Hi guys. I am new to Spark and wonder why my videos are so compressed. Like recommended, I have a Samsung 32 GB UHS-I Micro SDHC, but when I import my vidoes into iMovie and export them, I only get 720p, never 1080p. DJI say, spark has a »Video ResolutionFHD: 1920×1080 30p«, but I seem to operate much below that. Do you know why?

Do you import them directly from drone/drone SD card or from your phone? Because your phone holds 'simpler version', good enough for social networks, but not the full quality videos

SD Card - 1080p (Original Footage)

Video on Phone - 720p (Footage mostly used in case you lose your Drone as Evidence to see the Flight and also where it could have problems crashed / lost contact)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

1) Take out the SD Card Card
2) Place your SD Card in your Card Reader
3) Copy Footage
4) Enjoy !

Wireframe Posted at 2018-6-21 07:04
Do you import them directly from drone/drone SD card or from your phone? Because your phone holds 'simpler version', good enough for social networks, but not the full quality videos

Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:26
Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why.

That's odd. To be clear, you transfer the files directly from the drone with the SD card inserted in the drone via USB and do not take any footage directly from your phone?

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:26
Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why.

So, it's problem with iMovie, not footage itself.
Raw footage from SD card is 1080p guaranteed.

eYeSkYeYe Posted at 2018-6-21 07:34
So, it's problem with iMovie, not footage itself.
Raw footage from SD card is 1080p guaranteed.

Thank you. iMovie help says that the first clip you add to a project defines the resolution. But I simply download the clips from the SD to the computer (via USB) and then import them to iMovie. Which recognizes them as 720p, not 1080p. Strange, no?

A CW Posted at 2018-6-21 07:29
That's odd. To be clear, you transfer the files directly from the drone with the SD card inserted in the drone via USB and do not take any footage directly from your phone?

Yes. I do as you say. And still, if I import the clips into iMovie, they appear as 720p and define the projects resolution correspondingly.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:37
Yes. I do as you say. And still, if I import the clips into iMovie, they appear as 720p and define the projects resolution correspondingly.

Is .mp4 correct? Spark saves my videos in that format.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:39
Is .mp4 correct? Spark saves my videos in that format.

open these videos (right after copying them from SD/Drone) with any 3rd party videoplayer. VLC for example (can be downloaded from videolan.org)
check video info. are they 1080?I am on windows, but if I remember correctly MacOs shows video size in file properties. So you may just rightclick on file and check it's parameters in explorer, afair

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:39
Is .mp4 correct? Spark saves my videos in that format.

Yes, Spark records clips as .mp4 files at 1080p. There must be another setting in iMovie that is overriding the "first file" setting.

Take the card out of the Spark, put it in a card reader and download it to your computer.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:37
Yes. I do as you say. And still, if I import the clips into iMovie, they appear as 720p and define the projects resolution correspondingly.

That is very strange - hope you get a solution soon

Looks like he is downloading the files via USB from his phone to get the 720p files.  Not from the drone which would only have 1080p.  Alternatively, he is exploring the completed movie project as a 720 low quality file instead of a 1080 high quality file.  At least the files are nice and small.  

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-21 10:34
Looks like he is downloading the files via USB from his phone to get the 720p files.  Not from the drone which would only have 1080p.  Alternatively, he is exploring the completed movie project as a 720 low quality file instead of a 1080 high quality file.  At least the files are nice and small.

Looks like he did not read one sentence I wrote right.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 11:09
Looks like he did not read one sentence I wrote right.

Wanna see a Spark video edited with iMovie and exported in 1080p?  I have tons of them.  While you claim to do exactly what I do but get far different results, I have to side with the reality that you are not doing what you claim.  I import the Spark files off the SD card and into iMovie which is then exported as a file to my computer's memory.  At no time do they change to 720p during the import.

Though this sentence does look like you down load via USB from your phone, or playstation, or smart TV, or any random USB device in your vicinity. You wrote, "Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why."

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-21 11:33
Wanna see a Spark video edited with iMovie and exported in 1080p?  I have tons of them.  While you claim to do exactly what I do but get far different results, I have to side with the reality that you are not doing what you claim.  

