The most likely scenario is that your MOV file is some form of AVC or HEVC.

AVC support is incomplete in Vegas 9. Only a few basic compression models are recognized.

The only Quicktime version that works with Vegas versions prior to 9.0c is Quicktime 7.6.x. Legacy downloads may still be available from the old Apple download site.

You can download a trial version of Vegas Pro 20 here:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.com/us/vegas-pro/

For further peer support (there isn't much available for your version), start by providing these details:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/important-information-required-to-help-you--110457/

Codec "packs" are simply not recommended with Vegas Pro. Suggest a clean OS install because the K-Lite changes to the registry are harder to get rid of than a case of bedbugs.

Thank you both for the information!

I do have Quicktime.

My problem is this:

I'm old and don't want to relearn audio/video software. I have Sony Vegas 9 Pro, Sound Forge, and Presonus Studio One 2 that I used coming up in the recording field since '79.

After being away from recording music and video for long enough to fall far behind, I only want to try to use my old Vegas for fun. iMovie is NOT fun. So I bought a refurb Dell Win 10 PC recently, and loaded up Vegas 5 & 9 and began to tinker.

I'm not having good luck at all, but it is good to see Vegas again, and do some simple editing with old Zoom videos. I am unable to do anything I've recorded on my iphone though, MOV format. That's my new video camera, so I'm at a standstill.

I've already put $500 into my PC to do this, but it looks all for naught.

I DO NOT want to have to relearn video software that is complicated, like iMovie. It can't zoom in on drum beats to make my cuts, for lord's sake. It would be great to get to use the old school Vegas that I know and LOVE.

If what I hear now is correct, I'll have to buy Windows 10, my PC came with it installed, but for a fresh install, I'll have to pay. Maybe I could load up my old Windows 7 that I paid for??

I just want to have some fun at this age, 69. There is a lot I can't quite figure out anymore.

Open to ideas though.

At 69 you're a youngster compared to myself.

Let's have a look at the contents of your problem "mov" files. Follow this and post the full media info https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-how-to-post-mediainfo-and-vegas-pro-file-properties--104561/

This will probably confirm what @Musicvid alluded to earlier "The most likely scenario is that your MOV file is some form of AVC or HEVC. AVC support is incomplete in Vegas 9. Only a few basic compression models are recognized".

In other words you are trying to open a file created with a more modern codec than which your old software can handle. One solution will be to convert your "mov" files to something VP9 can handle. It may need to be mpeg2.

One method to deal with .MOV files is to convert them to .mp4 (using the H.264 video encoder) via a transcoder such as the free HandBrake program - https://handbrake.fr/ - that should see them usable in Vegas Pro - but VP9 is a bit before I entered the Vegas Pro world.

Another advantage of transcoding is that phone cameras typically record with a Variable Frame Rate (VFR), not a Constant Frame Rate (CFR) like Handicams and many SLR cameras that also record video. For example, 25 frames per second (fps) in a Handicam means that the camera records at a fixed 25 fps (i.e. CFR); whereas a phone camera may be set at 30 fps but the actual recording might vary from - as an example only - from 15 fps to 45 fps (i.e. VFR). Transcoding can convert VFR to CFR which is good for Vegas Pro because many - but not everybody - have found over the years that Vegas Pro doesn't handle VFR particularly well.

Hoping this might help.

Uhh, I learned Vegas Pro 20 at age 72, 95% deaf in my left ear, one good eye, and my pear tree is absent one partridge. blahblahblahblah

 I am unable to do anything I've recorded on my iphone though, MOV format. That's my new video camera, so I'm at a standstill.

Why don't you transcode your iPhone video to something Vegas 9 can understand in Shutter Encoder, which is free?

Welcome to the forum.

For further peer assistance, start here:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/important-information-required-to-help-you--110457/

@DrumrPete

Here is your opportunity to move forward to a modern, competent release of Vegas Pro. Do it.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/it-s-the-last-day-to-ditch-any-old-vms-and-get-vp18-for-25--138752/

Yes, the Humble Bundle is still going strong. 34k sold at this moment. And it will get you up to Vegas Pro 18.

I can't tell you the differences between VP9 and VP18, others can, but for $25, you can't go wrong. Oh, and you get some other software with it. You don't have to join up for a monthly gaming subscription, you register and it's a one-off sale.

I can't tell you the differences between VP9 and VP18, others can,

There's a BUNCH. For instance, Vegas Pro 10 added OFX support for plugins which was a major change. Not all versions between 9 and 20 are listed here but here's a lot of the updates:

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/vegas-pro-vegas-post-release-history--104998/

Uhh, I learned Vegas Pro 20 at age 72, 95% deaf in my left ear, one good eye, and my pear tree is absent one partridge. blahblahblahblaH

Welcome to the forum

 

@DrumrPete

Here is your opportunity to move forward to a modern, competent release of Vegas Pro. Do it.

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/it-s-the-last-day-to-ditch-any-old-vms-and-get-vp18-for-25--138752/

Thanks for calling me out for whining!

I needed that.

So A person can get Vegas 18 in the humble bundle for $25?
is there a monthly fee after?

No monthly fee.

Nope!! You own it forever. You get the last patched version.

And you get the other "stuff" too, whether you like it or not. But you don't have to download them.

Okay, I bought the Humble bundle, thanks for the prompts to do so. Also for the info about converters. Downloading now.

Codec "packs" are simply not recommended with Vegas Pro. Suggest a clean OS install because the K-Lite changes to the registry are harder to get rid of than a case of bedbugs.

 

Oh boy, I don’t want to…but I’ll look into how to do that on a PC that came with it preloaded, no authorization code that I know of. That’s for another forum.

Here's the FAQ on the subject (#12)

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-why-won-t-vegas-open-my-file-correctly-codecs-converters-etc--104572/

Here's the FAQ on the subject (#12)

https://www.vegascreativesoftware.info/us/forum/faq-why-won-t-vegas-open-my-file-correctly-codecs-converters-etc--104572/

Thanks, I'll read it in a bit.

In the meantime I did set up V18, opened a new project, and MOV file would not load, got an "issue with" my administrator setup, but got it ironed out, working now!

It looks and works very much like my old Vegas! The timeline and all. Very happy you all pointed me at Humble. This was just what I needed, something cheap and reasonably simple to get me started.

Thanks to all SO much!

I'm struggling just a bit with odds and ends, my Win10 initial setup and all, but it was nice of Vegas to point those things out to me, that had been wrong since I set up Win10 on the PC.

@DrumrPete "it was nice of Vegas to point those things out to me, that had been wrong since I set up Win10 on the PC" Like what?