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errors importing some file types

Specific to Premiere Elements version 15

errors importing some file types

Postby Mark M » Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:59 am

Hi, I found your great site after encountering your wonderful tutorials on youtube - many thanks for that.

I've been using elements 11 on my old laptop. I've just got a new laptop, and decided at the same time to move along to elements 15, which I've just installed. I then proceeded to import my media files to the organiser. Unfortunately, it doesn't like a lot of my files!
The ones it's unhappy with are .avi, .mod, and some (not all) .mov files.

The first time I tried to open one of these, elements opened a dialog with a serial number for me to copy and a link for pasting it into to get a security key for the required codec, but unfortunately the link on the adobe website was broken or out of date - gave a 404 error anyway.

I now just get a Generic Failure message, as follows: 'This type of file is not supported, or the required codec is not installed.'

In short - help!

I'm in the UK, if that makes any difference. I should say that the video files have originated mainly from an iphone, a Nikon DSLR still camera, and as exported video files from previous elements projects. I'm not especially techie: I'm afraid I start to glaze over a bit when we get into detail of file types, different codecs, frame rates etc - but I'll try to pay attention, as I suspect that may all be relevant to sorting my issue!
TIA
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Re: errors importing some file types

Postby Steve Grisetti » Wed Sep 22, 2021 12:11 pm

Glad you found our tutorials helpful, Mark.

One of the challenges of installing dated software is that sometimes the links to activate its elements are no longer active, so the software is not fully functional. That may be part of what's happening in your case. You also are trying to edit MOV files which once required some additional software from Apple (Quicktime Player) that is no longer available.

My recommendation would be to first install the free trial of Premiere Elements 2021 on your system. See if it will work with your video files.

If you don't intend to upgrade to the current version, that still may be possible. Installing version 2021 may activate the elements you need to edit with version 11.

At least some of them. You're probably not going to be able to edit video from newer iPhones on such old editing software. Apple keeps updating its camcorder software, and it's possible you're trying to edit a codec version 11 doesn't know what to do with.

In short, the easiest solution is to upgrade to a more current version of Premiere Elements. If you don't want to do that, we may be able to help you to some extent. But you just may not be able to edit all current video formats on such old software.
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Re: errors importing some file types

Postby Mark M » Wed Sep 22, 2021 1:49 pm

Thanks for the prompt reply Steve.
Perhaps I didn't explain clearly - it's elements 15, not 11, that I'm having the problems with. I wanted to upgrade from 11, but was worried that the latest version would be too different from version 11 that I've got used to, hence plumping for 15 for now.
Is it because 15 is also now too old that I have these issues? Will Elements and/or my laptop get confused if I download the trial version of 21, having just installed 15?
thanks again
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Re: errors importing some file types

Postby Steve Grisetti » Wed Sep 22, 2021 9:09 pm

Again I recommend that you install the free trial of the current version of the program. Either (a) installing it may activate the components you need in order to edit in version 15, or (b) you may find you prefer it.

It's possible the components installed with version 2021 will may make editing your videos with 15 possible. Or it may be that version 15 isn't advanced enough to edit some codecs (such as iPhone video) in which case you'll need to upgrade to a more recent version. In any event, installing the free trial will at least get you to a place where you can decide how to proceed.
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Re: errors importing some file types

Postby Mark M » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:17 pm

Thanks Steve. I got the trial version of 21 and played about. The upshot is as follows:
In 15, the organiser doesn't display thumbnail images of the .mov files. The same goes for the 21 organiser in the main, but it does display some of them, seemingly randomly.
In the 15 video editor, the.mov files are just audio files. In the 21 editor, they work normally as video files.

So, I suppose the logical step is for me to go and buy the full version of 21. But...

1. I've only just bought 15! After upgrading from 11.

2. I'm not sure how well my system will cope with 21. My previous laptop was creaking with 11, and I've been looking forward to working on a machine that's comfortably above the spec required for 15. I'm still in the minimum requirements for 21, but not the recommendations. I've got 11th generation quad core i7 CPU @2.8GHz and 8gb RAM. Admittedly it's been ok with the trial version of 21 over the last couple of days, but I haven't really stretched it all that much.

3. I could just Handbrake all the .mov files into mp4's, which I guess would keep my Elements 15 happy.
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Re: errors importing some file types

Postby Steve Grisetti » Fri Sep 24, 2021 1:36 pm

Converting the files is probably the easiest solution, Mark. Especially if the MOVs are the only real problem.

MOVs can use any number of codecs. And Apple seems to invent new ones every year! It could well be that those MOVs are using an advanced or even ProRes format.

We could dig into it further if you'd like, but maybe it's just easiest to convert the files to MP4s and be done with it.
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