How do i convert an mpeg?

[YooDooRight]

I have a 5minute PC format mpeg of some footage i shot on DV for a college project. I need to edit the footage in imovie (mac osx) so it needs to be a quicktime .mov file format. the only mac software i can find that coverts movie files also compresses them in size and quality but even more worrying is that Cleaner 6 - the software i was recommended - took 8 hours to encode and the final .mov went from 40mb to 10GB!!!!

How do i do it?? There must be a way.

YDR.

[jimking]

You should be able to extract your video strait off your DV camera right into iMovie. I have a video camera and a usb connection and I extract video all the time except I edit in Final Cut not iMovie. Check out this site.
http://www.2-popforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=165

[YooDooRight]

Unfortunatley i don't own the dv camera, it was rented from college and they gave me a disc in return with a PC Mpeg(2) file of my footage. The DV tapes now been reused and the technicians left for half-term hols... great! Any other idea?

[jimking]

Check the site I listed. I think it's possible iMovie will except an mpeg2. It maybe a newer version imovie or a trick to make it work. Do a search such as mgeg2 and iMovie. There was a thread not long ago maybe 2 weeks ago that two pros were yaking about imovie taking an mpeg2. One guy didn't believe it but the other guy explained how do it. It maybe under a Final Cut Pro thread.

[YooDooRight]

Thanks!

[rickself]

There's a program called MPEG Streamline... do a google. It's freeware and will save in mov, avi, mpeg... bunch o'stuff. Very good app.

[YooDooRight]

Yep, i have that already but you have to then buy the additional Mpeg2 compatible Quicktime player from Apple for it to work which i was hoping to avoid. I think that could be my only option, thanks.

[jimking]

Check this out. http://www.dropdv.com/

[urstwile]

I would throw down the $30(?) bucks for Quicktime Pro. Paying for Quicktime Pro has enabled me to convert many a file format into other formats. Combined with Flip4Mac, also inexpensive, it's a very worthwhile investment, you get a lot of bang for the buck.

[jimking]

agree

[cornfed]

I did it once out of imovie. I can't remember how, but I found out how to do it in the help menu.