IMovie'11 won't import mp4 movies

I have some large mp4 files that I'm trying to import into iMovie so I can edit them into shorter clips.
When I select "open with", iMovie is greyed out.
I can open the movie with QuickTime, and select export to iMovie, and the file appears in the iMovie dropbox on my computer, but iMovie still won't open it, or even recognise that the movie is there.
When I try "import" in iMovie and select the file, it takes about 10 hours importing, and then nothing happens, no error message, nothing, I just see iMovie open, and unchanged.
I am using iMovie'11 version 9.0.7 amd Mac OSx 10.8
Thanks!

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IMovie Won't Import MP4 Files

For some reason iMovie '11 won't let me import videos. Specifically, I'm trying to add MP4 files that I copied to my hard drive from my GoPro HD 960. For GoPro users, I used the R2 (720p) format. They open properly in QuickTime and VLC but can't be imported into iMovie (or iPhoto). When I select File-->Import-->Movies and browse to the directory where I saved all the .mp4 files on my hard drive, they're all greyed out. And actually, it seems that just about no video files at all on my computer can be added (all greyed out)--even other MP4 files.
I downloaded MPEG Streamclip but that says "unrecognized file format" when I try opening the videos. I also installed Perian and rebooted.
In case it helps:
- I have an Intel MacBook running OS X 10.6.8 with iLife '11
- QuickTime info for the video format says "H.264, 1280 x 720, Millions; AAC, 2 channels, 48000 Hz"
- VLC says "Stream 0 (Video) - Codec: avc1" and "Stream 1 (Audio) - Codec: mp4a"
Any ideas? This is incredibly frustrating!

Why iMovie Won't Import MP4 Files?
Technically, iMovie does import MP4 video. However, iMovie only import MP4 files that are encoded with MPEG4/AAC or H.264/AAC data. And yet, MP4 is a video container format that may contain various audio and video codec (and sometimes even subtitle streams included). If the MP4 file is not encoded with iMovie support codec, iMovie will refuse to import this kind of MP4 video.
How to Solve Can't Import MP4 into iMovie?
In order to successfully import all kinds of MP4 files to iMovie, a recommended solution is to convert iMovie unrecognized MP4 to iMovie supported video format.
iDealshare VideoGo is just the right MP4 to iMovie Converter which can convert various MP4 to iMovie supported MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MOV or DV. Besides converting MP4 to iMovie, iDealshare VideoGo also helps to convert other video formats including AVI, WMV, MPEG, VOB, MOV, AVCHD, MTS, M2T, M2TS, TOD, MOD, XAVC, FLV, MKV, SWF, 3GP, MVI, ASF and etc to iMovie video format.

IMovie won't import MPEG movies from Sony Handycam

My Sony Handycam DCR-SR45 is connected to my Macbook pro via USB. After clicking iMovie's File Import, I can see the "No Name" device as well as the various mpg files that I want to import. The mpg files correctly show the date created, file size, etc. However, the mpg files are grayed-out and I cannot select them to import. Does anyone have a suggestion?

I have exactly the same issue. I think that iMovie must have a limitation on the length of the clip you can import. My 45 minute clip will play with VLC, but won't import inot imovie.

Imovie won't import mp4 although shows in iphoto

I am trying to import a number of mp4 files into imovie to convert them to a DVD that is readable on a home DVD player for our dance studio. I have loaded 9 files without issue into imovie all with the same extension .mp4 without issue. They were all transferred over from the same CD source at the same time, however two of the files refuse to import in. These two mp4 files are also from the same source as a few files that did correctly transfer over. I can see them in iphoto after importing, however the thumbnail is black. They do play in quicktime when I click on them. While in imovie I have tried importing from both the iphoto direction and directly from the desktop where I also have the file saved. Neither has worked. The computer appears to be importing them but then when it is done saying it is importing there is no file to be found in imovie. I have rebooted the computer three times. Quit and restarted imovie a number of times and even turned off the computer overnight all to no avail.
I am beyond frustrated at this point. I know my computer is a bit of a dinosaur. I have new software to be upgraded and loaded soon but am unable to do that before needing this project completed. I am runig OS X 10.5.8 and IMovie is '08 version.
It is so long winded I didn't even know how to google search my solution. Sorry I'm not hugely computer savy and still new to Mac so my apologies if I worded this incorrectly
Hope I've provided enough information to help me.
Thanks!
Jen

