The short answer is NO, iMovie doesn't edit MPEG2 files.
:-)

Which is why everyone is pointing to utilities to pull out the MPEG2 data into DV or something similar. I believe MPEG Streamclip requires the Apple MPEG2 plug-in thing... which isn't free. Handbrake/MediaFork will turn it into H264 or older MPEG4 which iMovie, I believe, would have to then convert back to a DV format... You are losing quality with each change BTW.

got it thanks.. really appreciated ... helped alot... (and yup, each transcode will definitely impact the quality of the video in some way).. thanks again!!!!

I use iMovie as a field monitor quite often when I know I will be in a recording environment that doesn't involve a lot of action or when I want to record video & audio directly to a hard drive. It is quick, easy, and doesn't take much desktop space. I'm more interested in framing when I choose to use iMovie as a field monitor. If my laptop had a faster processor (it is a G3@700MHz), I would use FCExpress or FCP. For focus issues I either use my camera's viewfinder or a 13" CRT monitor.

Does FCE HD have the option of "start a new clip at each scene break" like in iMovie?
 

Like the title suggests....

Has FCE HD got this option, like in iMovie?....

I'm not using FCE HD (just FCE 2.0) but I think what you are looking for is under "Mark" then "DV Start/Stop Detect" You would capture the whole section of tape or the whole tape, then select it in the browser and then click "Mark" on the top pull down menu, then "DV Start/Stop Detect." This will place makers at each time you started recording on the tape. If you want to after that, you can make each an Independent Clip or Subclip from the "Modify" Menu.

Hope this helps...

Kevin

This is the way it works for "SD" footage (FCE 3.0) for "HD" then it works like iMovie -- creates a new clip file for each "scene"

thanks for the responses...

ok so i've captured the whole tape (SD 16:9 DVCAM from a DSR500) and after ive captured it ive selected "detect start stop" which places the small markers on the bottom at each scene break... but now how do i get FCE to make a split at each marker point, or turn them into individual clips?

I had exactly the same problem as Dean. Now i figured the above out for myself, and reimported it all with the "Auto Letterboxing" switched off and the project set-up as "DV Widescreen" (DV cam, not HDV cam).

My question is : I have captured 16:9 footage from my DV camcorder to imovie, but it is displaying it in iMovie as squished 4:3. Will it OUTPUT it as 16:9 successfully? Or do i have to kick off the Letterboxing thing manually?

very grateful to an answer to this - it will save my hours of delay an frustration. It takes 2.2 times the original footage time to Letterbox it, and i dont see why it is letterboxing it at all as its 16:9 native footage and the project is "DV Widescreen".

iMovie question
 

Is it possible to open footage imported through final cut in Imovie?

Thanks in advance.

Can't see why you'd drive a pinto when you've got the keys to the cadillac, but to each his own. 3 words can solve your problem: Drag and Drop.

My thoughts exactly. I'm basically fighting the clock, don't have time to put Final cut on a laptop that I'm traveling with and need to finish a project on the road. Thanks for the reply!

Replacing iMovie with Final Cut
 

Is it safe to uninstall iMovie if I am planning to use Final Cut Studio 2? Is there any reason to keep both?

What about iDVD? FC includes a DVD tool. Should I keep both?

I also use photoshop CS2 / Lightroom and I have tried to figure if I can uninstall iPhoto as I NEVER use it.

Hi Chris, and welcome to DVinfo. It's probably safe to do this, but personally I wouldn't bother. Given the size of hard drives today I don't think it's worth the trouble, and you never know when these programs might come in handy in the future.

I am working off of a MBP with a 120gig drive. With CS2 and some other stuff it fills up fast. I have all of my photos off on externals.

I am looking to conserve as much space as possible for when I am working in the field. If I no longer use the apps I like to remove them. I am new to the mac so I was unsure if other aps or the OS was dependent on the iMovie, Iphoto, IDVD or the like.

I took Iphoto off once and then found that Imovie used it to import photos. I reinstalled it. Later I found out that all you had to do was drag a photo from the picture folder to the timeline to import. So now I no longer use it.

Thanks for the info and the welcome.

I use iMovie now as an on set monitor for focusing and checking the overscan area on my XL1s. Nothing else though.