[elroth]

How does the Precision Editor work? Can you use the arrow keys to move forward or backward frame-by-frame, then split the clip exactly where you want it (as in iMovie HD)? Or do you have to drag the boundary? That would be so annoying.

I don't understand Apple's thnking about this. There were a lot of things that could have been improved in iMovie HD, but the new interface - no timeline, clunky editing controls, no fine audio adjustment, etc., just makes no sense to me. Was iMovie HD interlaced video?

This is all really depressing. And iDVD being dropped in the future? Do people really want to see their wedding videos online only, and not have a DVD? I took my boss's Hawaii vacation video tapes and brought him back a DVD the next day - now he wants to replace his PCs with Macs so he can make his own DVDs that easily. Steve Jobs is just wrong here.

[babya]

I appreciate Apple for adding the Precision editor-for me, it was a bit hard figuring out how to use it effectively at first, but after a while I can make some quite good edits in my projects.
Also, iMovie seemed to run a bit slow at first on my Core Solo Mac mini when adding in travel maps, but now it's working qute well for me.

[webraider]

elroth said:

How does the Precision Editor work? Can you use the arrow keys to move forward or backward frame-by-frame, then split the clip exactly where you want it (as in iMovie HD)?

Actually, you don't even have to go to the precision editor to do this. You can move forward and back by frame, but by position the line where you want and using the arrow keys. When it gets where you wan, control+click (or right click) the mouse and choose Split Clip. It's easy

[btc2]

"There’s no capability to write video back to tape in a MiniDV camera; tape is yesterday’s technology, so why support it?"
I'm assuming you're being sarcastic.
Tape is an excellent archival format, it's cheap, it's proven, and it just works. Apple just doesn't "get it".

[meta]

I understand not liking having to learn a new interface... but I put together dozens of movies with the old iMovie, and I have to say that once you get used to the new interface, it's a definite improvement.

[rab777hp]

Pretty sweet- good example vid by the way

[MisterNeil]

Dear Jeff Carlson,
In your recent iMovie 9 review you neglected to mention the fact that the Ken Burns effect problem, which first appeared in iMovie 8, continues to exist and plague iMovie 9.
Specifically, when using the Ken Burns effect in iMovie HD, the app will add black borders to a portrait oriented photo as you zoom out. However, iMovie 9 forces the selected section to be within the constraints of the photo size, causing the top and bottom of a portrait oriented photo to be chopped off.
I have read a few unconfirmed web reports that a few iMovie 8/9 users have attempted to use Apple's Automator application to pad portrait oriented photos, before adding the photos into iMovie 9.
In my opinion, Apple should update iMovie 9 so that the Ken Burns effect problem is resolved. Until a fix is made available by Apple, I will continue to use iMovie HD for my needs. I welcome your comments to this matter.
Thank you!
Neil Garcia

[webraider]

It's funny that mention this about Ken Burns in iMovie 08 and 09 vs 06. I actually prefer it the way it is now (in '09).. but this is a matter of preference..

[webraider]

btc2 said:

"There’s no capability to write video back to tape in a MiniDV camera; tape is yesterday’s technology, so why support it?"

I'm assuming you're being sarcastic.

Tape is an excellent archival format, it's cheap, it's proven, and it just works. Apple just doesn't "get it".

I'm afraid they do. Unfortunate to those of us who use tape camcorders, they are basing their lack of support to that the percentage of sales of Tape Digital Camcorders plummeted last year. And of the percentage who keep their collection on tape, it's even less. This doesn't mean we can't complain about it but unless they get enough complaints.. it ain't happein. Even if they didn't through out the Old iMovie (I personally love the new one), they would eventually phase out the taped camera. Apple always in it's forward thinking loves to neglect the present day. (ie.. leaving floppies out of the iMac all together!) We weren't quite ready for floppy less world hence all the sales of those usb floppy drivers from 3rd party vendors. I haven't tried to export to Tape via Quicktime but is this possible? If you have an Apple TV, you could plug your camcorder into that and record the footage back to it? I know that's not ideal.

[Rono41]

I have Imovie HD 6.0.3. We use it professionally to make slideshow videos for people. My biggest complaint about this is the problem I have when using the Ken Burns effect. I use this effect on most every photo. If the photo is fairly high quality, I get a "shimmer" when the photo is moving. I contacted Apple and they told me to downsize my photos which is pretty big problem. Will the new Imovie 09 improve this problem or get rid of it altogether?

Another question I have is does it come with more transitions than imovie hd came with? I bought an add on pack for transitions because it didn't come with too many. Can you buy third party add on packs of transitions, titles, effects, themes, etc?

[webraider]

Rono41 said:

I have Imovie HD 6.0.3. We use it professionally to make slideshow videos for people. My biggest complaint about this is the problem I have when using the Ken Burns effect. I use this effect on most every photo. If the photo is fairly high quality, I get a "shimmer" when the photo is moving. I contacted Apple and they told me to downsize my photos which is pretty big problem. Will the new Imovie 09 improve this problem or get rid of it altogether?

Another question I have is does it come with more transitions than imovie hd came with? I bought an add on pack for transitions because it didn't come with too many. Can you buy third party add on packs of transitions, titles, effects, themes, etc?

I just did a Slide Show in iMovie '09. I had my camera on 3 MP setting so I would guess that's about a medium size quality picture. NO shimmering at all, VERY smooth and YES.. iMovie '09 comes with ALOT of effect AND Transitions. IMHO it is now an effective replacement for iMovie 06.

[mluehrma]

What about the space hog aspect of various versions of iMovie? I am a heavy user of iMovie 6, but I find it bothersome that I must export (full quality and selected clips only) and re-import spliced clips in order to really empty the trash (and really get hard drive space back!) of parts of clips that I have deleted. A similar space issue exists for modified Ken Burns photos as well. Apple changed iMovie to retain those unused pieces of clips in case we users ever changed our minds, which forces me to export and re-import. Does iMovie 9 have the same issue of overprotection?

[meta]

Well, first off iMovie 09 keeps video files in their native format rather than converting to intermediate format, which saves a ton of space on MPEG-4 camcorders.

But also, yes, there's an option to clean up and remove all the unused portions of your video footage.

[tfrohl]

I use iDVD and would like to know with the update-can it be set to not play automatically but go right to the menu?