After posting my iMovie ’09 HD guide, I got a lot of questions, which I replied to in the comments. Here is a summary of all the points I covered:
- My camera shoots in 720p, or 1080p. Do I need to jump through hoops to use it with iMovie?
No. Just import as “Full” size and use iMovie’s own export functions. If you want greater than 720p output, use the “Export using QuickTime” option and choose “1920 x 1080 HD”, H.264, 16200K (ish), and AAC 128K audio. - Can I deinterlace the source video and then re-import it in order to use iMovie’s image stabilisation?
Yes, you can. However, if you’re happy with 720p output, then this is no longer necessary thanks to iMovie’s new 720p export mode. - Can I use the “Export” function of JES to skip encoding with QuickTime afterwards?
Yes, you can. Bear in mind that if you want to encode to two different sizes then you will end up deinterlacing it twice and this will take longer. - Can I encode to 50(PAL)/60(NTSC) frames a second output?
Yes, select “Both Fields” in JES. Be aware that such video isn’t compatible with YouTube, Vimeo etc, and that 1080p50/60 video doesn’t play properly on many computers, as the bitrate is too high. 720p50/60 is fine. - What camera should I buy?
I prefer Sony cameras, but brand is a matter of taste. Make sure it shoots in AVCHD format. If you want 50/60fps output you’ll want a 1080i camera. If you want to avoid the entire interlacing issue and are happy with 25/30fps output (the normal rate), try a 720p or even 1080p camera.If you live in the UK and buy your camera from Amazon using this link
, then Amazon will give me a few pounds. Thank you very much.
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You recommend AVCHD camcorders, but what do you think of the new Sanyo camcorders that shoot in 1080p 60 frames per second (progressive)? Is there any information regarding what iMovie ’09 can do with the files created by this camera?
My compliments for your tutorial, great stuff!
Being relatively new, I could you your expert view on how to use my Canon HF200. It allows both 50i and 25p. What would you recommend to follow for best quality of quick movements (I guess 50i + all steps in tutorial)? Could describe the key differences?
Please excuse my ignorance re:video, it is genuine. My camcorder Panasonic HDC-SD100, records producing a AVCHD file. I understand now that this file shot at 1080 is an interlaced file. If I choose a lower resolution setting, is the signal still interlaced and do I still have all the problems of deinterlacing and will the finished product be burnable on standard DVDs?
Hi David,
I ran through your tutorial and can see a quality improvement. Last question is regarding sending the completed mp4 file to DVD. I get that HD is mainly for computers and blu-ray. But now that I have a completed MP4, i want to burn it to a DVD. Should I just open iDVD and drag the file into the area to burn the movie? Or do I drag the completed MP4 into iMovie and then share to iDVD? If it is put back into iMovie then sent to iDVD via the “share” button, am I defeating all the work I just did? Finally, my TV says it can take 1080i, 720p, etc and has a 720p processor. Am I wasting my time to convert to 1080p? Thanks for the tutorial.
You can indeed just drag the mp4 into iDVD. But don’t drag it back into iMovie and do “Share” – there’s no point. You can, however, do “Share” from the original iMovie project. That will work fine.
And yes, you are wasting your time with 1080p, your TV will downscale it to 720p anyway.
I’m afraid have no idea whether they’ll work or not.
For quick movements, progressive is always better than interlaced. Shoot in 25p, and then ignore the tutorial. Deinterlacing is always a hack – and will reduce the quality of your video.
Please excuse my ignorance re:video, it is genuine. My camcorder Panasonic HDC-SD100, records producing a AVCHD file. I understand now that this file shot at 1080 is an interlaced file. If I choose a lower resolution setting, is the signal still interlaced and do I still have all the problems of deinterlacing and will the finished product be burnable on standard DVDs?
The simple answer to this is don’t choose a lower resolution. 1080i is the size you want.