FCE - convert .mp4 into fce file that i can edit without rendering video nonstop

hello i am working with final cut express.

whenever i use the log and transfer to import my own video recordings into FCE, it imports the video intoa large file, the file is completely workable, and i can edit it and view the video in the canvas in realtime without rendering. this is awesome and works well.

however when my friends send me their .mp4 files or their .mov files for me to edit, all i want to be able to do is edit them in the same manner in which i do my own but i cant.

i know that i need to convert their files to the same workable format, but i cant seem to do so.

i have used streamclip to convert to AIC, tried countless different ways, tried using quicktime, tried different settings, i cant get it to work.

can someone please explain to me exactly how to go about converting these files so that they are useable in FCE so that I can edit in the canvas without the video always needing to be rendered? (which is what i can do on my own video i log and transfer)

thanks a lot, this has been ridiculously frustrating

 

i think it was the clip settings not matching the sequence settings. thanks!

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