IMovie problems importing .mov files

I just purchased a new iMac and a new camera (which claims it is Mac compatible and iMovie compatible). Unfortunately, for some reason iMovie is not letting me import any of the movies I create with the camera. I noticed this is a common problem, and the fix seems to be to download an earlier version of iMovies '06, but that seems crazy. Are there any other options to get my movies from my camera into iMovies?

I just purchased a new iMac and a new camera (which claims it is Mac compatible and iMovie compatible).
Compatible at which level? Muxed MPEG-1 files can be played by QT applications but cannot be converted by them to other compression formats without losing the audio and cannot be edited by them. Would you call this a compatible format or an incompatible format?
Unfortunately, for some reason iMovie is not letting me import any of the movies I create with the camera. I noticed this is a common problem, and the fix seems to be to download an earlier version of iMovies '06, but that seems crazy.
Unlike older versions of iMovie, iMovie '08 does not convert files as part of the "Finder" file importation process. Therefore, if the file you are trying to import cannot be edited "natively" (i.e., both audio and video content), it will not import them at all. On the other hand, iMovie '06 does convert files as part of the import process and it will automatically convert the content to an edit compatible compression format if it can.
Are there any other options to get my movies from my camera into iMovies?
Probably. It all depends on the compression format contained in the file. For instance, many Sony cameras make MPEG-1 video files. These files can be converted to an editable format (like DV, AIC, MJEPEG, MPEG-4, H.264, etc.) with a free third-party, MPEG-based application like MPEG Streamclip. Kodak MPEG4/µ-Law files become compatible if you simply pass through the video and convert the audio to AAC using the "Movie to MPEG-4" export option. Casio MJPEG/DVI ADPCM wil import if you simply extract the WAV audio, convert it AAC (or other compatible audio format), and re-merge it with your original video track.
This is a Bug in iMovie8. I could NOT import .mov files from my Kodak easyshare Z612 camera into iMovie8 as all the .mov files were greyed out.
Its not a bug if that is what it is supposed to do. If you check the compression format, you will likely find this camera also uses the MPEG4/µ-Law combination mentioned above. Just because the compressed data is in an MOV file container, does not mean it can be edited in that "native" compression format. If you check the audio format of your files imported to iMovie '06, you should find the µ-Law audio was changed to AAC. Whether done automatically by iMovie '06 or manually by you, the offending compression format had to be changed to one that could be edited before iMovie '08 would accept it.
ADDED: Oops! Looks like you beat me to it, Winston.

Similar Messages

  • Problems importing .mov file

    I am all of a sudden having problems importing .mov files from my camera in iPhoto '08. Can't get them to import in Image Capture either...On the import preview screen, all that comes up are empty "boxes". If I highlight one of the boxes, it shows that it is .mov file, the size of the file, etc. but if i try to do the import, iPhoto just locks up.

    iPhoto does not like very large movie files for importing directly from the camera. If you get it on the desktop you should be able to import it. I've imported 200MB movies with no problem.
    TIP: For insurance against the iPhoto database corruption that many users have experienced I recommend making a backup copy of the Library6.iPhoto (iPhoto.Library for iPhoto 5 and earlier) database file and keep it current. If problems crop up where iPhoto suddenly can't see any photos or thinks there are no photos in the library, replacing the working Library6.iPhoto file with the backup will often get the library back. By keeping it current I mean backup after each import and/or any serious editing or work on books, slideshows, calendars, cards, etc. That insures that if a problem pops up and you do need to replace the database file, you'll retain all those efforts. It doesn't take long to make the backup and it's good insurance.
    I've created an Automator workflow application (requires Tiger), iPhoto dB File Backup, that will copy the selected Library6.iPhoto file from your iPhoto Library folder to the Pictures folder, replacing any previous version of it. It's compatible with iPhoto 6 and 7 libraries and Tiger and Leopard. iPhoto does not have to be closed to run the application, just idle. You can download it at Toad's Cellar. Be sure to read the Read Me pdf file.

