AVI for iMovie?

Hi!
I'm having a real problem with my old video files from the game "The Sims 2". I want to edit them in iMovie but the program won't let me import the AVI files. I was wondering if you could help me? I'm really desperate. And I'm also quite new to Mac so it's very complicated for me.

I've read everything about AVI files on the official Apple website but I still can't seem to find the codec to import these files. I checked the information about the video clips and the only thing I find that might be useful is "VP61". Does that mean anything to you?

It would mean so much if someone could help me get these clips to work in iMovie. Thank you!

Hi BimboBoy - this was actually heavily discussed in a few threads recently in the Switchers Forum - although a slightly different situation, a similar issue.

If you can't import your AVI's directly into imovie (some avi's work, some don't depending on encoding), you have a few options. Unfortunately, VP61 is a codec that not all editors like right off the bat, so you will probably just have to do a conversion of the video to another codec (converting to another container wouldn't be bad either as the avi would need to be converted anyway by imovie for its own use if it could read it - I don't know much about vp61, other then I read a post somewhere that an older version of Premiere (Pro 2.0) won't import that video codec either)

Here's a cut and paste of most of a post I did in the other thread (kind of read between as this persons problem was footage from video cameras, I haven't edited the content, just stripped out the sections that seemed appropriate to you):

a) If you just want to use imovie, you will need to convert the file - to convert the file into something imovie will like you can use:
mpegstreamclip ( Download MUMenu for Mac - Menu item displays latest MacUpdate releases in pull down menu. MacUpdate Mac Desktop Software Downloads ) - free app to convert
VLC ( Download MUMenu for Mac - Menu item displays latest MacUpdate releases in pull down menu. MacUpdate Mac Desktop Software Downloads ) (has an option to save/convert video) - free app
ffmpegx ( Download ffmpegX for Mac - DivX/MPEG-1/MPEG-2 encoder and more. MacUpdate Mac Video Software Downloads ) used to be free I guess, but is currently shareware to get rid of nag screen, $15.00 (there are some instructions here: imovie problems - macosx.com that give a step by step)
Quicktime Pro (purchaseable from apple here: Apple - QuickTime - QuickTime Pro ) costs $29.95 and will also convert between formats.

You need to get your video into a .mov or a dv stream to be able to edit in imovie - it's a limitation of the program from everything I've read (I use a different app most of the time, and imovie, I just play with) Considering the price of the ilife package, that's not a huge surprise on a limitation (moviemaker on windows has similar limitations)

b) If you don't want to use imovie, you can look into getting a bigger package like:
Final Cut Express ($199), I couldn't afford FCP right now, so I'm using FCE until I can. I can drag and drop divx avi files into it without an issue
Final Cut Pro ($~1500 I think) Top end editing tool from apple
Adobe Premiere (there is an elements version that's like $140, but I don't know if it will work on OSX or not)