IPHOTO 11 WONT IMPORT MP4 FILES FROM MY CAMERA

Figured out a workaround in Premiere. If I set the export "Stream Compatibility" to "iPod" instead of "Standard" then the files work fine in iPhoto. The other thing I found out was that if I try to "save as" the "Standard" type files in Quicktime Pro it gives me the "Movie contains an incorrect time value" error. I think this means that the problem is not in iPhoto, it is in Quicktime itself. For now I will go with iPod... Maybe it is more standard then "Standard", but I doubt it. Gotta test now to see if my PS3 can still play the iPod version. Good luck everyone! Please fix this bug in Quicktime Apple!

I just upgraded to iPhoto '11 and now cannot import images from my Kodak V550.

This is the same problem that I experienced over a year ago with an earlier version (don't remember which one) of iPhoto.

It's not a camera problem.

Two days ago, I imported ~50 images into my MacBook Pro using iPhoto '09.

I just fired up an old Gateway Windows XP Pro machine and was able to access the photos with no problem.

This is an old Apple problem that has been re-introduced into iPhoto '11.

The developers at Apple must not use regression testing.

Please get it fixed!!!!!

I used to have the same problem, but it seems to be working fine under Lion.

YES! YES! YES!

I just confirmed that I can now import into iPhoto '11 just fine now from my Samsung camera now that I have upgraded to Mac OS X Lion!!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!

I have a bit of a solution for those of you using Samsung cameras. It won't fix anything you've already recorded but it can help for future recordings. I had the same issue with my WB600 for a while and noticed that I was recording video in a smaller and lesser quality (640 I think) than was capable. Since I wanted to enjoy my future recordings in a higher def I changed the setting to be at its highest setting, 1280HQ (what's the difference between 1280 and 1280HQ?). Anyway, once I made the change I noticed that the higher quality videos would upload whereas the lower quality ones didn't. Not sure if this helps in any way but I'm going to use the iMovie workaround that was mentioned earlier for the stuff that still won't upload. Cheers guys, hope that helped.

same thing again samsung nv24hd makes mp4 files that iphoto 9.2.1 and os 10.6.8 doesnt like. Opens fine on desktop. How can I convert from mp4 to mjpeg cos I know they work?

This is pure BS on Apple's part. There is no reason for a newer, supposedly more versatile and less bug ridden version of iPhotos to not be able to import mp4 (of all things) to its newer version, when it worked fine with the older version of iphotos. Makes you wonder if this is related to the beef Apple has with Samsung and their court battles? I have a Samsung WB550 and can testify that it imported all my movies just fine with the older version. Now my library is a mess. And no, I don't want to import my movies to iMovies, that is not the way my library has been setup and I don't think it's practical to find pics of my baby on one app while having to peruse a different app to see a movie take of the same subject. This is inexcusable.

As KM545789 reported above it seems that it works with Lion 10.7. Well this now makes me think that Apple is in a desperate bid to have us buy and upgrade to Lion to the point where they're sabotaging apps that used to work in 10.6? Clearly appears to be the case. If so Apple, I have news to you: since you refuse to support non intel based apps in Liion, I am not upgrading to Lion any time soon.

So give it up and fix this issue with iPhotos already.

You need to issue your instructions to Apple, and they aren't here.

On a side note: if you really believe that

Apple is in a desperate bid to have us buy and upgrade to Lion to the point where they're sabotaging apps that used to work in 10.6? Clearly appears to be the case.

is the case then why on earth would you do any business with such a company? If I thought they were that dishonourable I'd be using some other system by some other manufacturer. Only a mug would continue to use Apple products if they thought the company was that dishonest, no?

Good news, I found a solution to deal for once and all with the problem with iphoto refusing to import my mp4 movies, while in OSX 10.6 (I'm not upgrading to Lion).

And the solution is plain simple: ABANDON THE PROGRAM ALTOGETHER!!

I am finally free of iphoto and all its limitations and downspiral from a couple of versions back. This program offers little in terms of functionality and the cost of using it is far too great. I truly dislike how a program that used to be somewhat useful is now useless. For instance, in the past I was able to assign a them or a title to my imports and that name would be on the folder inside the iphoto Library (access it by right clicking, view package contents). Well, since version 11 one can no longer do this instead you're limited to plain numbers assigned by iphoto that you cannot modify. Not of much use when searching my hard drive for pics of my kids on his birthday.

So I am now finally free of the prison that is iphotos. Now I import my pics onto folders that I am free to name inside of my Pictures folder. So means next time I'm trying to quickly locate those holidays pics, I just type that in the search and there it is. No need to go into iphotos and fight with that useless app. Oh and furthermore: i have no problems importing my mp4 movies from my Samsung and other cameras. Wow. Take that, iphoton.

Another benefit of getting rid of anything related to iphoto is that i reclaimed over 5 gigs from my hd.

For anyone looking to break free from this awful app:

1- go to your Pictures folder, locate the iphoto Library.

2- right click it and choose view package contents.

3- go to Masters (or in previous versions, Originals) folder and all your pics are there.

4- move these pics from inside the iphotos Library out onto a folder of your choosing, A good place is in the Pictures folder itself.

