When I import .avi files I only get audio, no video!

Warrick T,

Welcome to the Forum.

I believe you have video captured as MP4 and saved in a AVI container.

Download & install "Mpeg Streamclip" and open your AVI file in it, then export to DV Format, after conversion import the DV file into iMovie.
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

I have a Flip Video camera also which imports into iMovie as a blank white picture but with audio. I tried the MPEG Streamclip to convert to DV, which it did, but now it imports showing a black picture instead of white. Doesn't show the video. I also tried importing the other formats without success.

Has anyone successfully imported Flip Video into iMovie?

Update to first post.

The Flip Video camcorder records or "captures" video in MPEG-4 advanced simple profile format, saved as an AVI file.

MPEG-4 advanced simple profile format = usually DivX

1.) With Mpeg streamclip you should be able to convert your AVI(Divx) files to a DV format for iMovie. To open DivX files, you have to install one of the free Divx Pro codecs on your system.
MPEG Streamclip 1.8
http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

DivX Pro Codec 6.6 (6-month trial)
http://www.divx.com/divx/mac/

2.) Visual Hub $24 should be able to convert WMV and AVI (compressed with the DivX Codec)to a DV format for iMovie.
http://www.techspansion.com/visualhub/

3.) With Flip4Mac WMV Player Pro $29 you can convert your WMV files for iMovie.
http://www.flip4mac.com/wmv.htm

4.) With Perian 0.5 and Quicktime Pro $30 you should be able to convert your AVI/DivX files to a DV format for iMovie.
http://perian.org/

I hope one of these solutions work for you.