Can not add movies to the iTunes Library

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Level 1

1 points

Can not add movies to the iTunes Library

I have an iMAC running iTunes 10.4 on s install of Lion. I have had this problem with previous versions of OS/X and iTunes. I have the exact same problem on Windows.

I just can not import a movie to the library. I've used File>Import as well as drag&drop. In both cases, nothing happens; no message of any kind, no progress bar, nothing. The movie is not copied. I have tried multiple file types (avi, mp4, mv4 etc) with the same problem. I can import music fine. Just no movies.

One time, a couple days ago, I used the drag and drop and worked; I have no idea why; Trying to import the same movie results in the same 'nothing happens'.

Any thoughts/suggestions on how to get this working? It is so annoying that there is absolutely no message of any kind popping up anywhere to indicate what the heck is going on.

I'm guessing it may be something to do with unsupported file types. But why no message, and why it did work just a couple of days ago?

Thanks.

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.4), iPad, iPod Touch

Posted on Aug 11, 2011 6:44 AM

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Answer 1

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Aug 11, 2011 6:49 AM in response to LarryRalph

To address at least part of the problem, confirm is that the videos are in a format iTunes can accept and play. AVI is not one of them, for instance. See:

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2729?viewlocale=en_US

Note that there are non-standard formats that still use the .mp4 file extension. iTunes supports only industry-standard MPEG-4 movies, not the offshoots created by some encoders such as Microsoft's.

Why a movie that worked previously is not working now, though, I don't know. Just to confirm, will that movie play in QuickTime Player?

Regards.

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Answer 2

LarryRalph Author

Level 1

1 points

Aug 11, 2011 7:48 AM in response to varjak paw

Thanks for the quick reply.

The movie does inded play in the QuickTime player.

It is an .mp4 file.

I just don't get why there is no message of any kind, and the fact I get the exact

same results on Windows 7 as I do on OS/X Lion.

Any why it worked a couple of days ago, I have no idea. As I recall, I used the Drag & Drop method.

As a general rule, is it OK to assume if it plays in QuickTime, it should be able to imported into the iTunes library?

Thanks.

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Answer 3

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Aug 11, 2011 9:20 AM in response to LarryRalph

No, that's not a safe assumption. QuickTime can handle formats that iTunes cannot. I asked if the movie would play in QuickTime just to eliminate the possiblity that the movie file had become corrupted somehow.

Regards.

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Answer 4

LarryRalph Author

Level 1

1 points

Aug 12, 2011 7:09 AM in response to varjak paw

OK, don't ask me why, but this morning, I attempted to add the same movie to iTunes, and this time it worked. Progress bar and everything. As a matter of fact, I managed to import several MP4's.

As you noted, AVIs are not supported, but I'm wondering why there is absolutely no indication of that. When I drag&drop, I get the '+' icon as if all is well, but beyond that get nothing when I drop. Is this normal? I'm suprised that there is not some kind of indication.

Thanks.

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Answer 5

varjak paw

Level 10

170,200 points

Aug 12, 2011 9:57 AM in response to LarryRalph

Yes, in my experience it's normal not to get any sort of notification as to an incompatible format.

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