Trouble opening mpeg movie files and importing into iMovie 08

Question

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.
Any ideas. I read somewhere that iMovie 08 can't import mpeg-1 files. Do I need to convert the files, and if so how?
Thanks in advance, and apologies - this is my first experience of video editing.

Answer 1

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?
I wish I could purchase these updates on DVDs but the genies couldn't even tell me if there's such a service.
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.