Want to use camcorder footage in iMovie for iPad 2? Apple says no
Apple's iMovie app is a big selling point for the iPad 2, but the company has confirmed that you won't easily be able to import footage from non-Apple devices to use in it.
With the iPad 2 going on sale this week in the UK, there's likely to be a surge in downloads of the new iMovie iPad app, which is only available for the second-generation model of Apple's tablet. A word of warning, though -- if you want to edit footage shot on non-Apple devices, you're out of luck.
That's the official word from Cupertino, on a support page for the new application explaining why some video clips stored on an iOS device don't show up in the iMovie video browser.
"iMovie for iOS is designed to work with video recorded with iPad 2, iPhone 4 and iPod touch (4th generation). To ensure optimal performance, the app filters out certain non-Apple video clips from the video browser. These incompatible clips cannot be added to your iMovie project."
That's you told then. For many users this won't be a problem, as they'll be editing footage shot on those iOS devices. But it's not great news if you're looking to import older clips, or if you still use a camcorder some of the time.
It's not an impossible task, though. As 9 to 5 Mac points out, there is desktop software that lets you convert other video formats into compatible clips for iOS iMovie, including Handbrake and Turbo.264 HD Video Converter. The first is free, but the second will set you back a fair few quid.
iMovie for iPad was one of the main apps shown off when Apple unveiled the iPad 2 in early March. It includes new editing features, and a user interface that takes advantage of the tablet's bigger screen in comparison to the iPhone 4 and iPod touch.
Planning to get an iPad 2 tomorrow? How big an annoyance is the video incompatibility issue? Let us know your thoughts with a comment.