  • Imovie not importing .mov file

    I have a video camera (an Oregon Scientific ATC9K).  Normally I take the ssd card out and plug it into my iMac.  I then let iPhoto import everything, then I copy all the files to either my iMacs secondary drive or a network storage device (a GoFlexHome).  I then import .mov files into iMovie, and have, until now, not experienced any issues with this... However, this time round, after my import into iMovie, I noticed some video missing, so I assumed I neglected to import it into the project event.  Note, I have already reformatted the ssd card but have the .mov file both imported into iPhoto and copied onto the external.  Each time I attempt to re-import, iMovie tells me it will take about 4 hours, and when I return, the video clip is still missing.  No error message, just not there.  So I start again... same result... so I create a new project, and import the .mov file... another 4 hours pass... and I'm left with an empty event folder for the new project... I thought it failed at first because I may have ran out of space... so I cleared a bunch of space and tried again... another four hours pass... nada.  iMovie thinks it has imported the movie, but there is nothing there.  I can watch the movie in iPhoto, but if I try to import it from iPhoto, iMovie claims it is in a format it cannot handle.  ***. Pardon the french, but this is getting extremly frustrating.

    QuickTime Pro is available for about $30 US from Apple online.
    There is a free package called MPEG Streamclip. You could export from MPEG Streamclip with no audio track. However, it may be that MPEG Streamclip will not edit copy protected material either, I have not tried it.

  • Problems importing .mov files

    can anyone help with importing .mov files. i have had success importing one .mov file but there are others that just produce this error message:
    file error: 1 file(s) recognized, 0 access denied, 1 unknow.
    i get the info on both the imported file and the one that is having a problem and all their information looks the same. can anyone help? thanks
    imac g5   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

    can't help without more information.
    take a look at this thread and follow the suggestions and we'll be able to do something for you.
    x

  • Problems importing .MOV files, no audio

    i use a canon 60d and when i installed cs5.5 a year ago everything was fine importing .MOV files into the program.  now as of late when i import i only get video but no audio.  when i tried importing old files to troubleshoot the audio is there but now my files lately dont have any audio.  i know the audio is there because it plays the file smoothly in iphoto.  could the audio be on another channel that im not aware of?  did i change a setting on my canon where it doesnt pick up audio?  this doesnt make sense because as i said the audio is on there when i play the file in iphoto but not on when i import to cs 5.5.  Can anyone help?

    can't help without more information.
    take a look at this thread and follow the suggestions and we'll be able to do something for you.
    x

  • Problem import .mov files

    Just updated to 10.0.1
    for some reason it imports mp4 files fine, but .mov files will not import.
    Gets stuck and freezes/crashes at 'Validating files for import' stage.
    These .mov files imported fine into 10.0.0
    and they play fine in Quicktime
    help!

    full info is:
    kenzo_01_1.mov
    source: /Users/PaulAir/Desktop/kenzo_01_1.mov
    format: H.264, 720 x 480, Millions AAC,2 channels, 48000 Hz
    FPS:25
    Datasize: 512.2 MB
    Datarate: 6,116.76 kbit/s
    Currentsize: 720 x 480 pixels (Actual)
    have tried importing several analogous files, all without success. smaller
    .mp4 files are reading/importing fine.
    now doing a re-install of FCPX 10.0.1 in the hope this may cure it.
    Deleting FCPX plist prefs did nothing..

  • Problem importing MOV files into iPhoto

    I am getting an error when importing my iPhone mov files into iPhoto -- "The following file could not be imported. The file is in an unrecognized format". However the file plays ok with Quicktime.
    Can someone help me with this? Its a brand new mac and I have the latest iPhoto too.

    Option 1
    Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Repair Database. If that doesn't help, then try again, this time using Rebuild Database.
    If that fails:
    Option 2
    Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. (In early versions of Library Manager it's the File -> Rebuild command. In later versions it's under the Library menu.)
    This will create an entirely new library. It will then copy (or try to) your photos and all the associated metadata and versions to this new Library, and arrange it as close as it can to what you had in the damaged Library. It does this based on information it finds in the iPhoto sharing mechanism - but that means that things not shared won't be there, so no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your events, albums and keywords, faces and places back.
    Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one.  
    Regards
    TD

  • Problem importing .mov file into Photoshop CS6

    I recently bought a canon 600D and I am trying to edit a 1080p video in photoshop CS6, however whenever it won't let me import the video. When I try to open it via File>open, it tells me 'Could not complete your request because Photoshop does not recognize this type of file.' and when I try to drag and drop it it tells me 'Could not place the document ‘MVI_0710.MOV’ because no parser or file format can open the file.'
    I'm not a professional at all so I could be missing something very basic! Any help would be greatly appreciated.

