iPhone MOV not loaded - Codec error

Report · Aug 15, 2018

I just tried to use Premier Elements with my iPhone photos but they wouldn't import. Looking into forums or the web reveals that this is a known issue... so I don't get it, most media developers work with photoshop and mac and iPhone, why not fixing this issue.

I do have an iPhone X and started to import into Premier Elements 2018 latest version. When importing the photos onto my Mac with PE2018 it gives me an error that the codec is not supported.

It's defiantly not an option for me to convert my files to another format because I have to convert a couple of hundred and thats a no go...

Hase anyone a solution for this. Again, MAC latest version, iPhoneX and Premier Element 2018 latest version.

Many thanks in advance,

Chris

Report · Aug 15, 2018

The issue is likely with the video. Many new iPhones shoot video with variable frame rates and they shoot photos in a new HEIF format.

Open a sample of your iPhone video in the free download MediaInfo. In MediaInfo set View to Text and then copy and paste the report it generates to this forum. Once we know what your video is made of we'll be better able to advise you how to proceed.

Report · Aug 17, 2018

Hi Steve, thank you for your support.

As requested please find below the information you asked for:

General

Complete name : /Users/chris/Desktop/Ramses Vidio's/20180703_080151000_iOS.MOV

Format : MPEG-4

Format profile : QuickTime

Codec ID : qt 0000.00 (qt )

File size : 107 MiB

Duration : 17 s 152 ms

Overall bit rate mode : Variable

Overall bit rate : 52.2 Mb/s

Encoded date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:01:51

Tagged date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:02:08

Writing library : Apple QuickTime

com.apple.quicktime.location.ISO6709 : +52.3206+005.5343-004.300/

com.apple.quicktime.make : Apple

com.apple.quicktime.model : iPhone X

com.apple.quicktime.software : 11.4

com.apple.quicktime.creationdate : 2018-07-03T10:01:51+0200

Video

ID : 1

Format : HEVC

Format/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding

Format profile : Main@L5.1@High

Codec ID : hvc1

Codec ID/Info : High Efficiency Video Coding

Duration : 17 s 152 ms

Bit rate : 52.1 Mb/s

Width : 3 840 pixels

Height : 2 160 pixels

Display aspect ratio : 16:9

Rotation : 90°

Frame rate mode : Variable

Frame rate : 60.000 FPS

Minimum frame rate : 54.545 FPS

Maximum frame rate : 66.667 FPS

Color space : YUV

Chroma subsampling : 4:2:0

Bit depth : 8 bits

Bits/(Pixel*Frame) : 0.105

Stream size : 106 MiB (100%)

Title : Core Media Video

Encoded date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:01:51

Tagged date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:02:08

Color range : Limited

Color primaries : BT.709

Transfer characteristics : BT.709

Matrix coefficients : BT.709

Audio

ID : 2

Format : AAC

Format/Info : Advanced Audio Codec

Format profile : LC

Codec ID : mp4a-40-2

Duration : 17 s 152 ms

Source duration : 17 s 206 ms

Bit rate mode : Variable

Bit rate : 87.9 kb/s

Channel(s) : 1 channel

Channel positions : Front: C

Sampling rate : 44.1 kHz

Frame rate : 43.066 FPS (1024 SPF)

Compression mode : Lossy

Stream size : 184 KiB (0%)

Source stream size : 184 KiB (0%)

Title : Core Media Audio

Encoded date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:01:51

Tagged date : UTC 2018-07-03 08:02:08

Other #1

Type : meta

Duration : 17 s 152 ms

Bit rate mode : CBR

Other #2

Type : meta

Duration : 17 s 152 ms

Bit rate mode : CBR

Report · Aug 17, 2018

As I suspected, the issue is with the video. Not only does that iPhone video use a variable frame rate, but it also use the HEVC H.265 codec rather than the traditional H.264 codec. Both of those issues can cause the problems you describe.

To edit this video, you can run it through the free download Handbrake. Unfortunately your original video is 4K, and I'm not sure Handbrake can convert video to larger than 1920x1080.

So beyond that I'm not sure what to suggest.

Report · Aug 20, 2018

Steve,

I already had a feeling that this wil stay an issue. Although Adobe can not ignore this, because more and more apple users wil complain about this.

Many thanks for your support

Chris

Report · Aug 20, 2018

Please note that this is a user to user forum, Chris.

If you want to write to Adobe and complain, please feel free to. But complaining here will not necessarily get Adobe's attention when it comes to new features.

Report · Aug 21, 2018

Steve,

that's true. Thank you for your remark.

Many thanks for your time and effort to answer my question. I just don't see myself converting hundreds of iPhone video's just so I can edit them in Adobe. This is very frustrating.

Kind regards,

Chris

Report · Dec 19, 2018

Hello, I am totally with you. The iPhone I use is from 2017, the Adobe Elements claim to be 2019 technology. You know I strongly believe the requirement to edit video from an iPhone is not too seldom. It's weird to by the newest version od Adobe programms and run into this problem.

Rolf

Report · Dec 19, 2018

Rolf,

You brought a 6 month old topic to life! All but your last post was written before the 2019 version came out in October.

Version 2019 does support iPhone variable frame rate video on any current operating system.

Version 2019 supports H.265 HEVC iPhone video if you have it installed on a Apple computer. If you use a Windows computer, all you have to do is select a different compression setting on your iphone or convert the footage to H.264 in a utility like Handbrake.

