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iMovie '09 HD Support?

Canon HV20 user here and the 960x540 limits of iMovie '08 are certainly a bummer. However, I still don't have a firm grasp of Final Cut Pro or Final Cut Express, so right now - iMovie is what I'm sticking with. Some of my vids can be found in my sig. All of them were edited/exported using iMovie '08 (with the exception of the 24p capture/pulldown tests, which were done in FCP using a specific workflow)

I now have iMovie '09. If someone can tell me how to test the 960x540 thing, I'll be more than happy to do it with newly imported raw video footage from my Canon HV20 HD video camera.
 
I am hardly an expert on movie editing, but i have been hitting my head against a wall for a while now struggling to get quality footage out of my sanyo xacti HD1000.

Anyway in relation to Imovie 09, when you choose to import a 1080i clip it gives you the option to import it at full HD 1920 * 1080 or downgrade it to 960 * 540. As it gives you the option i assume it can now handle processing in HD, otherwise the option seems pointless.

Note however that i say technically, because so far I have have not been able to import any 1080i footage into imovie 09, just like i was not able to import it into imovie 08 either. it gives no error message and apears to be importing, but it just doesnt. I believe however that this is an issue with the mpeg4 compression that sanyo seems to use on their cameras. Which has always been an issue, although they do play in quicktime.

Anyway not sure if this helps any of you, but figured i'd share my pain with you all.
 
That's a strange issue. I've had no problems importing Full HD footage from my Canon HV-20. Haven't tried exporting the footage really, but, other than it varying in capture speed from real-time down to 1/8 speed, it does successfully import the movie.
 
Can iMovie 09 Resolve 24p?

Does anyone have any experience with iMovie 09 and 24p content? I have a Canon HF100, which shoots AVCHD at 1920x1080i 24p using 60fps (fields per second). It seems to require that the receiving software be capable of "reconstructing" 24p from 60Hz (3:2 pulldown?).

I've heard that FCP will do this, but how about iMovie 09? I don't really need the final product to be 24p. Honestly, I recorded a trip to Yellowstone using that setting by accident...I just want to import and edit my video without "choppy" results as I see now (iMovie 08).

Am I making sense? Any wisdom would be appreciated...

Nathan
 
Ok, how about some evidence?

I had footage shot with a consumer Canon 1920x1080, 24p camcorder. I first captured this with Final Cut Pro (because that's what I was using for that project) which turned it into 1920x1080 AIC 24p footage.

I just put that into iMovie at that frame size, cut a piece out and exported it as an H.264 1920x1080 24p file which I've uploaded here. Go ahead and download it to look.

1920x1080 from start to finish, all the way through iMovie.

So let's STOP the "does it do HD" questions. Yes, it does. If it doesn't work with YOUR camera then you need to find a way to convert the footage. I suggest playing with MPEG Streamclip for that.
 
nathanjbrown said:
Does anyone have any experience with iMovie 09 and 24p content? I have a Canon HF100, which shoots AVCHD at 1920x1080i 24p using 60fps (fields per second). It seems to require that the receiving software be capable of "reconstructing" 24p from 60Hz (3:2 pulldown?).

I've heard that FCP will do this, but how about iMovie 09?
Click to expand...

That's the same footage I used in my example. Unfortunately I used Final Cut Studio to remove the pulldown and I don't have the original files anymore (nor the camera). So I have no way to test this. If you want to post a 5 second clip for me to download, I'll try putting it in iMovie and see what happens.

I strongly suspect I won't be able to remove the pulldown, but there's a chance it will look ok anyway and give a film-look without actually being 24p.

Dunno, I'll have to try it out and tell you what it does.
 
Small White Car said:
Ok, how about some evidence?

I had footage shot with a consumer Canon 1920x1080, 24p camcorder. I first captured this with Final Cut Pro (because that's what I was using for that project) which turned it into 1920x1080 AIC 24p footage.

I just put that into iMovie at that frame size, cut a piece out and exported it as an H.264 1920x1080 24p file which I've uploaded here. Go ahead and download it to look.

1920x1080 from start to finish, all the way through iMovie.

So let's STOP the "does it do HD" questions. Yes, it does. If it doesn't work with YOUR camera then you need to find a way to convert the footage. I suggest playing with MPEG Streamclip for that.
Click to expand...

While playing your clip with Quicktime, the Inspector tells me that your clip is 1888 x 1062. Whatever that means.
 
Chodite said:
While playing your clip with Quicktime, the Inspector tells me that your clip is 1888 x 1062. Whatever that means.
Click to expand...

I've never fully understood the QT inspector window. If you look higher in the same window you'll see that it ALSO says the format is 1920x1080. So it's telling you 2 different sizes in the same window. What's that mean? I don't know.

