Level 1

18 points

iMovie Won't Import MP4 Files

For some reason iMovie '11 won't let me import videos. Specifically, I'm trying to add MP4 files that I copied to my hard drive from my GoPro HD 960. For GoPro users, I used the R2 (720p) format. They open properly in QuickTime and VLC but can't be imported into iMovie (or iPhoto). When I select File-->Import-->Movies and browse to the directory where I saved all the .mp4 files on my hard drive, they're all greyed out. And actually, it seems that just about no video files at all on my computer can be added (all greyed out)--even other MP4 files.

I downloaded MPEG Streamclip but that says "unrecognized file format" when I try opening the videos. I also installed Perian and rebooted.

In case it helps:

- I have an Intel MacBook running OS X 10.6.8 with iLife '11

- QuickTime info for the video format says "H.264, 1280 x 720, Millions; AAC, 2 channels, 48000 Hz"

- VLC says "Stream 0 (Video) - Codec: avc1" and "Stream 1 (Audio) - Codec: mp4a"

Any ideas? This is incredibly frustrating!

Posted on Apr 6, 2012 4:10 PM

Top-ranking reply

carloulair

Level 1

0 points

Posted on Sep 16, 2013 7:02 PM

I agreed, what you need to do is find a good video converting software to recorde the .mp4 video to iMovie supports formats such as MOV formats in this case, as fas as I know there are several freeware supports to converting videos of nearly any formats on Mac, FFmepg and Handbrake are all great, completely free and no other cost. Handbrake has both windows and Mac version. I have been using Handbrake to converting video for years.

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28 replies

Feb 26, 2015 10:35 AM in response to drew879

I have the same problem with iMovie 11. I convert a MOV file through handbrake - set on H.264 and all that - and after 4 hours of importing a 600meg file there is nothing. Another file, converted the same way, imports with no problem. One tried to have may daughter convert on her windows machine, and that worked. Go figure.

Apr 17, 2015 10:43 AM in response to Macflustered

I have two video cameras

Oregon ATC9k and Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD

I have used these for years successfully, I used them in January and February 2015 successfully and imported the movies from iphoto to imovie so that I could prepare a movie for loading to youtube and Vimeo. Worked fine.

Last night I tried to add more video to imovie so that I could modify the contents of the project file with extra video minutes.

I went round in circles but failed to get imovie to load the video.

Somebody at Apple has modified OSX latest version 10.10.3 and caused this function not to work!

When I first bought an imac in 2008 it was precisely because the imac would import Panasonic HDC-SD9 AVCHD video files!!

May 19, 2016 7:46 PM in response to Jennimedi

imovie is not a good program. If you right click on a mp4 file and try to open it with Select Application > Imovie, it says that imovie can't open it. BUT, if you open imovie and Import Media >open the SAME mp4 file, NO PROBLEM, it opens it !!!

Oct 10, 2015 4:46 AM in response to Jennfolee

Who at Apple thought this was a good idea? Or is it just to force people to purchase Final Cut so they have a usable software for video on their Mac?

Mar 17, 2016 7:29 PM in response to woodyonboard

This worked for me! I simply removed .m4v and used .mp4 instead.

Apr 27, 2016 11:31 AM in response to stan58

thanks, that actually did the trick, simple solutions are the best ones!!! :-)

Nov 7, 2016 3:25 PM in response to drew879

I still cannot import mp4 file to my iMovie. Can anyone recommand some free online converter to .mov file?

Dec 28, 2016 12:48 PM in response to DHEX

maybe on a newer version?

Feb 16, 2017 10:10 PM in response to drew879

Technically, iMovie does import MP4 video. However, iMovie only import MP4 files that are encoded with MPEG4/AAC or H.264/AAC data. And yet, MP4 is a video container format that may contain various audio and video codec (and sometimes even subtitle streams included). If the MP4 file is not encoded with iMovie support codec, iMovie will refuse to import this kind of MP4 video.

To solve can't import MP4 to iMovie, you may try the following method https://www.idealshare.net/mp4-imovie-solution.html

Ellashia

Level 1

4 points

May 11, 2017 2:35 PM in response to drew879

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8_IB-cdDg0i have a video on how to do it check it out

joshroco

Level 1

4 points

Jun 14, 2017 8:51 AM in response to drew879

No conversion needed. Simply click "get info" on the file and change the extension under "name and extension" from .mp4 to .mov

Simples 🙂

Maszek

Level 1

24 points

Jun 21, 2017 3:30 PM in response to Ellashia

Video unavailable!

SuzVale

Level 1

8 points

Oct 7, 2017 11:47 AM in response to carloulair

Hello. I downloaded Handbrake but I still can't figure out how to convert the mp4 into a mpeg-4 or mov for imovie. Please advise. Thank you.

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iMovie Won't Import MP4 Files