The licensing of the H.265 codec is not controlled by Adobe. The license and use is controlled by a bureaucratic coalition. It is fun to read about how messed up the management has been! It is argued that H.265 should have been universally adopted a few years ago. Reading about it may suggest that it has taken so long, that there will be alternatives and H.265 will never make it!

If H.265 editing is a necessity and you choose to have a Windows computer, Premiere Elements is the wrong video editor for you.

Meanwhile, except for file size, H.264 works perfectly well.

Report · Jun 23, 2019

Can you confirm then that on a mac to view/edit/etc the new iPhone videos you would require Adobe Elements 2019 and 2018 is not sufficient?

Report · Jun 23, 2019

The HEVC (or H.265) iPhone capability was added for the 2019 version as long as you are on a Mac, not a Windows PC. It was not included in 2018.

I encourage you to take advantage of Adobe's trial policy. The complete 2019 version can be downloaded, installed and tested with your footage. I think you get two weeks. It might be a month. Out put will have a watermark on it that is supposed to go away after you put in the serial number and rerun the output.

In addition to the trial, there is a return policy for full credit if you buy directly via download from Adobe. If you buy through a retailer, refunds are too clumsy to work.

(Disclaimer: I don't have an iPhone or a Mac, so I can't test it for you.)

Report · Aug 20, 2018

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Steve+Grisetti wrote
.... and I'm not sure Handbrake can convert video to larger than 1920x1080.

Steve, on a quick check using Panasonic H.264 4K footage, it comes out of Handbrake at 4K 3840x2160.

Report · Aug 20, 2018

Thanks for the info, Bill!

Report · Oct 11, 2019

chrisforker,

Hi. I'm super-new to this message board so if this message gets to you late or without notice, I extremely apologize. I'm a bit curious to your issue, as I've come across the same dilemma with my iPhone 8, running the latest iOS 13.2 version. With that said, I've been able to load on my computer (Windows 10) That may also work on your machine, null and void of the OS.

Let me start with one question: How are you importing photos to your Mac? Is it over transferring from your phone via USB? iCloud photos folder on your Mac? Other? Please explain.

Report · Oct 11, 2019

NewHire,

You've tagged on to an old topic. Premiere Elements has evovlved through a couple versions and how it handles iPhone footage has changed and is more capable.

Report · Oct 11, 2019

whsprague,

Thank you for that. I apologize, for I am still in use of Premiere Elements 2018, therefore I figured I'd help those who are still on legacy versions.

Report · Aug 24, 2020

@whsprague,

Just saw your reply, I have a question regarding this issue...

I have Premiere Elements 2019 which cannot open iPhone MOV files.

I get "The importer reported a generic error" error when trying to open these files.

With Premiere Pro CC 2019 Trial version I am able to open these files without issues. And the are reported as "MP4/MOV H.264 4:2:0" codec in Premiere Pro's file properties.

Are you familiar with any way to open these files with Premiere Elements 2019, without having to convert them using Handbrake?

Report · Aug 24, 2020

The short answer: Upgrade to version 2020. (Or at least give the free trial a test drive to see if it resolves your issue.) Premiere Elements 2019 had limited support for H.265 video.

Report · Aug 25, 2020

Thank you Steve,

I'll have a go with Elements 2020 Trial...

One thing though, as mentioned on my post, the format reported by Premiere Pro CC 2019 is H.264, so I figured it should work. Adobe's website also mentions that 2019 version support H.264, and HEVC, so it's weird that Premiere Pro opens them but Elements won't.

Report · Aug 25, 2020

If it's HEVC, it's H.265. But if you want to confirm this (and you might as well, if you want to figure out what's going on), open your HEVC video in the free download MediaInfo. In MediaInfo, set View to Text and then copy this text and paste it to this forum. We'll help you make sense of the specs.

Just know that at this point you're on a digression in a two-year-old topic. It might be best to start your own thread so we can focus on your discussion without confusing it with the older ones in this thread.

Report · Aug 25, 2020

Will do.

Thank you Steve for your help!

Report · Aug 24, 2020

"@whsprague,.....Are you familiar with any way to open these files with Premiere Elements 2019"

Lio5C45,

Steve is correct. It is not until version 2020 that HEVC will work. Your phone can be set to a "most universal" video recording setting. Quality is the same. The only real difference is that the file sizes are larger.

Report · Aug 25, 2020

Thank you @whsprague, I'll try with Elements 2020 Trial.

I cannot find that settings you mentioned on my iPhone (IOS13.6.1).

In any case, Premiere Pro reports the file as H.264, so there shouldn't have been any issue with opening them on Elements, but it still happens.

Weird.

Report · Dec 15, 2020

I purchased Adobe Premier Elements 2020 and installed on a Windows plateform and it still does not read the MOV files. It would be great if there were better compatibility between the iPhone and Android products. There was a recommendation to use a Microsoft store product to help with HEIF Image Extensions, but I was unable to make it work.

Report · Dec 15, 2020

"There was a recommendation to use a Microsoft store product to help with HEIF Image Extensions, but I was unable to make it work."

There is a situation where two separate HEIF/H.265 codecs can be installed from Microsoft. If it were me, and I couldn't sort it out on my own, I would start an online chat with Adobe technicians. https://helpx.adobe.com/support.html

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iPhone MOV not loaded - Codec error

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