Though this sentence does look like you down load via USB from your phone, or playstation, or smart TV, or any random USB device in your vicinity. You wrote, "Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why."

Okay, Einstein, show me your videos. I would like to see them.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 11:41
Okay, Einstein, show me your videos. I would like to see them.

Meet me at the south Chicago Starbucks at 6pm.  

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-21 11:44
Meet me at the south Chicago Starbucks at 6pm.

Some help, some just mock. Enjoy yourself.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 11:55
Some help, some just mock. Enjoy yourself.

Yes, the "at least the files are small." would be a mock.  I shouldn't have wrote that.  The rest of it is what is likely happening regardless of what the OP thinks is happening.

The thought that you are accessing the 720p files from your phone is a valid hint because there is no 720p files on the Spark's card or on the drone.  They are only in the phone.  There is no conversion of imported files into iMovie's clips that it is working with (in working library).  The export will be in the resolution you select as long as the first clip's resolution, in the movie, is big enough.  Exporting to file, email, or youtube?

Really, I can't even see the imported clip's resolution in iMovie as the info button only shows the clip's name and duration.  Command "J" only brings up the over all movie's resolution.  How are you seeing the resolution of the Spark's clip in iMovie?  Can you check the resolution of the Spark's SD clip in "Finder" app after putting it on the computer's hard drive (info) and before importing to iMovie?

Hi, I would like to ask if you already try to import it to a different software?

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-21 07:37
Thank you. iMovie help says that the first clip you add to a project defines the resolution. But I simply download the clips from the SD to the computer (via USB) and then import them to iMovie. Which recognizes them as 720p, not 1080p. Strange, no?

In IMovie you have settings set to import files in 720p or less ?

Check your settings dear Wolken, it just some Setting.

If you search on Youtube ----> ''IMovie - How to Import Files'', I am sure you find good tutorials.


I use a PC so cannot 'Really' help you out, sorry.


Here I found a Video for you although the Quality is Crap, make sure you select the - Optimize Video - FULL ORIGINAL SIZE (so it keeps the Video in 1080p)

Goodluck Buddy !

So, @Wolkenbruch, did you try just checking the files in your Finder / Explorer - what are their properties - is the resolution displayed there? Did you try opening them with any player/editor other than iMovie?

Wireframe Posted at 2018-6-22 02:44
So, @Wolkenbruch, did you try just checking the files in your Finder / Explorer - what are their properties - is the resolution displayed there? Did you try opening them with any player/editor other than iMovie?

Wireframe, Wolkenbruch is Angry Now.

He doesn't want to talk to anyone as they made Fun of Him...

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 04:25
Wireframe, Wolkenbruch is Angry Now.

He doesn't want to talk to anyone as they made Fun of Him...

I don't even know what to say. Though some answers ARE a bit redundant, this thread has a lot of useful info. So... If anyone chooses to be ignited and ignore the attempts to help, so be it.

Best of luck and safe flying, everyone.

Thank you for your thoughts. I have checked the movies via Finder and VLC, they are 1080p. I have contacted Apple Support, they were not able to help. The problem persisted: iMovie sets the resolution at 720p, whatever I import. So I downloaded Wondershare Filmora and bought a license for it.  The interface is very iMovie-like, very easy to use. And I was able to export HD movies right away. I don't know what the problem was, but this is a good solution. Thanks again for trying to help! Thomas.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-21 12:50
In IMovie you have settings set to import files in 720p or less ?

Check your settings dear Wolken, it just some Setting.

Helpful, thank you! Will look into this. Even though iMovie has no feature where you can choose your resolution. The first clip imported defines it.

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-21 12:27
Yes, the "at least the files are small." would be a mock.  I shouldn't have wrote that.  The rest of it is what is likely happening regardless of what the OP thinks is happening.

The thought that you are accessing the 720p files from your phone is a valid hint because there is no 720p files on the Spark's card or on the drone.  They are only in the phone.  There is no conversion of imported files into iMovie's clips that it is working with (in working library).  The export will be in the resolution you select as long as the first clip's resolution, in the movie, is big enough.  Exporting to file, email, or youtube?

