iMovie Formats

[Confuzzeled23]

Hey Everyone,
I have a video file that I recorded to my Windows PC. I have a Macbook Aluminum 2.0. The file I recorded to my windows PC is a Mpeg2, I copied it over to my Mac to try to use it with iMovie. However, it is greyed out as an option to import into iMovie. So, then I tried converting to an .avi with handbrake, as other AVI files I have on my mac will import. However, after converting, the new AVI file would still not import into iMovie. I then used Toast to convert the original Mpeg2 to a .mov file, and again, the file is still greyed out as an option to import into iMovie. Although, the .mov file plays fine in Quicktime, though I use VLC for other formats that will not work, and I also have Perian for Quicktime.
Am I doing something wrong? I have only had my Macbook for under a week, my first time using Mac OS X, still trying to get used to everything.
Thanks for any help

 

[bmcgonag]

Hey Everyone,
I have a video file that I recorded to my Windows PC. I have a Macbook Aluminum 2.0. The file I recorded to my windows PC is a Mpeg2, I copied it over to my Mac to try to use it with iMovie. However, it is greyed out as an option to import into iMovie. So, then I tried converting to an .avi with handbrake, as other AVI files I have on my mac will import. However, after converting, the new AVI file would still not import into iMovie. I then used Toast to convert the original Mpeg2 to a .mov file, and again, the file is still greyed out as an option to import into iMovie. Although, the .mov file plays fine in Quicktime, though I use VLC for other formats that will not work, and I also have Perian for Quicktime.
Am I doing something wrong? I have only had my Macbook for under a week, my first time using Mac OS X, still trying to get used to everything.
Thanks for any help

On my site I have a tutorial on how to convert using VLC to .mp4. It doesn't start with mpeg2 specifically, but just replace it in the tutorial as the starting filetype.

Also, you can use handbrake as you did before to convert it, but convert it to .mp4 format using a h.264 codec. This should easily import into iMovie.

Best, and hope this helps. iMovie can't deal with .avi, and you need a Quicktimempeg2.component from apple for $20 for it to deal with that, so, try the conversions first.