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User profile for user: nmurray4810
nmurray4810 Author
User level: Level 1
8 points

Unable to import .mov files to iMovie

I use iMovie only a couple times a year. I recently upgraded to an iPhone 8 and now I cannot import the videos from my iPhone to iMovie like I used to do. The Video format on the phone is 1080p at 30 fps (which was the default setting) and file format is .mov. I am running iMovie on a Macbook Pro with Yosemite and iMovie ver 10.1.1.


I have tried to import the files from the hard drive, but the .mov files are grayed out. I connected the iPhone to the Mac and I can see/import the photos but the videos do not show up - just a blank screen. An earlier support solution to this problem linked to software to convert the file from .mov to mp4, but the software is not free - only a very limited trial is free. I'm having difficulty believing that the iPhone videos and iMovie are not compatible.


What am I doing wrong?

iMovie 10, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Nov 8, 2018 1:29 PM

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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
47,250 points

Posted on Nov 10, 2018 9:26 AM

Hi,


You are running older software and an older operating system. If your computer specs will allow, try updating to current operating system Mojave and current iMovie 10.1.10. See if that solves it.


It may be that the vids you are importing from your iPhone 8 are in the HEVC codec that is not supported by the older software. In your iPhone settings you can change the export format to "most compatible" that will likely work with your current system. The default will be HEVC unless you change it.


Or, as you mention, try using the free download, Handbrake, to convert the vids to Mp4/AAC that Handbrake will do by default. Handbrake is indeed free, but you need to download it from the correct link. Here's the link to use (it's the French site):


https://handbrake.fr/


-- Rich

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User profile for user: Rich839
Rich839
User level: Level 8
47,250 points

Nov 10, 2018 9:26 AM in response to nmurray4810

Hi,


You are running older software and an older operating system. If your computer specs will allow, try updating to current operating system Mojave and current iMovie 10.1.10. See if that solves it.


It may be that the vids you are importing from your iPhone 8 are in the HEVC codec that is not supported by the older software. In your iPhone settings you can change the export format to "most compatible" that will likely work with your current system. The default will be HEVC unless you change it.


Or, as you mention, try using the free download, Handbrake, to convert the vids to Mp4/AAC that Handbrake will do by default. Handbrake is indeed free, but you need to download it from the correct link. Here's the link to use (it's the French site):


https://handbrake.fr/


-- Rich

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Unable to import .mov files to iMovie

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