imovie hd imports much darker than original

John,

Very good points, thanks.

I created a DVD from iMovie using both the Sony & Panasonic video, shot in the same bright interior lighting (wedding) at the same time.

The DVD was better than the screen images, but the Panasonic PVGS150 images were darker, less true in color, than the Sony images. Another comment in this forum said single CCD (the older Sony) might produce better low light images than the 3-CCD (Panasonic PVGS150). This seems illogical, or certainly disappointing.

I've contacted Panasonic and they promise to "get back to me" soon......

Mark

Yes the Pioneer (Model DVR-310) has a Firewire connection that allows INPUT and OUTPUT. Many DVD recorders only have Firewire IN for purposes of recording directly from camcorders. iMovie actually recognises the Pioneer as if it was a camera (even says "camera connected"). I transfer all my iMovie projects to DVD by this method, as I don't have a superdrive in the iMac and can't load iDVD to it (comes on DVDs).

John

My Panasonic PVGS150 imports movies MUCH DARKER than the replay on the viewer

Don't forget that the brightness of the camera viewer is adjustable. Perhaps it is set to play the image brighter than it actually is.

Karl

Another comment in this forum said single CCD (the older Sony) might produce better low light images than the 3-CCD (Panasonic PVGS150). This seems illogical, or certainly disappointing.

Claude - You probably saw a comment to that effect in my earlier post in this thread (Post 4.1). I purchase a camcorder magazine every month (Australian Video Camera) and I've often seen reports in camera reviews that indicate single CCD cameras perform better in low light conditions than 3 CCD cameras. However, my understanding is that the gap is narrowing with present technology. Certainly, from my reading, the 3 CCD cameras produce better results than single CCDs in "normal" lighting.

Thanks for posting back Claude.

John

Irene,
I have a friend who is converting VHS video of my old home movies to DVDs for me.
Is it possible to export the movies on the DVDs from my DVD player into iMovie?
Or even better: can I just put the DVD into my iMac and export it from the desktop to iMovie?
I am just starting to use iMovie for the first time.
Thanks for your help.
David

I have used this Pioneer model in the past with very good results. I have the Phillips DVD recorder 77 model. Although it recognises the firewire signal from imovie there is digital artifacts over rhe picture. So hold onto that Pioneer . the next model 320 doesn't have firewire.
So is the Pioneer firewire output mpg2? Have you been to import from the Pioneer to imovie?
Mark

Mark

Technically speaking, I don't know whether the Pioneer firewire output is MPEG-2 (the DVD standard), but I can report that I have successfully imported video from the PIoneer to iMovie via firewire. All I know is that somehow between the DVD recorder and iMovie, the signal is converted to DV - simply and easily and requiring no additional software (how good is that!).

Unfortunately, I haven't been able to import to iMovie HD (5.0.2), but it always works with iMovie 4.0.1. I think from memory that version 5 reports "camera no tape" (or similar) and you can't get past that bottleneck, given that the DVD recorder is not a camera, as such. So, I do my importing with version 4.0.1 then use 5.0.2 for editing.

Bear in mind that this import process won't work with commercial DVDs that are copy protected, but is handy if you ever want to bring your own projects back into iMovie where the only source is DVD and no edited master tape is available.

Also, be aware that you will suffer some quality loss using the described method - it's always best to re-import from DV tape (or hard drive or data DVD backups), if available. The conversion from MPEG-2 to DV then back to MPEG-2 on encoding to a new DVD, will result in some loss of quality - but this is probably not that perceptible.

John

I don't know whether the Pioneer firewire output is MPEG-2 (the DVD standard), but I can report that I have successfully imported video from the PIoneer to iMovie via firewire.

I say the Pioneer converts to DV before sending out the movie via Firewire. (Because iMovie won't accept MPEG-2, only DV).

Thanks Lennart - thought that might be the case, but didn't have enough confidence in my technical knowledge to offer an opinion! Logically, the Pioneer would have to do the conversion first, as you say.

john

The output from the Pioneer would be mpg2 of some sort. I will hazard a guess that imovie or quicktime is converting to DV stream on the fly as you import, like importimg analogue footage from a video cassette via a mini DV camera. I have tried mac the ripper program with very good results, also the Sreamclip program worked well.
I was able to get imovie 5 to import extrnl footage by putting a tape in the camera. But as usual with imovie 5- not every time.
Mark

The output from the Pioneer would be mpg2 of some sort.

No, it's definitely DV. If you read the specs, you would see that the Pioneer connects to DV camcorders through Firewire. DV camcorders does NOT have any mpeg-2 support, as you probably know.

"No, it's definitely DV. If you read the specs, you would see that the Pioneer connects to DV camcorders through Firewire. DV camcorders does NOT have any mpeg-2 support, as you probably know."

Lennart,
The Pioneer has DV input. Are you saying the Pioneer converts MPG2 to DV output via firewire? How do you know it's DV & not MPG2?
Mark

Are you saying the Pioneer converts MPG2 to DV output via firewire?

Yes, for the third time.

How do you know it's DV & not MPG2?

For instance this page:
http://www.pioneeraus.com.au/home_entertainment/dvdplayersandrecorders/dvr310/
"i.Link (IEEE1394) DV Terminal IN / OUT"

I'm a bit thick ,probably too much beach & sun....

Yes,I've visited this page looking for where it says-"i.Link (IEEE1394) DV Terminal IN / OUT IN / OUT " But where does it say it's DV stream output?
Mark

Mark

Logically, the Pioneer MUST be converting the signal to DV. The firewire cable can't do that (it's just a cable). And iMovie certainly isn't doing the conversion - as Lennart said a while back, iMovie only accepts DV. Isn't it all a bit academic - the main point is that the transfer to iMovie can be achieved in this way.

John