handbrake ripped a personal video to .m4v format. iMovie doesn't recognize this file when I browse to import. Is there a work around?
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.m4v video won't import to iMovie
- Thread starter imovienovice
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go to "get Info" of the movie. does it say its "protected mp4" or something like that? if so, convert it again and use a different format of audio
.m4v files are using the H264 codec, a codec not meant for editing.
You need to use the DV or Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC), which are available to convert to via MPEG Streamclip from your encoded .m4v file.
Or you could buy the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component for 20USD and be able to use MPEG Streamclip without the prior use of Handbrake, thus saving one transcoding process and have better visible image quality.
The following is copied from previous posts about conversion of DVD video to iMovie compatible video:
Mroogle will have answered that question for you many and plenty of times.
There is MacTheRipper, RipIt and Fairmount to rip (copy the DVD to your HDD while removing the copyright protection) the video DVD to your HDD.
Then there is Handbrake to convert the ripped DVD to a file like .mkv, .mp4 and .avi with MPEG-4 codecs like Xvid and H264, which are not meant for editing though, as they don't store every frame of the video (video DVDs use MPEG-2 as a codec, which also only stores every 15th frame and the frames in between are approximations).
After that you can use MPEG-Streamclip to convert the compressed video file to a .mov file encoded with the DV codec (or AIC - Apple Intermediate Codec), a codec iMovie can read and is meant for editing, as it stores every frame and takes up approx. 220MB/min.
You can also skip Handbrake and use MPEG-Streamclip for converting directly to a DV/AIC encoded .mov file from the ripped video DVD, but you need the QuickTime MPEG-2 component (19USD) to be able to access the MPEG-2 encoded video DVD footage via MPEG-Streamclip.But it would save one encoding process.
OR
In order for you to edit your videos stored on the video DVD, you need to rip it via MacTheRipper/ RipIt/ Fairmount,if the video DVD is copy protected (all commercial video DVDs are).
If it is not copy protected, you might be just able to copy the Video_TS folder onto your HDD.Now there are two ways to convert the MPEG-2 compressed footage.
1. Get Handbrakeand convert the footage to an .mp4/.m4v file with the H264 codec. Further reading on Handbrake on transcodding video for iMovie.
Then use MPEG Streamclip to convert/export the .avi or .mp4/.m4v file to a QuickTime (.mov - CMD+E) file encoded with the DV codec or the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) or to a DV file (CMD+OPTION/ALT+E).
Both, .mov and .dv, can be read by iMovie.
2. Get the QuickTimeMPEG-2 Playback Component from the Apple Online Store for 20USD, open MPEG Streamclip, in there go to File > Open DVD and select your Video_TS folder on your HDD.
Then either export it as QuickTime with the DV codec or AIC or as DV file as explained in step 1.
This saves you one encoding process, therefore time and image quality loss.
Screenshots:
MPEG Streamclip export options
Handbrake export as .mp4 - example
You need to use the DV or Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC), which are available to convert to via MPEG Streamclip from your encoded .m4v file.
Or you could buy the QuickTime MPEG-2 Playback Component for 20USD and be able to use MPEG Streamclip without the prior use of Handbrake, thus saving one transcoding process and have better visible image quality.
The following is copied from previous posts about conversion of DVD video to iMovie compatible video:
Mroogle will have answered that question for you many and plenty of times.
There is MacTheRipper, RipIt and Fairmount to rip (copy the DVD to your HDD while removing the copyright protection) the video DVD to your HDD.
Then there is Handbrake to convert the ripped DVD to a file like .mkv, .mp4 and .avi with MPEG-4 codecs like Xvid and H264, which are not meant for editing though, as they don't store every frame of the video (video DVDs use MPEG-2 as a codec, which also only stores every 15th frame and the frames in between are approximations).
After that you can use MPEG-Streamclip to convert the compressed video file to a .mov file encoded with the DV codec (or AIC - Apple Intermediate Codec), a codec iMovie can read and is meant for editing, as it stores every frame and takes up approx. 220MB/min.
You can also skip Handbrake and use MPEG-Streamclip for converting directly to a DV/AIC encoded .mov file from the ripped video DVD, but you need the QuickTime MPEG-2 component (19USD) to be able to access the MPEG-2 encoded video DVD footage via MPEG-Streamclip.But it would save one encoding process.
OR
In order for you to edit your videos stored on the video DVD, you need to rip it via MacTheRipper/ RipIt/ Fairmount,if the video DVD is copy protected (all commercial video DVDs are).
If it is not copy protected, you might be just able to copy the Video_TS folder onto your HDD.Now there are two ways to convert the MPEG-2 compressed footage.
1. Get Handbrakeand convert the footage to an .mp4/.m4v file with the H264 codec. Further reading on Handbrake on transcodding video for iMovie.
Then use MPEG Streamclip to convert/export the .avi or .mp4/.m4v file to a QuickTime (.mov - CMD+E) file encoded with the DV codec or the Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) or to a DV file (CMD+OPTION/ALT+E).
Both, .mov and .dv, can be read by iMovie.
