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Summary. The iMovie software from Apple is one of the easiest and most effective programs available. It is now available as a free download from the Apple website (free only to those who already have iMovie 08).
Better Than iMovie 08. Many of the features found in iMovie 06 are missing from iMovie 08. This has resulted in a public outcry about the recent “upgrade” from the 06 to 08 version. Here is a short list of features found in 06 that are missing in 08.
- Chapters. In iMovie 06 it is possible to create named chapter markers, like bookmarks in the video. These chapter markers are used by iDVD to identify various points in the video that will be accessible from the DVD menu navigation.
- Click and Drag to iDVD. With the 06 version of iMovie, it is possible to simply click and drag a project to iDVD. With the 08 version it is necessary to export them to the Media Browser before they can be used in an iDVD project.
- Clip Volume Control. The 06 version of iMovie allows for precise volume control with a visual indication of volume levels.
- Special Effects. There are many special effects included with iMovie 06 that aren’t in 08.
Problems Importing Photos – Ken Burns Effect. By default, iMovie is configured to have the Ken Burns Effect turned on. When importing PowerPoint slides, photos, or other images into iMovie, the Ken Burns Effect will create a short video of the image by zooming and panning the image. This can cause problems when importing some images because the imported image may end up being just a black screen. For this reason, it is typically best to turn off the Ken Burns Effect as described below.
Disable Ken Burns Effect. Follow these steps to disable the Ken Burns Effect.
- Click on the Media button
- Click on the Photos button
- Click on the Show Photo Settings button
- Remove the check mark next to Ken Burns Effect
- Set the top slider setting to 1.00 (for no zoom)
- Set the bottom slider setting to the desired time in seconds that you would like the imported still image to be. This is usually about 5 seconds (5:00).
JVC Everio. Click here for information about using the JVC Everio hard drive video camera with iMovie.
Support. The Apple website has a discussion forum for iMovie 06 HD support questions.