IMovie imports a still video image

When I import a video into iMovie, I get the full audio but only a single still video image. What's up with that?

I didn't film the video, so I'm not sure what kind of camera was used.
Here is a screenshot of the Quicktime Inspector:
And here is a bit more information about my situation: The video plays fine off of the thumb drive it was given to me on, and it plays fine off of my hard drive. But when I import the video into iMovie, all I see is the one still video shot while the audio plays beneath it. I've tried this on two different computers and on both of them, the video is frozen once it's imported into iMovie.
Bizarre.
I appreciate your help!

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Trouble Encoding Still Video Images

Hi All,
Newbie Premier user struggling to finish first video. Here's my problem, and hopefully someone out there has encountered it before:
     I have finally finished creating a very basic, short (~ 2 min.) video (4:3 interlaced; SD DV-NTSC, ) clip containing several interspersed title frames and a single JPEG image serving as my establishing shot. For some reason, the high resolution JPEG image appears jagged and blurry once imported into Premier Pro CS4. After several hours of meddling around I have discovered an interesting phenomenon whereby increasing the magnification percentage from 'Fit' to '100%' in either the Source OR Program monitors restores the image quality. However, when this is done the video quality appears severly interlaced. Can someone shed some light on this issue because I am about to pull my hair out. Thanks.

Hi Jim,
Thank you very much for taking the time to read and reply to my question.
I have rendered out to a .mov file using the DV-NTSC authoring codec and the quality of the video still image is very jagged and blurry. My export settings are as follows:
     Container: Quicktime .mov
     Codec:      DV-NTSC
     Qualty:      100%
     Scan:        Progressive ( Video looks great...image degrades) ; Interlaced (Odd/Upper) field (Image looks great...interlace artifacts predominate)
                                                          ||                                                                                     ||
                                                          V                                                                                    V
     ASR:                                            0.9091                                                                             1.0 (sq.)
     Since my first post I have imported the video into Sorenson Squeeze 5 and compressed using the On2 VP6 Pro codec with Flash 8+ HQ presets. The file size has been reduced ten fold and the video quality has held up well. I have also noticed and improvement in the clarity of the title slides, but the image issue persists. Any thoughts on what is going on here.
Thanks,
DANNY

IMovie imports only audio - video is gray/green

When I import videos from either my iPhone or iPhoto library, the video shows up gray or green.
I have a MacBook Pro 13 inch with 8 gb ram.(Early 2011 model)
How can I resolve this issue?

I can't find any reference anywhere to a Samsung SC-D363 ..perhaps there's an error in the model name or number.
Any device which creates videos on SD storage should automatically copy them into iPhoto when you start that up with the device connected via USB.
Or, if that doesn't work, connect the Samsung and look in your Mac's 'Applications' folder for the 'Image Capture' program: that should recognise the camera and import from the SD card.
With either of those methods - but especially with iPhoto - any movies which are playable in iMovie can then be imported from iPhoto.
iMovie can play MPEG-4 videos (..mini videos which have been saved in MPEG-4 format ..see your Samsung's instruction book to find out what format the camera uses for movies..) and it can play some .avi and other movie formats. In some cases, though, you might find that the video plays OK, but there's no sound. In those cases you could try playing the movie(s) using the QuickTime program.
If your Samsung is a normal DV camcorder which also saves mini-movies to the SD card, then you'll be able to use a USB cable to copy the mini-movies, as described above, but you'll need a FireWire/DV/i.Link (different names for the same thing) 4-pin-to-six-pin cable to copy normal DV video from the camcorder to your Mac.

No Video Images Appear In iMovie Import Window

My Vixia hv 30 mini DV is connected and recognized, and when I choose to import video manually, and hit the iMovie Import button, the video plays on the camera screen but not in the iMovie import window on my iMac. Nor does the counter move, although a large message in the iMovie window says "importing". The camera's counter in the upper right hand corner of the window counts off, but not the counter next to the controls at the bottom of the window. A file name is created in the Event Library, but there is nothing in the file when I click it.
I have tried importing segments of all sizes and lengths to see if there was an issue there but no video appears on the iMovie screen, and there is no message that thumbnails are being created.
I have watched tutorials online to see if I am missing something but I have found no answers. I was able to import a one-minute segment automatically a few days ago when I first got the camera, but now Automatic does not work. It begins to import, with no images appearing in the iMovie import window and no movement in the counter, then after a few seconds the "Importing" message changes to "Stopped"
In my 'Save To" window, it says I have "5.7GB free/25 min.)" on my Mac's HD.

