DV video quality

If you click on his name you will find his email, web site and all his posts. The book isn't quite ready yet because of the latest update. Here is the web site though. I don't think he can promote it on this site, but i think i can. There are a bunch of people gladly waiting for it!

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

KBeat, I noticed you have a Canon HV20. I just got an HV30. Do you suggest using iM06 or iM09 for this camera? I am VERY into quality as the 06 seems to have but also like all the bells and whistles of 09. Any suggestions? Thanks!

Hi Mark,

I use iMovie '09. I don't actually use iMovie '06 any longer. More often than not my videos are destined to be shared via MobileMe galleries, YouTube, or the TV. In all three cases, importing anything higher than the "Large" setting doesn't net any appreciable quality gain, and at the "Large" setting on HDV footage none of these issues apply.

If you have the same intended usage, and unless you're going to do 1080p exports, I'd suggest staying with "Large." The space savings are huge and it's much easier to work with in terms of system horsepower. Tapes are so cheap, a couple of bucks in bulk, that you can literally save them for as long as you'd like, and go back later to reimport at "Full" should your needs change. It's one of the reasons I still prefer working with tape.

For the projects that will require something more, I tend to use Final Cut Express. However, I actually find myself using iMovie '09 to to do the rough cut more and more frequently. I find I can turn footage into something coherent much more quickly using iMovie '08/'09 than using a NLE (iMovie '06, Final Cut). I then export the project to FCE and do the final editing.

FWIW, you've got a 30p option on the HV30 that I don't have on my HV20. From Steve's tests, using that 30p option when filming will eliminate any quality issues you could have with iMovie '09 no matter what size you import or what you do to the footage (scaling, stabilization, etc.).

That's a great camera btw. No matter what you use to edit your footage you're going to love the camera!

Thank you!!!

" The book isn't quite ready yet because of the latest update. Here is the web site though. I don't think he can promote it on this site, but i think i can. There are a bunch of people gladly waiting for it!

http://www.mindspring.com/~d-v-c

Thank you -- you guessed right. Apple's update came just when I was ready to publish. 🙂

But, it's now available as of Saturday April 11th.

Where is it? I went to the site, but I didn't see the option to buy the book.

Emptying cache took care of that problem...

Message was edited by: gestone

Mark Ritter wrote:
KBeat, I noticed you have a Canon HV20. I just got an HV30. Do you suggest using iM06 or iM09 for this camera? I am VERY into quality as the 06 seems to have but also like all the bells and whistles of 09. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I, too, have the HV30 and find the forums website for it Fantastic! http://www.hv20.com
Sometimes a little gruff for newcomers, so do a lot of searching and reading before posting.
Have used IM 06, 08, 09, and FCE4. So far, have found IM 09 the easiest and quickest to use.

Good luck, Deborah

I read through this post and I am confused... I am getting ready to redo my DV imports and I am trying to figure out what is the best work flow. My goal is to keep the raw DV footage on a 1TB external drive and use iMovie09 to import and edit. My camera is a Canon Optura 40, which is a miniDV with firewire. Once all the raw DV is on the external drive, I want to compile some movies to be played on an v2 AppleTV.

So what is the best way to go about doing the import and exporting so I don't waste quality?

s.m.t. wrote:
So what is the best way to go about doing the import and exporting so I don't waste quality?

In general there is alternative:
1st - to use guideline by Steven with iM09 and Mpeg Streamclip
2nd - to use my workflow with im09 and FCE
Both of them described in this topic.

I prefer mine, as I can fine tune exported video with tools of FCE in the same time having simplicity of im09 with story telling.

I'm wondering if folks are avoiding FCE because of cost or a concern it is too complicated? I can't do anything about cost, but as sure can write a simple guide to FCE that uses iM06 wonderful event database. In other words, if cost isn't the obstacle -- there's no reason not use both together as you suggest.

