Issues editing a99 II 4K XAVC-S footage in iMovie


Came upon issues working with Sony a99 II 4K XAVC-S files in iMovie? No worry, this post will help you out. It elaborates a workaround to transcode a99 II 4K XAVC-S footage to Apple InterMediate Codec for use in iMovie fluidly.
a99 ii 4k in imovie
Sony a99 II 4k xavc s import to iMovie 10
“Does iMovie 10 support 4k xavc s files? I’ve just purchased a new Sony camera, model a99 Mark II. It can capture 4K video using the XAVC S codec. I can import my beautiful Sony a99 II XAVC S 4K videos directly to iMovie, but the editing process is unstable and unreliable. Is there any thing I can do to make it smoothly? Thanks for any help.”

Actually, you can use iMovie version 10 and up for importing XAVC S content. If you don’t have a smooth workflow between a99 II XAVC S 4K footage and iMovie 10, your computer may not be powerful enough to handle 4K files. Unless you upgrade your system, you need to downscale 4k for use in iMovie. Plus, for those who are still using an old version of iMovie, you will need to convert a99 II 4K XAVC-S footage to a format that is compatible with iMovie first. Check a quick guide on how to convert a99 II 4K XAVC-S footage to AIC for iMovie editing.

How to transcode Sony a99 II 4K XAVC-S to AIC for iMovie?

Software requirement
HD Converter for Mac
Sony a99 II XAVC S to iMovie converter

The steps:
Step 1: Open up HD Converter for Mac as a Sony a99 II XAVC-S Converter for iMovie. When its main interface comes up, click ‘Add File’ to load your source media.
importing Sony a99 II XAVC-S files into iMovie

Step 2: Select output format for iMovie
To convert Sony a99 II XAVC-S video files for iMovie, from ‘Profile’ list, choose ‘Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC)(*.mov)’ as output format under ‘iMovie and Final Cut Express’ column. This codec is also suitable for use in the discontinued FCE.
importing Sony a99 II XAVC-S files into iMovie
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 a99 II 4K XAVC-S video 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 ‘Shut down computer when conversion completed’ and go away to do other things.

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