[tallscot]

AVCHD is not a mess on Windows, it is on the Mac.

The only MPEG4 HD camcorder I can find are the ones from Sanyo compared with the AVCHD Sony, Canon, Panasonic, JVC camcorders.

Do you have experience with the Sanyo models?

Thanks

[meta]

I didn't mean AVCHD was a mess in the sense of not working; I mean it's a mess from a technological point of view. It's MPEG-4 codecs jammed into an MPEG-2 container, a bastardized standard.

I have a Sanyo Xacti VPC-HD2. I had to get it repaired once, it's true that their QA isn't as good as it should be, but that was covered under warranty and since then it has been fine. The quality in bright light is great, given that the final destination for my footage is DVDs. Having something pocket size that still has a mic input and can exceed DVD resolution is awesome.

I'd like something with better low light response, but I haven't seen anything compelling enough to make me upgrade, given that I have no need for 1080 video.

[MovieGuy08]

Turn on "Playhead Info" from the view menu and you'll see an info display above the playhead that includes the current frame number. If your preference is set to show timecode, you'll see HH:MM:SS:FF.

[webraider]

montgomery_burns said:

Does the new iMovie at least have a live "Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames" counter that updates as the movie is playing?

No it doesn't although IMHO opinion you don't miss it because visually the long Veritcal line that indicates where you are in your clips is your visual guide as it moves throughout the clips as you play your movie. If however, you move that line manually, then a "Seconds" counter DOES appear which is helpful when you position it. It's only visible as you move that counter. When you are in the Precision Editor, there is a ruler like line that shows anything down to the half second which is nice.

[montgomery_burns]

jeffcarlson said:

I would agree that wireless/Internet is indeed the way of things to come, and we'll dump our DVDs the way VHS is all but dumped now.

But we're not there yet. Apple is being a bit too aggressively forward-thinking when it comes to optical media. I don't think they're wrong, I think they're just early. The reality is that I can send a DVD to any number of friends and relatives and know that they could pop the disc into a player and view my movie. Not all of them could see the same movie on the Web (or, more specifically, have the bandwidth to download and watch).

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, people want to own their storage media, not rent it.

[stevenoz]

RobK said:

Christ, audio editing with the "rubber bands" is something I use in nearly every single video I've EVER done in iMovie.

This is an absolute deal-breaker. I have Final Cut Express but it's often too much, iMovie HD 6 was a perfect balance.

I certainly don't mind change but the removal of basic fundamental tools seems stupid to me.

Jesus, I could have written RobK's comment.

Audio editing with the 'rubber bands' is essential.

Another mistake by Apple.

I have FCE too, but iMovie 06 is sometimes easier and more compatible with other people.

I don't like it when Apple underestimates its users.

Where is Steve Jobs?

[doshea]

For all the additional functionality, don't you think they could have at least provided a simple Split Clip like the Cmd-T in iMovieHD.
Gee, Apple, we can handle it.

[webraider]

doshea said:

For all the additional functionality, don't you think they could have at least provided a simple Split Clip like the Cmd-T in iMovieHD.

Gee, Apple, we can handle it.

The don't have to add it to iMovie '09 because this was added in iMovie '08! It's already in '09!

[jeffcarlson]

[quote name='webraider']
>

doshea said:

> For all the additional functionality, don't you think they could have at least provided a simple Split Clip like the Cmd-T in iMovieHD.

The don't have to add it to iMovie '09 because this was added in iMovie '08! It's already in '09!

I think doshea meant the ability to place the playhead and make a slice, splitting the clip, like in the old iMovie. You could do that in iMovie '08, but instead of setting the playhead, you needed to make a selection and then choose Split Clip; the slice would happen to the left of the selection. (Because the playhead follows the cursor, there's no way to just keep it in one place and then access the Edit menu.)

In iMovie '09, Apple changed the functionality a little. When you make a selection in the middle of a clip, both edges of the selection are split. I haven't decided yet whether I like the new behavior or not, since now I'm getting three clips out of one, not just two.

[jeffcarlson]

By the way, thanks for the comments everyone! I also wrote an article for TidBITS yesterday that goes into some of the features I didn't have room to include in my Macworld review:

10 Secrets of iMovie '09 - TidBITS.com

Jeff

[webraider]

[quote name='jeffcarlson']
> [quote name='webraider']
> >

doshea said:

> > For all the additional functionality, don't you think they could have at least provided a simple Split Clip like the Cmd-T in iMovieHD.
>
> The don't have to add it to iMovie '09 because this was added in iMovie '08! It's already in '09!

I think doshea meant the ability to place the playhead and make a slice, splitting the clip, like in the old iMovie. You could do that in iMovie '08, but instead of setting the playhead, you needed to make a selection and then choose Split Clip; the slice would happen to the left of the selection. (Because the playhead follows the cursor, there's no way to just keep it in one place and then access the Edit menu.)

In iMovie '09, Apple changed the functionality a little. When you make a selection in the middle of a clip, both edges of the selection are split. I haven't decided yet whether I like the new behavior or not, since now I'm getting three clips out of one, not just two.

Okay, You're right I didnt' understand. I got you. You can split a clip but you are correct that you have to do via a selection as opposed to putting the pointer where you want.

[ttomp13]

Oh man. Well, I was wondering the same thing. That's too bad, but what are you going to do? Anyway, thank you for the information.

[treestman]

Not at all.

Yes, you can make a selection and Split Clip will create a split at each end, but you do not have to make a selection at all.

Just put the playhead where you want and right-click, select Split Clip from the menu and you get a single split at the playhead.

[webraider]

Thanks.. I remembered that after I posted. Wasn't that there with iMovie '08 too????