Codec not available for importing gopro videos?

[Laurent Simon]

Dear all,

I have shot 1080p 240 images/s videos with my gopro. When I try to import them with premiere elements 15, it says that it's unable to import the video. Anybody knows how I could get the codecs?

VLC and other softwares can read the video without problem...

[HOTELECHOMIKE · Accepted solution]

Which model of GoPro?  The later versions seem to use High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), also known as H.265 by default which Premier Elements cannot work with on a Windows PC (& and as I understand it only the later PE version can on a MAC).

There are numerous threads on exactly this subject hence , although I don't use a GoPro, I come up with these alternative workarounds:

1) For future videos change the setting on your GoPro to use the H,264 Codec.

2) For existing clips download & install the Handbrake tool and convert your H.265 clips to H..264.

    The resulting file size will be much larger but the quality is retained as I understand it.

[Laurent Simon]

Yes, my clips were in HEVC. Pity premiere elements does not decode this. But i will use your method, thank you!

[Bill Sprague]

The single advantage of HEVC/H.265 is file size.  Quality is not improved over the near universal H.264.  Reading a little about it will suggest that licensing is a can of worms.   At this point, in the consumer world, the only two "cameras" that use it are later iPhones and GoPros.  In both cases, it is optional. 

[Laurent Simon]

On the GoPro, it does not  seem  to be  optional  if I want  to  shoot  at 240 images per second (at least not on my model,  the  6). But I can  always convert  the  files with  handbrake I  guess.

Thank  you  very much!

[Laurent Simon]

Handbrake  does not let me export  in  240 images per second in x264,  so that  might be  why it's not possible on the  gopro  to  use x264.  Pity...