How to edit Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video in iMovie/FCPX


If you are looking for a simple and quick Sony A77 II XAVC S footage workflow with Apple iMovie/FCP X, you may wish to read this post. It displays how to convert Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video to AIC/ProRes MOV for use in iMovie/FCPX easily and directly.
a77 ii
It looks like that the Sony A77 II is designed for those who are looking for better image/video quality, faster speed, and unique Sony features like sensor-shift image stabilization and an electronic viewfinder.

The Sony Alpha SLT DSLRs have always been a good choice for video. The A77 II can record Full HD 1920 x 1080 video at 60 fps in the AVCHD format, and a recent firmware update also adds Sony’s new proprietary high bit rate XAVC S video format for even better quality at 1080/60p. In our previous post, we have talked about how to work with Sony A77 II AVCHD media in iMovie/FCP X, and here in this post, we would like to continue talking about how to transcode Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video for iMovie/FCP X editing with optimum performance. If you came upon issues editing Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 shootings on Mac, you can read on to find a step-by-step guide.

To process file conversion, third party software is required. If your concerns are ease of use and excellent output quality, we would recommend HD Video Converter for Mac. This app is not free of charge, but it is totally worth it.
Sony A77 II XAVC S footage workflow with Apple iMovie/FCP X

A quick guide on how to rewrap Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video for iMovie/FCP X editing via AIC/ProRes codec

Download and install HD Video Converter for Mac, then follow these steps:
Step 1: Run HD Video Converter for Mac as a professional Sony A77 II XAVC S to QuickTime Converter. When its main interface comes up, click ‘Add File’ to load source video to it.
convert Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video to AIC/ProRes MOV

Step 2: Select output format for iMovie and FCP X
1) Convert Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 to AIC for iMovie
From ‘Profile’ list, choose ‘Apple InterMediate Codec (AIC) (*.mov)’ as output format under ‘iMovie and Final Cut Express’ column. This output format is also suitable for editing in Final Cut Express.
transcode Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 video for iMovie/FCP X

2) Transcode Sony A77 II XAVC S to ProRes 422 for opening with FCP X
From the Format bar, move to ‘Final Cut Pro’ catalogue, and select ‘Apple ProRes 422 (*.mov)’ as target format. Apple ProRes is the best suited editing codec for FCP X and its former version FCP 6 and FCP 7. When loading them into FCP X/6/7, you needn’t wait for a long time for rendering.
Sony A77 II XAVC S to QuickTime Converter
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: Adjust video and audio settings (for advanced users)
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: Click ‘Convert’ to start Sony A77 II XAVC S MP4 files to AIC/Apple ProRes conversion.

Step 5: Click ‘Open Folder’ to get generated AIC/ProRes 422 QuickTime files for transferring and editing in iMovie or Final Cut Pro 7/6/X with optimum performance.

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