So forget that, try something else. I put it in MPEG Streamclip, Final Cut Pro, and even Photoshop. Every single program said it's 1920x1080.

So clearly there's something we just don't understand about the Quicktime Inspector window.
 
Small White Car said:
So clearly there's something we just don't understand about the Quicktime Inspector window.
Click to expand...

I believe the difference between the numbers differences in pixel sizes, square vs. not. Cinema tools confirms it is 1920x1080 also.

I want to be convinced, but cannot draw any conclusions based on that clip. It is a little stuttery on my MBP and I can't tell if that is (a) because it is a pulldown issue (b) if it is struggling with the data rate, etc or (c) if it is just from you walking towards the car.

Overall though, it is looking like it handles the single field issue and may even handle 24p.

Can't wait to get my hands on it! The cheapskate in me is waiting for Duke's bookstore to get it in stock, utilizing my wife's affiliation. (a steal at $39) Should be today or Monday.

--HG
 
i think the point that we are getting at is that iMovie downsizes the video file during editing and then resizes it back up to HD (massive quality loss)

i can output in HD, i just have the feeling that i am getting bogus information.
 
mlemonds said:
i think the point that we are getting at is that iMovie downsizes the video file during editing and then resizes it back up to HD (massive quality loss)

i can output in HD, i just have the feeling that i am getting bogus information.
Click to expand...

You are not getting bogus info. It does not matter how iMovie 08-09 "edits or works" with the footage. All a project is, is In & Out point, a basic XML-like file.

Every time you drag a clip from the browser to the timeline, the timeline is just referencing the original file, even if the original is 1080p. iMovie does not make a completely new clip out of that edit.

iMovie is designed for consumers who want to edit simple stuff, they don't want a bunch of technical jargon thrown around (thats what FC is for). If you want to do a simple export of your project, just use the built in presets (Small, Medium Large, etc).
If you know what you are doing, just use the "Export with Quicktime" tool. With that you can export any format and resolution Quicktime supports, even uncompressed if you want.

iMovie 08-09 is resolution independent (just like FC), it can technically work with any resolution you throw at it. When you create a new project, you only choose the aspect ratio. You can export at any resolution you want. The editing and export systems are separate.
It does not really matter what resolution iMovie "works" with the footage, as you can export it in a different format and resolution.

By the way, a consumer targeted editing application will never be an end all. It can never have and support everything and every feature you may want. If it was, FCP would be part of the iLife suite.
 
Small White Car said:
I've never fully understood the QT inspector window. If you look higher in the same window you'll see that it ALSO says the format is 1920x1080. So it's telling you 2 different sizes in the same window. What's that mean? I don't know.
Click to expand...

In the Quicktime inspector window current size is the is the size of the movie as displayed, it changes as you resize the window or select fit to screen, double size, actual size, of half size. Normal size is the actual size of the movie.
 
I'm not sure I saw it mentioned here, but by default - iMovie '09 handles imported HD videos at 960x540.


You must go to iMovie --> Preferences --> enable Advanced options --> Video

To activate "Full 1920x1080"
 
share to camera still missing

I love my Cannon HV20, but I miss the option to share to camera like you can with imovie HD... I did not like imovie 08 because of all the missing features like videos effects and themes, but imovie 09 has them and it is very easy to use...

I wish I could edit my HD videos using imovie 09 and then put them back on tape- the video looks amazing when I play it back on my HD TV via HDMI connection... now using imovie 09 all I can do is export it as a mov file in its highest quality and play it back via my 360- the quality is still amazing (not quite as good as a direct connection HV20 to TV using HDMI)... A 6 minute video is over 4 GB- I just wish I had the option to store back on cheap mini DV tapes... here is a video I did using imovie 09

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwDkj1ql9Qo
 
mlemonds said:
Honestly i can not remember where i got 1440, must have gotten it confused, but here is what happens in 08:

i select to import the video at full resolution, and when i go to export the clip it says that the current resolution is 960x540

edit: sorry pics are reversed
Click to expand...
YOAR DOIN IT RONG!

Sorry.

When you come to export, go to share, go to export using Quicktime, go to options, go to size, set it to 1920 x 1080.

It will export in full HD, not 960 x 540 scaled up to Full HD.

iMovie 08/09 does HD, full stop.
 
I cant import 24p form a HDC-SD9 camera into iMovie 09. What am I doing wrong? When I plug in the camera it sees the video and it just has a circle with a line though it and a "24p" in the middle. It looks like a prohibited or no smoking sign Please help!

Regards,

John


When I plug in the camera it sees the video and it just has a circle with a line though it and a "24p" in the middle. It looks like a prohibited or no smoking sign
 
Same Question.. No Answer

That also make me wonder as well but I think in I heard in the next edition of iMovie or the next update for '09 will make it HD compatible.

Hey does anyone here know where you can get iMovie HD? :confused::confused:
 
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