TOPIC
This article contains the Read Me for iMovie.
DISCUSSION
Editor's Note: iMovie 1.0.x only ships with iMac DV computers. iMovie 1.0.x is not currently a separate retail product. It is only supported on iMac DV computers. About iMovie 1.0 Welcome to iMovie, an application that integrates Digital Video (DV) capture, scene editing, titling, transition effects, and audio to create broadcast-quality movies. For a list of qualified camcorders and DV devices, see the Device Compatibility section below. For the latest news and information about iMovie, visit the iMovie web site at www.apple.com/imovie System Requirements Getting Started When you first open iMovie, create a new project. If you want to take a tutorial to get familiar with iMovie, Open the Help menu and choose iMovie Tutorial. Reinstalling iMovie To reinstall iMovie, open the installer on the iMovie CD and follow the instructions on the screen. The application and components will be placed in a folder named iMovie on the main level of your hard disk. Note: iMovie was installed on your computer in the Applications folder on your hard disk. The Installer will put an iMovie folder containing the iMovie application folder and or the iMovie Tutorial folder on the main level of your hard disk. After installation, drag this folder and its contents into the Applications folder to restore it to the original location. Application Notes For Optimal Performance When Running iMovie Quit any applications that may be running in the background. iMovie should be the only active application. On 64 megabyte computers, be sure Virtual Memory is turned on in the Memory control panel. Do not switch monitor resolutions while rendering is active. These file formats are supported for input: Still images: PICT, JPEG, GIF, BMP, and Photoshop Audio files: AIFF and CD audio tracks QuickTime movies: DV Stream format only These file formats are supported for output: QuickTime movies Still images: PICT and JPEG Video to DV tape Do not unplug DV devices during import or export processes. Font support: The titling feature in iMovie supports TrueType as well as Adobe PostScript fonts. 16:9 Format iMovie does not work with clips with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Capturing Live Video From a Camera If you intend to capture live video from a camera: 1. Switch the camera to Camera mode and set the Lock/Standby switch to Standby. 2. Remove any tape cassettes in the camera. A tape in the camera will cause the camera to time out and go into sleep mode. If the camera requires a tape to be in the camera but does not play video through to iMovie, check that the tape's write protection tab is unlocked. 3. Make sure the camera's demo mode is disabled. Some cameras switch to a demo mode when left on standby without a tape inserted. Check for a demo function in your camcorder's settings menu and disable it. Renaming Clips You can rename clips within iMovie. However, do not change the name of clips in your project folder. This will break links to the media in your project file. Ejecting DVDs and CD-ROMs Eject DVDs or CD-ROMs prior to running iMovie by dragging the disc icon on the Desktop to the Trash. If you are in iMovie, choose Hide iMovie from the Application menu in the upper right corner of your screen to switch to the Finder. Eject your DVD or CD-ROM while in the Finder, then choose iMovie from the Application menu to resume editing. Maximum Movie and Clip Size The maximum length of a movie is limited only by the available disk space on your computer. There is no limit to the number of clips that can be combined to create a single movie. However, the maximum file size of an individual movie clip is 2 gigabytes. If you exceed this 2 gigabyte limit during an extended duration capture, iMovie will continue the capture into a second clip. Working While Rendering You can continue working in a project while rendering transitions or titles. Performance may decline if you have more than two render processes working simultaneously. Emptying the Trash Resets the Undo Command If you empty the trash in iMovie, you will not be able to undo any actions taken prior to emptying the trash. Sound Input Do not change the sound input device while iMovie is running. iMovie uses an external or built-in microphone as the sound input device to record your voice. If you need to switch to one of these devices, quit iMovie then select the device in the Sound control panel or from the Control Strip. Do Not Capture Video to Storage Devices Over A Network Capture video to projects on local hard disks. Do not capture video to projects saved on a server. Video cannot be reliably captured over a network to a project stored on a server. Simultaneous Use of Multiple DV Devices is Not Supported iMovie will not work with more than one DV device connected to your computer with FireWire. QDesign Music Codec 2 Professional Edition Sound Compression If you plan to use this sound compression software with iMovie, you must first export a movie through QuickTime Player using this codec and register the software with its serial number when prompted. You can then proceed to export movies with QDesign Music Codec 2 sound compression through the Expert export settings in iMovie. Tutorial Notes Removing and Restoring the Tutorial Project and Media Clips You can reclaim hard disk space by removing the Tutorial project and media. Drag the iMovie Tutorial folder to the Trash in the Finder and choose Empty Trash from the Special menu. To restore the Tutorial project with its