IMovie won't import QuickTime files

I know this has been covered, and I'm not really a video newbie, hence my posting here. I have three QuickTime files that were ripped approximately the same time (a few years ago). They all came off DV tape (I think I used FC Express at the time), so they're all reporting as DV codec at 720x480.
iMovie refuses to allow me to import the shortest one. When I choose import only the two longer ones aren't grayed out. Any thoughts?

As a note, the lengths of the movies are 20:51, 27:47, and 44:51.

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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 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.

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Hey everyone
I've just upgraded to imovie 06. Everytime I try to import movies made on my Digital Camera a sign saying: 'Error during Import, The file could not be imported: Unknown Error.
I didn't have this problem before upgrading to imovie 06. I wonder if anyone can help?
See ya
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Hi BJE:
When you upgraded, did you upgrade your quicktime as well?
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bobebaba wrote:
… It is MP4 file, 275 MB, 20 minutes.…
iMovie is by concept for camcorder imports.
20min crunched into tiny 250MBs means highly compressed - iM has to convert it into an editable intermediate.
20min crunched into tiny 250MBs means 'exotic' codecs - mp4 is a container, or media-wrapper, no 'format'. when it comes to DivX and stuff like that, you have to manually convert BEFORE import into iMovie.

FCE won't import Quicktime files

I'm getting an error message every time I try to import a quicktime file into my project: file unknown, access denied. It let's me choose the file when I browse and it had always worked before, could this be a result of a Quicktime upgrade that was automatically performed??
Kelly

It IS a QuickTime file. The creator type is Final Cut, hence the different icon. The large Q in the middle indicates it's a QuickTime file. You should NOT add .mov to the file name. It's already there, only hidden.
What application are you using for DVD that will not read it? It works in iDVD, DVD Studio Pro and Toast. I don't know of a single Mac application that will not accept it.
Or are you just making a DVD-ROM? In which case the file may well be too large to fit onto a DVD. But compress it to a size that will fit on a DVD will probably make it no longer useable for production purposes without severely degrading the quality of the picture.
Exporting to QuickTime Movie is your best option for being able to continue using the material and for making a DVD for set-top playback.

Imovie 5: won't import any files!!!!

please help! i'm about to have a baby and i just got all this stuff to record video of him and stuff like that. well, i tried out my imovie software and it won't import any files at all! i have .avi files from other sources and anytime i try to import them into imovie it unexpectedly crashes!! what do i do?!
thanks for your help!
ashley

Hi krypton - have a look here:
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6018.shtml
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=232703&tstart=0
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6010.shtml
http://www.moviecodec.com/topics/5155p2.html
but especially:
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/%7Eshmhav/SVCDon_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convertMPEG
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=267352&tstart=0
You may need both of these:
MPEG StreamClip:
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html
Apple MPEG2 PlayBack:
http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
Doing a Search of the forum will produce many posts on this topic! Type someting like 'MPEG' into the search box.

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See if you can open the file in QuickTIme PLayer. Click Command-I (or WINDOW/INSPECTOR) in QuickTime Player. Tell us what is listed by the word FORMAT:

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Importing them into FCP ans playing them back through the QT player and iTunes works fine.
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I did find that if the offending files were upsampled to 48 khz/16 bit instead of the usual 44.1 khz/16 bit, iMovie would accept them without any problem.
iMovie's help file says:
"Tip: For the best compatibility with iMovie HD transitions, effects, titles, and the Ken Burns Effect, you should record your video with 48 kilohertz (kHz), 16-bit audio. Check your camera's manual for instructions on setting the audio bit rate and depth."
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Running iMovie 09 (v8.0.6) under 10.6.5 on MBP 13.
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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

IMovie 08 won't import .mov files

I've just installed iLife 08. The only video iMovie 08 will import are ones I have saved saved as movies from the previous version of iMovie. It doesn't seem to recognize any of the .mov files. In addition, I have several .avi files, can they be converted to a file that the program will recognize?

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Message was edited by: Laximus

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Final Cut Pro does, but does iMovie HD? And which version?

Luca, I'm not sure acceptable life in iMovie at 60p is possible, and not sure about YouTube at this point either.
(I have a 2.66GHz Core i5 iMac with 8GB ram running Snow Leopard OSX 10.6.8)
My first export using QT x264 1080 59.94, auto key, +CABAC, crashed iMovie, but later times worked ok.
The non-QT export 1080 HD computer - puts out a 29.97 fps movie with lots of motion artifacts.
I checked plist - videoframerate and newProjectFrameRate were 30, so changed to 60 and redid the import, title, finalize, exports, and share to YouTube.
The non-QT export 1080 HD computer - still put out 29.97 fps.
QT Export x264 1080 framerate 59.94 fixed, auto key, +CABAC put out a 43 Mpbs 59.94 H.264 QuickTime movie which occasionally stutters, but it appears to have the same quality as the original 1080p60 footage.
Moving to a 1080p60 camera has been frought with disappointments. The latest VLC can play my raw video but it often stutters (from no times to lots of times).
Repackaging as MP4 using ffmpeg -i in.MTS -vcodec copy -acodec copy out.mp4 doesn't get rid of the stuttering.
Toast Video Player also has occassional stutters.
Converting using Handbrake does not eliminate the occasional stutter.
QT playing the prores transcoded source footage claims 255 Mbps data rate 59.94 fps, and it also stutters sometimes, sometimes not.
The Share... YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mByr3Y3wfz4 which appears to only be 30 fps (the mp4 download is 30p).
The 60pQT export uploaded is at: http://youtu.be/Hv1TgcoaxfM also downloads as a 30p MP4 so I have no idea what is going on.
"(i)Life" in 60p seems a bit complicated.

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

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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.
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Premiere CS6 won't import mov files, the message: "file has no video or audio streams" shows up instead. How can I import the files?

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IMovie won't import QuickTime files

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