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Help - Can't make video on MAC!

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Help. I'm lost. I am having all kinds of trouble trying to make an athletic highlight piece for my daughter. I have a MacBook - 2007 - so of course my support has run out. I have all this footage from memory cards (video cameras) and DVD's that were taken of her playing. These are all home made...not commercial.

I had trouble with my MAC reading the DVD's and I looked it up on the web and everyone said to convert them to disk images. This worked on a couple, the other times I had trouble and said that IMOVIE could not recognize them or something. Other times, I got messages about not enough disk space so I got Clean My Mac and cleaned up some space, and removed things like Skype. Still no success. I need help. I want to:

1. add more memory to my MacBook - maybe this is the problem. I can't seem to get Apple to tell me if I can do this...I have to pay $50 to ask them!

2. is there an easier way to do all this? I need to make these movies. Do I need to get a new MAC or PC to do this?
 
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Well, there's memory and then there's storage - if you're out of storage, then you need a larger hard drive, or an external to work with.

Memory is another issue entirely and your need of more RAM will depend on how much actual system RAM you're using.

My guess is your problem is:

1) Files in the improper format - DVD's can't be directly imported into iMovie, they need to be converted into a video file that will work with iMovie, I suggest looking at using Handbrake to rip the files to mp4 video files to import into iMovie

2) I'm not sure what you have on the memory cards, so I can't comment

3) You don't mention which version of iMovie you're currently using so, for example, if you're using memory cards from a high def camera, the version of iMovie you have may be incompatible and you may either want to get a newer version or convert the video on the cards into a format compatible with the version of iMovie you have.

4) Hard drive space gets consumed very quickly video editing. I'd suggest seeing how much free space you have and making a judgement on whether it may be in your best interest to upgrade to a larger hard drive. Usually, those of us who edit, use a secondary (external on a laptop) drive to act as our scratch disks, but I know in iMovie it's not so easy, so you may be forced to use your boot drive - if you have, for example, an 80 gig hard drive, and only 10 gigs free - that won't be enough to edit video - so you'll want to get something larger - like a 160 or preferably larger drive (like a 250 or 500 or bigger) - and if you have time machine use it (with your OS disks) to install on the new drive to transfer your data and programs.

I'm not saying you can't go out and buy a new computer, but if the computer is otherwise acting fine and is more then enough for your needs, no need to get rid of it when upgrading a single part will work...
 
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niseyware
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Thanks!

Wow - thats a lot of info. I mean storage not RAM. I have very little storage left. I have La Cie for extra space and I had a Flash Drive. Nothing worked. I am so lost. I'd rather have the storage on my hard drive. I have a late 2007 MacBook. I am using the version of IMovie that came with it - '08 - 7.14. I downloaded Handbrake and did not know the first thing to do with it! Lol. Think I need to hire someone. If you know anyone in Columbus, Ohio let me know!
 

Slydude

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Here are some directions for Handbrake that might work to help you along DVD-Guides.com - How to use Handbrake to backup a DVD movie to an MPEG 4 movie. If that does not work check out this article that I did for ATPM a few years ago. Although the test discs were burned on a TiVo equipped with a DVD burner, the process works with DVDs in general ATPM 12.03 - How To: Performing a Video Extraction. I used DV files in the article but it will also handle MP4.

P.S. Just for those who might be thinking of asking, I have not tried this with commercial, copy-protected DVDs. Don't ask if it works for them. I don't know.
 

vansmith

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Other times, I got messages about not enough disk space so I got Clean My Mac and cleaned up some space, and removed things like Skype. Still no success.

Wow - thats a lot of info. I mean storage not RAM. I have very little storage left.

Removing applications like Skype aren't going to get you much in the way of hard drive space. To start with, how much do you actually have left? You only mention that you have very little. If you're unsure how to find out, simply open Finder and look at the bottom.
 
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Some success - finally!

