Is "single field processing" fixed?

Thanks I am going to the apple store to pick it up tomorrow. Hopefully it will stay in stock here in Canada. One last question, what source material were you using to get 1080p. I assume you were shooting before 1080 30p. What is new in imovie11 is the ability to import 24p (i think). I've been using a lumix that shoots 720p and performs nicely.

Though when I saw the export to 1080p on the ilife description I got all excited. So now I am really confused as to why they mention 1920 x 1080p if they don't really consume 1080p. It doesn't make sense to scale up....you can't add information thats not there. Maybe its only for the 1080 24p imports to tie with the movie trailers that are now added.

Anyway, tx

My source material was some motion jpeg files that were captured in 1080P from old 8MM file. Unfortunately, I do not own a 1080P camcorder.

Here we go again!

"There are numerous threads in the iMovie '09 forum about the "single field processing" problem that causes loss of quality when exporting."

There is nothing to be fixed. iM 08, 09, and I assume 11, are designed to work WELL ONLY with PROGRESSIVE video. If you insist on importing INTERLACED video iM will give you many messages that it wants you to fix "your" problem. 🙂

During import it offers to make 960x540p which is MORE than enough resolution for DVDs, iDevices, and Web video.

It offers to Optimize to 1080p or 960x540p which also is MORE than enough for DVDs, iDevices, and Web video.

The ONLY folks 1080i shooters who should ignore these messages are those who use iMakeFullHD software to re-tag 1080i to 1080p AND who will not use any Themes or FX or an EXPORT that scales video AND who:

1) Burn 1080i Blu-rays with Toast.

2) Burn 1080i "AVCHD" DVDs with Toast.

3) Export 1080p H.264 for devices like the WDTV.

4) Export 1080p for YouTube.

5) Export maximum 720p video.

Let's be very clear -- only if you do ONE of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 AND you follow the rules on editing AND use iMakeFullHD AND shoot 1080i -- can you import at FULL.

EVERYONE else -- and this is the vast majority of iM users -- who shoot 1080i MUST import at LARGE.

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If you shoot 540p, 720p25/720p30 or (in general) 1080p25/1080p30 you are doing what Apple wants you to do. You can import 1080p at FULL. You can use all Themes and FX. You can:

1) Burn 1080i Blu-rays with Toast.

2) Burn 1080i "AVCHD" DVDs with Toast.

3) Export 1080p H.264 for devices like the WDTV.

4) Those who export 1080p for YouTube.

5) Those who want the maximum 720p video.

This is such a simple rule -- lets hope it does not need repeating.

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"I'm seeing colour desaturation when exporting content imported from a .avi file in the old version that is not a problem in iMovie HD."

That's because iM 06 allows the video to go to 110% while iM allows a maximum of 100%. And, depending on what codec you are importing from or to -- the OLD QT gamma bug is likely not to have been fixed. Google for information.

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DV users! When Steve took away FW that should have been a clue he wasn't interested in those who keep shooting DV. 🙂

There is a workaround that creates a stealth SD format that iM thinks is "progressive" and lets pass through unharmed. But, do NOT use any Themes or FX or EXPORT that scales video. (And yes, you do have the option to convert DV to real progressive so you can use all Themes, FX, and Exports.)

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PS: I realize this seems not to be good news for those who shoot 720p50/720p60, 1080p24/1080p50/1080p60, plus 1080i50/25PsF and 1080i60/30PsF. There are solutions for ALL these formats (lOOk below), but they are needed ONLY by those create HD media.

I'm using that now (iMovie 06). But I fear the clock is ticking. Will it continue to work in OS 10.7?

With so many still using iMovie 06 you are "safe".

All the teacher's I know must use iMovie 06 (with iDVD 09 / 11) because iMovie 08 thru 11 are so different from the way that other video editing software works.

To Steve Mullen:

I shoot in 1080i with Canon Legria HFR 107.
My finished movies will mainly be watched on 1) mobile me, and 2) burned to BDR (or whatever the name is-(HD video on dvd)) on dvd using Toast.