5- once you move all your original pics feel free to delete the iphotos library and it will yield a lot of free disc space. Or leave it alone if you plan to go back to it one day, should the program actually improve someday.

Then when you want to import your new photos, just hook up your camera and it will display in your desktop (like a mounted disc). Simply copy the pics and those mp4 files that iphotos can't read to a folder of your choosing. Simple drag and drop.

I shall never again use iphotos. What a disappointment this episode has been.

Another solution: you could have learned how to us iPhoto. How to search the Library for photos of your children's birthdays using iPhoto, Spotlight and/or any Open dialogue in the entire OS. How to access your Photos from any app in the entire OS and so learned that iPhoto is much more flexible than files-in-folders.

Along the way you might have learned that iPhoto does not "assign plain numbers" but that these are filenames assignd by your camera, and you could have learned the difference between a Title and a Filename, and how both are searchable when your photos are managed by iPhoto. You could also have learned about the Export function.

Instead you've opted for a very limited, lossy method of storing files, that has less features, involves more work.

Finally, before recommending this system to others, you might take a moment to learn the options for those folks whose cameras don't mount in the desktop.

I had the same problem. .mp4 videos weren't being reckognized by iPhoto 11 when i tryed to import them. So for those of you on the same boat, I was successful with this solution. I used handbrake and just converted those '.mp4' files to .mp4 files and tryed importing them again and it worked. It's possible that the previous .mp4 files were slighlty corrupt. Hope this helps!

I found most casual users of iphoto, like myself, neither want to, or have the time to spend learning all the steps you suggest and find it frankly pathetic your expecting we do so. No other program that I know of ( and I've been doing this for over 25 years ) has caused me more headaches. To import or even play an mp4 should be a fundamental and stress free function, no question, Full Stop.

I purchased a mac on Apples' advertisement implied strength in the field of image manipulation. This turned out to be a BIG mistake as within the last two years I've easly wasted two complete working weeks trying in vain in conjunction with the support staff, to get iphoto to work with any degree of satisfaction. It was suggested to me at more than one point by the support staff the files were corrupt but how can this be when all other programs had no problems performing these tasks?. This is a huge and embarrassing FAIL on the part of Apples' support and developement teams.

The real tragegy from my perspective is that if iphoto performed as was suggested it would, could easily in my opinion, hold the crown as the best of its type and in doing so, justify the very significant extra cost of the mac over the pc.

Maybe if you understood that videos adn not images it would make things easier for you

iPhoto is extremely strong at what it is designed for - photos form point and shoot cameras - it is less stron at pro style cameras like DLSRs - Aperature is available for that

and it is much less strong at video - iMove or Final Cut Pro are available for that

Probably your car is not great at hauling tons of rock either - use the correct tool for the job and life will be much better

If you are having specific problems try creating a topic addressing them - you might be surprised how easy it is to resolve them - Rants and threadjacking will not get problems solved

LN

If you don't want to learn how to use an application - and let's face it, people with no experience of computers manage, much less people who've been doing it "for over 25 years" - then don't use it.

To import or even play an mp4 should be a fundamental and stress free function, no question, Full Stop

I know, sounds really easy doesn't it. But then again, you're assuming that mp4 is a simple file suffix like .txt or .doc. It's not. Video formats are all containers for a wide variety of codecs - and believe it or not, pretty much every camera/phone/camera-phone manufacturer uses a different codec - often in different models - so there is zero standardisation. mp4 is a compression format, not a file format. So, once you can guarantee standardised codecs then you can have easy management of video files. Good luck with that.

iPhoto is a pretty good Photo Manager with lossless processing. It's aimed squarely at the point and shoot market.

Regards

TD

wigwamclan, I hope you don't see this awful experience with iphoton as the way Macs are. Apple clearly dropped the ball with this app, making it worse and worse with each release. It is NOT YOUR FAULT, contrary to what others like this unofficial Apple spokesperson wannabe terence Devlin will lead you to believe. I have tried over and again to make sense of the app, to no success. As an Apple user, we're acostumed to apps that work, simply. Trying to understand iphotos was as painful as trying to learn apps created by Micro$oft. Whoever was in charge of development of this app should be fired.

Then again was this a tactic used by Apple to have us upgrade to Lion? It seems that iphotos in Lion imports those Mp4s just fine. Now why is that? Why is it that Appple fixed the problem with the Lion version of Iphotos while choosing not to fix the one the rest of us use? Makes you wonder, donnit?

Terence Devlin, please stop trying to sound like Apple can do no wrong and blindly defend it. We're all Apple fans here but refusing to admit the Apple can once in a while drop the ball just makes you look, well, naive.

As for all others out there that are on OS 10.6, here's an update: as describe in a previous post, I have delete iphotos from my machine and I sure don't miss it. I import all my mp4s from my Samsung camera by simply putting the memory card in the slot in my 27" imac and it mounts to the desktop (or just use the USB cable). From there just drag and drop the pictures, movies you want onto folders of your choice. Date these folders if you wish, add comments, key words, etc, anything that will make it easier for you to locate what you want. In other words, just what iphotos promises to do but fails to. Then delete the photos, movies from your camera by dragging them to the trash and emptying the trash. Simple, painless and no need to wreck your brain trying to make sense of an app that apparently was written by a former Microsoft developer.

Cheers all,