system needs to be configured to import HEVC or HEIF?

Report · Dec 20, 2023

I am using Adobe Premiere Elements 2023. I have made several videos so far using both files from my camera and my phone with no problem.

Tonight I am trying to add a .mov file to Elements Video Editor from my iphone and I get this message:

Your system needs to be configured to import HEVC or HEIF type of media. Click on "Learn More" to know how to enable these formats for import.

I don't understand - did something change in the past week? and why does it say HEVC or HEIF when I'm using .MOV?

When I click Learn More it wants me to download a file for free and then there's another file they say is .99

Can anyone explain?

Thanks,

Sharon

Report · Dec 20, 2023

You may have changed a setting in your cell phone when recording

-HEVC https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/import-hevc/td-p/13235249
-H.265 https://community.adobe.com/t5/premiere-elements-discussions/ape2021-problem-with-h-265-files/td-p/1...

Report · Dec 20, 2023

Thank you for your reply. I tried several things and just a few minutes
ago I figured it out.

Just in case it helps someone else I'll share what I did. Sometimes I only
have a fragile understanding of the technology I'm using which was the
problem.

My icloud was full so I could not download my videos from icloud. I
deleted some and there was room but even after restarting both my laptop
and my phone the icloud wasn't updating. So I finally connected a cable
from the iphone to the laptop and captured the videos that way.
What I didn't know... or didn't notice .... is that the videos had a .mov
file extension.

Because the error talked about HEVC or HEIF I didn't even think about .mov
files.
Finally I tried looking at icloud again and my videos finally appeared
there, so I downloaded them. That's when I noticed that the file extension
on those files was .mp4

The video editor accepts the .mp4 files.

It can be very frustrating when you don't understand every last thing.

Thank you again,
Sharon

Report · Dec 22, 2023

I have the same problem as you with a video recorded from an iPhone. I copied the file directly from the iPhone to my NAS over WiFi and the format was MOV. I am not following your explanation on how you worked around the issue. If I try to download the file from iCloud then the 2.2GB file becomes 347MB and it drops the resolution from 4K to 720P automatically. It does download as an MP4 but that doesn't help when the quality is so reduced.

I was previously able to edit an MOV in Premiere Elements 2024 by installing the two plug-ins it tells you to (HEIF and HEVC) but this time it refuses to let me add the video file without throwing that error message. I don't understand it - does anyone have a workaround?

Report · Dec 22, 2023

Exactly what is INSIDE the video you are editing?
Report back with the codec details of your file, use the program below
Free program to get file information for PC/Mac http://mediaarea.net/en/MediaInfo/Download
- a MediaInfo tutorial https://youtu.be/Ivy9ckSX1M0
- when you analyze your file in MediaInfo and post a screen shot in the forum, do so in TREE view
- post your information IN your message, not as an attachment that someone would have to download
.
Does your video use a Variable Frame Rate? See https://community.adobe.com/t5/Premiere-Pro/Variable-frame-rate-video-with-Premiere-Pro/td-p/4601935
If yes, use https://handbrake.fr/ open source transcoder/converter to convert to Constant Frame Rate
Handbrake tutorial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlvxgVREX-Y&t=34s

Report · Dec 22, 2023

Thanks for the reply and I appreciate it. So much for the $100 I spent on Photoshop/Premiere Elements - I ended up using the OpenShot (open source video editor) and it accepted the MOV/HEVC file without an issue and I was able to edit what I needed. Disappointing that I had to use free software when I paid for this one but I couldn't make it work.

I also tried converting the MOV file to an MP4 file using Handbrake. The MP4 file looked great in Windows but as soon as I imported it into Premiere it looked blown out or over exposed or something. I don't understand why it looks fine when played in Windows using VLC but as soon as I load it in Premiere (without even encoding/exporting it) the quality went down. I'm new to Prermiere so I have a lot to learn but this whole situation was quite disappointing.