When I import footage, is it correctly understood that i should import at FULL, what does the option "optimize to 1080p" do?

Unlike the developers of iMovie (11), I consider quality to be more important than the ability to create movie trailers, which I consider to be a gimmick at best.

Few will use "trailers".

I tried the same clip with iMovie 06 and iMovie 11, iMovie 06 looks better.

I so wish this were not so.

"Unlike the developers of iMovie, I consider quality to be more important than the ability to create movie trailers, which I consider to be a gimmick at best."

I agree, but this does not have anything to do with the "issue."

Apple designed iM to work with progressive video. That REALITY forces non-progressive video to lose quality. That is how it was designed. Claiming it is broken is like whining that a Mazda should fix the Miata because it only has 2 seats and your family has 10 members. It's YOU who must choose/use a different car.

There will NEVER be a fix because nothing is broken.

HOWEVER, given that Apple in the process of moving from the QT Frameworks to the media handlers in IOS, there is no certainty OS X 10.7 will support iM 06.

AND, since the ways to overcome the "issues" are well documented -- does it really make any sense not to use iM11?

PS: I'm using iM09 to edit VHS (from 1985), 8MM (1987), Hi8 (1989 to 1997) copied to DV. By using an alternate version of "my" procedure -- I'm blowing this up to 720p. There is NO reason to believe you can not get good results from old, and really old, formats.

Sheryl: If your camera is capable of shoot 24p natively, it will import the clips to the timeline no problems. Just did a trial today and it went flawlessly.
See my recent post.
Thanks,
AppleLou.

My choice is to remain with iMovie HD until it stops working in a future OS, or fork out the big bucks and get Final Cut Express.

Most iLife 09/11 owners I know use iMovie 06 also. Even IF iMovie 06 stops working in a future OS it is easy to have a dual boot or separate boot hard drive that has iMovie 06 and OS 10.6 or 10.7 on it.

So there is no way you can get "frozen out" of easy movie making WITH high quality.

I also have Final Cut Express, but it's more work, so I use iMovie 06 with iDVD 11 (iDVD 11 may be the same as iDVD 08/09 as far I can tell).

Sorry I wasn't clear.

"By "well documented" I'm assuming you mean on the support forum rather than a knowledgebase article from Apple. Did I miss something from Apple?

Steve Mullen wrote:
PS: I'm using iM09 to edit VHS (from 1985), 8MM (1987), Hi8 (1989 to 1997) copied to DV. By using an alternate version of "my" procedure -- I'm blowing this up to 720p.

I'm happy that works for you, but it's not a solution for me. I need to maintain "small" file sizes because I'm sharing over the Internet. Even if I resort to physical media and burn a DVD, some of the people I'm sharing the video with do not have 720p capable TV sets."

I should have said the quality is high enough to allow me to blow-up to 720p. I could leave it at 720x480. In fact, I think I'll try that to see if looks better.

Too solve the color issue I boost color during conversion before iM. Of course you can also increase color IN iM because it has a great color corrector.

As for my documentation all I can do is give you a hint: LOOK BELOW

Tx. My camera is 30p, but I was curious about the 24p. I actually have a question which I will post in a new thread on importing 24p...are we forced to export only 1080 24p??

Steve Mullen (or anyone):
Just when I think I have a workflow figured out, I come and read this thread. I guess all the talk about single field processing has gone over my head up to this point. But now I understand it better and realize it has implications for working with footage from my new Panasonic TM700.

For stuff that I'm ultimately sending to iDVD, it looks like I need to shoot at 1080i60 and import at 940x540.

On some stuff, I'd like to process this way but I'd also like to keep an archived copy of the video in 1080p60 (special occasions, like my parents' upcoming 50th anniversary party). My question to you is, do you know if this workflow would work:

Shoot the video in 1080p60 on to the camera's internal flash memory. Do an in-camera conversion of the footage to 1080i60 onto a SD card. Import the SD card material (1080i60) to iMovie, edit, and send to iDVD. Copy the contents of the camera's internal flash memory (1080p60) to an external hard drive for future use. What do you think?