source media, insert the iMovie CD into your CD-ROM drive. Double-click the Install iMovie icon. Follow the onscreen instructions and when you reach the Custom Installation and Removal panel, choose iMovie Tutorial (160 MB). Leave the box labeled iMovie (20 MB) unchecked. After completing the installation, open the iMovie folder on your hard drive and drag the iMovie Tutorial folder onto the iMovie folder in the Applications folder. Throw away the iMovie folder on the main level of your hard disk. Note: The iMovie Tutorial folder must be inside the iMovie folder, alongside the iMovie application folder, in order to work with the tutorial instructions in the Help menu. PAL Support for the Tutorial iMovie supports PAL format video. However, the media created for the tutorial is in NTSC format and cannot be exported to PAL format DV devices. Troubleshooting Audio Dropout in Movies Exported to Tape If you experience audio dropout in a movie that you have exported to tape, return to your project and lower the volume level of the affected clip with the volume slider in the audio viewer. Then re-export your movie. Lack of Video in Capture Mode If you can control your camera, but do not receive a video feed to the monitor in camera mode, disconnect the FireWire cable while your camcorder is still on, then reconnect the cable. PAL Support - Video Standard of Camera Doesn't Match Video Standard of Project Before you create a project, connect and turn on your camcorder. If you are using a PAL format DV camcorder, iMovie will recognize the device and create the project in PAL format. Cannot Export a Movie to a PAL Camcorder If you can not record to your PAL camcorder, check the manufacturer's specifications for your device. Certain PAL devices have FireWire (IEEE1394) input disabled. Device Too Slow Alert When Using FireWire Storage Devices with iMovie Go to the manufacturer's website and download the latest device driver. Install and restart your computer, then restart iMovie. Running Low on Memory On computers with 64 megabytes of memory, be sure Virtual Memory is turned on in the Memory Control Panel. Quit any applications that may be running in the background other than iMovie. Increase the amount of memory allocated to iMovie by doing the following. 1) Quit iMovie. 2) Locate the iMovie application (not the alias) and click once on the iMovie application icon. 3) Open the File menu and choose Memory from the Get Info submenu. 4) Increase the number in the Preferred Size field to 30720 then close the window and restart iMovie. Discrepancy Between Playhead Reading at End of Clip and Clip Duration There is a one-frame difference between the duration of a clip and the playhead reading when the playhead is parked on the last frame. This is normal and will not affect your project. Cannot Throw Away iMovie Resource Files If you experience trouble throwing away iMovie resource files, select the files and choose General Information from the Get Info sub menu in the File menu. Check the box labeled Locked at the bottom left corner of each window then close each info window. Choose Empty Trash from the Special menu. Device Compatibility The following DV devices have been qualified for use with iMovie. For the latest information on DV device compatibility, visit the iMovie web site at www.apple.com/imovie Sony Models DVMC-DA1 and DVMC-MS1 AV adapters (Allows use of non-DV devices such as Hi8 and other analog camcorders. However, these devices do not allow iMovie to control the camcorder.) DCR-PC1 DCR-PC10 GV-D300 DCR-TR7000 DCR-TRV103 DCR-TRV110 DCR-TRV310 DCR-TRV310E DCR-TRV5E DCR-TRV510 DCR-TRV7 DCR-TRV8 DCR-TRV9 DCR-TRV9E DCR-TRV900 DCR-TRV900E *Canon Models Elura Optura Ultura Vistura ZR *Panasonic Models AG-EZ20 AG-EZ30 PV-DV710 PV-DV910 *Sharp Models VL-PD3 *Tips For Camcorders With Compatibility Issues. Canon Camcorders If you cannot pause the camera during rewind or fast-forward in iMovie, try again, or press the Stop button instead of the Pause button. Panasonic Camcorders If you attempt to export to tape and the camcorder LCD flashes the message "Check DV Input" then enters REC/Pause mode, but never actually starts recording, do the following: 1. Stop the camcorder and cancel the export. 2. Add a few extra seconds of black before the recording, or increase the time to wait for the camera in the Export Movie window. 3. When you export to tape, watch for black frames being sent to the camera on the LCD then press the "Still" button on the camcorder's VTR controls to begin recording. Sharp VL-PD3 If you attempt to export to tape and the camcorder goes into record/pause mode, but never actually starts recording, do the following: 1. Stop the camcorder and cancel the export. 2. Add a few extra seconds of black before the recording, or increase the time to wait for the camera in the Export Movie window. 3. When you export to tape, press the Play button on the camcorder's VTR controls to begin recording. Storage Device Speed iMovie needs fast hard disks. When adding more storage devices, you will need disk drives with a sustained transfer rate of 3.6 MB or higher. The following storage devices do not meet the minimum transfer rate or capacity requirements to work with iMovie. SuperDisk drives Floppy disk drives Zip drives AppleShare or IP mounted file servers |
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| Document Information | |
| Product Area: | Apple Software |
| Category: | iMovie |
| Sub Category: | General Topics |
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