Trouble importing into iMovie. S.O.S

I am importing 5 clips into iMovie to make a movie for work, but only half of the clips will fully import and it took multiple tries to get them. The format of the recordings are correct, and I can click import - the progress bar and time remaining just never progress. How can I fix this?
Thanks in advance!

kbheartslax wrote:
… The format of the recordings are correct, …
Really…
iMovie is meant for Camcorder material.
Any other source has to fullfill very specific settings.
For instance, stuff converted with (sadly) popular Handbrake is not compatible, if manual settings in HB are not set properly....

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Trouble importing into iMovie from Sony Handicam

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Anyone have problems importing with thier Sony Handicam DCR - SX43? Video imports, but audio will not import into imovie anymore.

hey there tomaswk, welcom to Discussions.
1) when importing HDV, iMovie/FCE HD converts it on the fly to A.I.C.-Apple Intermediate Codec. you'll need @ least 2 GB of RAM to approach realtime ingest to your MBP. i have 2.5 GB on my DP G5.
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Message was edited by: Donna Jones1

Trouble opening mpeg movie files and importing into iMovie 08

Hi, I'd be most grateful if anyone could provide any solutions to the following problem...
A friend has emailed me two .mpeg movie files which are parts 1&2 of a home movie which I want to edit in iMovie and burn to DVD. The footage was shot on a miniHDV camcorder (not sure which brand).
Opening in QT 7.6 gives the following warning dialogue: "The movie could not be opened. The file is not a movie file."
The files will however play fine in VLC Media Player, but not in mpeg Streamclip (the file appears to play but the viewer is blank with no audio/video). Trying to import into iMovie is unsuccessful. The iMovie browser won't let me choose the files or drag/drop.
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I have QT Player but it hasn't "kicked in" when I try to import my videos.
Something called PIXE VRF Browser is supposed to help in the conversion. The QT MPEG-2 thingy won't install until I buy QT Pro, according to what I get on the screen.
Sounds like you have too many applications trying to do the same thing. Either use the Pixela Pixe VRF Browser or use the Mac applications (Mac OS Finder, Apple QT MPEG-2 Playback Component w/MPEG Streamclip) but not both to do the same job. The Apple Finder should be able to copy multiplexed VOB/MPEG-2 files from either your PC burned DVD or directly from your camcorder DVD to your MAC hard drive where MPEG Streamclip/QT MPEG-2 component can convert them for use in iMovie '08. Frankly, I don't understand your work work flow or why you want to import your files to a GOP editor in the first place if your goal is to do frame level editing in iMovie '08.
As for Jon's suggestion, I am on dial-up and cannot download big files at 3-4 Kbps snail pace.
What does this have to do with importing your camcorder files to your PC and re-burning them to DVD for use on your Mac? If I were to make a recommendation here, it would have been to use an external hard drive here rather than DVDs for transporting files between platforms and then only if you want the files available to both. If your goal is only to edit them in iMovie '08 or iMovie HD on your Mac, then why not cut out the "middleman" platform?
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Totally confused here. Are you saying your DVR-D300 files were commercial produced or that you are dealing with torrent downloads of copy-written material? These are two separate issues with facets beyond the scope of this forum.
As for "platform", I have iMovie08. iMac does not read the mini RAM disks when I connect the camera to a USB port.
Are you saying the Finder doesn't read them or that iMovie '08 doesn't read them? Do you "finalize" your DVDs before trying to read them via USB as the manual states may be necessary as indicated on page 150 of your manual?
How can I find out that iMovie09 will let me import and edit my Panasonic videos?
You could try going to the Apple site and checking the the tapeless camcorder compatibility chart. The Panasonic DVR-D300 is specifically listed along with a hot link for additional information. However, this still won't help you you don't finalize the content.

