How to Resolve After Effects Video Import Errors (AVI, MOV, MXF, etc.) on Windows

* Note that the actual supported file types vary by software versions.
* The part outside the parentheses is the codec, and the part inside is the video format, or, more specifically, the container.

If you can't import a video into After Effects, but it plays fine in your media player, it's likely because of:

- Incompatible Video Format

You can refer to the quick summary above to learn about the video and audio formats supported by After Effects. You may notice that After Effects does support a wide range of formats, from 3GP to MOV, but still lacks support for common one like MKV and WebM.

- Unsupported Codecs

Keep in mind that the video format is only a container, where video and audio codecs are used inside. After Effects will only recognize your media when the video format and codecs are both supported at the same time.

Take AVI as an example. After Effects usually accepts AVI encoded with the DV codec. However, most compressed AVIs use DivX, Xvid, or H.264 codec, which would consequently fail to import into the program.

The safest video specs for editing in After Effects is ProRes in MOV format.

- Variable Frame Rate (VFR)

Your video may not display correctly in After Effects if it uses a variable frame rate (VFR). VFR is commonly found in screen recordings and footage shot on smartphones to save storage space. But it's also a frequent cause of video and audio out-of-sync issues.

- Software Issues

In many cases, old media cache conflicting with the current project can also prevent a normal media import in After Effects.

Solution 1: Rename the File Extension

As a first attempt, you can simply try renaming your file extension, like from mov or .m4v to .mp4, .vob to .mpg, or .m2ts to .mts. The rules are simple:

• The video and audio codecs wrapped in your video files are compatible with After Effects
• The new video format should support the codecs inside your original files

Note that doing this might break the file, so keep a backup of the original files in advance.

💡 Tip: If your file uses a weird lengthy name, shortening the filename and removing special characters can sometimes also help.

Solution 2: Convert the Unsupported File

This is the most reliable solution for fixing unsupported media files. To do this, a professional video converter like WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is a must.

This Windows-based video converter is capable of various video and audio conversions. It can not only change video formats, but also transcode videos with different codecs, resolutions, frame rates, and more. To fix your video import error in After Effects, it can convert your files to After Effects' favorite format, ProRes, for smooth import and editing. Plus, it supports batch conversion. Here is how to perform the conversion, and you can download and installdownload and install the software to get started:

Step 1: Launch HD Video Converter Factory Pro and open the Converter. Then, click +Add Files to load your unsupported video files. Alternatively, you can directly drag and drop them into the software.

Step 2: Click the format image on the right side of the software to enter the Output Format panel. Click the Apple device section and select Apple ProRes (.mov).

Next, open Parameter settings and set the video encoder to ProRes 422, which is great for general editing. Click OK to save the settings.

(By default, the program will automatically convert a variable frame rate video to a constant frame rate, so no need to adjust the frame rate.)

💡 Tip: While After Effects supports compressed formats like HEVC and H264. They are not easy to handle because it takes much more processing power to decode the file. Using an intermediate codec like ProRes is what After Effects really likes.

Step 3: Click the ▼ icon at the bottom of the interface to choose an output destination. Then click Run to start the conversion process.

Once the conversion is complete, a window will pop up and you can open the Output Folder to see the converted files. Try importing the file again to see if the import problem is resolved.

💡 Tip: For casual editing, you can also use its built-in editing tools to trim, merge, crop, rotate, and apply filters to your videos.

Solution 3: Install Third-party Plug-ins

Besides converting the media files, you can also expand your After Effects capabilities to read more formats and codecs by installing third-party importer plug-ins. These plug-ins are software that reads files that After Effects cannot handle natively, and you can get them from the official Adobe Exchange, the developer hubs, or your camera manufacturer's websites. After getting the plugin file (.aex or .plugin), you can follow these steps to empower your After Effects:

Step 1: Close After Effects completely.

Step 2: Go to the Adobe MediaCore folder at the following path: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Common\Plug-ins\7.0\MediaCore

Step 3: Place the .aex file in the folder.

Step 4: Restart After Effects and try importing a file.

Solution 4: Clear Media Cache and Disable Hardware Decoding

Corrupted metadata indexes could mess up with media file import, so it's wise to clear the media cache for a fresh start.

Clear Media Cache:

Step 1: Go to Edit > Preferences > Media & Disk Cache.

Step 2: Under Disk Cache, click Empty Disk Cache and then OK to confirm.

Step 3: Under Conformed Media Cache, click Clean Media Cache.

Step 4: Click OK to all windows and then restart After Effects.

GPU decoding is designed to offload work from your CPU for smoother performance, but it can sometimes be unstable when handling compressed MP4 and MOV files. You can try disabling GPU decoding so that After Effects can process the import on its own:

Disable Hardware Decoding in Preferences:

Step 1: Go to Edit > Preferences > Import.

Step 2: Uncheck Enable hardware-accelerated decoding.

Step 3: Click OK and restart After Effects.

Want more specific help? You can go to Adobe communities or contact the official support.

1. Why won't After Effects import my MXF files?

Professional camera formats (Sony XDCAM, Panasonic P2, Canon XF) have a specific folder structure (e.g., CONTENTS/CLIP). If you move individual .mxf files out of their parent folder, After Effects loses the metadata necessary to stitch clips together. So you should always import the whole camera folder as is or convert the MXF files with HD Video Converter Factory Pro.

2. Why is my MOV file imported as audio only or showing a green screen in After Effects?

This is often the case on Windows when a MOV file contains HEVC (H.265) video or legacy 32-bit QuickTime codecs. You can install the official HEVC Video Extensions from the Microsoft Store or transcode the MOV file to Apple ProRes or H.264 MP4.

3. Why is my large AVI file crashing or not importing into After Effects?

Older AVI files created with 32-bit codecs often run into the legacy 2GB or 4GB file-size limit, causing After Effects to freeze when parsing the header. You can solve this right away by converting the AVI file to a format that works with 64-bit, like MP4 or ProRes MOV.

4. Can After Effects import MKV or WebM files without converting?

No. After Effects does not support MKV or WebM out of the box. You will need to install a third-party importer plug-in (e.g. fnordware WebM plugin or Autokroma Influx) or transcode the file into a supported format like MP4 or ProRes.