Convert Legacy DV (.mov) File to MP4 or Other Stable Format

More detailed MPEG Streamclip export options:

In MPEG Streamclip I use PAL (25fps, 720x576 rectangular pixel .dv, commonly 768x576 square pixel 4:3 mp4) but those MPEG Streamclip presets should pick the correct values for NTSC (29.97fps, 720x480 rectangular pixels, commonly 640x480 square pixel 4:3 mp4) as well as 16:9 square pixel mp4 (PAL 1024x576, NTSC 854x480).

MPEG Streamclip > File > Export to MPEG-4... > iTunes... > Apple TV 4:3 (SD) (or Apple TV 16:9 (SD) if you have widescreen project -- I guess you didn't have HD projects?).

Then choose "Deinterlace Video" (if you are 100% sure that there are NO interlaced clips, you might leave that setting off and deselect "Interlaced Scaling". But usually some clips are interlaced and you want to deinterlace them because otherwise you get awful "comb lines" with moving objects on a computer monitor).

I have found that preset's 5 Mbps Data Rate a good compromise between quality and file size (higher bitrates only bloat the file size with practically no gain in quality).

Then just click "Make MP4". The output is H.264 with the original frame rate and audio sampling (48 kHz audio recommended although some iMovie versions erroneously set it to 32 kHz).

While you are at it, I'd suggest putting the date to the filename with a format like YYYY-MM-DD hh.mm.ss.mp4 or YYYY-MMDD-hhmm-ss.mp4 (my naming scheme for all images and movies).

MPEG Streamclip has also an option for batch (List > Batch List) if you have many small files that can have the same settings.

You can then use GraphicConverter or exiftool to set the movie dates so Photos.app etc sort them correctly.

Where does the .mov come from? How large is it? Is it a tiny iMovie reference movie by chance? Or iMovie project "package"?

The old iMovie 4-6 made a reference .mov from its project to the iMovie_project_folder (later a "package" that could be opened via right-clicking) > Cache > Timeline Movie.mov (a similar reference .mov might also be at > Shared Movies > iDVD and > GarageBand folder). The actual source .dv clips are at > Media.

If you try to open such iMovie reference .mov with VLC, it reports an error "Codec not supported. VLC could not decode the format "dvau" (DV Audio)". Handbrake has an error "No Valid Source Found". New QuickTime Player 10 can not open it either.

The old QuickTime Player 7 Pro can open and export such iMovie reference .mov but new licenses for it are no longer sold.

But you can use that reference .mov as an input for MPEG Streamclip if you want to export the edited movie. But that needs the original .dv clips inside the Media folder.

Ask for details if that is the case.

Help with old DV MOVs (QT) that need to b… - Apple Community

Playing Quicktime 7 movie in Catalina - Apple Community

Yet another option is to export the old edited iMovie project as a single .dv (that is lossless) and then use a more modern app like Final Cut Pro or Compressor to export it as H.265. I use ffmpeg for that (somewhat better quality compared to MPEG Streamclip):

.dv to .mp4 H.265 (bob deinterlace to double frame rate, scale and crop rectangular pixels to square pixels, H.265, AAC):

4:3 PAL 720x576 .dv to 768x576 .mp4:

ffmpeg -i input.dv -vf bwdif=1,scale=788:576,crop=768:576:10:0,setsar=sar=1/1 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -preset medium -timecode 00:00:00:00 -tag:v hvc1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

16:9 PAL 720x576 .dv to 1920x1080 .mp4:

ffmpeg -i input.dv -vf bwdif=1,scale=1969:1080,crop=1920:1080:24:0,setsar=sar=1/1 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -preset medium -timecode 00:00:00:00 -tag:v hvc1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

4:3 NTSC 720x480 .dv to 640x480 .mp4:

ffmpeg -i input.dv -vf bwdif=1,scale=648:480,crop=640:480:4:0,setsar=sar=1/1 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -preset medium -timecode '00:00:00;00' -tag:v hvc1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

16:9 NTSC .dv to 1920x1080 .mp4:

ffmpeg -i input.dv -vf bwdif=1,scale=1945:1080,crop=1920:1080:12:0,setsar=sar=1/1 -c:v libx265 -crf 28 -preset medium -timecode '00:00:00;00' -tag:v hvc1 -c:a aac -b:a 128k output.mp4

ffmpeg H.265 quality defaults are '-crf 28 -preset medium'. I usually set them to '-crf 18 -preset slow' for slightly better quality for "difficult" poorly lighted scenes, with larger file size and slower processing. But the defaults are a good starting point. If there are many clips, it is possible to make a batch and let it run automatically.

Some options:

a) The old QuickTime Player 7 Pro can open and export such iMovie reference .mov but new licenses for it are no longer sold.

b) You can use that reference .mov as an input for MPEG Streamclip if you want to export the edited movie (in Mojave or preferably earlier). That needs the original .dv clips inside the Media folder. MPEG Streamclip has not been updated in ages and v1.9.3b8 from 2012 is the last version. macOS 10.14.6 Mojave is the last supported system, and it works also via VMware in macOS like El Capitan or Mojave if you can download it from Apple. It has some cosmetic display artifacts on newer macOS that can be fixed to some degree by Finder > File > Get Info > Open in Low Resolution. Use some Apple TV preset as a start from File > Export to MPEG-4... > iTunes... > Apple TV 4:3 or 16:9 (SD or HD), deselect "Interlaced Scaling" and modify "Frame Size", "Data Rate" etc if needed.

c) Or one-by-one use the source .dv media clips as an input for a new project you must then edit in new iMovie, Final Cut Pro etc.

d) Use iMovie HD 6.0.3 (in Mojave or preferably earlier) to open the old edited project and export it as a single .dv clip (for more modern apps) or to some .mov format. iLife 06 installer doesn't run on OS X 10.7 or later because it is a PowerPC application. iMovie HD 6.0 can be installed via Pacifist ($20): Open the iLife 06.mpkg installer with Pacifist, select the whole iMovie package and let Pacifist install all components to their correct places. iMovie HD 6.0.2 Combo Update and iMovie HD 6.0.3 Update can the be installed normally. OS X 10.9 is the last where iMovie HD 6.0.3 normally runs, or in macOS 10.10-10.14: Right click to show package contents. Open contents. Open info.plist in Text Editor. Scroll down close to the bottom and locate line:

<key>CFBundleVersion</key>

<string>6.0.3<string>

Change the 6.0.3 to 6.0.5.

I use PAL but Handbrake seems to handle NTSC rectangular pixel 720x480 interlaced 29.970 fps .dv. I prepared a short NTSC .dv clip from an old iMovie sample "Our First Snowman.mov" (DVCPRO) by exporting it as .dv with QuickTime Player 7 Pro:

I output it (starting with "Very Fast 480p30" preset) and edited that to custom settings 8-bit H.264 or H.265 video and 48 kHz AAC audio square pixel 640x480 deinterlaced 29.970 fps .mp4.

I had to do some tests until I got exactly 640x480 out from Handbrake. I prefer to do this in ffmpeg via the Terminal because I have a good setting for PAL 25 fps .dv to double frame rate 50 fps .mp4. NTSC needs somewhat different settings.

iMovie HD 6 project package looks like this. The tiny Timeline Movie.mov has the edited movie. The actual source .dv clips are in the Media folder.

> It worked

Which workflow did you use?