I found that this was due to my tape having been recorded on an older DV camcorder rather than an HDV. You'd think either iMovie or the Canon Vixia would simply tell you that in plain language, rather than give you the kind of cryptic meaningless message that the camera displays.
If you have this problem, go into the camera menu and make sure the format —DV or HDV— matches the content on your tape.

I'm thinking of using Final Cut Pro to straighten slightly crooked footage and then re-import back to iMovie to complete the video. Does this have any impact on image quality?

I'm thinking of using Final Cut Pro to straighten slightly crooked footage and then re-import back to iMovie to complete the video. Does this have any impact on image quality?

As your rotate the image, you will begin to see black edges. So, as Tom implies, the image must be scaled up to hide those voids. If you shot 4k ad are editing in a HD timeline, no problem, lots of room to spare. If you shot 1080 and are editing in a 1080 timeline, you will run into issues at a certain point. However, if your 1080 project is going to be transcoded to 720 or ye olde DVD you won't notice any deterioration at all.

Importing from Sony DV into iMovie & getting Darker video image

Importing from Sony DV (Video quality looks great on video LCD screen) into iMovie & getting Darker video image. After I import into iMovie the video image is darker, making in harder to edit. I appreciate any help with understanding how I can improve the video quality when importing.
Thank you

Welcome to discussions!
You may just need to adjust your monitor.
http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6008.shtml
Plus, it will look better on a TV than your monitor.
Sue

Then new version of IMovie imported nearly all of my video and then suddenly closed. Now it won't recognize the video that it stil hasn't imported? I took the sd card out of the canon camcorder but still won't recognize or import it. Is there a cache t

Then new version of IMovie imported nearly all of my video and then suddenly closed. Now it won't recognize the video that it stil hasn't imported? I took the sd card out of the canon camcorder but still won't recognize or import it. Is there a cache that needs cleared?

Did you get any joy with answering this?
My first thought was that maybe when you imported you chose to leave the files in place rather than copy then to the iMovie library..but I can't see where that option is now.
I too have created a short movie from load f clips..but can't export or share either..the 'Share 'menu is empty..you go to it and no sub menu appears.

I asked this question before but I can't find it now. Anyway, I'm trying to import a DVD video that was made on a MAC and use it on a new iMovie project.

I asked this question before but I can't find it now. Anyway, I'm trying to import a DVD video that was made on a MAC and use it on a new iMovie project.
How do I do the importing.

If the video is already on a DVD:
You need to convert the VOB files in the TS-Folder of the DVD back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html
which is free, but you must also have the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D2187Z/A/quicktime-mpeg-2-playback-component-f or-mac-os-x
(unless you are running Lion in which case see below))
which is a mere $20.
Another possibility is to use DVDxDV:
http://www.dvdxdv.com/NewFolderLookSite/Products/DVDxDV.overview.htm
which costs $25.
For the benefit of others who may read this thread:
Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.
And from the TOU of these forums:
Keep within the Law
No material may be submitted that is intended to promote or commit an illegal act.
Do not submit software or descriptions of processes that break or otherwise ‘work around’ digital rights management software or hardware. This includes conversations about ‘ripping’ DVDs or working around FairPlay software used on the iTunes Store.
If you are running Lion:
From the MPEG Streamclip homepage
The installer of the MPEG-2 Playback Component may refuse to install the component in Lion. Apple states the component is unnecessary in Lion, however MPEG Streamclip still needs it. See this:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3381
To install the component in Lion, please download MPEG Streamclip 1.9.3b7 beta above; inside the disk image you will find the Utility MPEG2 Component Lion: use it to install the MPEG-2 Playback Component in Lion. The original installer's disk image (QuickTimeMPEG2.dmg) is required.
The current versions of MPEG Streamclip cannot take advantage of the built-in MPEG-2 functionality of Lion. For MPEG-2 files you still need to install the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component, which is not preinstalled in Lion. You don't have to install QuickTime 7.

