cant import videos into imovie

i too am having this same problem. .mov files from my camera will not import into iMovie. Please help.

Are you sure you are using import movie and not import from camera.

Where are the movies and what format are they in.

Movies were added at the initial set up, but i cant add additional ones that ive since added to my computer.

Files stored on the computer hard drive and later brought into iMovie '08 using "Finder" level file transfers are checked by iMovie to see if they are "edit" compatible. Since this version of iMovie edits files in their "native" compression format (i.e., the format in which they are imported), it will not import any format that it cannot edit. To be import/edit compatible, a file must contain both audio and video compression formats which are editable. Unfortunately, many digital cameras record their clips using audio and/or video compression formats which cannot be edited. E.g., many Sony digital cameras create muxed MPEG files which do not contain audio and video "frames", Casio uses MJPEG video (OK) with DVI ADPCM (not OK) AVI files, and Kodak combines MPEG-4 video (OK) with µ-Law audio (not OK) in an MOV file container. These files must either be converted entirely or in part to "fully" compatible QT file compression formats before they can be imported/edited by iMovie '08.

I have the same problem with a casio which produces .mov files. Imovie 08 wont import it, but interestingly Imovie HD 06 has no problem with them. The problem is not with the movie format, but with the program

The problem is not with the movie format, but with the program

The program (iMovie '08) works fine if you understand the difference between "import with conversion" and "import without conversion," as well as, the three levels of support offered by QT applications. iMovie '06 automatically converts all importing files to a compression format which it can edit. iMovie '08, on the other hand, performs absolutely no conversion on files that are imported at the finder level because it was designed to edit files in their "native" (i.e., original) compression format AS LONG AS THESE COMPRESSION FORMATS ARE "FULLY" QT COMPATIBLE. This means that DV, AIC, MJPEG, MPEG-4, H.264, and possibly some other video formats can be edited in iMovie '08. However, this also means that the audio compression format must also be compatible. MPEG-4 (AAC), AIFF, DV, Integer (Big Endian), and probably several other formats are compatible but DVI PCM, µ-Law and many of the older audio formats are not "edit" compatible.

Basically, there are three levels of compatibility when working with QT applications:

1) The first is "Playback Only" -- these files can be played back in QT applications but cannot be "properly" converted to fully compatible QT compressed formats. Examples include "muxed" formats like MPEG-1, MPEG-2, VOB, MOD, TOD, Flash, etc.

2) The second level is "Conversion Compatible" -- these files will play in QT applications and can be convert to fully compatible QT formats for editing purposes. Examples include MPEG4/µ-Law and MJEPEG/DVI ADPCM compressed files.

3) The last group is "Fully Compatible" -- these files will playback as they are, can be converted to other QT "fully" compatible formats, and can be edited "natively."

I have the same problem with a casio which produces .mov files. Imovie 08 wont import it, but interestingly Imovie HD 06 has no problem with them.

That is because the files in question are "Conversion Compatible" and iMovie '06 automatically converts them during import. The obvious solution here is to use iMovie '06 for all of your editing if you cannot or will not manually convert uneditable files to an editable compression format. iMovie '08 is not malfunction in this respect because this is what it was designed to do.

In addition, the fact that audio and video data can be placed in an MOV container does not mean that the file is either "fully" QT compatible or even a QT format at all. For instance, using the "Save AS..." QT Pro option will place MPEG, AVI, or WMV compressed data into an MOV file container if you have the appropriate codecs installed. The files will not, however, be re-compressed to a true QT format by doing so.

Jon,

your knowledge about codecs in use, on which camera, and how those codecs work.. BREATHTAKING!