Mac Final Cut to PC Videostudio 10

[cpcarrot]

Hi, hopefully an easy question to answer (I hope). I have some video files (about 5 hours worth of unedited files) imported from a Canon HV-20 using Final Cut Studio 2, stored as Quicktime (mov) files using the HDV 1080i Apple Codex on my Mac. I want to convert them so someone using a PC, Ulead Videostudio version 10 plus, can use them.

1) What would be a good format to convert / recapture them to so that they will be able to use the files? Idealy want to keep quality as close to original as possible.
2) What software would be best to use for this?

I do have access to a Vista Machine with firewire that I could potentially recapture the footage on (but no software to speak of on windows because I never use it). As it is only 5 hours and I have the original tapes I am quite happy to do that if that will be better quality / more likely to be compatable.

Not used to editing in windows and I want to make sure the files will be compatable (the first time I tried it I just transfered the files FCS produced, thinking quicktime is quicktime, and they were no good, damm Apple only codex!)

[Devil]

http://www.jakeludington.com/ask_jake/2 ... o_avi.html

[Ken Berry]

I have a HV20 and would suggest that it would probably be much better to recapture in HDV (high definition mpeg-2) format. If you don't have any relevant capture software, you can Google for a small freeware program called HDVSplit which will work with Vista. It will not only capture but divide the captured video by scene.

Not sure how you would propose passing the captured video to your friend for editing, though. 5 hours worth will be a lot of GB. It could be better to recapture directly on your friend's computer if he/she is in the same town as you. I am not sure you can use his/her VS10+ for that, though. I think VS11.5+ is required at the minimum. Moreover, VS11.5+ will not split HDV by scene. But again HDVSplit is the obvious solution.

If your friend's intention is to eventually burn the video to a standard video DVD, then the capture could be 'downgraded' to standard definition DV from the start. However, I would still recommend capturing and editing in HDV format. And when editing is finished it could be output to a final HDV file (which can be used whenever your friend obtains the necessary equipment which can play it back over high def TV). Or it can at that point be converted to standard definition mpeg-2 and burned to standard DVD in excellent quality.

[Jerry Jones]

I have both Mac and PC.

I have Final Cut Express 4 and iMovie 08.

I have Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus and I have Sony Vegas Movie Studio 8 Platinum.

If I were you, and I were forced to use Corel Ulead VideoStudio 10 to edit HDV files, I would convert the AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) .MOV files to Cineform .avi files.

The problem is that neither Corel Ulead VideoStudio 11 Plus nor Corel Ulead VideoStudio 10 include the Cineform codec.

If you buy the $250 Cineform codec, it makes the Corel Ulead applications unstable.

So you might be better off just re-capturing via Firewire.

But then you may encounter the smart-render bug if you attempt to edit high definition MPEG-2 natively in Corel Ulead VideoStudio 10 (slight glitches at edit points of material output from timeline).

By the way, why would you want to switch from the Mac to the PC?

I have both; I can't fathom why anybody would want to do that.

Jerry Jones

[sjj1805]

.......

By the way, why would you want to switch from the Mac to the PC?

I have both; I can't fathom why anybody would want to do that.

Jerry Jones

He isn't - he is passing some of his computer files from his MAC to a friend who has a PC.

[Jerry Jones]

You're right. I missed that .

Jerry Jones

[cpcarrot]

Cheers! I'll go ahead and recapture using HDVSplit as that seems to be the best solution. With regards transporting it, 250GB Western Digital Passport drive through the post.

And no I'm not switching from Mac to PC. Who on earth would contemplate such a thing?

[Ken Berry]