How to Import Video Files into iTunes
You manage your pictures with iPhoto. You manage your music files with iTunes. Then, what program do you use to manage your video files? You may want to use iTunes for that, too, but, the problem is, iTunes can only handle certain video files.
Now, if you want to import almost all of your video files into iTunes, you only need to know two facts. First, iTunes can handle video files that QuickTime can handle. Second, you need to change the video file’s type to MooV.
QuickTime’s original codec is very limited. But thanks to open-source QuickTime codec Perian, you can make QuickTime recognize most of popular video format. For Windows Media video formats, you need to install Flip4Mac. Now, QuickTime can handle most of video files.
What is left is to change file type. If you already have FileBuddy, you can use it, though it will be an overkill to buy this program for such a light duty task. Fileinfo can do the same thing, and it is a freeware. Just drop your video file on it, and change the file type into MooV.
If you have a lot of video files that you want to import to iTunes, you may want to have a look at Movie2iTunes. It creates a very small QuickTime media link file, and leaves the original video file alone. So, iTunes only handles these small files, while the original movie files remain unchanged. It can also recognize season and episode information from the file name. And it is a freeware. The only thing that bothers me about this program is the concept of a pointer file. I do not want to create another file for my original file, however it is small. But, that’s just me, and you may find this approach more agreeable.
