imovie running slow

Hi

This can be done by using two external hard disk. One for the movie in process and one to store final projects.

Both MUST BE Mac OS Extended (hfs) formatted .

UNIX/DOS/FAT32/Mac OS Exchange works for most other things BUT NOT FOR VIDEO - iMovie or FinalCut doesn't matter.

And by connecting/dissconnecting the Storage one - one can keep just the Project in process on the Editing Hard Disk.

Else - My notes on speeding up in reg. to iDVD but most goes for iMovie

To speed up DVD

TO GET IT TO WORK SLIGHTLY FASTER

• Minimum of 25Gb free space on Start-Up hard disk - if less than 5Gb slow and unstable - less than 1Gb might even not start.

• Choice of encoding method will give very different productions speeds. On my d-G5 2GHz

Professional Quality (movies + menus up to 120 min.) - BEST

Takes about 2 x times the other ones - but if quality is of essence

(Quality might be as good as or even better for movies under 60 minutes - by using Best Performances BUT not for movies up to 120 minutes)

2 hour movie + menu = about 4 hours to encode at it’s best on my system

Best Performances (movies + menus less than 60 min.) - High quality on final DVD

1 hour including menu = about 1 hour to encode

High Quality (in iDVD08 or 09) / Best Quality (in iDVD6) (movies + menus up to 120 min.) - slightly lower quality than above

2 hours including menu = about 2 hour to encode

• Use an as simple DVD-menu possibly without any animation at all. This reduces processing speed dramatically. I use ”Old Theme - and Brushed Metal” and animation turned off.

• An as fast Mac and as many cores/CPUs possibly. My PowerMac G5 has two CPUs and iDVD uses about 120% = use more than only one CPU/Core. How many it can address I don’t know (anyone ? )

• If possibly - Use two internally e-Sata drives - Drive access takes a great deal of time

else FW-800 or FW-400 or USB2 or network storage (slowest and near to useless)

to work on one (internal, boot, Mac OS, Start-up hard disk - will be BAD - and slow

Normally my d-G5 2GHz takes about 2 x movie material when iDVD and Mac OS on one internal HD and material is on the other internal one.

Now with material on an external USB2-drive and an external Lacie FW-400 as Start-up drive material of about 1.5h will need about 4-6 hours to get encoded and burned to DVD.

• No other programs running in BackGround e.g. Energy-Saver

• Don’t let HD spin down or be turned off (in Energy-Save)

• Move hard disks that are not to be used to Trash - To be disconnected/turned off

• Goto Spotlight and set the rest of them under Integrity (not to be scanned)

• Set screen-saver to a folder without any photo - then make an active corner (up right for me) and set pointer to this - turns on screen saver - to show that it has nothing to show

• No File Vault on - Important (Found in System pref - Security)

• NO - TimeMachine - during iMovie/iDVD work either ! IMPORTANT

• Lot's of icons on DeaskTop/Finder also slows down the Mac noticeably

• Start a new User-Account and log into this and iMovie get's faster too - if a project is in a hurry

• And let Mac run on Mains - not just on battery

Choice and use of hard disks is essential.

• I guess that a Solid State Disks might improve speed

• No other programs running in BackGround e.g. Energy-Saver, Internet, AirPort, Bluetooth etc.

• Don’t let HD spin down or be turned off (in Energy-Save)

• Move hard disks that are not to be used to Trash - To be disconnected/turned off

• Goto Spotlight and set the rest of them under Integrity (not to be scanned)

• Set screen-saver to a folder without any photo - then make an active corner (up right for me) and set

pointer to this - turns on screen saver - to show that it has nothing to show

• If Mac with only place for one internal hard disk. Then I would try to use an external FW (Mac OS Extended) one as Start-Up hard disk and store material on the internal one.

e.g. iMac or ProBook or alike.

from Karsten -

• I assume that resolution and codec of source is another factor ... scaling (e.g. 1280x720 to 720x576 = that is an 'un-even' calculation). or, a difference in speed reg. to h264, dv-stream or AIC as input ....

Yours Bengt W