How do import .mpeg to iMovie

I am not certain, but I believe it is possible to import elementary stream mpeg 1 or 2 files into iMovie. It is only the multiplexed files that are not importable. Multiplexed mpeg 1 and 2 files can be played, but not transcoded by Quicktime, thus they cannot be imported into iMovie.

At a guess, this is a licensing issue more than a technical issue. Apple may only have the licenses to do playback, not transcoding.

Hello Eric,

I recorded a video in MPEG-1 and demuxed it to a MPEG-1 video stream and a MP2 (MPEG-1, layer 2) audio stream. Now I'm able to import the video stream into iMovie, but not the audio stream. However I can play the audio stream with QuickTime and iTunes!! After converting the audio stream to AAC with iTunes I'm able to import this audio stream!

Dear Apple why must this all be so complicated???

Can I have the hope that I can import MPEG-2 video streams into iMovie when I by the MPEG-2 playback component for QuickTime or is this a waste of money (as I read in some comments to this software)?

Thanks for all answers to this issue Thomas.

MPEG-2 playback component

Also get MPEG Streamclip Then you can convert MPEG1&2 to .dv with audio.

There is info about this earlier in this thread. (Somehow I feel like repeating myself...:-(

Hello Matti Haveri,

Also get MPEG Streamclip Then you can convert MPEG1&2 to .dv with audio

Yes I understand that, you don't have to repeat yourself 🙂

BUT(!) I don't have the intention to convert it to DV. I don't see any benefit in converting from MPEG-2 to DV and than back to MPEG-2 when I create the DVD image (or do I miss something). I cannot belive that the quality will improve with each conversion. I just want to leave the format as it is (MPEG-2). Currently I use the tools mpeg2Schnitt and DVDLab on a Windows PC to cut my video and for DVD authoring. Both tools work with MPEG-2. It is clear that I cannot cut the video at each picture-frame in MPEG-2 format (only at I-frames). But I don't have this requirement!

So my hope is, that iMove is able to import the MPEG-2 file after I installed the MPEG-2 playback component and I can cut the video and export it to iDVD.

Best regards Thomas

I don't see any benefit in converting from MPEG-2 to DV and than back to MPEG-2 when I create the DVD

Neither do I. If I don't have anything but MPEG (i.e. no DV, original analog or other source material "upstream") then I'd prefer to edit MPEG with tools like MPEG Streamclip, Capty MPEG Edit EX etc. And then author that as a video-DVD with Toast, DVDSP, Sizzle etc.

iLife apps don't currently support MPEG2 (only MPEG4) and I wouldn't hold my breath if the next version will either.