Old iMove HD files won't import to imovie or FCP on BigSur

I also meant to say that if nothing else works then you should not have to re-import your DV tape.

Your .dv files that you previously captured can be found in the Media folder when you perform the Show Package Contents as seen above. These .dv files can be used in iMovie or FCP.

This might be worth a try.

I tried this yesterday but did not give it long enough.

More patient today and seems to work on El Capitan but might be worth a shot on your BigSur.

Control-click on your project, as described in the link that Rich gave above,and select the option "Show Package contents"

The package contents is shown below

In the folder called iDVD you will see a .mov file. In the example below mine is called My Great Movie 2.mov

Again ctrl-click on this .mov and select the option " Encode Selected Video Files"

In the setting option given I suggest you select Apple ProRes, then continue.

You should see a second .mov file generated in this same iDVD folder above or below your other .mov file.

It looks as though nothing is happening but it is, you might have to wait a while for it to finish .

If you have say an hour long movie then it might take about half hour or so.

It states Zero bytes up until it is finished so don't abort too soon.

No guarantee this will work on BigSur as things have moved on since El Capitan but you may have nothing to loose in trying.

The new file generated is shown below.

Yes, we can get back our old iMovie 6 projects largely thanks to you.

I booted in Catalina (the highest OS that my Mac will run) and tried the Encode Selected Video Files procedure. I didn't experiment too much, but the times that I tried the procedure it wouldn't work either on the desktop or in the project package contents. I got the following "invalid configuration" message:

I had opened the iMovie 6 project package contents in Catalina from an external drive on which the project is stored. It was a newly created test iMovie 6 project, so legacy media wasn't an issue. Maybe the 64 bit Catalina OS is the issue. It also could be that I am missing something. I just didn't have time to try different ways. My Catalina OS is on a partition and I haven't fully populated it with all of my apps. My versions of Quicktime 10 and Quicktime 7 wouldn't run on it at all, but do run on Mojave.

-- Rich

Hi, thesurreyfriends,

Re-encoding is an interesting solution. After re-encoding, are you able to drag to the desktop the re-encoded movie from the package contents and play it in QuickTimePlayer 10, or QT 7?

I have not tried re-encodeding. I just play the movie from within the Package Contents on QuickTimePlayer 7 (QT 10 doesn't seem to work) and then do a screen recording while the movie is playing. As I recall, the movie won't play if dragged out of the package contents to the desktop. {Edit} I actually got my procedure from you, I think.

-- Rich

Hi Rich

As you say, the non re-encoded ( original?) movie in the package contents will not play in QT 10 but does with QT7.

For me this is in the package or on the desktop.When I try to play it in QT 10 ( in or out of package) it does not play but I get a conversion message.

The conversion is playable in 7 and 10 and is DV format and about the same size as the ProRes file obtained from the re-encoding process in Encode Selected Video Files mentioned above

The re-encoded movie plays in QT 10 both inside the package and when dragged to desktop but not in QT 7 inside the package or the desktop.It also imports into iMovie 10.

The behaviour could depend on the OS.

When you play the movie in the package with QT 7 you may get a better quality file with File>Export rather than screen recording.Have you tried that?

No, I haven't tried File/Export versus screen recording. I'll do that and see what happens.

Nice that it will play in QT 10. I have QT 7 on my computer, but others may not since it is an old version,

Thanks for the additional info.

-- Rich

Yes, good news you were able to copy the media.

If you have a moment it would be useful to know if the" Encode Selected Video Files" produces a workable video file on you BigSur system.

If you have moved the media from the Media Folder then it probably won't work but as you have just copied them then it might work. It shouldn't take too long to test.

The output from this would preserve all the editing performed in the iMovie HD project rather than starting all over again from scratch from the DV files.This could be useful if only minor edits are required from the original project.

Rich

I believe I am correct in saying that you are using Mojave.

Are you able to perform " Encode Selected Video Files" on Mojave?

Yes, I am running Mojave and am able to perform "Encode Selected Video Files" both within the iMovie project package, and from a copy of the project package movie on my desktop. The movie plays in both places with QT 10 and QT7.

I tried converting a copy of the package contents movie on my desktop with Handbrake, but got the "not a valid source" message.

-- Rich

Adding to my previous post, on my Catalina OS I can open and play with QuickTimePlayer 10 movies other than the movie file in the iMovie 6 package. I can also do the Encode Selected Video Files procedure on non-iMovie 6 movies. But I cannot play or encode the iMovie 6 package movie either in the package or on the desktop.

To The Buffster: I would be interested in how you got it to work on Big Sur.

-- Rich

Hi Rich

Thanks for trying this with Catalina.

I think you are correct about it not working in Catalina due to 64 bit, so not likely to work on anything after Catalina either.

So ,OK up to and including Mojave.

Take a look at this thread and see if there is anything in there that helps you:

How far back does "Update Projects and Ev… - Apple Community

-- Rich

thesurreyfriends,

Unfortunately File/Export with QT7 requires QT7 Pro, that I do not have.

It was a good thought, though.

-- Rich

Great that it worked for you. 😊

-- Rich

Hi Rich

Thanks for confirming that it works for you on Mojave.

Seems possible then to obtain movie file from "old found" iMovie HD projects up to at least Mojave.