In the past few weeks, I’ve encountered a problem that crops up when faculty tries to upload videos for editing that they’ve shot on their personal iphones.
The videos play just fine in any browser, but downloading them results in an error message and inability to import or even view the downloaded file. Clicking the error gives you some info about the cool new way file types work, but no further information about converting the file to a useable state for pre-High Sierra macs.
VLC and other converters wouldn’t work on the files for me, and the only thing I could find was the fact that videos recorded using the new iOS would not currently cooperate on computers with older operating systems. The only workaround I was able to find was being fortunate to get a hold of a new Mac with an updated OS and just converting it through Quicktime there without checking the HEVC default.
Now that I have a bit more time, there are quite a few online converters out there for HEVC to H.264 or other malleable file types, so maybe try Handbrake if you’re in a similar jam. I’m sure this isn’t the first time someone’s found this little issue, particularly since this file type is popular with GoPro type products, but it sure can be a pain if you cant figure out why your usual tools aren’t cooperating.
