How to import mini dv tape as one clip?

There isn't any way to do this with FCP import. If you dubbed the tape you would lose the date/time stamp and the tape should import as one piece. I'm curious why you want to do this.

Any luck with this scinn?

I am having the same issue.

I have several Master Mini DV tapes with completed projects on them from 10 years ago. I would like to import these tapes as one long, uninterrupted clip. Both iMovie and FCPX chop the date back up by time stamp. Seems like there should be a simple one-click option to turn this organizational feature off so that these preserved Mini DV tape backups can still be used. I would be content finding any software that could do this for me to save me hours of reorganizing clips that I already edited years ago.

I'm with Tom - why would you want one huge file?

With the individual clips, you can either mark in and out points and drop them on the timeline, or go through the clips and mark the useable parts as 'favourites' - or apply keywords.

Failing that, drop the whole lot onto the primary storyline and chop out the dross, then you have a continuous sequence.

Or am I misunderstanding?

Andy

So I've got a 60 minute master tape with edits, titles, music etc. When I import it into FCPX, either directly or using archive feature, it takes that 60 minute polished video and turns it into hundreds of clips out of sequence. To make it an entire video again I need to go through and marry up each one individually back to it's original edited neighboring clip as they are not presented in order but rather by time/date stamp. All the work was already done 10 years ago and then exported back to a mini DV tape to have a Master tape backup. So to import it now and have it come in as one long clip means that zero work is needed....which is nice, right? As it is now this will take several hours per project.

It could very well be that I'm overlooking a simple workaround here....hence my request for some talented, educated insight from fellow producers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Thanks for the explanation Posedion.

I don't have access to the application just now, and today was the first time I imported footage from a tape camera. I didn't study the files, or the order they appeared in the browser but are you saying FCP X gives each clip a RANDOM name?

What information do you see in the Inspector (extended view) when you select a clip in the Event Browser?

You can change the settings of the Event browser so sort clips by different criteria (I know reel name is one) is there really no way to get them to display in the order they were captured?

I hope there is, I have about 60 tapes that I want to digitise when I get time!

If the worst comes to the worst and there is no sensible way that FCP X will do it, of course, if you have legacy FCP, you could capture them with that, then import the QT files into FCP X.

Andy

Thanks Andy for giving the time and energy to try and solve this. I really appreciate it.

The sorting option is new to me so thanks for telling about that (I've just downloaded the 30-day trial version of FCPX last night to hopefully address this one single issue that iMovie cannot do so I am totally new to FCPX but it's pretty intuitive especially being familiar with iMovie. This is my first and only version of FCP and will likely buy it if it can help me with this one huge hurdle).

There are several configurations that can be tried for both "Group Clips By" and "Arrange Clips By" but I was unable to find the right combination for both categories to give me the results I need. Perhaps I've not done this correctly and all I need is the right coaching for what both settings should be at.

I'm not sure exactly what you are asking about for the Inspector view information. I will try to attach an image of my screen. It appears that each clip has the label of what day it was shot and what time. The Master video however has clips arranged completely out of chronological order and so there lies the problem. Perhaps you were asking about something else though and I'm just not sure what it is.

THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME YOUR THOUGHTS! It's kind of impossible to find help on this or a complete definitive answer so your time is very much appreciated. If you travel to McCall, Idaho for a ski trip I will buy you a lunch or copious amounts of microbrewed beer.

~Nate

Can't you just do the capture with iMovie, then import the clip into FCX?

Nope. iMovie does the exact same thing. It takes an iMovie project that was exported back to Mini DV as a Backup Master and then if you attempt to import it back into iMovie it cuts it all up by time and date.

Nate,

Thanks for getting back to me on this. It's important to me to get it sorted too - but just this evening, I cannot access FCP X.

Tomorrow I will capture some more video from tape and report back with my findings.

Are you anywhere near Cataldo? I train sheepdogs (and make DVDs about them - and how to train them to work). A few years ago, we sold three dogs to someone with a cattle ranch near Cataldo. (I think they've since moved to Florida).

Andy

Hmmm....can you export the iMovie clip to a completely new self-contained clip, then import that?

Do you have a friend with FCP7?

Maybe try the 30-day free Avid Media Composer trial?

Great video. Very well done.

Cataldo is a short 6 hours north of here. We're right in the mountains of Idaho with plenty of sheep being herder. Seldom do I go for a hike without crossing a herd with a loyal dog watching over...perhaps you trained them as well.

Thanks again for your time. I'll look forward to hearing back from you whenever you've had a chance to play around with importing.

~Nate

Try vidi?

http://www.mitzpettel.com/

Thanks stuckfootage.

I just downloaded and tried vidi.

It solved my problem. Only thing is that it turned a 5 minute video into a 1.3GB file. So still looking for ultimate fix but this was helpful for that one particular Master video.

Thanks

Posedion wrote:

5 minute video into a 1.3GB file.

Yes, that's correct for the DV codec. You can now convert it to a smaller codec (like H.264) if you just want to archive it, and don't need to edit it further.

Glad I could help you.

Les