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my-home-movie-DVD into "imovie 06" - How?

D

DyslexicArtist

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 12, 2008
59
0
Hi, I am trying to edit a dvd (home movies made into a dvd)... I've got the dvd on my desktop, I've opened imovie -06.... but I cannot figure out how to get the dvd contents into imovie... how to I get it into the clip section so I can edit it. Thanks for your help...( I am not using a camcorder, and thats all they talk about everywhere...)

I just downloaded "handbrake" in case thats how i do it, but now i can't figure out how to get it on handbrake either...
 
You need MPEG StreamClip, and will probably want to convert to DV for the easiest editing and least amount of quality loss.
 
MPEG Streamclip can convert the file into something iMovie can work with, Open the DVD in StreamClip, use export as DV then import the file into iMovie.
 
----MPEG Streamclip can convert the file into something iMovie can work with, Open the DVD in StreamClip, use export as DV then import the file into iMovie.


Hi, for some reason I can't do this... My home movie dvd has about 30 minutes on it...

Would it be possible to give me a step by step since I don't know what i'm doing at all...

example: put dvd in, it will show on your desktop.
Then go to File>open DVD?

If I do that, yes it will start playing on idvd... but its giant, and then i still can't get it on MPEG streamclip...

would appreciate further very specific help... thanks alot...

PS: if i ever figure this out, and edit this in imovie, is it going to be possible to make copies of the dvd for my family? thanks
 
You need to go to File-> Open DVD ... in MPEG StreamClip, not the desktop. This will open it in SC, then when it finishes importing (it may take a minute), just go to File-> Export to DV ...
 
When I do that, a window comes up and says File Open error: unsupported file type.... then it says open anyway? when i click Okay -- it says something about The Apple QuickTime MPEG 2 Playback component is not installed.... I can buy it for $20. on apple.com...

Does this sound right?

hope i don't have to spend more money..

?
 
no, i don't have perian, i just searched. i have basic stuff like photoshop, illustrator, just got ilife, w/ imovie.

Will getting perian do the trick?
 
so, if i install perian, and just do what i tried before, it should work.? this is like greek to me, i think i bit off more than i can chew with this movie editing project....?

I just installed perian, and then did the same thing, with the same result.
do i put perian somewhere else?

in mpeg streamclip -- again it says file open error: unsupported file type
 
I am pretty sure you need the real $20 plugin. This also comes free with FCE and FCP. You could also get it from another website to make sure it works ok before you buy it.
 
DyslexicArtist said:
so, if i install perian, and just do what i tried before, it should work.? this is like greek to me, i think i bit off more than i can chew with this movie editing project....?

I just installed perian, and then did the same thing, with the same result.
do i put perian somewhere else?

in mpeg streamclip -- again it says file open error: unsupported file type
Click to expand...

Where you download it, where did you put it? It should actually install as a pref pane in system preferences. It's not an application.
 
Hello. Thanks for your help everybody.,.. I just am going to have to get the apple plug in -- since i don't understand everything...maybe that will work.. I'll let you know how it goes in a few days. thanks again! ..."lex"
 
Ahhhh. I think I am going crazy.
The nice people who transfered my videotape to a dvd
also said they would give me a mpeg file
... so I put the mpeg file dvd into my mac
and I can't open it...

When I click on it, it says

"The movie could not be opened".

"The file is not a movie file"...

I think I am over my head.
If I can't get this into editing on imovie...
I don't know what to do.
This is too hard.

Why can't I open it, when this is what I was supposed to get?
thanks.
 
Have you installed Perian? Does it show up in the Preferences pane?
 
The BEST way to do it is to get the apple mpeg2 decoder. There are other options (free), but this is going to be the easiest for you and will and give you the best quality video.

Having an 'mpeg' file doesn't really mean anything. There are many versions of mpeg, and they can be in many different containers. iMovie will only recognize a few of the hundreds of combinations.
 
Yes I have installed Perian, and some other things suggested...

I guess I need to really buy the apple plug in thing.
Now, I've got to get the lab people to send me back the original DVD they made. Wow. thanks for your help... this is a work in progress alright.
 
I had a very similar issue recently. I converted my original home movies to Dvd and subsequently ran into the wall you did. What I did was purchase a Canopus 110.....spent some cash but it worked and it was extremely easy to use.
 
Hello, Is this really supposed to take hours and hours for the DVD to transfer to imovie?

I did finally get the plug in called QuickTime MPEG2.dmg.... and this worked -- I had a DVD of 30 minutes, and it has been "transferring" now for over 3 hours, now it says Time Remaining: 169 minutes. It has said that the whole time basically. It says it is on "3 of 5"....

Is this normal? Thanks for your input.
 
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