Fix After Effects MOV File Damaged Unsupported Issue

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[How to] Fix "After Effects MOV File Damaged Unsupported" Issue

Updated on Feb 19, 2024

Guess you're here to look for possible solutions to the Adobe After Effects MOV importing issue. When importing a MOV file to After Effects for editing, you may get some error messages like "After Effects error, this MOV file is damaged or unsupported." Luckily, this post has found several possible solutions that can help import MOV to After Effects.
Most video not-supported issues are typically caused by an unsupported video codec. You can download this handy MOV video converter to fix the After Effects MOV not supported issue by changing the video codec.

https://www.videoconverterfactory.com/download/hd-video-converter-pro.exe hd-video-converter-pro.exe

Possible Reasons for MOV Failed to be Imported in After Effects

1. If you are currently using the old version of After Effects, you can update AE to the newest version and import your MOV video to it to give it a try.

2. Your MOV files are corrupted. You can import your MOV files to other programs to see if they can be recognized or played. If not, your MOV files may be corrupted, and you need to try some professional video repair software.

3. Your hardware configurations are too low to support 4K MOV footages. Especially those shot at a high frame rate like 60FPS.

4. MOV with variable frame rate. Although AE has an update to support VRF, it cannot deal with most VRF videos. You need to convert your video from a variable frame rate to a constant frame rate.

5. The most likely issue is incompatible codecs or a lack of a required codec. Adobe's official website said that MOV files are supported natively. However, MOV is a container format that can use many video codecs like MPEG-4, MJPEG, H.264, HEVC, GoPro CineForm, etc. for compression. If the video codecs wrapped in MOV files are not compatible with After Effects, then the MOV importing error will occur. The handiest solution is to transcode MOV files to After Effects-supported ones.

Solution 1. Convert Unsupported Videos to After Effects File Type

You should know that MOV is just a video container format that is capable of encapsulating a variety of video and audio codecs, so it's very common that you'll run into After Effects MOV not supported issue. Thus adopting a proper video converter program to convert the unsupported video to AE friendly format is a better solution. Besides, not only it is much easier and it's also an overall solution – Converting your videos from rare codecs to industrial standard will free you from incompatibility issues for good. Now, I'd like to show you how to fix the After Effects MOV not supported with this best MOV After Effects converter: WondeFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro.

Free downloadFree download this application and let's see how to fix After Effects MOV file damaged unsupported problem.

Best program to fix “After Effects error can't import file”

Convert Any Videos: MOV, MP4, MKV, AVI, WMV, Etc. to After Effects Supported Format

· Fix any video or audio codec not supported problem.

· Convert videos/audio to MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, MP3, FLAC and 500+ formats and devices

· Lightning-fast convert videos in batch mode

· Able to convert/compress video with no quality loss

· Automatic picture enhancement to touch-up your video quality

· Basic video editing including: Merge, crop, cut, etc.

· Detailed encoder/parameter settings for experienced users

How to Convert MOV to After Effects Supported Format?

Import unsupported MOV videos into the program

Before start, please free download free download the software.

Step 1. Import Unsupported MOV Files into the Program

Launch WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro and open the "Converter" interface. Go to the upper-left corner and click on the "Add Files" button to add the unsupported MOV videos into the converter, then define the destination path at the "Output folder" box underneath.

Step 2. Convert the Unsupported Videos

Option 1) Keep the original MOV format

Selec MOV as the output format and click on the "Parameter settings" button on the right to enter the parameter setting window. Manually set video codec to H.264, audio codec to AAC. Click "OK" to save the changes and hit "Run" to start the conversion.

That will make you videos supported by AE, even they're still in MOV format.

You don’t care about the alter of video format

Option 2) Convert MOV to other formats

Press the the format image on the right side, locate the "Video" category and choose the "MP4" icon within, you'll convert your MOV videos to MP4 (H.264 + AAC), which is the industrial standard video format well supported by all mainstream platforms.

When ready, click "Run" to start the conversion.

Solution 2. Provide QuickTime MOV Support to After Effects

After Effects supported video formats

1. If you've already checked that your videos are not damaged, the most likely root cause, of After Effects error can't import file, is that your video codec is not supported by Adobe After Effects. The picture lists the video formats supported by After Effects. As you can see, MOV is included but it says "requires QuickTime", the implementation of MOV support (the capability of coding/decoding MOV) of Adobe Effects is actually based on QuickTime. Also, it requires the installation of QuickTime and good communication between After Effects and QuickTime. Official link for QuickTime Installation: https://support.apple.com/kb/DL837?locale=en_US

2. Already Installed QuickTime?

In that case, your After Effects MOV file damaged unsupported issue could be boiled down to:

1) Communication blocked between After Effects and QuickTime

Fix: Remove/disable third-party firewall programs from the control panel, and try importing MOV into AE again and see if it works.

2) MOV support is interfered by some QuickTime components

Fix: Remove all third party components that you have installed to QuickTime, and add the necessary ones back one by one, until you find the one that causes your AE can't read MOV files.

3) You haven't updated QuickTime for a long time

Fix: Upgrade QuickTime Codec at: https://support.apple.com/kb/dl837?locale=en_US

Or download and install one of the best third-party codec packs at: https://www.codecguide.com/quicktime_installation.htm

Solution 3. Rename the File Extension to Fix MOV File Not Supported by After Effects

This method can sometimes help users solve the MOV importing issue. However, it isn't guaranteed to work. Some people still can't load files to After Effects successfully. To change the file extension, you need to ensure that the video and audio codecs wrapped in your MOV files are compatible with After Effects. Also, the new container format should support the codecs inside your MOV files. Otherwise, the original files may be damaged. Anyway, back up your original files before changing the file extension.

Step 1. Find the video file in your file folder.

Step 2. Right-click on an MOV file you want to edit. Choose “Rename”.

Step 3. Input the new extension name that ends with .mp4 or other After Effects-friendly container formats.

Step 4. Press “Enter”. Hit “Yes” on the pop-up confirmation box.

At last...

After that, your MOV videos will be perfectly recognized by After Effects, whatever the AE version is, and with or without the QuickTime installation. Cheers.

Apart from After Effects MOV not supported issue, WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro can help solve any format incompatibility issue. Download it here, it would definitely come in handy.

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