OK -- there are a couple of reasons -- the neat tie between iTunes and iM and the neat tie between iPhoto and iM. Are folks really willing to give these up?

Apple really has us between a rock and a hard place. I'm totally open to helping folks learn to use FCE if they really are willing to spend the money AND give-up things like the Ken Burns FX.

Please provide feedback on what you guys and gals want.

Steve,

I think you hit the nail on the head. I have both on my computer. FCE isn't difficult to use if you've got experience with an NLE like iMovie HD. However, in large part because of the really nice integration between iMovie '09, iTunes, TV, MobileMe, and all the "i" apps for that matter, more often than not I do my projects in iMovie.

I know with Quicktime exports I can ultimately achieve the same thing with FCE, but it's extra time and work when I've already got a backlog of footage I'd like to edit.

YES YES And YES. Its not about the money. To me I love the events, simplicity and themes of imovie. If i can figure out -- just a few steps in FCE to get me into it without feeling like an idiot and getting told i can't since Apple doesn't support USB-which i now know is not true. Granted not ideal, but not impossible to use a USB Drive as a scratch disk. I have spoken to people who have.

I personally only care about HD. Here are three reasons why i don't care about losing tight integration with ilife.

1. AppleTV doesn't do HD
2. AppleTV doesn't do HD
3. AppleTV doesn't do HD

OK got that out of my system. Honestly, I am interested. I love the events and library in 09. The one thing i hated about imovie6 was the lack of ease across multiple imported movies. The only way to get that would have been to sit and watch and stop tape, or export to DV after the fact and then re-import. Because of non-destructive editing--you could not cut and paste say 30 seconds of a favorite clip without taking 6 gigs with you! Now with events..it's snap! FCE will send me back to that scenario. (i think)

I just don't seem to be able to get a quality HD experience from imovie. Even following step by step--Its not the same as the output from the camera. I want to be able to get much closer than I am today. The only thing I would miss by editing in imovie is themes! I love the film strip and book. Yes, maybe some will think they are tacky, but I love them.

Another reason to export in FCE is -- as far as i can tell-- easier in FCE to get the same output from the camera in much less time!-- According to users, you just export quicktime movie vs quicktime compression. As far as i can see, imovie doesn't do that....However, I have no idea if an exported movie will be playable on the WDMP or do i then have to burn to blu ray. What ever i need to do-- i will do.

I would second a book. I would pay for one on one sessions...but you live in vegas and i'm in Toronto. If i can really start to enjoy this, I might invest in a mac pro, but right now i can't justify it because whatever i do, the output looks like DV. I just love my little macbook. I through it in my bag and off i go!

Sheryl Kingstone wrote:
1. AppleTV doesn't do HD

This will be pointless, but nonetheless I'll give it a go....

I know the Sony marketing people, with Blu-Ray players to sell, have now convinced a large portion of the population that the only "True HD" or "Full HD" or whatever HD they're calling it now is 1080p. But, as millions of Plasma and LCD owners of sets 50" or smaller can attest, 720p and 1080i are HD as well.

On sets smaller than 50", the HD content on an TV looks great. The movie rentals look better than HD content you'll get from cable or satellite. And yes, while it's got problems, most people agree that the HD content from Dish, DirectTV, and cable is far superior to SD. Sure, on larger sets (or computer displays when you're only a few inches from the screen) you'll notice a drop off from 1080p, and the compression artifacts will become very noticeable, but the TV does do HD. It won't do 1080p, or even 720p/30, but 1280 x 720 at 24 fps is still HD for many sets.

+Independent test after independent test have shown that on sets 50" or smaller, at typical television viewing distances (8 ft or more), very few people can tell the difference between 720p and 1080p.+

But I digress...

Anyway, FCE is great!

Steve, I have both iM and FCE. I would really like to become proficient with FCE, and I'm willing to put the effort into doing so. It's not a cost issue. Also, iM seems to be more frustrating to work with these days. I'd rather work out that frustration learning to work with FCE on a much better level.