Older DV Tapes Will Not Play or Import Into iMovie

I have a lot of DV tapes shot ten years ago on a JVC camcorder that I want to import into iMovie.
I have a new Canon Vixia hv 30 and I'm assuming these older mini DV tapes are compatible because these old tapes play fine in the camcorder itself, and also on my TV, but when I try to import them into iMovie, they do not display in the iMovie import window. However, new tapes shot recently with the new hv 30 display and import just fine.
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*iMovie Camcorder Import Fix*
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*-On my computer, the video now suddenly shows up in imovie! You can now click the 'import' button in imovie, and imovie will start importing the tape in realtime. This is a bit slower than the normal import method, but hey, at least you can now get your video into imovie!*
...but this solution doesn't work for me. I cannot "quickly" click the Play button on the camera monitor or in the iMovie window after switching from record to Play on the camera because there is a 5 second time lag on both the camera's monitor and in the iMovie window while the iMovie screen/camera monitor switches over from Record to Play.
Is there any way I can get older DV footage into iMovie from my Vixia hv 30? My resources are at a very low ebb right now.

I found a clue on the www.hv20 website: Old DV tapes recorded before HDV...you need to go into the hv 30 menu and select "DV" rather than "HDV", then the video shows up in the iMovie import screen and imports easily.

How can i import into imovie using the camera's built in memory?

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Why do some AVI files not import into iMovie?

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Certain mp4 files are not importing into iMovie

I downloaded various files from the video page at a blog website [ http://www.911blogger.com/ ]; they're mp4 QuickTime. They won't properly import into iMovie, and quickly return a "An Unknown Error Has Occured" message box.
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I have QuickTime 7.1.1 installed, with a license for QuickTime Pro.
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But third-party QuickTime codecs could certainly be affecting iMovie 6's ability to import a movie. If any are installed, they should be temporarily removed and the Mac restarted.
They are discussed here:
http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=1852869#1852869
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Hi.
I have a video shot in 1080p which I imported into iMovie from my camcorder using the optimised setting (920x540px). I edited the movie and now want to finalise it. But I'm wondering why when I click finalise the project it says it's doing so in 1080p?
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Just had a thought. Something AppleMan1958 said in another post.
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When you import into iMovie, your video is converted into DV format. This uses 13 GB per hour of video. So the first thing you have to do is make sure you have 26 GB free on your hard drive, plus another 10GB free for OSX to perform, plus 10GB free if you plan on burning a DVD.
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I am using screen capture software to make a video of my screen at 1024x768. The video is for a tutorial. I want to use iMove to get things like transitions and such into the movie, and to add text and audio. The problem is that, although the video looks great in QuickTime, it loses quality significanly when I import into iMove. The text on the screen is blurry, and the quality of everything else is terrible as well.
Is this s limitation of iMove? Can screen capture video be imported? Does it only work with DV?
Also, I tried to convert the file to many other formats, from QuickTime to MPEG-4, so it's not the file type.
If anyone can help me out, I've be very grateful.
Thanks!
iBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.5)

Your dimensions are getting in the way. iMovie converts your 1024X768 to a DV Stream file that is 720X480.
One workaround would be to set your display resolution smaller. Try 800X600 (if your windows fit that size).
If you're using Snapz Pro you should set your window capture to 640X480. This size will import nicely into iMovie.
An even better way would be to do all of the work using QuickTime Pro. Again a 1024X768 QT.mov file would not fit on the most common display settings used. When you add the QT Player window the controller would be below the screen and not accessible for most users.
800X600 would make a better file (smaller, too). It would still be 4:3 aspect and would also import into iMovie.

Importing into iMovie

I was wondering what type of files are you able to import into iMovie? Thanks!!

