How can we help?

What file formats does Hi-Ho support?

WAV, MP3, AAC, M4A, AIFF, and most common audio formats. For video files, Hi-Ho extracts the audio automatically. We recommend WAV for best results.

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 media files never leave your computer. Audio is transcribed locally using Whisper. Only the transcript text is sent to the AI for story analysis — never your actual footage.

What's the difference between Fast and Pro mining?

Fast uses Claude Sonnet — quick, good analysis, 1x credit burn. Pro uses Claude Opus — deeper narrative intelligence, emotional beat detection, thesis identification. 2x credit burn. Most editors prefer Pro for anything over 30 minutes.

How long does mining take?

Transcription runs at roughly 10x realtime (a 60-minute interview takes ~6 minutes). Story analysis adds another 1-2 minutes. Total: about 8 minutes for an hour of audio.

What are the four mining modes?

Full Mine: complete analysis with story structure, characters, and themes. Story Mine: focused on narrative arc and key moments. Structure: identifies the natural story sections. Audit Mine: reviews an existing edit for pacing and story gaps.

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?

DaVinci Resolve (FCPXML + markers), Final Cut Pro (FCPXML), Premiere Pro (XML), and any NLE that reads EDL (CMX 3600). SRT subtitles work everywhere.

How do I get my timeline into Resolve?

After mining, click Export → DaVinci Resolve. Hi-Ho generates an FCPXML file. In Resolve, go to File → Import → Timeline and select the file. Your selects will appear on a timeline with markers.

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?

Buy a minute pack ($10 / $20 / $30). Fast mining burns 1 minute per minute of audio. Pro mining burns 2 minutes per minute of audio. Your balance carries over — no expiration.

Is there a free trial?

Yes — 60 minutes free on signup. Enough to mine a short interview end-to-end before buying.

Can I bill this to my client?

Absolutely. A typical 2-hour documentary interview costs $1.60–$3.20 to mine. Add it to your post invoice — most clients won't even notice.

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@negative.mov with details.

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

This is Gatekeeper. Right-click the app → Open → Open again. Or run: xattr -cr /Applications/Hi\ Ho.app in Terminal. We're rolling out notarization soon to eliminate this.

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.