[MacDV] Re: Editing MPEG2 files (clarification)--MacDV Digest, Vol 1, Issue 12

[Ted Langdell]

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA


Alex,

As others have pointed out here it is best to avoid converting from 
format to format to format because you lose quality each time.

The mpeg-2 files he has have already lost a substantial amount of 
information compared to a Mini-DV transfer of the same thing.  (Hope 
the production house put the spots on Mini-DV and not the larger DV 
tapes!)

In order for Brian to have the control he wants and the end viewing 
quality his professional work deserves he should have the spots on 
Mini-DV first, then transfer them to iMovie (or better, yet, Final Cut 
Express or Pro).

Once he's put them in the sequence he wants, he can add chapter markers 
on the export from iMovie to iDVD and then use iDVD to create some good 
looking menus and graphics and then have a good looking presentation 
package.

When he can afford to, it might be worth his time to invest the $700 or 
so it would take to get Final Cut Express and DVD Studio Pro.  (Or take 
a local college class to qualify for the educational pricing on both, 
which would lower the cost, or bring Final Cut Pro 4 into the same 
range as the retail version of FCE.)

If nothing else, he can make some bucks putting together his friend's 
demo reels.

My experience with all four Apple products (iMovie/iDVD & FCP/DVDSP) is 
that where time is money, get the professional product. It allows more 
flexibility and control, while not being that much more of a learning 
curve than the consumer products.)

On Sep 24, 2004, at 10:10 AM, 
macdv-request at listserver.themacintoshguy.com wrote:
> Message: 8
> Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 18:10:05 +0100
> From: Alex <alex at fotomotion.net>
> Subject: Re: [MacDV] Editing MPEG2 files (clarification)
> To: "A place to discuss digital video on Macintosh."
> 	<macdv at listserver.themacintoshguy.com>
> Message-ID: <94B0BEA1-0E4C-11D9-9682-000393C61DFC at fotomotion.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed
>
> HOLD ON A MIN
>
> As you have already had the Beta Tape transferred to mpeg2 format you
> may as well use the files that you have.
> QuickTime Pro player has an mpeg2 codec that will allow you to open the
> .mv2 files in it.
> Open the .m2v file in the QuickTime player, you will probably have a
> separate .aiff or .AC3 file for the movies sound.
> Once open Go to the File menu and Export the movie as a DV stream.
> Once that is done them open the new movie in the QuickTime Player and
> also open the .aiff sound file. [.AC3 is not supported in QuickTime :-(
> ]
> In the sound files Window select all and copy.
> Then go into your newly created DV file, select all, then go to the
> Edit Menu and select Add Scaled
> The Sound will now be copied in place over the DV movie.
> Go to the File Menu and select Save As and save the movie as Self
> contained.
> You will now have a DV stream that you can open in iMove edit and
> export for iDVD
>
> Alex
> ----------------------------------------------------