View Full Version : iMovie 09 update: iFrame video format


Michael Wisniewski
October 14th, 2009, 02:09 AM
Any thoughts on the new iMovie 09 / iFrame video format?
iMovie '09: About the iFrame Video format (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3905)

Strange resolution: 960x540 30fps.

David Sholle
October 14th, 2009, 08:49 AM
Currently, I believe the default when importing HD 1920X1080 footage into iMovie is to transcode it to AIC (Apple Intermediate Codec) at 960X540. This makes large files, but they are easier to edit than the raw video files. They are fine for YouTube, Vimeo, AppleTV, etc., and projects I have edited that way look OK on a 1920X1080 display. This new iFrame format, which is currently being offered on two Sanyo camcorders, will remove the transcoding. The video will be captured in iFrame format, transferred to the computer in the same format, and immediately edited. This should be a plus for the run of the mill iMovie user, making HD easier to edit. The Sanyo camcorders can also record in 1920X1080, up to 60p, if the user so desires, but that will not be iFrame format and will not be as easy to edit. My take on this is that iFrame probably won't be of too much interest to video pros, but for the average camcorder user, shooting with a HD camera and using iMovie to edit, it should make things a lot easier. And even a video pro on vacation might want to use iFrame, to quickly edit some vacation footage together in iMovie.