Does the updated Imovie Support interlacing?

[VideoPlayout11]

Hello,

Looking to buy a camcorder that records AVCHD 1080i50 video and want to edit with the simple Imovie. I then want my end product to be rendered on a DVD and played back on a TV.

Will there be any limitations?

Thank you.

[enim]

I doubt that iMovie can offer full-range AVCHD 1080i50 media import capabilities (from all popular brands of camcorders) to the library. Just double check the specs.

I never had a problem for importing SONY AVCHD Cam footage to iMovie media library, but with CANON AVCHD I remember that I had to convert it to AIC/MOV. I do not have latest version of iMovie.

[VideoPlayout11]

iMovie seems to be capable of AVCHD files but its the 'interlacing' that its not able to handle, thus it becomes de-interlaced 25P. I may need to purchase Final Cut Pro X. On a side note, do some DVDs support 1080i50?

[sanlyn]

On a side note, do some DVDs support 1080i50?

No.
https://www.videohelp.com/dvd#tech

[jagabo]

DVD players don't support HD video at all. Not 1080i, not 1080p, not 720p, nothing.

[VideoPlayout11]

Thank you all in advanced.

[VideoPlayout11]

If I end up shooting 1080i50, then want to output to a PAL DVD, what steps do I have to do, to down-convert? Will this then result in "bad" motion?

Thank you.

[poisondeathray]

If I end up shooting 1080i50, then want to output to a PAL DVD, what steps do I have to do, to down-convert? Will this then result in "bad" motion?

If you use imovie and single rate deinterlace, yes the resultant 25p PAL DVD will have worse motion (1/2 the motion samples as an interlaced PAL DVD)

[VideoPlayout11]

If you use imovie and single rate deinterlace, yes the resultant 25p PAL DVD will have worse motion (1/2 the motion samples as an interlaced PAL DVD)

What if I was to use Final Cut Pro X?

[Herve]

hello, some resume:

amcorder that records AVCHD 1080i50
[…]Will there be any limitations?

about editing:
- FCP (old versions or X) handles interlaced contents
- legacy softs: iMovieHD (version 6) and FinalCutExpress too
all newest versions of iMovie are buggy with these files (they damage them by removing half of their initial informations = deinterlace)
so you need an editing software compliant with your rushes.

-----

about broadcasting:
- iDVD (and most of others softs) deinterlace your video (while converting to DVD: 1080i50 -> 576p25)
Now the good question is what is your choice. Your input video is far more detailled than the resulting DVD, so:
- you can choose to obtain a better image (visible when you suspend the playback) = a deinterlaced video (DVD=576p25)
- or you can choose to preserve fluidity (motion) but obtained a less detailed image = an interlaced video (DVD=576i50)

No choice is perfect, personally when I convert my 1080i50 editings to DVD, I keep interlacing (I'm an human, not a steady cam , I prefer the fluidity for my own make videos)
But when I convert some movies (e.g.: for my children DVD-Player) I remove interlacing (useless) -> I obtain a 576p25
Advertising: my app has a preference to keep or remove interlacing when making a DVD from ann HD file. I don't know if other softwares does it, usually they deinterlace (it's easier )

So there is no perfect choices, just yours…
bye

[VideoPlayout11]

- or you can choose to preserve fluidity (motion) but obtained a less detailed image = an interlaced video (DVD=576i50)

I'd prefer to obtain the smoother motion over a less detailed image, its now a matter of the steps to achieve this. (1080i50 ->PAL DVD 576i) I want to make sure that 50i is still intact when down-scaling my footage for DVD.