DV video quality
Can anybody who has iM09 check if DV quality problem that iM08 had has been been fixed now?
Macbook, Mac OS X (10.5.6)
What was the problem?
Mike
Mike
240 replies
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.
DV already in my event library exports the same as IM08 did, I haven't had chance to import any new DV events into IM09, but I can't see it making any difference.
That's bad news. Have you tried the new 'send to iDVD' feature? Is this providing the same low quality?
The send to iDVD function gave me a full fat 15gb iDVD project file from an 80 movie - this should look superb when its burn to a DVD (fingers crossed)
Not sure if I have the same problem but I think so. I have imported DV material into IMovie and then to iDVD but the quality of the finished product is very poor. When I have imported HD quality material I have no problems with the finished quality. I think I have the same problem you are mentioning and I am not sure if you got a solution??? Also, I just got ILife '09 but not sure if that will fix it?? Any insight would be greatly appreciated!
I did a compare one day using the same clip burned to DVD from iMovie 06 and from iMovie '08.
The iMovie 06 clip looked like it came from the DV camera directly and the iMovie 08 clip looked much worse. The difference is the single field processing used by iMovie 08 and the fact that it throws out every other horizontal line.
If your primary workflow is editing DV clips and making DVDs, iMovie '06 is better suited. Your movie will arrive at iDVD in DV format, which is an ideal match for making a DVD: same resolution, same pixels aspect ratio, and original quality. If you share your movie from iMovie '08, it gets re-rendered at 640x480 or less, and then iDVD upscales it back to 720x480. The end result is obviously not as good.
iMovie 06 and iDVD 08 is a terrific combination.
The Web site below has a good comparison of Apple video products.
http://www.geethree.com/slick/imovie8.html
The iMovie 06 clip looked like it came from the DV camera directly and the iMovie 08 clip looked much worse. The difference is the single field processing used by iMovie 08 and the fact that it throws out every other horizontal line.
If your primary workflow is editing DV clips and making DVDs, iMovie '06 is better suited. Your movie will arrive at iDVD in DV format, which is an ideal match for making a DVD: same resolution, same pixels aspect ratio, and original quality. If you share your movie from iMovie '08, it gets re-rendered at 640x480 or less, and then iDVD upscales it back to 720x480. The end result is obviously not as good.
iMovie 06 and iDVD 08 is a terrific combination.
The Web site below has a good comparison of Apple video products.
http://www.geethree.com/slick/imovie8.html
It has the same problem on importing a DV-Clip like iM08.
Export high quality clips in DV is ok.
But if I import a DV-Clip I get a poor quality (only every second line?) in iM09. I can see the loss of quality in the preview-window of iM09 and its not getting better if I export the clip again.
Export high quality clips in DV is ok.
But if I import a DV-Clip I get a poor quality (only every second line?) in iM09. I can see the loss of quality in the preview-window of iM09 and its not getting better if I export the clip again.
Have you tried also the send to iDVD function? I read from somewhere that if content is in DV then iM09 will also create interim file in DV format. Would be interesting to know whether it will lose one field also then.
Unfortunately iM08 is still not available in my country, so can't try myself.
Unfortunately iM08 is still not available in my country, so can't try myself.
It doesn't matter in which format you export the movie because iM09 (and iM08) looses one field during the import of DV-material. So there is no chance to get this filminformation back.
I also have problems exporting a high quality movie directly to iDVD but I can solve this by using the "Export with QuickTime"-Menu and choosing DV.
So for me iM09 is a no go, because all my footage is in DV and I can't import it in iM09 without loosing half of the film information.
I also have problems exporting a high quality movie directly to iDVD but I can solve this by using the "Export with QuickTime"-Menu and choosing DV.
So for me iM09 is a no go, because all my footage is in DV and I can't import it in iM09 without loosing half of the film information.
Who told you this? You lose nothing when importing DV.
Any change would happen on export.
Any change would happen on export.
OK - I've finished doing my testing and here's the results.
I imported some DV footage using iMovie HD and iMovie 09 and then exported each to iDVD. I then made a test DVD from each. There's a clear difference between the two.
The footage from iMovie HD is significantly better than from iMovie 09. Both movies were made with the same settings and both were shared to iDVD.
So I guess whatever the changes there are with the codecs used effects the quality of the final production.
I'm a little bit disappointed as iMovie 09 looked so promising but I'm afraid this is a show stopper. I will be sending this feedback to Apple.
I imported some DV footage using iMovie HD and iMovie 09 and then exported each to iDVD. I then made a test DVD from each. There's a clear difference between the two.
The footage from iMovie HD is significantly better than from iMovie 09. Both movies were made with the same settings and both were shared to iDVD.
So I guess whatever the changes there are with the codecs used effects the quality of the final production.
I'm a little bit disappointed as iMovie 09 looked so promising but I'm afraid this is a show stopper. I will be sending this feedback to Apple.
"... and both were shared to iDVD."
You used the new iM09 SHARE TO IDVD?
Can you check the actual file that was shared from iM09? Is it DV, AIC, or MP4? What resolution?
In the QT player, when you view the file, what happens if: you click High Quality on/off? If you click Single-field on/off?
Now try a different way to iDVD. Using QT EXPORT, export as NTSC DV.
In the QT player, when you view the file, what happens if: you click High Quality on/off? If you click Single-field on/off?
Create a NEW iDVD Project and IMPORT the file you exported. How does this look?
You used the new iM09 SHARE TO IDVD?
Can you check the actual file that was shared from iM09? Is it DV, AIC, or MP4? What resolution?
In the QT player, when you view the file, what happens if: you click High Quality on/off? If you click Single-field on/off?
Now try a different way to iDVD. Using QT EXPORT, export as NTSC DV.
In the QT player, when you view the file, what happens if: you click High Quality on/off? If you click Single-field on/off?
Create a NEW iDVD Project and IMPORT the file you exported. How does this look?
I checked mine. (An idvd made from DV source)
The file passed to iDVD was DV at 720x480
One test was right off the camera (interlaced)
A second test was deinterlaced prior to import into iMovie via MPEG Streamclip.
The file passed to iDVD was DV at 720x480
One test was right off the camera (interlaced)
A second test was deinterlaced prior to import into iMovie via MPEG Streamclip.
This is odd.
The source video in the event was 720x480 (640x480)
The iMovie Project was in 4:3
The dv video created by iMovie was 720x480 (853x480)
The source video in the event was 720x480 (640x480)
The iMovie Project was in 4:3
The dv video created by iMovie was 720x480 (853x480)
DV video quality