iMovie: Using footage from DV and non-DV sources

However, because iMovie uses QuickTime to process video and audio footage, you may be able to import footage from other sources or formats. Here are some things to keep in mind when dealing with video footage from alternative sources.

Importing from a video camera
Importing from an iSight camera or other webcam
Importing from a disc
Importing from a VCR
Importing from a TV Tuner
Importing from a cell phone
Importing from a Still Camera
Identifying footage compatibility

Importing from a video camera

In order to import footage directly into iMovie from a video camera, the camera must be either a DV or HDV camera connected to the computer via FireWire (FireWire is also known by other names including i.LINK and IEEE 1394).

FireWire logo		i.LINK logo

If your camera has a FireWire connection and you are unable to get the camera to be recognized properly by iMovie, consult this article for additional suggestions:
iMovie: Cannot see or control camera

When using a DV or HDV camera, be sure to double-check the documentation for your camera as many DV camcorders have both a USB and FireWire connection. The additional USB connection on DV cameras is often used to import still images captured by the video camera. You can most likely use this connection with iPhoto or Image Capture to download these still images. However, iMovie supports only the FireWire connection for importing video directly from a video camera. The FireWire connection may also be labeled iLink on some camera models.

If your camera only has a USB connection, consult the documentation that came with the camera to find out how to copy the footage from the camera to a file on your computer's hard disk. For example, some cameras with a USB connection may mount in the Finder like a disk when connected to the computer. If your camera does this, you should be able to drag the files from the mounted volume to the Movies folder in your Home folder. Other USB cameras may require additional drivers or software to download the footage from the camera.

Once you have copied the footage from your camera to your hard disk, you may then be able to import this footage into iMovie by dragging it into the iMovie window, or by choosing File > Import in iMovie. If the footage is not recognized by iMovie, you may need to convert it to one of the supported formats listed at the top of this article using a third party utility or plug-in.

Importing from an iSight camera or other webcam

To import footage directly into iMovie from an Apple iSight camera, the iSight camera can be either the externally connected FireWire model or the built-in iSight camera. External iSight compatibility requires iMovie 4 or later. Built-in iSight compatibility requires iMovie HD 6 or later.

Other "webcam" style cameras may be recognized by iMovie if they follow the IIDC standard.

For webcams that are not recognized by iMovie, check to see if the camera includes software or drivers which allow you to record a short movie from another application. If the file the webcam software records is in a supported format, you should be able to import the resulting file into your iMovie project by dragging it to the iMovie project window, or by choosing File > Import in iMovie and selecting the file you wish to import.

If the footage from the webcam is in .wmv or .avi format, you may need a third party plug-in or utility to view or convert the footage to a format supported by iMovie.

Importing from a disc

If you are working with a camera which records to a CD or DVD, you will need to either connect the camera to the computer, or simply eject the disc from the camera and insert the disc in the computer's drive. This will depend on the format of the disc that the camera records, and whether your drive reads recordable CDs and/or DVDs.

If the footage is in a supported format (see list at the top of this article), you should be able to import the file into your iMovie project by dragging it to the iMovie project window, or choosing File > Import in iMovie and selecting the file you wish to import.

If the footage recorded on the disc is in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format, this footage cannot be imported into iMovie. You may be able to convert the footage to an iMovie-supported format such as DV or MPEG-4 using a third party utility. See "iMovie does not work with muxed MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 clips" for more information.

If you are attempting to import footage from a DVD you created in iDVD, this footage is in MPEG-2 format and cannot be imported directly into iMovie. You may be able to convert the footage to an iMovie-supported format such as DV or MPEG-4 using a third party utility. For best results, keep or archive any iMovie projects used to create your iDVD projects rather than attempting to re-import footage that was burned to DVD.

Importing from a VCR

If you would like to import video from a VCR or other, older analog video device, you will need to use a video converter or capture device to capture the footage to a file on the computer's hard disk or transfer the footage from the VCR to a DV or HDV camcorder.

Using a DV or HDV camcorder
With a DV or HDV camera, you may be able to connect your VCR to the camera and rerecord the footage to a DV tape in the camera. You can then import the footage from the tape in the DV camera as you normally would in iMovie. Alternatively, some cameras can be placed in a "bridge" mode where the analog input from the VCR can be streamed live from the camera over the FireWire connection. Consult the documentation which came with your DV camera for more information.

Using a video converter
Some video converters are designed to work with iMovie. These converters have RCA and S-Video inputs which you connect to your VCR. The converter will also have a FireWire connection which you connect to the computer. The converter will take the analog signal from the VCR, and convert it into a DV stream which is sent to the FireWire connection. iMovie should recognize the FireWire connection as it would a DV video camera. See "Using analog/FireWire converter devices with iMovie" for more information.

