Premiere Pro CS5 Quicktime Import Problem

Question

Hi Everyone,
I am having a problem importing Quicktime .MOV files into Premiere Pro CS5.  When I import .mov files (I've tried several; some I've created myself from AE5, others are purchased from third party libraries) the file shows up in the PPro CS5 project bin, but can't be previewed by dragging into the Source Monitor (system spins for 1-2 minutes, then PPro Source Monitor just shows a gray backround, no video present).  If I drag the file to the timeline, the system will again spin for 1-2 minutes and then the Program Monitor will just display a black video frame.  If I try to play the timeline, the audio will play (if present), but the Program Monitor will show black with occasional "flashes" of a frame from the .mov file.  If I try to render the timeline nothing really happens except the estimate time to finish increases with no end in sight (3 minute clip was showing 20+ hours remaining before I killed it).
On the same machine, I can view the .mov files just fine using Quicktime 7.6.8, AE 5, and even PPro CS4.
I am running Windows 7 x64, 9GB memory, Core i7 Processor, Multiple HDD's (per Adobe recommendations), and a nVidia GFX740 card.  I've updated PPro CS5, Quicktime, and nVidia drivers all to the latest version this week.
Does this sound familiar to anyone?  Any ideas of how to fix this problem?
/BILLW

Answer 1

Although you speak sooth, it is I believe rather impulsive to think that the simple answer was meant to be an evangelistic approach for using .mov in final production.
I only edit final productions in native formats or professional intermediates. 
But, how about doing rough storyboard edits where you are burning the many endless midnight hours (hmm, like now maybe, and I just ran out of coffee and smokes?!) fleshing out a story or script, or knocking out an animatic or honing in on the details out of a cinematic script - and while that creative candle burns, you are rapidly pulling together whatever material in whatever format you can find to rough together your ideas before you lose that thought - often over the weekend for a presentation to investors or some such on a Monday.  Sometimes, my friend, all you have is what you get. And when I am creatively doing a pitch or preparing for an on-set walkthrough or a meeting with pre-production, and all I have are  .mov's from whereever thay came or a crappy home office scan or a repro of an old 16mm film of a POW camp that someone copied onto VHS by projecting it off a painted concrete block wall and then shot that with an old VHS camera, and whatever 20 generations later you are handed a .mov of that to put together a final script concept while the originals get dug up.....My Friend, you have to be able to rapidly put your thougths and concepts together without limitations to your equipment and you don't have time to mess around with codecs you don't have when you are in a pinch.  And some of us aren't mathematical codec wizards either -- we just need to see something and see it now.
After all, this is Planet Earth we are living on isn't it?  And rare is the idyllic, calm, cool, breezy day absent from the pounding heartbeat of production!
And in those desperate moments, there have been a few times I will confess I needed to pop a .mov file (from wherever its birth may have been I will never know) into premiere and it wouldn't go.  And in a rush like that with no sleep, I don't care.  I ran it though QT Pro. I guess that makes me a sinner from Arcturus.
From a professional point of view, there are many ways to use premiere.  Like I said, often preparing for a final edit in a production house with an editing team on an Avid or whatever system.   And on the creative side, I use it often to develop my scripts or my projects before I walk on set to direct or produce or have a meeting with the pre-production crew.  And there are many others including of course, the beloved, finished, polished edits that go straight to broadcast -- which premiere does a great job.
For a final production, .mov, nope. (Although I have had animation houses swear by the .mov animation.)
Feel a little better now? 
Cheers!