1920 x 1080
AVC Coding, 1920 × 1080, Millions
AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
Is the info for the first file
1920x1080
AVC Coding, 1920 × 1080, Millions
AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz
Info for the 2nd file.
Where do I grab and drag from? I tried from the desktop where the file is and that doesn't work for me.
I have osx 10.5.8 and imovie '08
I don't need to edit these two particular files.
However something else I have a question about.
I decided to just export the 9 other dances that did export and selected large file size as in the past that has worked to allow it to play on a dvd player. Which is what my final goal of this entire process is. I exported and then burned the DVD.
Unfortunatley the DVD will NOT play in my DVD player at home nor at the dance studio where these are ultimaltely to be played.
Boy doing this favor for the studio is killing me. I've spent hours and hours working through this and am so frustrated!
Thanks again for any guidance you can provide.

I have Imovie 08 and ripped home movies in the Apple TV mode. IMovie won't import them?

I have Imovie 08 and ripped home movies in the Apple TV mode. IMovie won't import them?

Try this.
Open your home movie in QuickTime Player X. (Or right click on your home movie in the Finder and select Open With... QuickTime Player.
Then click the Commenad Key and the letter I at the same time to open the Inspector.
Tell us what you see next to the word Format: in the Inspector.

How can I import mp4 movies into iMovie?

How can I import mp4 movies into iMovie? I am running iMovie on iLife 09.

Hi
Open it with QuickTime-player pro and Export it as AIC.
Use this in iMovie
Yours Bengt W

Unable to import mp4 movies to iTunes 9.2 ver

Hi I'm have some trouble importing mp4 movies I've rip with handbrake into iTunes. I have no problem importing music files such as mp3, but it just would not import movies.
I've tried add file to library, drag and drop into iTunes, nothing works and the confusing part is that there are no error messages!
What do I have to do to move my movie files to iTunes so that I can upload to my iPad?
I do not want to upgrade to iTune v10.
Look forward to your help.

Akvod
I am able to import a .ts file into Premiere Elements 10, 11, and 12 Windows 7 64 bit.
But, not so, for Premiere Elements 4, 7, 8, and 9.
And, the reason why your .mp4 conversion did not work would be in accord with the fact that you used AVCHD as the video compression, and AVCHD video compression was not supported by Premiere Elements until version 7.
If you do decide to move to version 12, please note that there is a dramatic difference in workspace between 3 and 12. So, go the free tryout of 12 before any purchase.
You could try to convert the .ts to H.264.mp4 and not AVCHD (MPEG4 AVC/H.264).mp4 and see if that works for you.
ATR

Can't import mp4/mov files into iMovie

I tried to create a new project by importing a .mp4 file from my account on Youtube. It copied the file to the event but didn't create a thumbnail. I did some research and I tried:
-Quitting imovie, changing the name of the event folder, then restarting imovie.
-Importing the .mp4 to a different event folder. Quitting/restarting.
At this point, the thumbnail for the newly imported movie appeared but the other videos that were previously (and successfully) thumbnailed in that event disappeared. I quit/restarted iMovie and all the thumbnails in that event were missing.
Here's what I've tried since then:
-Converting the .mp4 in Handbrake to .mp4 and then importing again. No luck.
-TRYING to convert the .mp4 to .mov in mpeg streamclip. I get an "Audio Decoding Error" when I attempt.
-Converting the .mp4 to .mov while disabling the sound in mpeg streamclip. IT WORKS and iMovie is able to import AND thumbnail.
So it'd appear that there's something wrong with the audio in the .mp4 file. Tried other .mp4 files and none of them were able to be converted or imported. Tried extracting the audio from the .mp4 file via MPEG streamclip and there's the same "Audio Decoding Error." The audio on the .mp4 file is AAC.
OK... It'd appear that I'd need to just import the .mov (no sound) along with the audio from the clip (I've used AudioHijack for that) to edit both in iMovie. The problem is that when I try to export it in iMovie I receive error codes.
This just all seems way, way more complicated that it needs to be. Does anyone have any suggestions on something I haven't tried yet or perhaps some video editing software (non FCE) worth looking into?
Thanks

I was currently having the same issue trying to import into imovie. I have EyeTV Hybrid and when exporting a movie it asks you to select format in which to export it in. I selected m-peg4 and when I tried to import into imovie it was grayed in the finder, so what I did was return to the export feature in EyeTV and exported again under a different format - for imovie. It's exporting as we speak and I feel this will allow me to import properly now. Hope this helps.

