Incompatible iMovie with older macs

There must be something about the format of the newer clips that is not agreeable with iMovie. A movie clip is a movie clip, old or new, and they are the same if they are in exactly the same format. I suggest you run a test new clip through a video converter, like the free download Handbrake, and convert the clip to H. 264, Mp4/AAC that Hanbrake will do by default. Do the re-encoding even if the clip already is in the Mp4/AAC format, as sometimes re-encoding clears up format issues.

You can get Handbrake here:

https://handbrake.fr/

Another thing that you can try is to delete preferences by opening iMovie while holding down the Option and Command keys and selecting to delete preferences in the box that appears. iMovie will open in a new library. Reopen your old library to get back to your projects. Now see if you can import newer clips into iMovie.

When you import, try a different way. Instead of importing into the Finder, import into the Photos app, and then access the clip from within iMovie by clicking on the Photo sidebar item in an iMovie project.

-- Rich

Hi, Bluebowler,

Some additional details would help us address this. What is the year and model of your Mac? What iMovie version are you trying to update? Do you have, or have you ever had iMovie 10 on your computer? How are you trying to update and what happens when you do?

—- Rich

I myself am running iMovie 10.1.12 and have no problems with importing any clips, old or new, that are in a format that iMovie supports. The legacy media issue applies only to Catalina.

What are the formats of the new clips and how are you trying to import them? Can you not drag from the Finder into iMovie, as you should be able to? What happens when you try?

-- Rich

I misspelled your name. Should have typed Bluehowler. Sorry.

— Rich