.mov won't import to imovie

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Level 1

10 points

.mov won't import to imovie

Hi

Just spent a few hours trying to figure this issue out, reading forums and downloading a total of 5 different video conversion softwares- none of it fixed the issue.

I have a DVD (in UDF) and have converted the video files to mov. I wish to edit the video in imovie.

However, although quicktime for example will play the video without problems, I cannot seem to import it to imovie. I even tried converting the files to m4v etc...to no avail.

Here's some tech info.

dimensions:640 × 480

codecs:H.264, AAC, Text

colour profile:SD (6-1-6)

bit rate 3,444

size:355.7 MB

Would anyone reading this be kind enough to offer some advice please?

Mac mini, Mac OS X (10.6.4)

Posted on Jul 22, 2011 6:47 PM

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Answer 1

Jul 22, 2011 11:31 PM in response to michaelv03

Will the vid upload AND play on You Tube? Just curious.

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Answer 2

Jul 23, 2011 2:19 AM in response to michaelv03

Based on the info you've posted, it appears that there is a Text track in the video file - you show "codecs: H.264, AAC, Text". iMovie won't import video files containing extraneous tracks - such as text, tween, chapters and so forth. The files can contain only video and sound tracks. The solution is to open the file in QuickTime Player 7 (you may need QuickTime 7 Pro) then delete the Text track (not just disable). The saved file should then import to iMovie.

In QuickTime 7, from the menu select Window>Show Movie Properties. In the panel that opens, click on the Text track. Now click "Delete" in the box at the top left of the panel.

John

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Answer 3

Jul 23, 2011 2:43 AM in response to John Cogdell

Michael - if you can't find QuickTime Player 7 on your system, look in the Applications/Utilities folder. The latest release is version 7.6.6 - Apple have tucked it away there, as the default Player is now QuickTime X.

When installing Snow Leopard (OS 10.6), you are given an option to install QuickTime 7, as it is needed for playback of some legacy files (or something along those lines). If it wasn't installed with Snow Leopard you can still install it independently from your OS X 10.6 install disc. Otherwise, you can download it from Apple here:

http://www.apple.com/quicktime/what-is/

The above link describes "What is QuickTime 7" and also has a link that takes you directly to this Download site:

http://support.apple.com/kb/DL923

John

PS. Thanks to AppleMan1958 for posting the solution to delete extraneous tracks in other threads in this forum - that's how I first learnt about it.

Message was edited by: John Cogdell - added PS

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Answer 4

Jul 23, 2011 3:31 AM in response to michaelv03

PS. Thanks to AppleMan1958 for posting the solution to delete extraneous tracks in other threads in this forum - that's how I first learnt about it.

Credit where credit is due...I learned this from Jon Walker, who knows more about Codecs than anyone I've ever seen. Jon doesn't post much anymore, but he is the man!

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Answer 5

Jul 23, 2011 4:37 AM in response to AppleMan1958

Thanks for clarifying Appleman! I had a feeling it may have been Jon Walker (who generally posts quotes in the colour blue when replying to messages). But at least it was one of your posts where I first saw the solution (as best I recall). I guess we all learn from one another! Let's hope that Michael's problem is now solved!

Regards,

John

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Answer 6

michaelv03 Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 23, 2011 2:20 PM in response to John Cogdell

Hi John,

Thanks very much for taking the time to give me some advice.

I have downloaded Quick Time Pro 7 but the 'properties' bit is greyed out. It looks like I will have to buy the pro version to make the changes, which is not really what I wanted to do. Reason being that I now also have to buy yet another software to do the cropping as imovie cropping is very poor (max crop factor is 50% only). This is useless if you want flexible cropping, such as horizontal crops etc. Anyway, I am trying to find out if it is really necessaru to buy the Pro version, which is not cheap at about $30 (just to do a one off job- I have no use whatsoever for Quick time pro otherwise) and, as mentioned, I will have to spend another $30 or so on the other software as well. The other software I want to use (Emicsoft video converter) does not offer the feature of removing/ deleting the text track.

However, I have just converted the file again and dragged it into quick time 7 (the free version) and it says this:

JVT/AVC Coding, 720 x 480 (640 x 480), Millions

AAC, Stereo (L R), 48.000 kHz

So you see, there is no mention of text.

I know the video file and there is only video and audio, there is no text visible) so I am not sure why it would say that there is text????

So, before I spend all that money to do my 5 minute editing job on this, are there any other options to get this fixed (perhaps free)?

Michael

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Answer 7

Jul 24, 2011 3:18 AM in response to michaelv03

Michael - you may have already tried this, but if not, give MPEG Streamclip a try. It's a free download available from the developer (Squared 5) here: http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html

MPEG Streamclip should be able to convert your DVD to a format suitable for editing in iMovie. Preferably, convert to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) or H.264 format. Here are 2 links that provide information on how to go about this - the first is a User Tip by AppleMan1958, and the second is by Winston Churchill - both regular contributors here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2255575?threadID=2255575

http://web.mac.com/gartside1104/ATV/DVD.html

As best I recall, rather than following the detailed advice provided in the links (re non-zero .VOB files and the like), when last doing a conversion I simply dragged the DVD icon on the Desktop directly onto the MPEG Streamclip interface, then went from there.

Hope this helps!

John

Message was edited by: John Cogdell

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Answer 8

michaelv03 Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 24, 2011 3:28 AM in response to John Cogdell

Hi

John,

Ok thanks so much, will try that right now and let you know asap.

Michael

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Answer 9

michaelv03 Author

Level 1

10 points

Jul 26, 2011 2:28 AM in response to John Cogdell

Hi John,

Yippee! Stream clip worked. I did have to download the mpeg component at $20 after all, but at least now it is finally working.

WhatI have learned is that this whole format thing is quite frankly ridiculous. I cannot believe how many different movie formats there are out there: This being incompatible with that, and that only being compatible with this if you buy that etc etc, what a nightmare!!! How did the world ever come to the point of such extreme variety of formats, this is such a big problem for a layman!!

Without your help I would still be sitting here scratching my head in bewilderment, so thanks very much.

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Answer 10

Jul 26, 2011 3:04 AM in response to michaelv03

Hi Michael,

Great to hear that you've now been able to import the converted file into iMovie. MPEG Streamclip is an extremely valuable tool, and is often recommended here.

Yes, formats/codecs can be bewildering - what with the proliferation of media sources (phone cameras, digital still cameras, iPods, iPads, web downloads, DVDs, Flip cameras, GoPro cameras and so forth - not to mention HD camcorders!). It was all very simple when we had only DV or HDV camcorders using miniDV tape - just a couple of formats to deal with! It's like many things in life now - too much variety - but that keeps us all interested and helps keep the grey matter ticking over!

Glad I was able to help Michael. At least you've now got a head start if you come across other format problems!

John

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Answer 11

ohgawd

Level 1

0 points

Apr 1, 2014 9:07 AM in response to michaelv03

I found that if you take your video and drag it directly from iphoto into the event library in Imovie that it works seamlessly. Just an update as I was looking through all of the discussions from years past. Perhaps, this is common knowledge now.

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