Thank you for both for your help! I bought a DVD-ripping program for my Mac and was able to convert a DVD to IMovie! Yippee! These are of course home movies of my daughter's fh games - not commercial type DVD's. Now the trouble I am running into is disk space - storage spage. I guess I only have 4.6 GB available storage left. Is this going to be enough to download some other videos or will I need to buy more storage space?
 
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You'll need more - especially if you want to edit and output it back out again.

I'd say get an external drive to do a time machine backup (or carbon copy cloner or one of the other duplication/backup tools) then get a new larger internal drive and you can use the install DVDs that came with your Mac to restore the time machine to the new drive with a lot more space (you do need to use disk utility in the install menu to prep the drive before installing otherwise the installer / restore function will find no available drives)

You're going to want 2-5 times the amount of space needed for the source material for the overall project in free space - so if your source material is say 10 gigs, you'll want probably 30 - 50 gigs free (preferably more) - you can easily get a 500 or 620 gig laptop hard drive fairly cheap these days.
 
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A new hard drive is an easy replacement and it will be better to do the same. Again, assuming you have the original install discs that came with the mac.
 
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Getting there....

To - Nethfel - :[ I really want to be able to say I totally understood what you just so kindly advised me to do, but I don't. ;) Okay - so I have a La Cie orange drive (is that a hard drive?) I used Time Machine yesterday and backed up everything I had on my MacBook. Do I need to get another one as well? What is an internal drive? Is that one I have to install in the actual laptop? Is that something a neanderthal like me can do? Where do I buy them? I won't even ask you to explain the rest of what you said until I have the necessary hardware! On a positive note, I am feeling hopeful because I am learning now and actually making some progress with all of this thanks to people like you! Thank you! :)
 
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Okay - so I have a La Cie orange drive (is that a hard drive?)
Yep that one you are talking about is your External HD
I used Time Machine yesterday and backed up everything I had on my MacBook. Do I need to get another one as well?
Yep doing a Backup with TM is good, and there should be no need to get another Ext HD.
What is an internal drive? Is that one I have to install in the actual laptop?

Yes that is your Internal HD. This is the one with you OS installed on it.


Now since you have done a complete BackUp you need to go into your External HD and make sure all your most important files have backed up properly. This is so if you trash things from your Internal HD, you know you have a workable backup.
Trashing things will for now get you back some Storage Space for you to beable to make your movies. But as stated above in the long term it is advisable to go get another bigger Internal HD .... :)

TM
 
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internal drive

Thank you TM. Can you tell me where to get an internal hard drive? Would this be replacing my old one or adding to the one already in it? Is this done at the Apple Store - the people who will not give me any help because my Mac is over the Apple Care time line? Perhaps if I am buying something more expensive than La Cie they will speak to me? I could not even get them to answer the question that I posed to you here without paying $50 to have a tech speak to me on the phone. If you can advise me what exactly to get - I will March into the Apple Store and tell them and maybe I will have more luck?
 
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If you check out OWC - Macsales.com and look for the tab that says MYOWC Click on it and then put in your Mac Specs and and then the Storage tab and it will bring up ALL compatible HD's for your particular machine. OWC is highly recommended as they test all there hardware on Mac's to make sure there is no problems.
Dont go to  for anything else because they like to charge exuberant prices for ANY upgrades.
But check it out and let us know how you go :)

TM

EDIT : it will be replacing your other one and look for one with a external enclosure so you can clone your Old onto your New and it will save you a big headache in the long run. The ext enclosures are only $20 or so as well :)
 
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IMovie Project Library/Events Library question

Thanks again for your help all.

Another question now...about IMovie itself. I am working on a project so I have a few clips in the Project Library. If I remove (empty to trash) the source from the Event Library, will the clip disappear from my Project Library or remain for me? I'm trying to get rid of all the extra footage that I don't need on the computer because I have it saved on disks and memory cards.
 