    What system are you on? Which PS version? 32bit or 64 bit? Sounds like the required qtserver/ dynamiclink stuff is not running and you are using the 64bit version.
    Mylenium

  • Aspect Ratio Problems Importing mov files

    I am creating an imovie project that combines slideshow and video. The slideshows were produced in iPhoto06 as 16:9 and exported via iDVD into .mov format. They are 16:9 and play fine as widescreens in Quicktime. However, when imported into iMovieHD6, they are compacted into a squished 4:3. The iMovie project is set as widescreen (I've tried both widescreen NTSC and 720p) but this makes no difference when importing the widescreen clips. The 4:3 videos can appear with boxes on ether side, but I want the widescreen slideshows to be widescreen.

    @MRogovin - I wish I knew more about this exact issue so I could give you a solid answer. All I know is that I encountered a very similar issue recently.
    For reasons I won't explain, I was exporting a slideshow from iMovie '08. It would play just fine in 16:9. But every time I tried to import into iMovie HD 6, it would get squashed and there would be black pillarboxes on the left and right sides.
    Research revealed that the exported video "lost its 16:9 flag." I was hoping there would be a way to simply tick a box and restore the flag. And people suggested that MPEG Streamclip would do the trick. But every time I tried to restore the flag, it would go through another round of compression, and degrade the **** out of the video (despite my experimentation with 20 different settings) -- maybe there is a way to ONLY restore the flag.
    So, in the end, I had to export out of iMovie 08 without any compression. Only then did the importation process maintain the 16:9 aspect ratio. Of course, the un-compressed video slideshow was huge (8.5GB for 20 pictures).
    Since you're using iPhoto, you probably can't do as I did, since iPhoto slideshows cannot be exported un-compressed. Hopefully someone can chime in and explain how to maintain/restore a 16:9 anamorphic flag.

  • How can I get iPhoto 9.5.1 (902.17) to import .mov files?

    I have a brand new MacBook Pro with 2 TB SDD running Mavericks that I bought 2 weeks ago.
    So far I have imported about 5,000 photo files into iPhoto 9.5.1 (902.17) plus about 25 videos as .mov files.
    But on today's import session, it stopped taking any more MOV's, giving the following error message:
    "The following file could not be imported. The file is in an unrecognized format." and it then it lists the .mov files.
    I tried rebuilding the LIbrary index, and have even tried creating a new Library and importing my smalles (12 Mb) .mov file to this new test library.
    But I keep getting the same error.
    I have the most recent version of all the software (i.e. no new updates are available.)
    What else can I do?

    I figured out a solution: The drive with the .mov files was a USB drive formatted as NTFS. iPhoto would import .JPG files from this OK, but would refuse to import .MOV files, giving the error noted above.
    I found that if I copied the files from the NTFS USB drive to an SD card or to the Macbook Pro's internal SDD, I could get iPhoto to import the .MOV files without any problem.
    Why does iPhoto 11 have a problem importing .MOV files from external USB drive formatted as NTFS, but no problem importing the exact same files from an SD-card formatted as FAT-16, or from a folder on the Macbook Pro's internal HD?

  • Problems importing movies into Keynote

    I have been using Keynote for a couple of years (now using Keynote 08 on a MacBook running 10.5.5). I recently started having problems importing movie files into my Keynote presentations. I usually just drag a .mov file and it plays with no problems, but lately when I do this it doesn't appear on the Keynote slide and when I play the presentation I get only audio w/ no video. I tried importing the files to quicktime and exporting them again to be sure they were in the correct format. This seemed to work a few times, but now that isn't working either. Any suggestions?

    I'm having what sounds like the same problem. I have Quick Time video from a Flip Cam that I want to use in a KeyNote presentation. I added the movie successfully at first, but when I opened the file to continue work, it appeared as a black box. It has sound, but no image. I can see it ok in the navigator. I've searched the forum for answers, but haven't found anything that works yet.
    Does the display setting have anything to do with this? One of the computers I work on has the display set to use with a LED projector. Thanks

  • IMovie 09 won't import .mov files

    Running iMovie 09 (v8.0.6) under 10.6.5 on MBP 13.
    I'm trying to import a couple .mov files from an external hard drive. In the dialog box that results after choosing File:Import:Movies, I can navigate to where the files are, but their names are grayed out so I can't access them.
    Any ideas?
    BTW, problem does not occur with .mp4 file.

    Here is the same! The iMovie 08 wont import .mov files. Even if I made it in the iWork/Keynote with H.264 or MPEG4 codec. You can work with the .avi files , they are opening in iMovie well, and you can edit them also. But not the .mov files. Strange...
    Message was edited by: Laximus

  • Need help importing MOV files into iMovie

    I am trying to import MOV files from a USB disk -- into iMovie's event library. When I click on the files on the USB -- they are grey and won't import. They will play in QuickTime. What could the problem be? I have the latest OS and am up to date.

