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I can pull Tivo video with my Mac with both Series 1 and Series 2. I also can stream video directly to my Mac. See here

Samba includes a SMB client AND server for free; OSX (desktop edition, at least) has a bundled client, but no server.

Wrong.

Apache/php/perl/etc have been ported, but seem to run most smoothly on linux.

I don't know why you'd say that, as Apache and Perl come installed by default on OS X. (I don't know about PHP, I wouldn't use that heap of crap if you paid me.) There are nice 1-click installers for Rails too.

As far as user apps, well, the Gimp still seems to be designed for linux.

Yup. That's why I paid $30 for a copy of Photoshop Elements, which blows away The GIMP for usability and has all the functionality I need. Frankly, I wish there was something to compare with Elements on Linux. I use the GIMP, but every time I do it does something weird and inexplicable.

iMovie only lets you save to Quicktime (ugh), and Windows Movie Maker to Windows Media.

False. What you apparently missed is that when you save to QuickTime from iMovie, it's not saving to QuickTime file format—it's saving to the QuickTime multimedia subsystem. From there you can set your output format to anything you like. Hence iMovie can save to MPEG-4 with H.264, DivX, 3ivX, MPEG-1, DV files, whatever the hell you like.

I don't care if iMovie can turn junk footage into pure gold - what good is it if I can only save to a proprietary format?

QuickTime file format is the basis of the MPEG-4 file format. Maybe MPEG-4 is "proprietary", but it's the closest thing to a usable open standard that exists in the world of video. The QuickTime and MPEG-4 formats are both open documented specifications.

I can't open Quicktime movies in any of my windows software for further editing, and I can't open Windows Media in any of my OSX software for further editing.

If your Windows software is so crap that it can't open QuickTime, it presumably isn't one of the well-known movie editing packages like Adobe Premier, which is built on QuickTime for Windows. In which case, export from iMovie to whatever format your software needs. To use Windows Media on OS X, you simply need to install the Flip4Mac WMV QuickTime codec plugins, which you can download from Microsoft's web site. Then you can drag-drop your WMV video straight into iMovie.

As for apps that noone on Windows/OSX seem to use, netpbm is a good example. They are command-line utilities that let you convert image formats, rescale, rotate, crop, etc.

Nobody uses them because you can do the exact same thing with Graphic Converter, PhotoShop or QuickTime, script using AppleScript, and not have to actually write the code. But netpbm and ImageMagick are available for OS X if you'd rather do batch image processing the hard way. (I speak as someone who's done batch processing with ImageMagick and with GraphicConverter.)

I'm not sure how to track down all the dependencies on OSX, or whether Apple made any modifications before compiling.

So download the latest netpbm from DarwinPorts.

Samba includes a SMB client AND server for free; OSX (desktop edition, at least) has a bundled client, but no server.

Wrong.

Apache/php/perl/etc have been ported, but seem to run most smoothly on linux.

I don't know why you'd say that, as Apache and Perl come installed by default on OS X. (I don't know about PHP, I wouldn't use that heap of crap if you paid me.) There are nice 1-click installers for Rails too.

As far as user apps, well, the Gimp still seems to be designed for linux.

Yup. That's why I paid $30 for a copy of Photoshop Elements, which blows away The GIMP for usability and has all the functionality I need. Frankly, I wish there was something to compare with Elements on Linux. I use the GIMP, but every time I do it does something weird and inexplicable.

iMovie only lets you save to Quicktime (ugh), and Windows Movie Maker to Windows Media.

False. What you apparently missed is that when you save to QuickTime from iMovie, it's not saving to QuickTime file format—it's saving to the QuickTime multimedia subsystem. From there you can set your output format to anything you like. Hence iMovie can save to MPEG-4 with H.264, DivX, 3ivX, MPEG-1, DV files, whatever the hell you like.

I don't care if iMovie can turn junk footage into pure gold - what good is it if I can only save to a proprietary format?

QuickTime file format is the basis of the MPEG-4 file format. Maybe MPEG-4 is "proprietary", but it's the closest thing to a usable open standard that exists in the world of video. The QuickTime and MPEG-4 formats are both open documented specifications.

I can't open Quicktime movies in any of my windows software for further editing, and I can't open Windows Media in any of my OSX software for further editing.