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Another question now...about IMovie itself. I am working on a project so I have a few clips in the Project Library. If I remove (empty to trash) the source from the Event Library, will the clip disappear from my Project Library or remain for me? I'm trying to get rid of all the extra footage that I don't need on the computer because I have it saved on disks and memory cards.

I posted an answer on the new thread you created for this question.
 
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chas_m

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I guess I only have 4.6 GB available storage left.

Not only is this not enough to do any video editing (and forget about video burning!), this isn't even really enough to properly run your computer.

Golden Rule #2 is Macs need a lot of free space to work with. After studying this problem for several years now, I've concluded that modern Macs running OS X 10.4-10.6 need a minimum of 12GB of free space *at all times* to run at their best. They'll start to slow down bit by bit the farther down from 12GB you get.

If you have a 2007 MacBook like I do, my best suggestion for you would be to get an external hard drive for both backup and "media storage" of video stuff like this. You might also consider simply replacing the boot drive of your laptop with a larger one -- I have a 320GB right now that seems to be the right size for me. They're inexpensive and easy to replace, though of course you'll need to find a way to backup the current boot drive and restore it first.

If you're in a hurry (and it sounds like you are), I'd strongly suggest an external drive, some severe trimming or offloading of whatever media you presently have on the boot drive to get back up to 12GB or more free space, THEN proceed with your video project storing the footage on the external.

PS. Mac is not an acronym for anything, so it should not be capitalised. Cheers.
 
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chas_m

Yea - definitely having trouble running the computer at all atm. Everything is going wrong. I do have La Cie and I have used Time Machine so I think everything is on there. I backed up on Time Machine the other day but now when I hook up La Cie and bring up Time Machine it does not seem to back up anything new (unless it is doing it in the background and I don't know about it) - it just says Cancel, Now, Restore - and dates. I called the computer store nearby and they have a new hard drive - 160 GB? for about $60. Takes a couple of days to install and return. Don't know if I can live without my computer that long but I guess I have to! So I guess the tech will know how to get all my old stuff onto my new drive and then I will start fresh with the video project and hopefully not have all these issues. Thanks for your help!

PS - Thanks for the spelling lesson - on Mac! Lol.


(Not only is this not enough to do any video editing (and forget about video burning!), this isn't even really enough to properly run your computer.

Golden Rule #2 is Macs need a lot of free space to work with. After studying this problem for several years now, I've concluded that modern Macs running OS X 10.4-10.6 need a minimum of 12GB of free space *at all times* to run at their best. They'll start to slow down bit by bit the farther down from 12GB you get.

If you have a 2007 MacBook like I do, my best suggestion for you would be to get an external hard drive for both backup and "media storage" of video stuff like this. You might also consider simply replacing the boot drive of your laptop with a larger one -- I have a 320GB right now that seems to be the right size for me. They're inexpensive and easy to replace, though of course you'll need to find a way to backup the current boot drive and restore it first.

If you're in a hurry (and it sounds like you are), I'd strongly suggest an external drive, some severe trimming or offloading of whatever media you presently have on the boot drive to get back up to 12GB or more free space, THEN proceed with your video project storing the footage on the external.

PS. Mac is not an acronym for anything, so it should not be capitalised. Cheers.)
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Slydude

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Time Machine is probably backing up OK. It is indeed designed to backup in the background. I have been using it for several months now. Once the initial backup is complete the hourly backups occur in the background. When I was backing up to an external hard drive I did not notice when the backup was occurring. Now that I am backing up to an external drive on my network there is a brief blink as the dparsebundle file is backed up.

The screen that you are seeing when you enter Time Machine is not the backup screen. That is the screen used to restore files that have been lost or damaged. You might find this overview of Time Machine helpful. Perhaps it will clear up some of your questions. ATPM 15.03 - How To: Time Travel: Introduction to Time Machine
 

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Glad to help. Did that resolve most of your questions?
 

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