And you were not at Starbucks yesterday!

I read your ideas, thank you. Whatever I tried, iMovie just resisted any resolution above 720p, which is weird, because an empty project has no resolution yet, but mine started with 720p whatsoever.

Apple recommended to
– boot in saved mode (useless, iMovie does not start up then)
– reset the System Management Controller (did not work)
– reset NVRAM and PRAM (did not work either)

Still have no idea what was wrong here, but I downloaded Filmora, which worked fine right away.

Thanks anyway.

Hi, when importing your images, make sure you connect your spark to your computer via usb or remove the sd card from your spark.  Downloading your images / videos stored on your device is at the 720p format where the sd card stores it in full 1080p

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-22 05:26
Helpful, thank you! Will look into this. Even though iMovie has no feature where you can choose your resolution. The first clip imported defines it.

Are you sure about that?
It is mostly an "either first file or preset"
http://imovie.skydocu.com/en/cre ... o-for-your-project/

A project's resolution is set by the first clip that is put into the timeline. Create a new project then put a known 1080p clip in the timeline.

Sidd

Have you checked what the recorded resolution is on your Micro SD Card? In File Explorer on Windows 10 you can just right-click to see what are the Properties and details of the file.

For instance if I right click on Spark video file on the inserted Micro SD card, it will show Frame width: 1920; Frame height: 1080; Frame rate: 29.97 frames/second; Total bitrate: 23967kbps.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-22 05:30
And you were not at Starbucks yesterday!

I read your ideas, thank you. Whatever I tried, iMovie just resisted any resolution above 720p, which is weird, because an empty project has no resolution yet, but mine started with 720p whatsoever.

You will have to fiddle with it.  Apparently, iMovie programs can be different on different machines.  Mine is on a Macbook Air with little memory.  Most options don't exist on mine but I have seen iMovie's with import options and preferences.  Those versions can import files as "Large" or "Original."  Maybe because I don't have a graphics card in my Macbook Air I don't get the option.

Mine takes the file as it is originally and the first file sets the projects resolution.  No options to change it until the end/export for quality and file size.  And I still have to select part the clip and skip the Spark file's beginning in order to keep the Spark clip from stuttering in the final movie.

Sidd Finch Posted at 2018-6-22 07:30
A project's resolution is set by the first clip that is put into the timeline. Create a new project then put a known 1080p clip in the timeline.

Sidd

It turns out that some versions of iMovie can down convert imported files on the fly to keep the end file smaller for emailing.  Old versions maybe.  Or, newer versions for powerful machines that have graphics cards that can convert on the fly.

Wolkenbruch Posted at 2018-6-22 05:26
Helpful, thank you! Will look into this. Even though iMovie has no feature where you can choose your resolution. The first clip imported defines it.

I am sure it's some type of setting Wolkenbruch, you just need patience and try to understand how the program works.

I use a PC and Adobe Premier Pro.

DMX_MT Posted at 2018-6-22 08:34
I am sure it's some type of setting Wolkenbruch, you just need patience and try to understand how the program works.

I use a PC and Adobe Premier Pro.

It does seem that way mate. iMovies is rubbish anyway

De- and reinstalling iMovie helped. Projects start with 1080p now and imported Clips from Spark (yes, via USB cable from the device, not the phone) remain 1080p. The app was the problem. Thank you!

Gunship9 Posted at 2018-6-21 11:33
Wanna see a Spark video edited with iMovie and exported in 1080p?  I have tons of them.  While you claim to do exactly what I do but get far different results, I have to side with the reality that you are not doing what you claim.  I import the Spark files off the SD card and into iMovie which is then exported as a file to my computer's memory.  At no time do they change to 720p during the import.

Though this sentence does look like you down load via USB from your phone, or playstation, or smart TV, or any random USB device in your vicinity. You wrote, "Yes, I import them via USB on my computer. But iMovie seems to cook them down, and I have no idea why."

I have the same problem with iMovie.

have you tried uninstalling imovie and then reinstall?

That's becuase your phone will only submit it as 720p, you need to directly extract them from the Micro SD card.