    Can you maybe try converting them? Download the free program called Miro Video Converter from the Mac App Store. Drag the video into the window and set the output format as mp4. iMovie should import that properly.
    Sorry I couldnt be more of a help.
    Let us know!

  • Hi, I have problem with importing MOV files from SJCAM 4000. MOV files are in supported formats for Adobe Premiere Elements 11. But if I'm importing MOV file, only audio part is imported, video part is not imported. How can I solve this problem?

    Hi, I have problem with importing MOV files from SJCAM 4000. MOV files are in supported formats for Adobe Premiere Elements 11. But if I'm importing MOV file, only audio part is imported, video part is not imported. How can I solve this problem?

    haben
    From looking at the specifications of your camera (SJCam 4000), we know already what video compression your camera is using. It is H.264.
    A H.264.mov file should be supported by Premiere Elements 11. On what computer operating system is your Premiere Elements 11 running?
    Do you have the latest version of QuickTime installed on your computer? And, are you running QuickTime and Premiere Elements 11 from a
    User Account with administrative privileges? Please go to Premiere Elements 11 Publish+Share/Computer/QuickTime to confirm that you find
    presets there for the QuickTime choice there.
    What are the properties of these H.264.mov files - is it 1080p30 (1920 x 1080p30)  or something else? Do you know if this camera is recording with a variable or
    a constant frame rate?
    Please review and consider and then we will decide what next.
    Thank you.
    ATR

  • Problem to import MOV files

    Hi,
    I have a problem to import mov files from my hard disk (coming from a Casio Exelim ZR100 @ 1920x1080, 30 pic/sec. 44kHz, codec: H.264/AVC ). I tried different project setups - doesn`t work . I get a common failure message. MTS file import works...
    System Win 8
    Premiere Elements last version, all updates done
    Error Message:
    nase30

    Media import
    A Google Translate of your error message says that you are experiencing a generic importer error; consequently, not an editing nor exporting issue.
    If you are using the Casio ZR 100, the video involved would be characterized as
    1920 x 1080 @ 30 frames per second (progressive)
    Video compression = AVCHD (MPEG4 AVC/H.264)
    Audio compression = IMA-ADPCM (stereo)
    File Extension = .mov
    On the Premiere Elements side you have Premiere Elements 11 on Windows 8 (assumed 64 bit).
    I have downloaded one of these files from your camera brand/model from an online source.
    Windows 7 64 bit Premiere Elements 11. No importing or other problem with video or audio components of the file.
    Windows 8 64 bit Premiere Elements 11. No importing or other problem with video or audio components of the file.
    Based on my findings, I have no evidence to make a generalization that there is a problem with this Casio video and Premiere Elements 11 on Windows 7 64 bit or Windows 8 64 bit.
    So that leads us to look for other factors. Top of the list is the version of QuickTime that you have installed on your computer. (As John T. Smith has already asked and is awaiting a reply on that. If you have the latest version of QuickTime installed, then I would uninstall it and then reinstall it.
    What type of problem are you report
    "it worked before but not now"
    or
    "it never worked before"
    What might be interesting to look at. If you rename just the file extension of your Casio AVCHD.mov from .mov to .mts, .m2t, or .m2ts can you then import the problem file?
    We will be watching for your results.
    Thank you.
    ATR

Maybe you are looking for

  • Best way to add airplay to an airport extreme base station????

    Hello educated apple users, I am in the process of setting up my wirless network and entertainment sytem in my home. I originally bought the airport express which was great acting as a wireless router as well as connecting my home stereo system recei

  • How can i know if the face time is working on the iPad before i buy it?

    How can i know if the face time is working on the iPad before i buy it?

  • Custom search criteria in MSS Team Calendar

    My requirement is to add a custom entry (All Salaried/Exempt employees) in the Employee Selection (Display Data For) drop down in MSS Team Calendar. I have created a custom org structure view by copying the one for "All Employees" - MSS_LTV_EE_ALL Th

  • New to adobe and smartforms

    Helo, we are looking at desgining a process where a vendor would enter data on our portal and we would review this data and create the vendor master record using this data. we were going to use a module pool program to design a screen or the portal.

  • HTML doesn't work except in Internet Ex;plorer

    I am new to Dreamweaver and have set up the beginnings of a site, using template and files: www.kojonupworking.com.au This site shows the top navigation texts in Internet Explorer but not in Firefox or Netscape and I can't work out why. Can anyone gi