If your Windows software is so crap that it can't open QuickTime, it presumably isn't one of the well-known movie editing packages like Adobe Premier, which is built on QuickTime for Windows. In which case, export from iMovie to whatever format your software needs. To use Windows Media on OS X, you simply need to install the Flip4Mac WMV QuickTime codec plugins, which you can download from Microsoft's web site. Then you can drag-drop your WMV video straight into iMovie.

As for apps that noone on Windows/OSX seem to use, netpbm is a good example. They are command-line utilities that let you convert image formats, rescale, rotate, crop, etc.

Nobody uses them because you can do the exact same thing with Graphic Converter, PhotoShop or QuickTime, script using AppleScript, and not have to actually write the code. But netpbm and ImageMagick are available for OS X if you'd rather do batch image processing the hard way. (I speak as someone who's done batch processing with ImageMagick and with GraphicConverter.)

I'm not sure how to track down all the dependencies on OSX, or whether Apple made any modifications before compiling.

So download the latest netpbm from DarwinPorts.

I avoided the weblog thing not really seeing the value. One day I realized I have a bunch of information I would like to post but it really did not "deserve" a full webpage dedicated to it... Duh!

Hell it may not deserve a "blog" but here is The iMovie FAQ News If nothing else it looks "clean and neat".

Besides diagnosis... you get to "over-clock" your A/F ratios, shift points, delete emission devices (not that I would ever do that). All kinds of fun stuff!

Hell... this year I have a an O2 wideband that plugs right into the black box on the scanner software

Comparing different export formats (DivX, Real, MPEG-1, MPEG-4, 3ivX, Sorenson Pro, Windows Media, etc..)

As you may imagine I am a QT/Sorenson fan but, a good MPEG compressor is nice and only a little larger if you cut the bitrate down.

The other thing I noticed when running the ads that I am "almost" instantaneously updated in Goggle and my ranking has increased a bit higher.

Now if YOU guys want to go there and click ads that would be great ;-) but it is an Apple/iMovie site so I should only have about 6% worth of interest from here :-(

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

You do not need a "Apple SuperDrive"just a compatiable drive (Pioneer A03,A04, or A05) and you can install it yourself.
That is what I did. ;-)
--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

Obviously you do not spend a lot of time with the other iApps!! Cripes man I have a page dedicated to iMovie 3 bugs and issues and a website devoted to work arounds and you wantta bitch about iPhoto?!?!

Are you mad!. I could do the same for iDVD, if I wanted to take the time. I have over 2000 photos and iPhoto with 1.25 gigs of memory behind it runs like a champ. You need to find another gripe, that one is "weak", at best.

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

Obviously you do not spend a lot of time with the other iApps!! Cripes man I have a page dedicated to iMovie 3 bugs and issues and a website devoted to work arounds and you wantta bitch about iPhoto?!?!

Are you mad!. I could do the same for iDVD, if I wanted to take the time. I have over 2000 photos and iPhoto with 1.25 gigs of memory behind it runs like a champ. You need to find another gripe, that one is "weak", at best.

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

$4.08 per month
13.4 per day

I am hoping most of the $17,000,000 goes to a few good iMovie developers, myself. Damned finicky program that version 3!

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

A few tips there too ;-)
--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
Tell Apple how you feel about iMovie

A few tips there too ;-)
--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
Tell Apple how you feel about iMovie

Well while true to do "real" 16:9 editing you would at least need Final Cut Express. But you would also need a true 16:9 camera. The Sony widescreen (16:9 format) is doing nothing more than limiting the video written to tape and actually you have much LESS video (lines of resolution) You are just cropping off the top and bottom. I have a "true" 16:9 camera (Sony VX-2000) BUT to actually get it to use the whole tape (true widescreen) is like a $700 upgrade to the lens.

You can get around your issue in iMovie by using a 16:9 effect for your transitions, titles, and effects. Available from both GeeThree or Stupendous software, as iMovie will not alter the original DV you pulled off tape.

MPEG is a touchy subject for Apple and I am sure it has to do something with the licensing. You will get one of the best MPEG encoder is you buy either Final Cut Pro or DVD Studio Pro. It is called Compressor. Quicktime will crop your video anyway you want just not output to MPEG-2 without the MPEG-2 codec.

I think once you start figuring your Mac out you will be much happier and if you actually pay for professional results you will get them. If you are tenacious enough the are PLENTY of free MPEG encoder available on VersionTracker. Here are the instructions.

