how to import .avi into OS X Photos

Question

Level 1

4 points

how to import .avi into OS X Photos

Sorting through files on my hard drive, I found a folder of short home videos (maybe taken with Flip video camera) which I never imported into Photos, where I keep all my other short home videos. So now I want to import those .avi videos into OS X Photos, but when I try I get "This item cannot be added to your photo Library because it may be an unrecognizable file format."

I can open the videos with QuickTime Player 7. I could choose an export option from there, but there are so many options. Advice?

iMac Line (2012 and Later)

Posted on Jul 30, 2019 10:22 AM

Reply

Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

mccriswell1 Author

Level 1

4 points

Jul 30, 2019 11:22 AM in response to Rich839

From your response I surmise that the mp4 format is what OS X Photos needs in order to import the video file. I used my QuickTime Player 7 to open the avi file, then exported a version as a mp4 file, and viola, OS X Photos was able to import and play that mp4 file. Thanks.

Reply

Answer 2

Old Toad

Level 10

217,506 points

Jul 30, 2019 11:10 AM in response to mccriswell1

There are some 3rd party apps that are capable of batch converting video files. One is Shedworx. It has a demo version you can try.

An excellent free app is Handbrake and this video shows how to batch convert using it: https://youtu.be/G1LCPq-E1Zc

Reply

Answer 3

Rich839

Level 8

48,476 points

Jul 30, 2019 11:49 AM in response to mccriswell1

Mp4 is the main one. Mpeg-4, M4v, and H.264 work also.

-- Rich

Reply

Answer 4

Rich839

Level 8

48,476 points

Jul 30, 2019 11:06 AM in response to mccriswell1

I have some .avi clips in my Photos app that I imported a few years ago into iPhoto. When I try to reimport them now into the Photos app I get the same "unsupported file type" that you get. Opening it in Quicktime 10 to convert it to a .mov file does not cure it.

I used the free download, Handbrake, to convert the .avi files to Mp4, that Handbrake does by default, and then I was able to import the converted files into the Photos app.

You can get Handbrake here:

https://handbrake.fr/

-- Rich

Reply

Answer 5

léonie

Level 10

202,235 points

Jul 30, 2019 12:58 PM in response to mccriswell1

That is perfect. Be sure to convert all videos to compatible formats with QuickTime Player 7, while you are still running Mojave or an earlier system version. QuickTime Player 7 is one of the applications, that will no longer work, once you upgrade the Mac to macOS 10.15 Catalina. Video formats that will work on the next system version are listed here: About incompatible media in iMovie for macOS - Apple Support

The document has been written for iMovie, but it will help us to recognize, which video formats will be supported in the long run.

Reply

how to import .avi into OS X Photos

Similar questions