2. Get the QuickTimeMPEG-2 Playback Component from the Apple Online Store for 20USD, open MPEG Streamclip, in there go to File > Open DVD and select your Video_TS folder on your HDD.
Then either export it as QuickTime with the DV codec or AIC or as DV file as explained in step 1.
This saves you one encoding process, therefore time and image quality loss.
Screenshots:
MPEG Streamclip export options
Handbrake export as .mp4 - example
How would the OP's file be protected?
I've not used iMovie since 06, but that could edit H.264 (albeit clunkily). As Dave Brain suggested, change the container to mp4 or mov. You can sometimes do this just by altering the file extension, but you can do it more reliably in MPEG Streamclip, using 'Save As'.
For future reference, it's generally best practice to rip a DVD you want to edit to DV.
i have created protected audio files before in handbrake. it was using certain configurations of audio/video together. i have NO idea how i did it haha
iMovie supports multiple video formats and allows you to create projects that are tailored to your specific video format. You can use the following formats in iMovie:
DV
DV Widescreen
HDV 1080i (25 and 30 fps)
HDV 720p (25 and 30 fps)
MPEG 4 Simple Profile
iSight
no, iMovie can read it, but, just use MPEG-4 codec like .MOV, .MP4, etc.
Hi, DoFoT9, you can use other video converter, not HandBrake(we konw, it will not process DRM-protected content), if need, I will help you finish it.
.mov and .mp4 are not codecs, they are containers for videos encoded with a variety of codecs. MPEG-4 variants, being today's popular delivering codecs, like H264, Xvid and Divx are the most notorious ones.
The QuickTime container (.mov) can use a variety of codecs like Sorensen, DV, AIC, ProRes, H264, ... .
.mp4 is also a container, but it is tied to being used with MPEG-4 codecs and has been created on the basis of QuickTime format specifications.
Hi, DoFoT9, you can use other video converter, not HandBrake(we konw, it will not process DRM-protected content), if need, I will help you finish it.
no thats fine lol. i had the original
Ah, containers
Hey Spinnerlys,
As you can tell by my tag line, I think that I have explained compression well, but have always come up short with the containers explination. Such as you said here:
.mov and .mp4 are not codecs, they are containers for videos encoded with a variety of codecs. MPEG-4 variants, being today's popular delivering codecs, like H264, Xvid and Divx are the most notorious ones.
Would you say that containers are just like drinking containers but what is inside makes it different? Like a can that could carry soda, juice, booze or water?
Hey Spinnerlys,
As you can tell by my tag line, I think that I have explained compression well, but have always come up short with the containers explination. Such as you said here:
.mov and .mp4 are not codecs, they are containers for videos encoded with a variety of codecs. MPEG-4 variants, being today's popular delivering codecs, like H264, Xvid and Divx are the most notorious ones.
Would you say that containers are just like drinking containers but what is inside makes it different? Like a can that could carry soda, juice, booze or water?
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mostly correct matt, except the container outlines vague requirements of the liquid. E.g. The container might be a juice container - it doesn't specify what type of juice or the ratio of juice to water etc but yea.. Nice analogy!
mostly correct matt, except the container outlines vague requirements of the liquid. E.g. The container might be a juice container - it doesn't specify what type of juice or the ratio of juice to water etc but yea.. Nice analogy!
Over the summer project
I have been on macrumors for a while now and a pet project I have wanted to take on almost from the start was a video on video. I troll just the video part of MR and want to take the top 5 common questions / areas and talk about them.
It'd be stuff like:
1. compression - quality
(why does my video look like crap when I have recompressed it 16 times?)
2. compression - types
this goes back to the container and codec type thing here
3. FCE vs FCP vs iMovie
the eternal debate
4. H264 - Learn what it is for the love of GOD!!! what it's good for and not good for
5. unknown
what you think?
I have been on macrumors for a while now and a pet project I have wanted to take on almost from the start was a video on video. I troll just the video part of MR and want to take the top 5 common questions / areas and talk about them.
It'd be stuff like:
1. compression - quality
(why does my video look like crap when I have recompressed it 16 times?)
2. compression - types
this goes back to the container and codec type thing here
3. FCE vs FCP vs iMovie
the eternal debate
4. H264 - Learn what it is for the love of GOD!!! what it's good for and not good for
5. unknown
what you think?
^^ matte thats a great idea! if you need any help just ask i know a little bit about all of those topics.
i know a little bit about all of those topics.works!
this thread looks dead, but i ripped a movie with handbrake then just changed the filename to 'whatever.mp4' from 'whatever.m4v' and it works. ridiculous.
.MTS files to iMovie
My basketball game video files are .MTS (MPEG-2 Transport Stream) from a HD video camera.
I want to get them to iMovie.
The Rewrap2M4V package I was given from my tech department converts them to .m4v files that I cant import to iMovie.
Help
My basketball game video files are .MTS (MPEG-2 Transport Stream) from a HD video camera.
I want to get them to iMovie.
The Rewrap2M4V package I was given from my tech department converts them to .m4v files that I cant import to iMovie.
Help