Imovie imports different image into project

I'm trying to create a slideshow using only jpg images. Sometimes (now frequently) when I drag a picture into the slideshow from iphoto, desktop, Adobe Bridge, or even straight out of downloads, the image that actually shows up in imovie is a previously used picture. Sometimes the correct image shows up in the strip, but a different photo shows up in the preview window.
I spent several hours at the Genius Bar yesterday and we dumped a plist and rebuilt the entire iphoto library.
I've got to say that after having imovie closed all night, I reopened it this morning and was able to import correct images into the correct positions on my project, but then it started acting up again (after I cancelled my Genius bar appointment for today!), and is again putting different pictures into the project than I am actually trying to put into the project.
I litterally just need to get about 5 more images into the project!
Please help
Using imovie 11 and OSx 10.7.5
Thanks in advance

I didn't film the video, so I'm not sure what kind of camera was used.
Here is a screenshot of the Quicktime Inspector:
And here is a bit more information about my situation: The video plays fine off of the thumb drive it was given to me on, and it plays fine off of my hard drive. But when I import the video into iMovie, all I see is the one still video shot while the audio plays beneath it. I've tried this on two different computers and on both of them, the video is frozen once it's imported into iMovie.
Bizarre.
I appreciate your help!

I shot video on a Panasonic P2 and I'm trying to import the MXF files to Final Cut Pro but when I try to import, the only thing that imports is a blurry image of each clip. There's no audio and no video...how can I import MXF files into Final Cut Pro?

I shot video on a Panasonic P2 and I'm trying to import the MXF files to Final Cut Pro but when I try to import, the only thing that imports is a blurry image of each clip. There's no audio and no video...how can I import MXF files into Final Cut Pro?

at the end, you say "import preferences", which program are you describing?
So im safer using footage that is remotely being pulled from iphoto...
vs
using footage that is imported into FCP from imovie?
Is there anything i can do in fcp to make this footage more reliable or safer or more stable as i pull remotely from iphoto?
All the footage, and all the libraries to all programs, or on a new pegasus 12tb raid 5 setup fyi.

Controlled test shows imovie 08 import is problem with image quality

Friends,
Like many others I thought that I had noticed a quality difference between imovie 08 and imovie 06. So I did a controlled test:
I imported the same video into imovie 08 and imovie 06. I made two separate movies out of the video in 08 and two separate movies out of the video in 06. I then exported one of the 06 movies into 08 and one of the 08 movies into 06. I then burned all four movies to dvd.
The resulting burns were the following:
1. imported into 06, burned through 06
2. imported into 06, exported to 08 and burned through 08
3. imported into 08 and burned through 08
4. imported into 08, exported to 06 and burned through 06.
The result:
The movies imported into 06 were clearly superior in image quality to those imported into 08. I couldn't tell a difference between the 06 imports burned through 08 and 06. I also couldn't detect a difference between movies imported into 08 and burned in 06 and 08.
What is it about 08 import that causes quality degradation? I couldn't find any quality preferences to change.
I suppose this post isn't much different from the others along this line but I couldn't find any that did this type of controlled test.
Applecare had no idea why there was this difference.
Steve

I think I've solved my problem with a Google Search. I came across a free slide show generator
(contributions requested) that shows much higher quality slide shows than either iPhoto or Aperture 3.
You click on a folder of jpegs and it almost immediately generates thumbnails and within a few seconds
I can be viewing a full screen, tack sharp, slideshow of all of the files in the folder. Much sharper than
I'm used to seeing.
I think I'll keep the Aperture 3 and use if for the purpose it's intended for in the future. I'll also redo the
image preview files to the small size it started with and then I'll copy all of the files I'm interested in from
iPhoto into a separate folder on another disk. I'll use Aperture to catalog and to perform image manipulations
on but I won't try to use it as an iPhoto replacement. I don't think I'll be using iPhoto much as an image
viewer in the future either after I finish moving my favorite pictures to the Phoenix Slides folder.
The name of the free program is Phoenix Slides. It's free to download and try, free to keep (though I
think you'd want to pay the small amount requested) and fast. My pictures have never looked so good
before.
http://blyt.net/phxslides/
Message was edited by: Jimbo2001

IMovie 08 imports AVCHD 60i = lower image quality!

The Sony SR11 AVCHD 60i videos play great with Sony player under BootCamp/XP, but iMovie 08 noticeably lowered the image quality after importing.
You can clearly see the difference: http://www.alyudesign.com/images/photo/sr11-sonyvsimovie.jpg
Is there a setting to improve the import quality?

