Need some digital video help

[wanda]

Posted this in the digital video section but got no response...maybe the question was too basic, so i'm posting it here in hopes someone will see it.

i got a panasonic sdr-h18 Digital video camera and thought i could just save the movies from the camera's internal hard drive straight into iMovie but iMovie apparently doesn't read the .MOV file. I tried to download the Mpeg Streamclip but when i dropped a video clip into it it said i had to buy the MPEG-2 plug-in from Apple. If i do buy the plug-in, i'm a little confused...will that just play the video, or convert it to something iMovie can then edit?

I don't know a great deal about video file types, and this is my first digital video camera. I really don't want to use the Panasonic software to edit...you cant even put music over the video...its pretty useless.

Thanks.

Oh, i'm using a MacBook 1.8ghz....OSX 10.4.11

 

[OttawaGuy]

Your camera appears to record in mpeg2.
http://www2.panasonic.com/consumer-...DR-H18.S_11002_7000000000000005702#tabsection

So Mpeg stream clip will be able to play the files and convert them after you install the quicktime mpeg component.

 

[McGiord]

I not a video expert, but I think you have options, like trying a software before you pay for it.

Search for alternative software that can help you do it, here is one:
http://www.mp4converter.net/

Probably you just need the plug in you found first or there are free alternatives.
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[wanda]

Thanks. Gonna give the mp4 converter a try. If it doens't work i guess i'll shut me yapper and cough up the 20 bucks. Appreciate the info.

 

[wanda]

Well MP4Converter seems to work but the video seems to loose a lot of its quality when converted to an mp4 or something.

What type of file should it be converted to so i can work with it in iMovie? These are just going to be general home movie type things but i'd still like for them to look halfway decent.

 

[OttawaGuy]

.mpeg2 --->.dv

 

[wanda]

Cool. Thanks. Looks like i'm gonna have to suck it up and buy the plug-in and use streamclip. Mp4converter doesn't have .dv as an option to export to.

 

[jacquestheron]

Panasonic sdr-h18 and ImageMixer problems

Hi there,

I've had so much trouble with the Image Mixer programme... I can't even save the video files onto the desk - they just don't open. I also bought Quicktime Pro, and can't open the Image Mixer files from there... Maybe my programme is faulty?

Any help would be greatly appreciated...

Thanks,
Jacques