Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V for iMovie '11?

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coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX9V for iMovie '11?

Hi,

I'm interested in a Sony DSC-HX9V, which is on the iMovie '11 compatibility list

(http://help.apple.com/imovie/cameras/en/index.html?lang=en_US).

It's a AVCHD 1080/60i/60p camera. Here I found a sample video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdRQjIuP4Dg (reduced to 30fps/about 5Mbps)

I prefer to use progressive format, but how will this work, since iMovie

only supports making 30fps (and no 60fps) movies?

30fps would be fine, but I don't want to lose quality.

Will only every second frame be used by iMovie?

If some one here already has this camera, could I please get an exported sample video?

(I had problems with the iMovie export quality of another (Canon) camera.)

Thanks!

iMac 27" 3.2GHz; 2x iMacs 21.5" 3.06 GHz;, Mac OS X (10.6.6), Kensington Expert Trackballs

Posted on Apr 24, 2011 12:49 PM

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Answer 1

Apr 24, 2011 2:12 PM in response to coxorange

iMovie will definitely support 60I (which is really 30 fps with 2 interlaced fields per second. I would be doubtful about 60P. But I don't have the camera, so maybe someone who does can say for sure.

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Answer 2

Jun 24, 2011 6:49 PM in response to AppleMan1958

iMovie will not recognize 60P - I have the camera and tried it. You have to select the FX or FH modes on the movie menu of the camera.

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Answer 3

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Jun 25, 2011 4:15 AM in response to David Eitemiller

In the meantime I've bought the HX9V too.

Why use the FX or FH mode when you can go much better?

iMovie '11 can't (yet!) import 60p footage directly.  (BTW A good player for these 60p MTS files on the Mac is Movist (http://code.google.com/p/movist/downloads/list - FREE).)

You can use the Rewrap2M4V script (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2380085?answerId=11316343022#11316343022 - FREE - Note: Read this thread to have all required parts installed.), remux (http://www.nef.wh.uni-dortmund.de/%7Emt/remux/ - FREE) or ClipWrap (http://www.divergentmedia.com/clipwrap/trial - latest version 2.3: $50) to convert (losslessly) to M4V or MOV, what iMovie can handle as 1080/30p.

For Rewrap2M4V and remux:

Rewrap to M4V files (losslessly!) which you can import (using 'optimize') in iMovie to AIC (the normal working format in iMovie).

For ClipWrap:

NOT just rewrap (won't work/no audio), but directly convert to AIC (always check 'Convert Audio to LPCM' - that's what iMovie needs). Then when you import the resulting MOV files into iMovie you'll notice that this goes more quickly, because iMovie has no more work to do - just "double checks" the files (no matter with or without 'optimize' checked - it's ignored).

I've checked thoroughly and can confirm that all 3 methods bring the same high quality output when I finally export using iMovie at 20Mbps (standard MOV export setting).

BTW: I've heard you can also use Toast (expensive), but I don't know if the conversion quality is lossy.

I hope at least one method will work for you too! 🙂

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Answer 4

Jul 27, 2011 2:20 AM in response to coxorange

thanks for those hints. In AppStore I have found iVI (inexpensive 3 $) , do you think it could be also a good tool for preprocessing before Imovie ? is it also lossless ?

To create a slowmotion clip, what AVCHD format would be better ?

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Answer 5

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Jul 27, 2011 3:16 AM in response to christophe-air

christophe-air wrote:

In AppStore I have found iVI (inexpensive 3 $) , do you think it could be also a good tool for preprocessing before Imovie ? is it also lossless ?

I don't know this app.

Why not ask their support?

(link in App Store)

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Answer 6

Nov 10, 2011 9:43 AM in response to David Eitemiller

Final Cut Pro X does not recognize 60p on this camera either.

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Answer 7

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Nov 10, 2011 10:23 AM in response to Cleveland

At the moment I'm using the FREE Media Converter (http://media-converter.sourceforge.net/) with that re-wrap preset for AVCHD. Perfect 60p results which are accepted by FCP X.