Importing .mp4 movies into imovie

I have imported 4 movies (all are .mp4) that I have downloaded from the same source using Dropbox. One successfully imported to imovie as .m4v. The others do import, but as .mov, with only a single video frame (which has a "0" in bottom left corner with message: "indicates clip frame rate (0/s), not multiple of current project (30fps)." The audio is ok in all four movies. How can one import successfully and why do others come in as .mov with a clip rate of 0/s --when they are all .m4v files ... these three play fine (audio and video) in Quicktime from the finder window.

Actually what I ended up doing was opening the file in the Finder in Quicktime and in the contextual menu I found I could "trim" the clip. I trimmed it at the very beginnig, which had some issues anyway, then saved the file, which, of course, was saved as a .mov. Then I was able to import the file successfully.

Can iMOVie import MP4 movies?

Can iMOVIE import MP4 formatted movies/

Interesting,
Are you sure your using iMovie10 ?
Just tested (to be absolutely sure) a couple of clips.
Input DV-tape exports as .mp4 (SD and 540P quality)
Input .mp4 exports as .mp4 in HD and .mp4 in SD
Input AVCHD exports as .mp4 as well HD as SD.
iMovie 9 (iLife 11) exports default in .mov (or .m4v when exported to iTunes)
Ben

Imovie 8.0.6 won't import hd movies

I am using iMovie 8.0.6. I used two Flip video cameras to take videos (one standard and one HD). I am trying to create a project combining still photos and videos. The standard videos have imported and been placed next to photos. iMovie will not import the hd movies, even though their file names are both MPEG-4 Movie.
Can iMovie not have mixed movie types in one project?

I am using iMovie 8.0.6. I used two Flip video cameras to take videos (one standard and one HD). I am trying to create a project combining still photos and videos. The standard videos have imported and been placed next to photos. iMovie will not import the hd movies, even though their file names are both MPEG-4 Movie.
Can iMovie not have mixed movie types in one project?

IMovie won't import from iPhoto (this is different than all the other post)

Before you think, "Oh... this is the typical 'iMovie 7 isn't importing iPhoto movies' question" this isn't. I've looked through a ton of threads and questions trying to find something similar to this.
Q: I have all my digital camera (Canon SD500 camera (not camcorder), no known compatibility issues with Apple) movies, which are in .AVI format, in iPhoto. iMovie is being weird as in it will only import SOME of my camera movies. For some events, it imports ALL the movies in. For some events, it won't import ANY of the movies in. For some events, it will only import SOME of the movies included in it.
If someone responds, "Your camera is incompatible" OR "the file format isn't supported" they should have points deducted from their account because they didn't read anything except for the first sentence and decided I don't know what I'm talking about.
Here's some interesting things that have happened:
1) I found ONE event in question called "Wedding Pictures & Movies" that wasn't showing up in iMovie. The camera we took movies with has other movies in other events that have successfully been imported into iMovie. But anyway, I realized that for some programming languages (I don't know if this is true with iMovie, I doubt it) that the ampersand (&) sign is used in code and shouldn't be used in titling things. So I shortened the name down to "Wedding" and all the sudden (more like after iMovie asked me if I wanted to create the thumbnails for the movies), SOME of my movies were put into iMovie, not all.
2) Upon realizing that either: the event name was too long OR the & sign actually did screw it up, I shortened another event in question from "Reception Pictures & Videos" to simply "Reception". Upon opening iMovie, it never asked to build the thumbnail library with movies from this "Reception" event that I did the exact same thing to as the "Wedding" event.
3) I thought I would try and force iMovie to refresh the thumbnail database (or build thumbnails for another movie again) by taking another movie with said camera above, the same one that I've taken all the other movies with, and imported the movie into iPhoto. Upon opening iMovie, it asked me to build the thumbnail, but only did so for the movie that I just took.
What could be going on that movies from the same camera aren't showing up in iMovie? I can understand other cameras, but these movies are all from the same camera. Some will show up while others will not? Does anyone have a clue what could be going on here?
BTW, the movies have not been edited in any way. They are all still in the exact same format and everything since they were imported into iPhoto.

