Cannot import .mp4 files in iMovie HD

Question

Level 1

8 points

Cannot import .mp4 files in iMovie HD

I have a file which was ripped from a DVD using HandBrake, that was converted to .mp4, which I cannot import into iMovie HD 6. It starts to import it...takes about 30 minutes to import a 20 minute video, and then at the last minute says "Error Importing".

Does anyone have any ideas on what to do?

Thanks,
Ryan

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.7)

Posted on Aug 2, 2006 11:26 AM

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Answer 1

Aug 2, 2006 11:56 AM in response to RyanWAdams

welcome Ryan to the  board …

reading "MacBook" (=small hd) and any import errors, lets me guess, you're running out of disk space...

try to clear some Gigs (video needs looots of space, even if your work with mp4s)…

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Answer 2

RyanWAdams Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 2, 2006 12:31 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Actually i don't think it is disk space. i bought a 160GB external hard drive. the video file is .mp4 and is only about 1GB.

Any other ideas?

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Answer 3

Aug 2, 2006 12:49 PM in response to RyanWAdams

sorry for being persistant, but:
how much free space is on your INTERNAL drive?

just MacOsX alone needs ~5GB for running smoothly, a video edit app..

depending on how you set up the project, iM tries to convert the mp4 internally into "dv"... and, as you probably know, dv is 13GB/h; your 20min could result in a 4GB temp-file… the temp-files in this process are located allways on the internal/start-up drive...

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Answer 4

RyanWAdams Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 2, 2006 1:15 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

I had 8GB free (partly because of imovie stuff)...so i just moved 30GB to my External Hard Drive....i'll see if this works.

thanks,
ryan

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Answer 5

Aug 2, 2006 1:21 PM in response to RyanWAdams

you're welcome,

and keep us informed… ;-)

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Answer 6

SDIllini

Level 6

16,675 points

Aug 2, 2006 2:02 PM in response to RyanWAdams

hi Ryan:

Please click the 'helpful' or 'solved' box on Karsten's posts!

Thanks!

Sue

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Answer 7

RyanWAdams Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 2, 2006 4:38 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Ok I have 30GB on my local computer, and I have 100GB on my External Hard Drive and it still is not allowing me to be abel to import it. I have converted it to .mov, .mp4, and .avi. None of those formats have allowed me to import it.

Any ideas?

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Answer 8

Aug 2, 2006 10:49 PM in response to RyanWAdams

.mov is just a container, some say "wrapper"… should be a "dv" file… or a mov with a dv inside, to be precise…

avi is a NoGo, that is a PC container, you never know what's inside (iM is no all-purpose editor, it is meant for miniDV)

ahhh! <bulb over head>
is your iM project located on ext. drive?
then you've reached the "famous" 19min barrier of wrong formatted drives!
launch Disk Utility from your Utility Folder
select ext. drive
look under format… my guess: FAT32… right?
should be "MacOsExtended/hfs(+)"…

ext. drives have to be formatted that way for video projects.... formatting erases all content on drive, make sure, you've backupped all content…

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Answer 9

RyanWAdams Author

Level 1

8 points

Aug 3, 2006 9:46 AM in response to Karsten Schlüter

That was it. Thanks so much for you help. Stupid PC's!

- Ryan

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Answer 10

Aug 3, 2006 9:52 AM in response to RyanWAdams

you're welcome,
glad I could help; thanks for the Big Green One... 🙂

..... besides: I never asked my PC friends, how they handle video beyond 20min...- 😉

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Answer 11

Sep 16, 2006 12:58 PM in response to Karsten Schlüter

Got to tell you a BIG THANKYOU for posting this fix !!!! 🙂

I have just bought my Mac Mini last week and been trying to use iMovie today and importing MPeg4 clips. It just would not do it, even though they played in Quick time.

Discovered your disk format fix this evening and I just cannot believe this has fixed the problem !!!!!! 🙂

This has got to be a major fundamental basic that MUST be communicated to anyone using iMovie - but where should it be posted ?

Thanks again

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