This post aims to help those who are having issues importing and editing Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S files in Apple iMovie. It demonstrates a workaround to transcode DSC-HX80 XAVC S video to AIC .mov for use in iMovie without any hassles.
How to use Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S files in iMovie?
“Hi, guys, I have a few XAVC S video recordings taken with my new Sony DSC-HX80 camera. I would like to edit them in iMovie. I have seen that it supports XAVC-S from Sony, but the editing process is unstable and unreliable, many problems encountered with the ‘File > Import > Movies…’ window. Does that mean XAVC-S is not fully supported by iMovie? How can I expect a smooth workflow for Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S video and iMovie? Thanks for any suggestions.”
The Cyber-shot DSC-HX80 Digital Camera from Sony is able to record Full HD 1080p video at 60 fps in the XAVC S format. If for some reason you are unable to work with XAVC S files in iMovie stably, we would recommend transcoding them to a format that is best suitable for use in iMovie first, such as Apple InterMediate Codec, iMovie’s favorite editing codec, which iMovie will recognize and handle well. Here in this post we will present how to encode DSC-HX80 XAVC S files to AIC .mov for editing in iMovie with optimum performance.
Here’s what you need
HD Converter for Mac
A quick guide on how to transcode Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S files to AIC .mov for iMovie
The steps:
1. Start up HD Converter for Mac as a professional Sony XAVC S Converter for iMovie, and then click ‘Add File’ button to import your source files.
Step 2: Select AIC .mov as output format for iMovie
To convert Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S files for iMovie, from ‘Profile’ list, choose ‘Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC)(*.mov)’ as output format under ‘iMovie and Final Cut Express’ column.
Important: If you’ve loaded a number of video clips to do batch conversion, please do remember ticking off ‘Apply to All’ option before you start.
Step 3: Custom video and audio settings (optional)
If necessary, you can click ‘Settings’ button and go to ‘Profiles Settings’ panel to modify video and audio settings like video encoder, resolution, video bit rate, frame rate, aspect ratio, audio encoder, sample rate, audio bit rate, and audio channels. 3D settings are also available.
Step 4: Begin Sony DSC-HX80 XAVC S files to AIC MOV Conversion on Mac
When ready, click ‘Convert’ to start format conversion. Once the conversion process is complete, you can click ‘Open Folder’ button to get the generated AIC MOV files for editing in iMovie with optimum performance.
Tips:If you don’t want to wait for the entire conversion process, you can tick off ‘Shutdown computer when conversion completed’ and go away to do other things.
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