DV video quality

"Maybe we get two workflows, one for online, mobileme, AppleTV, Vimeo, YouTube, and a separate workflow for DVD."

YES!

1) if you are going to present DV on any low-rez progressive device, you can use iM as normal.

2) If you are burning to DV) then you need to use the work-around.

Remember, if you want both -- take the "work around" interlace movie and pass through JES. It will do a super quality adaptive de-interlace.

1) Avoid any export from iM that isn't through QT. Avoid all the Share options, etc.

2) Always use JES to de-interlace -- never anything QT.

PS: However, someone should try to Share-to-IDVD a movie with Chapters that they used the "work around" to get the DV edited. It may, or may not work. Please report here!

Steve Mullen wrote:
PS: However, someone should try to Share-to-IDVD a movie with Chapters that they used the "work around" to get the DV edited. It may, or may not work. Please report here!

I know this is slightly off-topic but would kindly explain why the share-to-idvd function should not be used? I still use IM 6 and have done both ways with chapters--share-to and the direct idvd drop method-- and frankly I cannot see any difference in output quality, either on screen (as disk image) or on my TV. Is there a technical reason why this is? And why did that all change with IM 08? Seems I read that the FCE and IM 6 operate in similar fashion in this regard.

Im06 does not work like iM09. You don't have our problem.

Steve, so far I've used the technic you describe in your ebook: Converted the clip (SD DV, PAL) to AIC (progressive) 960 x 540 before importing into iMovie. Then I share it to iTunes (Apple TV). Is that not the preferred method anymore? My main goal is to have quality picture on Apple TV. I also may want to burn a DVD of my video.

obviously . . .that's why I asked the ?

Our thread starter stated the problem in the third post in this thread. Did you read the thread before posting your question?

Onu Marx

Posts: 68
From: Estonia
Registered: Nov 29, 2007
Re: DV video quality
Posted: Jan 27, 2009 10:56 AM in response to: Mike Bisom1
Reply Email

iM08 had 'single-filed processing' for content in DV format, meaning that it used only half of horizontal lines. For me the quality was not acceptable.

Since ATV uses low-rez progressive video -- continue to use 540p from MPEGstreamclip.

But if I also want to share to iDVD? Is your new method (interlaced M-JPEG+magic clip) better for that? So the previous method is better for ATV and the new method better for DVD?

You got it 100%!

The event dates where not changed, so it works ok.
I tried to change the video settings, and it improves the picture but still is different compared with the original.

All in all, we do have a possebility to edit DV in iMovie 09 but i still expect Apple to fix this, because it simply is a bug.

I also tried to export DV material directly in Quicktime and StreamClip with deinterlace option, but never managed to get a usable result. All deinterlaced movies where half of the possible resolution (skipped half of the interlaced frames).

Did somebody manged to convert SD DV material (PAL, NTSC) to full resolution deinterlaced 25/30 frames per second movies. Would be interesting to get this.

Again:
APPLE, WOULD YOU BE SO NICE TO FIX THE OLD OLD BUG IN IMOVIE ???
(If you don't know how, as the guys from the iMovie 06, FCE, FCP teamsm they will prepare some code snippets)

Joerg

JvdL wrote:

Again:
APPLE, WOULD YOU BE SO NICE TO FIX THE OLD OLD BUG IN IMOVIE ???
(If you don't know how, as the guys from the iMovie 06, FCE, FCP teamsm they will prepare some code snippets)

Don't know the likelihood they will fix that, but posting this on the feedback page as well would be good.

http://www.apple.com/feedback/imovie.html

I promise, that i did that:-)
(not only once)

Joerg

Perhaps I'm being slow here, but does this mean that video footage can be imported using IM09 and then edited with IMHD without any quality loss?

The single-field processing does not apply in this workflow example?

Thanks!

Schwa wrote:
... does this mean that video footage can be imported using IM09 and then edited with IMHD without any quality loss?

The single-field processing does not apply in this workflow example?

No single field processing will kick in during importing (neither iM09 nor iMHD).

HDV, AVCHD imported at 1080i size (AIC movies) and DV movies can be used in iMHD without conversion, hence no quality loss. You'll see them importing at no delay when you drag them into iMovieHD project as long as your project setting matches your video format.

Choose the right project type before using them. (HDV 1080i for 1080i footage, and DV or DV widescreen for DV footage.) This enables you to edit AVCHD video in iMHD, in which case you'll be using iM09 as a import tool.
It also means you cannot mix them up in one project without converting the non-conforming footage. 1080i footage will be converted to DV if you want to use it in a DV project, and vice versa. HD movies imported at 960x540 have no matching project setting so they will go through conversion to the project format. Many mpeg4 type movies (h264, mpeg4...) may require conversion as well.

I've done my own research of the issue since I meet with it after watching DVD at home theatre.

Than reading through this subject I've done _additional test with DV_ camera and iMovie HD and iMovie 08 from which I am able to do conclusions below:
1. Quality of imported DV footage is equal for iMovie 08 and iMovie HD (I suppose that 08 and 09 would be the same)
2. Share iDVD in iMovie HD made through DV stream passed to iDVD project (you may check it inside of container of IMHD project
Share iDVD in iMovie 09 made via AIC with their best settings (you can get it inside appropriate container as well)
3. Quality of exported DV streams from iMovie HD with PAL preset and iMovie 08/09 is equal in quality.
For those of you who want to find difference in results produced by iMovie HD and iMovie 08
I've uploaded 5 sec. of fully processed video from capture to export to DV stream respectively
http://rapidshare.com/files/205627416/testdv_-_imovie08.dv.html
MD5: 4F0398BAC99BF1995CC09A95498E8781
http://rapidshare.com/files/205631605/testdv_-_imoviehd.dv.html
MD5: 3E6C9EF57479D8B1404C0E5028AED700

4. I am not able to see mentioned "single field processing" effect since we are working with DV sources only without re-compression to other formats before we pass clip to iDVD.

Previous test related to iMovie 09 and iDVD described here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=9051278#9051278