Will iMovie accept mp4 files from VHS transfer

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Level 1

9 points

Will iMovie accept mp4 files from VHS transfer

I’m just dipping a toe in iMovie, so I hope I don’t sound too dumb and I hope I understand your answers!🙃

I have a ton of VHS home movie tapes that I plan to send off to have converted to digital files. Each tape will be sent to me as a separate MP4 file. The tapes have a mixture of content , and I want to build 3 separate videos of: my son’s sports events, my daughter’s events, and family events.

1. I understand that IMovie may or may not accept the files. Is it hard to convert them so they will import to iMovie?

2. Can I take an MP4 file and separate and save it into bits?

3. Then can I drop those bits into separate iMovie projects?

The big one...

4. Should I buy the equipment needed to convert the VHS tapes myself? Would that give me more control? What conversion system is best?

Thanks!

Posted on Sep 7, 2020 12:47 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Rich839

Level 8

48,156 points

Sep 7, 2020 1:32 PM in response to WoohooJen

Hi, WoohooJen,

iMovie will accept several formats, including Mp4/AAC. Some Mp4 files are not supported by iMovie, so you want to have the format be Mp4/AAC. Ask your digital conversion service to provide it in that format. If the files sent to you don't import into iMovie, then you can use the free download, Handbrake, to convert them easily. You can get Handbrake here:

https://handbrake.fr/

A simple way to do it is to open Handbrake and do a File/Open Source. Navigate to your video and choose it as the source from the resulting screen. Then do File/Start Encoding. Wait a couple of minutes for the conversion to complete. Then save and import the converted clip into iMovie. It should work fine.

2.Yes, you can take an Mp4 file and split it into smaller segments.

3.Yes, you can drop the separate segments into iMovie projects. Here's a help link that explains how to use the editing features of iMovie:

https://help.apple.com/imovie/mac/10.1/

4.It would be your call as to whether to buy a digital converter and do the job yourself. The Elgato digital converter has been used with success by some posters on this forum. Here's a link where you can check it out:

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-Capture-Digitize-iPad/dp/B0029U2YSA

-- Rich

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