Can't import IPhoto video into IMovie

Do I uninstall iMovie (trash the program) and reinstall from the original iLife '08 DVD?
I would probably start with deletion of the .plist file and work my way through less radical things like fixing disk permissions before trying a re-installation of the application.

I still wonder if any QT plug-ins, like Flip4Mac or DivX, might have corrupted something. I guess if reinstalling iMovie doesn't work, I'll remove those next.
iMovie '08 can't even access third-party components so I don't see how they can cause a failure to import the file since they didn't affect my import. Besides, "corruption" is not the normal affect here. The normal problem with components are conflicts that prevent playback of audio and/or video, the inability to recognize the file as a movie fie, and/or the crashing of the calling application.

Thanks for all your help, Jon.

I've deleted all pref (plist) files for iMovie and iLife in general, for both my regular account, the system and the secondary barebones account.

I ran disk permissions repair. I logged in as the secondary account.

It still doesn't work.

If you have any other suggestions short of removing the whole thing from my system and reinstalling it, I'm all ears. If a full uninstall/reinstall doesn't cut it, I give up.

Again, thanks. I do appreciate it.

I trashed iMovie app and reinstalled it from the iLife '08 DVD, but before I updated it to present version via Software Update, I launched the app to see if it recognized the files. No luck.

I updated it, anyway, and of course it still won't recognize the files, but if the application doesn't work the way it is supposed to on my system, unless Apple documents and releases a solution for this problem, I cannot use iMovie'08 (7.1.4).

Any suggestions are much appreciated, but at this point, I quit. Thanks.

Any suggestions are much appreciated, but at this point, I quit.
Based on what you've already tried without success, my next step would be to initialize/configure an external drive as a "Start-up" drive, update the system to whatever level you are using, fire up the external drive as my start-up system, install iLife '08, and proceed with incremental updates and import tests to see if your current system is the culprit. Was also wondering what version of the QT structure you were running.

Oh, happy day. Oh, happy, joyous most glorious day.

I got it. Here's what I did:

- Just for good measure, I removed DivX, Xvid and Flip4Mac, not that I thought they had any effect, but just because I wanted to start with a clean QT.
- Removed Quicktime Player and all Quicktime Preferences, also removed Quicktime Library folder
- Restarted. Reinstalled QT. Restarted again.
- Launched iMovie. "iMovie is missing QT components it needs for viewing, editing, importing and exporting video."
- Removed iMovie app (and Prefs! - important) so iLife '08 Installer DVD would "Update" iMovie.
- Note that the iLife DVD installs Garageband even if it is not checked in the Update window.
- Ran Software Update.
- Logged out as primary account. Logged into Secondary account.
- Launched iMovie. It works!
- Logged out as secondary account, and in as primary account.
- Launched iMovie. It works!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (Slams head against desk five times for good luck)

Thanks, Jon, for your help! I certainly wasn't in the frame of mind to figure this out myself.

I'm not sure how, but the files iMovie installs into the Quicktime Library folder, somehow got hosed. I guess when iLife DVD runs "Update" it doesn't overwrite files that it sees are already there, like the QT codec files.

Removing those files and having iLife re-install them from the DVD, did the trick.

Well, that was fun. Now I'm going to crawl to a bar. Peace.

Removing those files and having iLife re-install them from the DVD, did the trick.
I have the latest versions of both DivX and Flip4Mac (as well as, Perian) installed without problem if you later want to try re-installing them. Haven't tried Xvid so I can't say anything one way or the other. (Don't normally use PC codecs for myself but keep them installed "just in case" and for "testing/converson" purposes.

Well, that was fun. Now I'm going to crawl to a bar.
Have one for me while you're at it.

Oh, happy day. Oh, happy, joyous most glorious day.
Thanks for posting back with your solution. Will have to remember to add "Check Apple codecs" to the troubleshooting list for non-import of files known to be iMovie '08 compatible.

I love mac. I don't understand why they make things like this so difficult sometimes. The old iMovie I would just drag the video clip from iphoto into imovie and the and that was the end of it. Why make me jump through all these hoops now? Same camera is being used so the same file types. Just last week before I upgraded it worked easy as pie, now I have to spend 5 minutes exporting it into a different file type only to have to wait another 5 or ten minutes to export it after editing for the internet. Apple is about seamlessness, this activity is no longer seamless. I can't help but think this is all do to making itunes downloads harder to hack. The technology was there to make it work, where did it go?

Hello Cameraman

I fully agree with you.
I even dont do this export shxt, I rather switch to Windows.
Apple has done too much shxt the last 2 years. No testing, no serious beta version.
Shame on Apple.