Note: Some older converters may require additional software, or additional steps in order to be recognized properly. See these articles for more information. iMovie: Audio is distorted in projects with video imported from an analog to DV converter iMovie: Unable to Export Movies Using Sony DVMC-DA2

Other converters which connect via USB will not be recognized by iMovie. If the converter came with software which allows you to capture footage from the converter, you may be able to import the resulting file into iMovie.

However, if the footage from the converter is in .wmv or .avi format, you may need a third-party plug-in or utility to view or convert the footage to a format supported by iMovie. If the footage is recorded in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format you will need to convert the footage to an iMovie-supported format such as DV or MPEG-4 using a third party utility before importing it into your iMovie project.

Importing from a TV tuner

iMovie does not support capturing footage directly from a TV tuner device. Check to see if your TV tuner includes software which allows you to export the footage from the tuner to a file in an iMovie compatible format.

If the exported footage is in a supported format, you should be able to import the file into your iMovie project by dragging it to the iMovie project window, or choosing File > Import in iMovie and selecting the file you wish to import.

If the footage recorded by the tuner is in MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format, this footage cannot be imported into iMovie. You may be able to convert the footage to an iMovie-supported format such as DV or MPEG-4 using a third party utility.

If the footage from the converter is in .wmv or .avi format, you may need a third-party plug-in or utility to view or convert the footage to a format supported by iMovie.

Importing from a cell phone

If your cell phone records video footage, you may be able to import this footage into iMovie by copying it from the phone to your local hard disk. If your phone has a Bluetooth connection, start by pairing the phone to the computer. Then, use the Bluetooth File Exchange utility to browse and download the files from the phone's Movies folder.

If the phone does not have Bluetooth capability, you may be able to download the footage from the phone if the phone can be connected via USB. Some phones will mount as a disk when connected to the computer via USB. With iPhoto 6 and later, some phones connected via USB will appear like a digital camera to iPhoto. Other phones may require third party software to access the files on the phone. Consult your phone's documentation for more information.

Some phones may also have storage cards (such as an SD card or Memory Stick) used to save video footage and other phone items. If you have a compatible card reader connected to your computer via FireWire or USB, you may be able to read the files from the card and copy them to your hard disk.

If the footage is in a supported format, you should be able to import the file into your iMovie project by dragging it to the iMovie project window, or choosing File > Import in iMovie and selecting the file you wish to import.

If the footage from the phone is in .wmv or .avi format, you may need a third-party plug-in or utility to view or convert the footage to a format supported by iMovie.

Importing from a digital still camera

Some digital still image cameras also take short movies. If the still image camera is compatible with iPhoto you should be able to use iPhoto or Image Capture to import these movies from the camera to your local hard drive. If your movies were imported into iPhoto, you can access them through the Media pane in iMovie. See Transferring video clips from a digital camera for more information.

If your movies didn't import into iPhoto, but the footage is in a supported format, you should be able to import the file into your iMovie project by dragging it to the iMovie project window, or choosing File > Import in iMovie and selecting the file you wish to import.

If the footage from the still camera is in MPEG-1, MPEG-2, .wmv or .avi format, you may need a third-party plug-in or utility to view or convert the footage to a format supported by iMovie.

Identifying footage compatibility

When working with files you have copied from a non-DV or HDV camera, you may need to identify the footage format to see if it is natively compatible with iMovie. To do this, try opening the movie file you copied from your camera in QuickTime Player. If the file opens in QuickTime Player, choose Window > Show Movie Info in QuickTime Player and look at the Format field of the Info window to see if it is one of the compatible formats listed at the top of this article.

If the file does not open, look to see if there is an extension on the end of the filename such as .avi, .mov, .wmv, or .mpeg. This can help you identify the file format. Files with the .wmv or .avi extension may require a third-party plug-in or application to be viewed or converted to another format.

Try also playing the footage in QuickTime Player to confirm that you have both audio and video. Remember also that MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 formatted footage is not supported in iMovie or iDVD.

If you have to convert your footage to a compatible format, confirm that the converted file will play correctly by opening it in QuickTime Player. If the file will not play in QuickTime Player, it is unlikely that it will import correctly into iMovie or iDVD.

For best results, use a supported format or device (DV camera, HDV camera, iSight camera). Footage recorded from other devices or in other formats may behave unexpectedly in iMovie (loss of audio synchronization, missing audio on export, loss of video on import or export).

Third-party tools

If the content you want to use in iMovie is not in a compatible format, check the Mac OS X Downloads website to locate third-party QuickTime Plug-ins or conversion utilities.