iMovie 10.3.3 will not create a 4k movie project

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Level 1

9 points

iMovie 10.3.3 will not create a 4k movie project

I'm starting with a 4K clip. Mediainfo and Quicktime both say that it's 4K. If I create a Trailer in iMovie, create a new event, import my 4K clip into that new event and pull one clip to the Storyboard from my event then share to a file then 4K is an option and it in fact does create a 4K video file. If I create a new movie then drag that same clip from the same event to the timeline the project settings still say 1080P and share to a file will only allow me to create a movie up to 1080P. It does not offer 4K as an output option. So it appears that iMovie does NOT set the project resolution for a movie based on the first clip added to the timeline. It looks like it's simply stuck at 1080P. Yes I have deleted iMovie preferences and that doesn't help.

Posted on May 25, 2022 11:41 PM

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Answer 1

Cyberhugger Author

Level 1

9 points

May 26, 2022 10:35 AM in response to Rich839

As stated in my original post, the clip is a 4K clip according to Mediainfo and Quicktime, I did try deleting preferences multiple times and in every test I did start with a new movie project. It does not appear to matter what I do, iMove insists on only creating a 1080P movie file.

I did the following this morning:

Exported the clip directly from the library. The export did offer 4K as an option and the resulting export was in fact 4K.
Deleted preferences then immediately closed iMovie.
Deleted preferences then immediately closed iMovie.
Deleted preferences then immediately closed iMovie.
Shutdown the Mac. (Not a reboot. I shut it down completely).
Powered up the Mac.
Deleted preferences then immediately closed iMovie.
Started up iMovie.
Created a new movie project.
Selected the event that includes my 4K clip.
Dropped the 4K clip into the timeline.
Shared to a file but it still only offers 1080 as the highest resolution. 4K is not offered.
Closed the project.
Created a new movie project.
Created a new event.
Imported the 4K video file that iMove created when I exported the clip directly from the library.
Dropped the 4K clip into the timeline.
Shared to a file but it still only offers 1080 as the highest resolution. 4K is not offered.

Everything tells me that these are 4K video files including iMovie if I export them directly from the library. The only place where they are treated as 1080 is when I drop it into an iMovie project timeline. iMovie even treats it as 4K when I include it in a trailer project so it's not like iMovie can tell that it's 4K.

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Answer 2

Cyberhugger Author

Level 1

9 points

May 25, 2022 11:52 PM in response to Cyberhugger

Here is the Mediainfo analysis of my source video clip.

General
Complete name                            : /Users/rick/Recordings/Conversion work folder/20220521131538_000001A.mov
Format                                   : MPEG-4
Format profile                           : QuickTime
Codec ID                                 : qt   0000.00 (qt  )
File size                                : 515 MiB
Duration                                 : 5 min 0 s
Overall bit rate mode                    : Variable
Overall bit rate                         : 14.4 Mb/s
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:28
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:43
Writing library                          : Apple QuickTime

Video
ID                                       : 2
Format                                   : HEVC
Format/Info                              : High Efficiency Video Coding
Format profile                           : Main@L5@High
Codec ID                                 : hvc1
Codec ID/Info                            : High Efficiency Video Coding
Duration                                 : 5 min 0 s
Bit rate                                 : 14.3 Mb/s
Width                                    : 2 560 pixels
Height                                   : 1 440 pixels
Display aspect ratio                     : 16:9
Frame rate mode                          : Constant
Frame rate                               : 30.000 FPS
Color space                              : YUV
Chroma subsampling                       : 4:2:0
Bit depth                                : 8 bits
Scan type                                : Progressive
Bits/(Pixel*Frame)                       : 0.130
Stream size                              : 513 MiB (100%)
Title                                    : Core Media Video
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:28
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:43
Color range                              : Full
Color primaries                          : BT.709
Transfer characteristics                 : BT.709
Matrix coefficients                      : BT.709
Codec configuration box                  : hvcC

Audio
ID                                       : 1
Format                                   : AAC LC
Format/Info                              : Advanced Audio Codec Low Complexity
Codec ID                                 : mp4a-40-2
Duration                                 : 4 min 59 s
Source duration                          : 4 min 59 s
Bit rate mode                            : Variable
Bit rate                                 : 64.0 kb/s
Channel(s)                               : 1 channel
Channel layout                           : C
Sampling rate                            : 16.0 kHz
Frame rate                               : 15.625 FPS (1024 SPF)
Compression mode                         : Lossy
Stream size                              : 2.29 MiB (0%)
Source stream size                       : 2.29 MiB (0%)
Title                                    : Core Media Audio
Encoded date                             : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:28
Tagged date                              : UTC 2022-05-26 06:24:43

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Answer 3

Rich839

Level 8

47,688 points

May 26, 2022 8:36 AM in response to Cyberhugger

To cover the bases, to set a project at 4k, one must place a known 4k clip as the very first clip placed into a newly created project. It won't work with an old project in which the clips had previously been deleted.

To experiment, try exporting your 4k clip from the media browser, rather than the timeline. If it's working correctly, you should get a 4k exported movie.

in any event, try restarting your computer and doing the delete preferences procedure again. Sometimes it works the second time. As you know, open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select to delete preferences from the dialogue box that appears.

-- Rich

EDITED BY POSTER

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Answer 4

Rich839

Level 8

47,688 points

May 26, 2022 10:50 AM in response to Cyberhugger

Hmmmm. That is puzzling.

See if re-downloading iMovie from your purchases list in your App store account cures it.

Another thing you can try is to use the free download, Handbrake, to re-encode the 4k clip to H.264, Mp4/AAC, thus eliminating the HEVC format and perhaps eliminating any other format issues that may exist.

You can get Handbrake here:

https://handbrake.fr/

A simple way to do it is to open Handbrake and do a File/Open Source. Navigate to your video and choose it as the source from the resulting screen. Then do File/Start Encoding. Wait a couple of minutes for the conversion to complete. Then save and import the converted clip into iMovie.

-- Rich

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