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Answer 8

Nov 10, 2011 10:30 AM in response to coxorange

How are you getting the Mac to recognize the PS movie file (60p) on the DSC-HX9V? The file doesn't appear in the Camera Import window.

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Answer 9

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Nov 10, 2011 11:28 AM in response to Cleveland

First I connect the camera via USB and switch it on. Three folders appear on my Mac's desktop. In one of the "noname" folders you can find the MTS files, which I convert to QT MOV files using Media Converter. These MOV files (still 60p) can be imported into FCP X.

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Answer 10

Nov 10, 2011 12:01 PM in response to coxorange

Thanks so much. I was on the verge of returning the camera but this is great.

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Answer 11

Jan 10, 2012 11:24 AM in response to coxorange

Thank you for this info! You've saved me ages. Media Converter from Sourceforge definitely seems to be the way to go and seems to give a lossless 50P conversion from .MTS to .mov I can then use this in iMovie, FCP, etc. It's worth adding that the .mov preset isn't included with Media Converter - you need to click 'get more presets' and download it (again free) from the sourceforge site. If anyone at Apple's listening...any chance of native HX9V support in iMovie to save the faffing about?

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Answer 12

NewLyfe

Level 1

0 points

Feb 24, 2012 2:43 PM in response to coxorange

Hello everyone! I juat got my hx9v in the mail an im having issues on importing and sound. Im importing the MTS file to Media Converter an its intelligent auto PS AVC HD setting on the camera. When i import an convert to the MOV formate it plays back as the MOV format but no volume slider appears on the quicktime screen as it should.

Also, on a 2 minute video i tested it was not playing back smoothly and skipped throughout the whole clip. Any clue why these two issues are happening to me? Im not too camera tech savvy so im sorry if its a newbish question. Thanks hope someone can help!

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Answer 13

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Feb 24, 2012 4:05 PM in response to NewLyfe

NewLyfe wrote:

Im importing the MTS file to Media Converter an its intelligent auto PS AVC HD setting on the camera.

Sorry I don't understand exactly what you did.

Did you record using the 1080/60p setting?

Did you use the re-wrap preset for AVCHD with Media Converter?

NewLyfe wrote:

When i import an convert to the MOV formate it plays back as the MOV format but no volume slider appears on the quicktime screen as it should.

In QuickTime, what does the Movie Inspector report (cmd-I)?

(Does the audio playback work on the camera?)

NewLyfe wrote:

Also, on a 2 minute video i tested it was not playing back smoothly and skipped throughout the whole clip.

Which Mac do you use? Is it fast enough?

Did you close other Applications during your tests?

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Answer 14

NewLyfe

Level 1

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Feb 24, 2012 5:07 PM in response to coxorange

hey coxorange, Yes i recorded using 1080/60p setting an used the re-wrap preset that i had to download. There was two,one said lossless audio an the other said no audio. I tried both an no sound at all.

Yes the audio playback worked on the camera and sounded clear.

I own the macbook pro 13 inch mid-2009 model..snow leopard current version..8gb ram..2.26 ghz.

i also closed all apps an tred it and still skipped. I tried the fx mode an it worked fine but wasnt as picture perfect as the 60p mode.

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Answer 15

coxorange Author

Level 1

98 points

Feb 25, 2012 5:19 AM in response to NewLyfe

NewLyfe wrote:

used the re-wrap preset that i had to download. [...] I tried both an no sound at all.

This should work fine. Maybe you have some other "converter" software installed which interferes with Media Converter. I would recommend asking the Media Converter support (Maarten Foukhar, support (at) kiwifruitware (.) tk).

NewLyfe wrote:

I own the macbook pro 13 inch mid-2009 model..snow leopard current version..8gb ram..2.26 ghz.

How does the quality of the MTS footage look when you use Movist for watching?

2.26 GHz Dual Core is a bit slow for 1080/60p playback.

I have a 2010/Core i3/3.2 GHz iMac and playback sometimes is not perfect, but at least the movies are.

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