I've had a Super 8 movie transfered to a DVD. When I view the movie with DVD Player it is much clearer and sharper than when I copy the movie from the DVD to iMovie using a conversion program. Why?
Too many generations- DVD is highly compressed as a source and who knows what the conversion app is doing as well. I'd suggest getting the Super8 retransferred directly to QuickTime if you need better quality.
How do I do that?
You'll need a software like Handbrake. Check out this article (Disclaimer: I haven't done what you are asking about nor have I tried any of the software referenced in the article below. I want to eventually do the same thing you are though.)
http://macintoshhowto.com/cd-dvd-hd/rip-a-dvd-so-it-plays-without-skipping-on-a- laptop.html
Go to the place that did the Super8 to DVD transfer and ask if they can do it directly to a QuickTime file. It will look a lot better than a DVD rip from handbrake.
I have used a company called Mymovietransfer.com. They can convert 1080P from Super 8, 8MM, and 16MM. I have had good results. This is a great option if you still have the film. I had them convert it to Motion JPEG in a QuickTime container. They can also do several other codecs.
Super 8 Movie to DVD to iMovie
