iMovie to AVI or TMPEGENC?

[zx80]

HI,
Is there a way to expedite getting my iMovie clips (DV format) into AVI format for VirtualDub or directly into TMPENGENC for encoding?
Right now I have to export to Quicktime MOV (DV NTSC), then use Quicktime Pro to convert to AVI.
TMPGENC will take the MOV files although I'm told it's not reliable.
Thanks,
Mark

[[*]_BonKerS_[*]]

In a way you answered your own question. If you import your clips to iMovie just export them as a DV file. Since iMovie is a stupid ******* program it doesn't output a .dv file like you want but spits out a .mov file. You already said that TMPGenc takes .mov's and it does. I think I used that method in the past. However, if this doesn't work for you (won't recognise what type of file it is) then just output your iMovie file to a Motion JPEG A at 75% quality, this should work for you. If you were hoping on just using the clips that were imported then I am sorry to say that you are going to need to do a little more work than that

-bonks

[zx80]

Actually exporting from iMovie introduces artifacts, regardless of the putput format (e.g. DV NTSC), unfortunately.
I've found a better solution is to import the DV file used by iMovie into QT Pro, then export as an AVI.

[MacBurglar]

Hi ZX,

Can you just expand a bit on how you convert from iMovie into AVI for less artifacts? Do you go in and convert each individual DV clip from the movie folder into AVI? Or do you export into MOV format from iMovie program and then convert to AVI with QT Pro? Thanks

[zx80]

Well, basically I was using the DV clip that was captured BEFORE it went into iMovie... until I discovered that the problem was not with iMovie but QuickTime.
QuickTime defaults to a "low-quality" setting, in order to keep the frame rate consistent. Thus if you export from QT to AVI format, it defaults to a low quality setting
However, with QT Pro, under the Movie Properties tab there is a Video Track pulldown. Choose that then set the High Quality check box. Now you have full access to the original high quality data out of iMovie, assuming that you exported from iMovie as either iDVD output, "high quality", or an "expert" DV format.
Hope that helps.