How do i import an .avi file to imovie?

[apexia87]

I am doing a project for my new website where I need to show select clips from movies I have downloaded. The movies are in .avi format and I use VLC to watch them. iMovie will not let me import these videos, how can I work around this? So I can edit them in Imovie.

Thanks in advance

 

[spinnerlys]

Open the .avi file in MPEG Streamclip, press Command + E (Export to Quicktime), select Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) in the Compressor drop-down list, select Uncompressed for Sound, leave Frame Size at Unscaled and export the file. You will now have a .mov file that iMovie accepts.


MRoogle is a good tool to search these fora for already existing threads about questions you have. It might be able to answer you quicker than waiting for an answer.

Example: "avi to imovie"

 

[apexia87]

Thanks this will help me out.

 

[nelz886]

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Handbrake will do the job also
http://handbrake.fr/

 

[spinnerlys]

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Handbrake will do the job also
http://handbrake.fr/

But it will not let the OP transcode the .avi file, using some MPEG-4 codec (Xvid or Divx) probably, to a .mov file using a non-MPEG-4 codec like AIC for video and Uncompressed for audio.
Handbrake will only allow the OP to transcode the .avi to either an .mp4 or .m4v or .mkv file using some other MPEG-4 codec like H264 for video and the MP3 or AA Codec for audio, which iMovie might be able to read, but will have to transcode again to a .mov file using AIC and Uncompressed for video and audio.

If the OP uses MPEG Streamclip, one transcoding process will be void, as iMovie can read the resulting .mov file natively and does not need another transcoding process.