How can we help?

What file formats does Hi-Ho support?

ProRes, H.264/HEVC, AVCHD (.mts/.m2ts), MXF, DNxHD/HR, RED .R3D including spanned rolls, plus .mkv, .avi, .mpg, .webm and all common audio (WAV, BWF, MP3, AAC, M4A, AIFF, FLAC). Anything macOS can't play natively is rewrapped or given a proxy automatically. Camera raw from Blackmagic (.braw), Canon (.crm/.crv/.rmf) and ARRI (.ari) is NOT decoded — Hi-Ho names the format at the door and asks for a ProRes or proxy from the camera's own software, before anything is charged.

How do I install Hi-Ho?

Download the DMG from our homepage, drag Hi-Ho to your Applications folder, and double-click to open. On first launch, right-click → Open if macOS asks for permission.

What macOS version do I need?

macOS 13 (Ventura) or later. Hi-Ho is a native Mac app — no Windows or web version currently.

Does my footage leave my machine?

Your video files never leave your computer. Hi-Ho extracts the audio and sends it to be transcribed with Whisper, then sends only the transcript text to the AI for story analysis — your video itself is never uploaded.

I shoot dual-system or multicam — does Hi-Ho handle sync?

Yes — that’s the core of it. Drop everything in: cameras and recorders pair automatically, even when their timecodes are hours apart, the transcript uses the recorder’s audio, and playback plus every NLE export keep frame-accurate sync. Verified frame-exact on RED + Sound Devices dual-system rolls.

What's the difference between Fast and Pro mining?

Fast uses a quicker model — solid analysis at speed. Pro uses Claude Opus — deeper narrative intelligence, emotional beats, thesis identification. Both meter the same hours; Pro draws more of your monthly AI allowance. Most editors prefer Pro for anything over 30 minutes.

How long does mining take?

Transcription is the bulk of it and runs several times faster than realtime; story analysis adds a couple of minutes on top. Hi-Ho shows a measured estimate from your own machine's last few mines rather than a generic progress bar, so what you see is what it is actually doing.

What are the mining modes?

One Shot: drop footage, get a complete mined cut. Sit-Down: a guided mine where you steer the direction as it works. Story Mine: focused on narrative arc and key moments. Structure: finds the natural story sections. Audit: reviews an existing edit for pacing and story gaps. Transcribe: transcript only. Paper Cut: paste a written paper edit and get a timeline back.

Can I mine multilingual interviews?

Yes. Whisper supports 90+ languages. The transcript will be in the original language, and the AI analysis works across most major languages.

Which NLEs does Hi-Ho export to?

All three, directly: DaVinci Resolve (Hi-Ho builds the timeline live in your open project), Final Cut Pro (panel, Share Destination, and FCPXML), and Premiere Pro (panel + XML). Plus EDL (CMX 3600) for anything else, SRT subtitles, and a screenplay PDF of the cut.

How do I get my timeline into Resolve?

Click Send to Resolve — Hi-Ho builds the timeline directly in your open Resolve project through its scripting API: clips placed in sync, markers and captions included, no file import step. (FCPXML export is still there if you prefer a file.)

Do exports include the original media?

Exports reference your original source files by path. Make sure your media stays in the same location, or relink in your NLE after import.

How do credits work?

Every account includes 2 free hours of media a month. Paid plans include 20 hours a month, and you can buy hour top-ups any time. Credit balances from before August 2026 convert to top-up hours at five minutes a credit — nothing you bought is lost.

Is there a free trial?

Yes — every account includes 2 hours of media a month, free. Enough to mine a full interview end-to-end before paying anything.

Can I bill this to my client?

Absolutely. A 2-hour interview draws 2 of your 20 monthly hours — a plan month covers a post cycle. Put it on the post invoice like any other tool.

Do you offer refunds?

If a mine fails or produces unusable results due to a bug on our end, we'll refund the credits. Email us at hi@hi-ho.ai with details.

macOS says the app is damaged or can't be opened

Current versions are notarized by Apple, so this shouldn't happen on a fresh download. If it does: right-click the app → Open → Open. Still stuck? Email us with the version you downloaded.

Mining seems stuck or frozen

Check the terminal log in the processing view — it shows real-time progress. Large files (2+ hours) can take 15-20 minutes. If it's truly stuck past 30 minutes, force quit and try again — your transcript is cached so it won't re-transcribe.

My export doesn't match the timeline in Hi-Ho

This is usually a frame rate mismatch. Make sure your NLE project matches your source media frame rate (usually 23.976, 24, or 29.97). Email us if it persists.