Conversion to Quicktime Movie Problem

[Scott Phillips]

Thanks,
I didn’t realize I was working with a DEMO. So now I have to uninstall the DEMO? And my options are:
a) $100 on the non-DEMO version of Calibrated{Q} XD Decode?
b) Buy FCP $1000 and install it on my MacBook which probably isn’t big enough anyway?

Seems like there ought to be a way to edit in iMovie? I know some people with FCP if that helps, isn’t it possible to take the MP4’s and making them usable in iMovie?

–thanks for you help,
Scott

[Craig Seeman]

The free Sony ClipBrowser can convert the BPAV (MP4) to .DV which iMovie can handle but it doesn’t keep the time code.

CalibratedSoftware should allow you to use in iMovie. Test that before you buy (that’s what demos are for of course).

[Greg Booth]

Hi Scott,

The Full version of Calibrated{Q} XD Decode is only $79.95 – you might be looking at the bundle of Calibrated{Q} MP4-EX Import PLUS Calibrated{Q} XD Decode for $99.95 – the bundle ‘should’ enable you to import the XDCAM EX MP4 files into iMovie (which I think then iMovie automatically converts into Apple Intermediate MOV files – not too sure since I havent really worked with iMovie) – if you purchase Calibrated{Q} XD Decode by itself then you would have to transcode the MP4 files into MOV files using XDCAM Transfer before importing them into iMovie.

or I believe VLC has some conversion options – so maybe you could convert the MP4 files from them into something iMovie likes

or someone you know with FCP could convert the MP4 files into a .MOV file that iMovie understands.

or Sony XDCAM EX Clip Browser has some conversion options (but I think the ‘free’ version is rather limited into what it can convert to)

Hope that helps – maybe some other people have other suggestions too!

Cheers,
Greg

Calibrated Software

[Olof Ekbergh]

In my mind the big question is:

What are you using the footage for?

That answer will be useful in advising how to proceed.

Happy New Year all.

Olof Ekbergh

[Bob O’brien]

I’m pretty sure that iMovie does not support the XDCAM EX codec. It must be converted to something else in order to edit the footage in iMovie. (DV, AVCHD, HDV).

Bob

CAMERAS
Sony EX3 & Sony DXC637/PVV3 Betacam-SP

PORTABLE EDITING
*MacBook Pro – 2.33Ghz – 2Gb RAM
*Matrox MXO / 23″ Cinema Display

DESKTOP
*DualG5 2Ghz w/2.5Gb RAM
*UL4D SCSI Card
*HMV800 DualMax RAID0
*AJA IO
*Sony 2800

SOFTWARE
*OSX10.4.11, QT 7.5, FCP 6.0.4, Livetype 2.1.3, Soundtrack Pro 2.0.2, DVDSP4.2.1, Adobe CS3 Prod Suite

[Scott Phillips]

Thanks everybody,
I was able to import the FCP .mov files with the 6 gray stripes (created by the DEMO codec file) into iMovie. So I’m pretty sure that will work if I buy the codecs.
However the owner of the Camera said she’d send me the files in .DV format on a DVD. That should solve it, good thing I’m not in a hurry.
Thanks for the other suggestions too, I’m probably going to just use this stuff for Youtube but it would be worth trying to keep the quality of the footage from being degraded–someday soon Youtube will allow higher quality media.

That DEMO codecs was hard to get off my computer by the way. I’m not sure if I got it all the way off, something about a file in /User/…/ that needed to be deleted. The other files were delete resistant too…kept telling me the application was in use.
–thanks,
Scott

[Greg Booth]

Hi Scott,

To delete the DEMO’s – basically all you need to do is:

1. Delete the Calibrated folder from the Applications directory

2. Delete the CalibratedXDCodec.component from the /Library/QuickTime folder (that’s the Library folder on the Main Harddrive not the Library folder in the User directory)

3. Restart

and you should be good – if you get an error saying something is in use – usually that means that an application is still open in System Memory that is using the codec. You can always restart your computer first before trying the above steps to insure that an applciation is not open that would be using the codec.

Cheers,
Greg

Calibrated Software

[Rafael Amador]

ffmpgx can read the MP4’s and export to other formats, however these export options are no much editable formats. What I’m not sure is if ffmpgx is using the codec provided by FC or if is using his own resources.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Matt Sturns]

You can download the Free XDCAM codecs for QT here:

https://blog.lib.umn.edu/mcfa0086/discretecosine/164630.html

You will need Perian for QT free download here:

https://www.perian.org

Worked fine for me. Hope this helps

[Scott Phillips]

That’s interesting but it only works for viewing like VLC. The ability to edit is what I need now. I’m still puzzled as to why apple would make it’s software incompatible with itself? It’s kind of like GM making tires that don’t fit it’s cars.