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User profile for user: THEBRIANS
THEBRIANS Author
User level: Level 1
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Choppy "Projects" in iMovie

I'm running Mac OS Mojave 10.14.6. I have downloaded many video clips from my Sony HDR-SR11 video camera with good results. I have then dragged the "clips" from the "Media" to create "Projects". All worked well. However, for quite a while now, when I view any "Project", the video is "choppy". However, when I run a viewing of the "Media" from which the "Project" was made, the video is fine and runs smoothly. I have called Apple support numerous times and been given a number of possibilities to try to correct the problem. To date, none have worked. I want to download the latest OS (Big Sur?) but I'm afraid I might inadvertently damage or eliminate my iMovie videos. Additionally, I want to make "Projects" of all my videos and put them on flash drives and/or DVD's. I then want to put the completed videos in the "cloud" so I can view them on my iPad without having to bring flash drives or other external devices when I visit friends. Most of my videos are personal family videos of international visits with my son. They are extremely important to me and I want to be able to make copies of all for safety. I'm 76 years old. In the absence of an 8 year old child to guide me through this technological maze, I'm struggling. Any advice would be greatly appreciated...

iMac 27″, macOS 10.14

Posted on Jan 19, 2021 9:13 AM

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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
47,670 points

Posted on Jan 19, 2021 11:44 AM

If you are considering upgrading your OS to Catalina or Big Sur, you should first read this link:


https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT209029


Big Sur and Catalina will disable use of any 32 bit apps that you might have on your computer. And some legacy media will not play in iMovie. For now I am running Mojave 10.14.6 like you are, and plan to stay with that for the time being. I have some 32 bit apps that I need to use.


I don't know what suggestions that Apple Support gave you about the choppy playback in iMovie. It may well be that your exported final project will not be choppy, even though the playback in iMovie is choppy. Do a test and export one of the clips to see how well it plays back in the final product.


A possibility is that you are running low on app space on your internal drive and that is causing iMovie to run inefficiently. From the Finder menu click on Apple Logo/About this Mac/Storage and see how much space you have.


It also could be that the frame rate of your clips is much lower than the frame rate of your project. Playing slower frame rate clips at a higher frame rate can give you choppiness. The project frame rate is set at the frame rate of the very first video clip (not photo) inserted into a newly created project. So, create a new project and insert one of your imported clips into it as the first clip. That will insure that the project frame rate is set to the frame rate of your clips. Then see if the playback is smoother.


Finally, try deleting preferences and see if that cures the choppy playback. Open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects.  Deleting preferences is a safe procedure that will not cause data loss or disruption to your project.


There are other diagnostic procedures that you can do, but let's see if any of the above adequately addresses the issue.


-- Rich



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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
47,670 points

Jan 19, 2021 11:44 AM in response to THEBRIANS

If you are considering upgrading your OS to Catalina or Big Sur, you should first read this link:


https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT209029


Big Sur and Catalina will disable use of any 32 bit apps that you might have on your computer. And some legacy media will not play in iMovie. For now I am running Mojave 10.14.6 like you are, and plan to stay with that for the time being. I have some 32 bit apps that I need to use.


I don't know what suggestions that Apple Support gave you about the choppy playback in iMovie. It may well be that your exported final project will not be choppy, even though the playback in iMovie is choppy. Do a test and export one of the clips to see how well it plays back in the final product.


A possibility is that you are running low on app space on your internal drive and that is causing iMovie to run inefficiently. From the Finder menu click on Apple Logo/About this Mac/Storage and see how much space you have.


It also could be that the frame rate of your clips is much lower than the frame rate of your project. Playing slower frame rate clips at a higher frame rate can give you choppiness. The project frame rate is set at the frame rate of the very first video clip (not photo) inserted into a newly created project. So, create a new project and insert one of your imported clips into it as the first clip. That will insure that the project frame rate is set to the frame rate of your clips. Then see if the playback is smoother.


Finally, try deleting preferences and see if that cures the choppy playback. Open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects.  Deleting preferences is a safe procedure that will not cause data loss or disruption to your project.


There are other diagnostic procedures that you can do, but let's see if any of the above adequately addresses the issue.


-- Rich



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Choppy "Projects" in iMovie

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