Macworld Forums: iMovie '11 - Macworld Forums

Post your comments for iMovie '11 here

I was disappointed to discover that iMovie '11 still doesn't import 1080/60p video from my Panasonic HDC-TM700 camcorder. It will import 1080/60i video from the same camcorder though. I shoot a lot of fast-motion video (e.g. RC helicopter flights) and 60i just doesn't cut it: too many combing artifacts.

Does iMovie 9.0 catches up with iMovie HD 6.0.3? Can iMovie 9.0 do ALL the things that iMovie HD 6.0.3 did?

Thanks.

Also, VoltaicHD is overkill for converting AVCHD files to something iMovie can import. I wrote an Automator script (http://public.me.com/catservant, file Rewrap2M4V.app) that uses the ClipGrab application (http://clipgrab.de/start_en.html) and Perian (http://perian.org/) to rewrap my HDC-TM700 MTS files to MP4. It should work with regular AVCHD MTS files. There is no loss of quality in the conversion because only the file format is different; the embedded video and audio streams are not changed. The best part is that the software is all free.

Maxer, on 27 October 2010 - 08:19 AM, said:

That's a good question. I just fired up iMovie HD to check... and it's not much!

Third party plug-ins are still not supported, but after three major revisions, it's clear that Apple has no intention of bringing that back, so I didn't include it as a con.

There's no Magic iMovie feature, but some features replicate the behavior (such as the setting to automatically insert transitions). See the "Resurrect Magic iMovie" section of this Macworld article I wrote about iMovie '08:

Make iMovie '08 Work Your Way

Other than that (unless I'm missing something), iMovie '11 has caught up, and exceeded, iMovie HD.

Jeff

If there's a way to reduce the number of clips required for a trailer, I haven't found it. You can specify which clip to use in the clip placeholders, but if you don't want so many clips and you don't put a clip in one of the placeholders, then the trailer that is produced contains the placeholder animation itself. Am I missing something?

No AVCHD support makes this upgrade pretty much useless though I like the other improvements.

Photonerd, on 27 October 2010 - 10:09 AM, said:

Just to be clear, AVCHD is supported. But iMovie won't edit AVCHD without transcoding, and won't open the native files directly. (I'm guessing that's what you meant.)

I still keep a copy of iMovie 6 HD. I think it was the best version, and then they made it too complicated. Its too bad Apple has decided to make all of its iApps so bloated and complicated. The beauty of iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie was their simplicity. You could always go to a FCP or Premiere product for more complicated movie editing or Aperture or Lightroom for photos.
I'm sure most of the geeks here can wade their way through these cool products, but most people probably dont even look at them anymore. MacWorld seems to miss this in their reviews, Give the apps to Joe/Jane consumer and see how far they get, then write a review.

Can I use my Canon XH-A1,(tape) filming in 24p/30/60 and have the video turn out right? I am trying to get a film look and wonder if its possible with iMovie 11. What do you suggest? Thanks

And then, how do you deliver your pretty, new 1080 HD video of the kids to grandma and grandpa, who live in a different state?

I notice Macworld overlooks this major stumbling block. Personally, I'm investigating Adobe Premiere for this reason alone. They include the ability to create Blu-ray disks.

cat4ever, on 27 October 2010 - 09:49 AM, said:

I've installed iMovie '11, but haven't actually used it yet. But iMovie '11 can convert a trailer to a standard iMovie Project, so you could then edit it to remove unused clip placeholders, and make any other changes you desire.

mrbach, on 27 October 2010 - 10:34 AM, said:

I'm confused. You're saying iMovie '08 was too complicated? The whole point (and a major complaint) of the post-iMovie HD versions was that they were too simple, featureless, and designed specifically for Joe/Jane consumer. Perhaps you're confusing "different" with "complicated" -- the new iMovie is different in its approach, but not necessarily more complicated.

mrbach, on 27 October 2010 - 10:34 AM, said:

I can't necessarily speak for all of Macworld (since I'm a freelance contributor), but my impression is that people come to Macworld for expertise. A Google search can turn up many reviews and first impressions from users of all skill ranges. A person reading a Macworld review can come into it knowing that the product has been given a serious look. That doesn't mean the average consumer viewpoint is ignored; for example, much of my review of Premiere Elements 9.0 focused on the difficulty that people who were unfamiliar with video editing would encounter with the software. I think if you peruse other reviews at Macworld, you'll see that they focus on new users as much as on geeks.

jeffmo, on 27 October 2010 - 10:49 AM, said:

Shooting at 24p should help you get that film look, since iMovie supports 24p now without conversion to a different frame rate.