Cannot import a MOV file to Premiere Elements 18

[David_F]

I am using Adobe Photoshop Elements Version: 18.0 (20201207.m.154403) x64. I have version 19, but have not installed it.

I cannot import MOV files into Premiere Elements.  These are basically video clips shot on an iPhone.

Appraently Adobe and Apple are incompatible. Two of technology's biggest players won't talk to each other. Go figure. 

When I Google the internet for solutions to this problem I am inundated with offers for "free" file conversion programs.  

Is this reallly the best solution?  If so, which conversion program is the preferred solution?

Thanks

Dave

[Ann Bens]

Dont say which OS and why you cannot import: Error Message?

Iphone is usually H.265 on windows you need the H.265 codec installed from Microsoft.

[Bill Sprague]

As Ann wrote, iPhones typically default to using a video codec that Apple calls HEVC and is also called H.265.  More common is "H.264".  The licensing of H.265 is more complex than H.264 so it is less universal.  

There are three solutions.  One is to make your computer H.265 compliant.  With an Apple computer it may be included.  With some Windows computers, you may have to buy it for a dollar from Microsoft.  The second solution is to convert any H.265 footage to H.264 with a conversion program like the (free) Handbrake.  The third thing you can do is change your iPhone video settings to what I think is called "most compatible" so that it uses H.264 instead of the default H.265. 

[David_F]

Thank you.  Yes I am using a Windows PC.  I will try to make H265 compliant.  

[Bill Sprague]

Go to the Microsoft Windows App store and look for "HEVC Video Extensions".  Be sure it is a Microsoft app.  Pay the $.99, download and install it.  It worked on my computer (that is in the shop for a fan repair.

[David_F]

I'm having problems making my computer H.265 compliant.

When I try to import certain MOV files into a Premiere Element project  I get the error that the file cannnot be imported:

I click on the "Learn More" botton and follow the instructions.   I ensure both the HEVC and HEIF apps are installed:

I also delete all the files from my C:\Users\Dave\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\common\Media Cache Files folder

I also update my graphics device driver:  NVIDIA GeForce GTx 1050Ti  Driver 517.48

I then reboot my PC and try to load the MOV files as media to a Premiere Elements project but I get the same "Cannot input error.

I can view the MOV on my PC by clicking on it and it opens and plays fine in the default Windows "Movie and TV Player"  app.  It just won't open in Adobe Premiere Elements.

Is this an Adobe problem?  Does anyone have any idea what would prevent me from importing a MOV file now that I have the HEIF and HEVC extensions installed and the file plays fine in Windows?  

Here is so some of my key system info: 

Adobe Premiere Elements Version: 18.0 (20201207.daily.2234367)

System Info
Adobe Photoshop Elements Version: 18.0 (20201207.m.154403) x64
Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
Version: 10 or greater
System architecture: AMD CPU Family:15, Model:1, Stepping:1 with MMX, SSE Integer, SSE FP, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4.1, SSE4.2, AVX, AVX2
Physical processor count: 8
Logical processor count: 16
Processor speed: 2994 MHz
Built-in memory: 16317 MB
Free memory: 7003 MB
Memory available to Photoshop Elements: 14927 MB
Memory used by Photoshop Elements: 70 %
Image tile size: 1028K
Image cache levels: 6
Feature::HEIFFormat: ON
Application folder: C:\Program Files\Adobe\Photoshop Elements 2020\

[mtnrunner2]

Agreed, I also had the 2 Microsoft Store extensions installed for HEIF and HEVC, that did not work. I went to iCloud online and downloaded as most compatible an was then able to import the video. So, it appears that the iPhone 14 Pro/iOS 17/18 version of .mov is something other than HEVC, HEIF or H.264