iMovie Import Quality

There probably is something about the Zoom codec that iMovie doesn't like. Try making a duplicate of your Zoom clip and converting it to H.264, Mp4/AAC with the free download, Handbrake. Do that even if the codec already is indicated to be Mp4/AAC. Re-rendering often cures the issue.

You can get Handbrake here:

https://handbrake.fr/

A simple way to do it without fiddling with settings is to open Handbrake and do a File/Open Source. Navigate to your video and choose it as the source from the resulting screen. Then do File/Start Encoding. Wait a couple of minutes for the conversion to complete. Then save and import the converted clip into iMovie.

After converting, import the converted duplicate clip into iMovie and see if the quality is improved.

-- Rich

O.K. So there is nothing wrong with the clip encoding. To double check, open a converted clip in QuickTimePlayer and test whether it plays O.K. there. If it does, you might try exporting it from there at a lower resolution than you have been doing. Then import into iMovie. Sometimes raising the resolution of a video actually can degrade it.

To rule out a corrupt iMovie preference, try deleting preferences. It is a safe procedure that will cause no data loss. To delete preferences open iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and select to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects. Now check the quality.

Also, if you haven't already, try creating a new project and see if the clips play O.K. there.

Another thing you can try is to open iMovie in a newly created library and create a new project there. To do that, open iMovie while holding down only the Option key and select to create a new library from the box that appears.

All else failing, try redownloading iMovie. To update/redownload iMovie 10, drag your iMovie 10 app from the Applications folder into the trash, but do not empty the trash. Sign in to the app store and open your purchases folder by clicking on your name at the bottom of the app store side bar. You will see your purchases displayed, including iMovie 10. Redownload/update iMovie from there. If not successful, drag your present iMovie app out of the trash (if you moved it

there) and return it to the Applications folder.

-- Rich

I don't know the answer to that question. My feeling is that it would not make a difference.

-- Rich