Before you think, "Oh... this is the typical 'iMovie 7 isn't importing iPhoto movies' question" this isn't. I've looked through a ton of threads and questions trying to find something similar to this.
Q: I have all my digital camera (Canon SD500 camera (not camcorder), no known compatibility issues with Apple) movies, which are in .AVI format, in iPhoto. iMovie is being weird as in it will only import SOME of my camera movies. For some events, it imports ALL the movies in. For some events, it won't import ANY of the movies in. For some events, it will only import SOME of the movies included in it.
If someone responds, "Your camera is incompatible" OR "the file format isn't supported" they should have points deducted from their account because they didn't read anything except for the first sentence and decided I don't know what I'm talking about.
Here's some interesting things that have happened:
1) I found ONE event in question called "Wedding Pictures & Movies" that wasn't showing up in iMovie. The camera we took movies with has other movies in other events that have successfully been imported into iMovie. But anyway, I realized that for some programming languages (I don't know if this is true with iMovie, I doubt it) that the ampersand (&) sign is used in code and shouldn't be used in titling things. So I shortened the name down to "Wedding" and all the sudden (more like after iMovie asked me if I wanted to create the thumbnails for the movies), SOME of my movies were put into iMovie, not all.
2) Upon realizing that either: the event name was too long OR the & sign actually did screw it up, I shortened another event in question from "Reception Pictures & Videos" to simply "Reception". Upon opening iMovie, it never asked to build the thumbnail library with movies from this "Reception" event that I did the exact same thing to as the "Wedding" event.
3) I thought I would try and force iMovie to refresh the thumbnail database (or build thumbnails for another movie again) by taking another movie with said camera above, the same one that I've taken all the other movies with, and imported the movie into iPhoto. Upon opening iMovie, it asked me to build the thumbnail, but only did so for the movie that I just took.
What could be going on that movies from the same camera aren't showing up in iMovie? I can understand other cameras, but these movies are all from the same camera. Some will show up while others will not? Does anyone have a clue what could be going on here?
BTW, the movies have not been edited in any way. They are all still in the exact same format and everything since they were imported into iPhoto.

IMovie Won't Import Any Files

I've previously imported all of my GoPro videos into iMovie for editing without any issues. Suddenly, when I try and import my most recent GoPro videos, it acts like it is going to import and displays the "Processing Event" box. Then nothing happens. I thought that was strange so I tried to import videos shot on my iPhone as well. They also did not work. I've now gone through and tried to import several different video formats and I always get the same response. It acts like it is working, then nothing shows up.
At the bottom of iMovie, I have the "Show All Clips" selected, so any available clips should appear in the event. None of the files I'm trying to import are grayed out or anything, and I've never had issues in the past. Not sure what has suddenly changed. Please help.

Here's some additional information that is more frustrating. I opened iMovie on my Mac Book Pro and did the same import on the same GoPro files and it worked fine. No issues. I can't figure out why it won't import on my iMac. I also just updated my iMovie software to the latest version, and still no luck.

Why does my imported .mp4 movie appear black?

Imported an .mp4 movie (technical animation created in another app) into EA (2014 CC).
Added buttons and interactivity, everything works fine, assignment completed.
A month later, go back into EA to make minor changes.
However, when I'm EA, the .mp4 movie now appears black, thus making it impossible for me to make changes.
FYI: When I Preview In Browser, the animation plays back fine.
Question: Any ideas as to why the imported movie now appears black when I play it back within the app?

Joe,
·         I just uploaded the folder to my “Creative Cloud Files”.
·         Right now, it is set to “Share with Nobody”.
·         When I click on “Share with”, I get 2 choices, “Nobody” or “Specific people”.
·         When I click on “Specific people”, I get 2 choices, “Everyone” or “Find people”.
·         I’d rather not select “Everyone” because it is a company doc.
·         Is there a way for me to add your name in “Specific people”?
·         Please advise, thanks.
Eddie
Eddie Ostrowski
Pitney Bowes Inc. | Multimedia Specialist
Global Knowledge and Content Management
37 Executive Drive | Danbury, CT 06810 USA
Internal: 8.796.6691 | External: 203.796.6691

It won't import quicktime movie

That I have several .mov movies that I want to open on Imovie and somehow it doesn't import the movies.
Can I open quicktime movies on Imovie?

QuickTime mov is a container, not a codec. iMovie will open QuickTime movies if it can edit both the video and audio codecs contained in the mov container. Additionally, iMovie cannot edit a mov file if it contains extra tracks like chapter tracks, closed captioning tracks, etc.
If you can open your movie in QuickTime Player, click Command-I to open the Inspector. Tell us what is listed next to the word "Format" and maybe someone can advise you further.

IMovie'11 won't import mp4 movies

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