--
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
Tell Apple how you feel about iMovie

Well this is all well and good but as soon as you start burning things at a higher rate than they were intended you start losing compatibility. In this, I mean, it will play in fewer player than it would if you did a nice slow burn at 1X. I have a 2x drive and still alter the OS (via iTunes) to burn at 1X.
I would test it throughly with a few standalone DVD players and have a backout plan. --
Daniel C. Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ
Tell Apple how you feel about iMovie

For those who dread the ACC format, here is a bit of news for you (in case you have not heard of this product). Audio Hijack allows you to put a software wedge between any application playing and will record the output to your standard AIFF. This, of course, can be played and converted to an MP3 with iTunes. Recording options include; Flash, Realplayer, DVD player, Windows Media player. Basically anything you can launch in a GUI.

I have found this invaluable when making personal movies and wanting to capture little sound clips or songs of the web. I run the iMovie FAQ if you interested in other cool things to do with your iLife.

Perhaps I was not clear when I was talking about a "fisaco". I was talking about the crap product it turned out to be if you try and do anything complicated. Especially if that product did not originate in IM ver 3.0.2. I stopped using iMovie, for the most part.

Click here for a current list of problems

PLUS they dropped the price of DVDSP to a "mere" $500 and added themes. Fucking too sweet!

I think I will hold on to FCP 3.0.4 for a while since the iLife fiasco with iMovie.

--
Dan Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

-- Dan Slagle

Keeper of the "Unofficial" iMovie FAQ

So sad I did not know what a blog was till today. I thought it was still called a weblog. Anyway in my goggle search I see where goggle purchased Blogger (one of the the biggest names in "blogging". Ick!

It will be interesting to see what they play to do with this technology.

Dan Slagle
Keeper of the "Unofficial iMovie FAQ"

"Some of the other plug-ins have a problem with screen redraw using NavServices (open/save dialog), but other parts of iMovie have this same problem. Some of the titles have the same centering problem as the Apple plug-ins, so we'll need to see how to address this."

1. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
2. Type: sudo sh /etc/daily
3. Press Return.
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.
OR
Run Mac Janitor to be sure every is nice and clean
AND
1. Open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/).
2. Select the Mac OS X startup disk in the left-hand column.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click Repair Disk Permissions.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS and your still running slow
-Update Your Prebindings
1. Open up Terminal (Applications/Utilities)
2. Type: sudo update_prebinding -root /
3. Press return
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
4. Wait... (you will see text-glore scroll by for about 10-20 minutes)
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.

o Cannot center titles
o Cannot "always" reverse a clip
o Transitions add a black or white frame
o Timecode date/timestamp defaults to today

"Some of the other plug-ins have a problem with screen redraw using NavServices (open/save dialog), but other parts of iMovie have this same problem. Some of the titles have the same centering problem as the Apple plug-ins, so we'll need to see how to address this."

1. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
2. Type: sudo sh /etc/daily
3. Press Return.
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.
OR
Run Mac Janitor to be sure every is nice and clean
AND
1. Open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/).
2. Select the Mac OS X startup disk in the left-hand column.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click Repair Disk Permissions.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS and your still running slow
-Update Your Prebindings
1. Open up Terminal (Applications/Utilities)
2. Type: sudo update_prebinding -root /
3. Press return
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
4. Wait... (you will see text-glore scroll by for about 10-20 minutes)
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.

o Cannot center titles
o Cannot "always" reverse a clip
o Transitions add a black or white frame
o Timecode date/timestamp defaults to today

"Some of the other plug-ins have a problem with screen redraw using NavServices (open/save dialog), but other parts of iMovie have this same problem. Some of the titles have the same centering problem as the Apple plug-ins, so we'll need to see how to address this."

1. Open Terminal (/Applications/Utilities).
2. Type: sudo sh /etc/daily
3. Press Return.
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.
OR
Run Mac Janitor to be sure every is nice and clean
AND
1. Open Disk Utility (/Applications/Utilities/).
2. Select the Mac OS X startup disk in the left-hand column.
3. Click the First Aid tab.
4. Click Repair Disk Permissions.
IF ALL ELSE FAILS and your still running slow
-Update Your Prebindings
1. Open up Terminal (Applications/Utilities)
2. Type: sudo update_prebinding -root /
3. Press return
4. Enter your Admin password when prompted, then press Return.
4. Wait... (you will see text-glore scroll by for about 10-20 minutes)
5. Quit Terminal when the task is complete.

o Cannot center titles
o Cannot "always" reverse a clip
o Transitions add a black or white frame
o Timecode date/timestamp defaults to today