iMovie Supported Formats: Convert DVD and Any Video for iMovie

WonderFox HD Video Converter Factory Pro is a beginner-friendly iMovie format converter for Windows. It can convert common videos, camera recordings, downloaded clips, and files that iMovie refuses to import to iMovie-friendly MP4/MOV. It also lets you set H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4, AAC, resolution, frame rate, bitrate, and other parameters. Batch conversion, GPU acceleration, compression, trimming, cropping, rotating, and merging are also available when you need more than a simple format change.

Download and install the converter on your PC. Then follow the steps below:

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Step 1. Launch the program and open Converter. Click Add Files or drag your video files into the window. You can add common videos, camera clips, downloads, and other files at the same time.

Step 2. Click the format image on the right to open the output profile library. Go to the Apple tab and select "iMovie Video" or "Apple ProRes" profile.

Alternatively, you can also go to the "Video" tab and select MP4 or MOV.

Open Parameter settings. For the safest iMovie import, set Video Encoder to H.264 and Audio Encoder to AAC. For camera footage, keeping the original resolution and frame rate can help preserve the original look.

Step 3. Click the inverted triangle button to choose an output folder. Finally, click Run to convert the files. When it finishes, open iMovie and import the converted MP4 or MOV file through File > Import Media.

DVD is a different case from normal video files. iMovie cannot read a DVD disc, VIDEO_TS folder, or VOB file directly. To edit DVD movies in iMovie, use WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro to convert the DVD to MP4 or MOV first.

Step 1. Insert the DVD into your DVD drive, open WonderFox DVD Ripper Pro, and click DVD Disc. The program will analyze the disc and mark the main movie title automatically.

Step 2. Open the output format list and choose an iMovie-friendly profile, such as MP4, MOV, or H.264. You can also adjust resolution, bitrate, frame rate, deinterlacing, subtitles, and audio tracks when needed.

Step 3. Set an output folder and click RUN. After conversion, transfer the ripped video to your Mac and import it into iMovie.

Any Video Converter Free for Mac offers an easy solution to convert your video to MPEG-4 or H.264 MP4 with AAC audio. Besides, this free iMovie format converter also enables you to transcode videos to other iMovie-supported formats including AVI, 3GP, MPEG-2, and DV. Here is a simple how-to guide:

Step 1. Download and install it on your Mac first.

Step 2. Launch the freeware and click on the Convert Video tab.

Step 3. Click Add File(s) to import your video or drag it into the program.

Step 4. From the right Profile drop-down list, choose MP4 as the output container format.

Step 5. Then click the icon next to the output format option to adjust the video and audio codecs to MPEG-4 and AAC.

Step 5. Under the Output Location tabs, check the Folder dropdown list and then click Choose… to set a file destination.

Step 6. Finally, click Convert Now to start the conversion.

💡 You can also try HandBrake for local video files or unprotected DVDs. It is suitable for many MP4/MOV, camera recording, and general video conversion tasks.

For videos already on an iPhone, iPad, or Android phone, a mobile video converter can help you save the file as MP4 with H.264 and AAC. This is useful when the video was recorded in HEVC but needs to be edited on an older Mac, or when the file was transferred from another device in a less common format.

Video Converter and Compressor is a handy iMovie format converter that can work on both iPhones and Android phones. It supports a wide range of video formats and allows you to quickly convert them to MP4, AVI, 3GP, MOV, and some other iMovie-compatible formats. Also, it enables you to modify the codec, frame rate, resolution, and output quality.

Step 1. Search and then install this converter on your phone from the Google Play Store.

Step 2. Open it and enter the Video Converter tool.

Step 3. Load the video from your folder to the converter.

Step 4. Click CONVERT TO and then expand the Format list to set an iMovie video format.

Step 5. To set the codecs to specific requirements, tap the Advanced slider and head to the Video Codec and Audio Codec options to make a selection.

Step 6. When all settings are ready, click the bottom Convert button to start the conversion process at once.

After that, send the converted video to the device where you edit in iMovie.

If the file is small and not private, an online video converter such as CloudConvert can be useful. It doesn’t require an account and can be accessed from any internet-connected device. With CloudConvert, you can easily convert videos to MP4 and MOV formats that are compatible with iMovie. It also offers adjustable settings for codec, resolution, FPS, bitrate, and more.

Follow the steps below to convert your video for iMovie free with CloudConvert:

Step 1. Open https://cloudconvert.com/ in your browser on any device.

Step 2. Select and upload your video to it by clicking the Select File button.

Step 3. Click the Convert to box to select MOV or MP4 as the export file format.

Step 4. Hit the settings icon to change the output codecs to MPEG-4 or H.264 for video and AAC for audio.

Step 5. Then click Convert to start converting your video to iMovie-supported format.

Step 6. When the converting process completes, you can download the video to your computer.

Online tools are convenient, but they are not ideal for large camera files, long DVD movies, private videos, or batch conversion because of upload speed, file size limits, and privacy concerns.

Converting videos to iMovie-supported formats is essential for easy importing and editing. But what about exporting files in iMovie? Which export formats does iMovie support?

Once you have finished editing your iMovie project, you need to export it. To do so, click the upper-right share icon, or go to File > Share. Here you’ll see all available export options.

Please note that the Email, YouTube, Facebook, and Vimeo options do not provide direct access to sharing files on these platforms. Instead, these options create files on your device, and you will have to upload them later using the respective websites. Additionally, these options offer limited settings.

To have full control over your export, you can choose the last File option, which allows you to export iMovie videos as MOV or MP4. In the pop-up dialog box, you can change the file’s Title, Description, Tags, Format, Resolution, Quality, and Compress.

To save iMovie to MP4, you need to select Low, Medium, High, or Custom in the Quality dropdown list. For the best output quality, you can choose the ProRes option and the export will be saved as an MOV file.