Question about using iMovie

[Jake]

I'm not sure where this question should be posted, so I'm putting it here.

I'm importing 5d2 video files in to iMovie, and then exporting to 720p WMV.
All the exported files are cut short by a few seconds. I've looked through all the different settings and can't see what would cause this.
Other formats work fine, just not the WMV's.

Why is this and what am I doing wrong? Any help is greatly appreciated!

[tc95]

Have you tried a google search...

You might be having some problem with the translastion...do you have another converter that can translate it from quicktime to wmv...?? I know it is an extra step but might be the only fix for now...

Good Luck

[Jake]

I've tried googling, and haven't had any luck.

I can do it in adobe premiere elements on my PC and it works fine, but I'm at my office(my real job*) right now and all I have in front of me is iMovie.
It's just cutting the last few seconds of the clips.

*that statement is for Tom.

[tc95]

is there a fade-out selection checked somewhere...sorry I work on PC's at the office and Mac at home...sorry....but I know that I saw that somewhere....in the software...one time...

[Jake]

Originally Posted by tc95

is there a fade-out selection checked somewhere...sorry I work on PC's at the office and Mac at home...sorry....but I know that I saw that somewhere....in the software...one time...

Not that I can find.
I'll just have to mess with this when I get home....

[tc95]

Sorry I was no Help..!!!

[jsbraby]

Which version of iMovie?

Which codec package did you install to enable WMV export? (.wmv is not a native Mac OS X video container)

Does it do the same truncation if you export to h.264 encoded .mov? To mpeg-4?

What is the target platform that you are trying to deliver to that requires .wmv?

[Jake]

Originally Posted by jsbraby

Which version of iMovie?

Which codec package did you install to enable WMV export? (.wmv is not a native Mac OS X video container)

Does it do the same truncation if you export to h.264 encoded .mov? To mpeg-4?

What is the target platform that you are trying to deliver to that requires .wmv?

It's iMovie HD 6.0.3

I didn't install any codec, yesterday was the first time I even opened iMovie and wmv is just one of the output options. There are tons of setting when I go into the options of wmv. I'm doing high quality 1280 x 720. It doesn't look bad at all, it just cuts out to soon.

It works just fine using h.264 or mpeg 4.

The target platform is a guy at church is doing a video/slide show from VBS this week and all he has is windows movie maker. He's using one of those flip video camera things for the footage. I just offered him my video clips(and photos) but he can't doing anything with the clips except watch them. But mine look a bit better than what he's using so I(and he) would like to use the 5d2 files.

I can do it later today, but now would be nice

thejakestir added 0 Minutes and 47 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by tc95

Sorry I was no Help..!!!

Tony, I do appreciate you trying!

[jsbraby]

It sounds like you picked up a .wmv encoder somewhere along the line - Mac OS X and iMovie HD 6.0.3 shouldn't give you .wmv export without a third-party codec. Did you install Flip4Mac at some point in the past (required to watch .wmv's on the Mac)?

Check your export window from iMovie and I will bet a quarter that the top reads "Flip4Mac WMV Export Settings - Demo Version". I don't know because I haven't tested it, but I suspect the Demo is crippleware and is causing your file truncations. The Studio version that supports .wmv export is $49.

Your "free" options may be somewhat limited due to Windows Movie Maker (WMM) at the other end. I would try exporting as AVI and setting your video compression codec to either DV or None. In either case your output file is going to be pretty bloaty. WMM should be able to ingest one of those.

Alternately you may be able to export to .mov with Photo-JPEG or None compression, open the file in VLC and Export it from there (I have never had good luck with that).

If they already have a copy of QuickTime Pro (for Windows), you could export your .mov (h.265 and .mpeg4 crush your color space pretty badly so I would go Photo-JPEG) and transcode it there.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by jsbraby

It sounds like you picked up a .wmv encoder somewhere along the line - Mac OS X and iMovie HD 6.0.3 shouldn't give you .wmv export without a third-party codec. Did you install Flip4Mac at some point in the past (required to watch .wmv's on the Mac)?

Check your export window from iMovie and I will bet a quarter that the top reads "Flip4Mac WMV Export Settings - Demo Version". I don't know because I haven't tested it, but I suspect the Demo is crippleware and is causing your file truncations. The Studio version that supports .wmv export is $49.

Your "free" options may be somewhat limited due to Windows Movie Maker (WMM) at the other end. I would try exporting as AVI and setting your video compression codec to either DV or None. In either case your output file is going to be pretty bloaty. WMM should be able to ingest one of those.

Alternately you may be able to export to .mov with Photo-JPEG or None compression, open the file in VLC and Export it from there (I have never had good luck with that).

If they already have a copy of QuickTime Pro (for Windows), you could export your .mov (h.265 and .mpeg4 crush your color space pretty badly so I would go Photo-JPEG) and transcode it there.

Although I don't see the "Flip4Mac WMV Export Settings - Demo Version" anywhere, you are right that flip4mac is installed in the mac and I'm sure it's the free version. So you are probably right about that being the problem.
Thanks, I'll start there!

[jsbraby]

I should have been more specific. "Flip4Mac WMV Export Settings - Demo Version" shows up in the "Options" window if you select "Export: Movie to Windows Media".

.wmv isn't a bad movie container, just a troublesome one.

[Jake]

Originally Posted by jsbraby

I should have been more specific. "Flip4Mac WMV Export Settings - Demo Version" shows up in the "Options" window if you select "Export: Movie to Windows Media".

.wmv isn't a bad movie container, just a troublesome one.

Thanks Joel, you were absolutely correct!