I was wondering what type of files are you able to import into iMovie?
DV for all versions. HDV and DV for HD and later versions. Any "conversion" compatible compression format for which you have the appropriate codecs for versions prior to iMovie '08. "Edit" compatible compression formats for Finder level imports to iMovie '08 (to include DV, AIC, M-JPEG, Photo-JPEG, "standard" MPEG-4, "standard" H.264 with DV, Linear PCM (Big Endian, Little Endian, Unsigned Integer, etc.), AAC, etc.); Apple Animation and Apple Video will import and edit but cannot currently be exported properly. Additional compression formats via iMovie '08 "Camera Import" option -- AVCHD (Intel Machines only) and "muxed" MPEG2/AC3 from HDD/DVD camcorders or images thereof. Any file you can convert manually to an iMovie '08 "edit" compatible format in QT or third-party applications (e.g., Voltaic for import of AVCHD to PPC machines).

Saving files from Photoshop to Import into iMovie 09

1. What is the best file format for saving images from Photoshop to bring into iMovie 09?
2. What should the image size of the file be set to from Photoshop? I would like the best quality while working in iMovie prior to exporting and compressing after I am done editing.
Thank you in advance.

kat.hayes wrote:
1. What is the best file format for saving images from Photoshop to bring into iMovie 09?
I see you have not marked your topic "Answered", so you may be hoping for some other suggestions. If your item 1 is intended to ask about file "type" (.psd, .jpg, .png, .tif, etc.), here is my suggestion.
Because of the large file size of PhotoShop (PS) .psd image files, *unless you need to keep the PS version with Layers, Adjustments, etc*., _and unless you do NOT keep a separate folder of PS images_, I suggest that you NOT save the PS .psd file "format" (type) into iPhoto (or iMovie.)
I keep all PS (.psd) image files that I want to retain in separate folders outside iPhoto. I also save the finished (PS) image as a .jpg or .png version which I import into iPhoto for easy import into iMovie via the media browser. Whether to use jpeg or png depends on the image quality I need.
If you are capturing the snapshots that you are editing with PS from an iSight, other webcam, or a Flip camcorder, the jpg version will probably give you all the quality you need. However, to make your decision easier, you can save multiple file type (and compression settings) versions of the edited file when you are finished in PS. Then import all the various jpgs, pngs, tiffs, etc, into a test movie, lable (title) them for easy identification, save the movie, and see if you can tell any difference in quality or each image when you replay your test movie. If you can tell a difference, you can decide how much quality you need and match that need with the file type and size that gives the necessary quality level. If you cannot see a difference in the move regardless of which file type or compression level, you can save space by using the smallest image file.
+re: your item 2:+ I have nothing to add to Karsten's expert comments on resolution and file size.
EZ Jim
G5 DP 1.8GHz w/Mac OS X (10.5.8) PowerBook 1.67GHz (10.4.11) iBookSE 366MHz (10.3.9) External iSight

Converting files to import into iMovie HD

I've been searching the forum but cant find anything that helps me...
I have an mpeg (a .m2p file)
I've tried converting it into all sorts of things to import into iMovie, using the likes of "ffmpegx" and "mpeg streamclip".
I've tried converting to mpeg4 mov files, mpeg4 mp4 files, H264, .DV.
Most of the time even quicktime will not play them, or in the case of the .DV files, not only is it massive (like 50 gig) but takes hours to import.
Basically I have a 2gig .m2p (mpeg2) file and want to convert it into something that iMovie will read without taking 6 hours.
I'm new to OS X, and video editing/converting in general... someone please point me in the right direction.

.m2p file
Have you tried this with MPEG Streamclip (Notice that MPEG2 conversions require the $20 Apple MPEG-2 Playback Component):
"File/Export to DV.../Compression: DV (DV25)". Choose "Split DV stream in Segments" if the content is more than 9 minutes 27 seconds because iMovie 1-4 can't reliably handle longer clip files and it might be a good idea to limit the converted .dv file's size anyway (segmented clips play seamlessly in iMovie).
You can save the converted DV directly into iMovie project's Media folder to save time and HD space (iMovie prompts you what to do with the clip when the project is opened. Notice that iMovie HD 5 now stores its project folder as a package -- MPEG Streamclip can save straight into the package's /Media folder!)
http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/SVCDon_a_Macintosh.html#edit_convertMPEG

Trouble importing into iMovie. S.O.S

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