It is of course difficult to tell but I see no difference in quality. What I do see is that one has been either de-interlaced (or displays only one field) whereas the other is in its original interlaced format.

J'ai créé une vidéo sur imovie, je dois rajouter une image a la fin du film. L'image apparait bien dans la fenêtre du projet mais l'écran reste noir quand je passe la souris dessus et quand je lance le film aussi . Pour n'importe quelle photo on a l'impre

j'ai créé une vidéo sur imovie, je dois rajouter une image a la fin du film. L'image apparait bien dans la fenêtre du projet mais l'écran reste noir quand je passe la souris dessus et quand je lance le film aussi . Pour n'importe quelle photo on a l'impression que imovie ne la detecte pas. Si vous avez une solution je suis preneur. Réponse en français !! Please

Hi
Please use English as this
• gives more answers
• helps more people in same situation
or if You like I can try to answer in Swedish
iMovie starts to locate resources as photos and audio's by checking iPhoto, iTunes, GarageBande etc. Libraries and if there are problem in these - iMovie can not find needed material only thumbnails may be left intact.
So I would start by (reserve a lot of time - as this can take many hours 6-12 not unusual to me)
• CONNECT Mac to Mains (adaptor)
• Closing all applications
• Start iPhoto - BUT KEEP cmd-key and alt-key down during up-start
• Then select all alternatives
• Let Your Mac be - in several hours during repair process
When done
• Turn off Mac
• Turn on Mac
• Now test if iMovie finds the needed photos
If this still do not work
• Trash iMovie Pref. file
• Repair Permissions - Disk Util tool
Now most probably all is well again.
Yours Bengt W

Why doesn't iMovie import video directly from the iPhone 3GS

We here quite frequently that Apple offers a better overall experience than the competition because they make the whole widget... I was SHOCKED to discover that iMovie will NOT recognize my iPhone 3GS... Doesn't Apple make both products and their OS's (Yes, I know they make both)?
iMovie imports video from my FLip HD just fine... This is very disappointing... And yes, I figured out how to do it... Import it to iPhoto, export it as a .mov and import it to iMovie... This is crazy, Apple!

What I find shocking is that if you open iMovie and select "Import from Camera..." the iPhone doesn't show up.
For further clarification, I have turned off the option to open iPhoto or Image Capture automatically when a camera is attached. I don't that option to import photos from my camera because they are automatically imported to my computer via the eye-fi card in my camera.
I do expect that when I open iMovie manually and select to "Import from Camera..." that the iPhone will be recognized as a camera. My FLip mino HD is recognized and it is awkward to then have to open iPhoto, import the movies, export the movies and then import them to iMovie to modify them and move them to my Apple TV.
I have provided Apple my Feedback on both their iPhone and iMovie sites.

Can't import mts/HD video to imovie 09

Hi,
I have the Sony HDR-TG5V & have successfully imported mpg/SD videos to imovie but haven't been able to import mts/HD videos. I've tried deleting the SD from my video camera but it still doesn't recognize the mts/HD videos. For some reason the SD videos keep popping up even though I've deleted them from the camera. Please help!

Yes the ffmpeg solutions seems to work and I was very happy with this at first beceause this also eliminates re-encoding whole video clips again.
BUT! I do have serious performance issues inside iMovie '09 with these newly created M4V files. Once imported skimming through them goes extremely slow. An I mean extreeemely slowww... So I'm unable to use them. When I choose the optimize setting and let iMovie convert the file to Quicktime after all, optimizing also takes a very large amount of time. A 30 seconds clip took me about an hour to import/optimize and I don't have this issue when importing from camera. Once imported and optimized in Quicktime the clip works perfect just like any other clip but it's gonna tame me a tremendous amount of time to do this with the large amount of MTS files I have (incorrectly) saved on an external hard drive.
There must be some sort of solution to wrap up the MTS files in a native AVCHD folder structure so that iMovie will import them? And I mean a solution without re-encoding them to MPEG4 or whatsoever beceause that would be costing me too much time as well.
Any other tips? Maybe writing the files back to the camcorder but unfortunately Canon only supplies Windows software for doing that. Anyone had experience with that?

IMovie imports a still video image

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