 (and also X264) is an MPEG-4 codec, meaning more compression (but sufficient with no apparent image quality loss) and smaller file size.

Then you would edit DV material (with 3.25 MBytes/sec) in iMovie, export it to .H264 (or X264), therefore compressing the video to a data rate of approximately 0.2-0.5 MBytes/sec and then open them in iDVD, where it will be outputted to DVD (MPEG-2) and have a maximum data rate of 1 MBytes/sec.

So you make big video much, much smaller, just to make it bigger again.

There will be loss of image quality. Just send your iMovie project directly to iDVD.


If I understood you wrong, at least I got to write something.

 

[MacDenney]

X264 codec

Thanks, you answered my question.

Now, would that codec help at all when exporting AVCHD movies to iDVD?