Recommendation for an MP4 to FCP converter?

[romanof]

I am wanting to move some mp4 files into Final Cut Pro to do some editing. After playing with my new FCP for a couple of weeks, I can get around pretty well, although I am a long long ways from claiming expertise, but I can do basic edits. But, now trying to work on some real files, I find that FCP doesn't import mp4.

Surfing finds lots of mp4 to FMC converters out there and I have no problem paying for one, but Which One? I don't want to download several and give them access to my system just to try. I am very leery about giving my admin password to some app I know nothing about.
(Yep, they all say, Security Tested or some such, so that is an absolute guarantee not to contain malware. Right? Not!)

So... Anyone have a recommendation for a good converter that they have used?

Thanks.

 

[ColdCase]

mp4 is just a container, you don't have an issue with mp4. There is likely a codec in your source video that Apple dropped support for. There is a way to add them back. You can try handbrake (free) to convert to something FCP will use. I use BigaSoft prores converter to convert about anything, but thats on an older OS and before native support was dropped. Most of these converters are GUI over the native ffmpeg stuff.

 

[Gwendolini]

Before converting/transcoding your MP4 files, which as mentioned by ColdCase, may contain different sets of MPEG-4 codecs, try to find out, the codec used inside those MP4 files using MediaInfo and

 

[romanof]

Ok. Thanks all. There is a lot more to video editing/creating/learning about/ than I realized. Even for an amateur that is just playing around. Still researching.