<p>Poking around in the cache files, it appears that its ideal format is actually MP4. This matches my observations on CPU usage when using a non-mp4 format.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-13T04:37:09.710Z
Prior to windows 7, WMM didn't even have MPEG-4 support without third party codecs.  It is rather unlikely that MP4 is the prefered codec.  More likely, you are seeing reduced CPU usage on MP4 because they may be using GPU decoding capabilities for MP4 since MP4 is a more broadly used standard than WMV.  The [MS materials](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/movie-maker-file-types-faq) for WMM list WMV first and this makes sense as WMV is Microsoft's video format.
AJ Henderson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-15T19:42:21.403Z
But that's not the case. The cache files in appdata are all mp4.
Yet Another User
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-13T03:28:11.210Z
2014-06-13T03:28:11.210Z
Yet Another User
<p>Windows Movie Maker, being a Microsoft product, works with WMV files using the Windows Media Video codecs.  You can use the free Windows Media Encoder to encode the files.  I believe there is also a free version of Microsoft Expression Encoder that you could use as well.  Expression is a bit newer, but slightly less capable since they moved a lot of functionality to the commercial Expression Encoder Pro (the Pro version is unfortunately not free).</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-23T14:51:36.103Z
2013-12-23T14:51:36.103Z
AJ Henderson
<p>Windows Movie Maker is very slow in converting from MP4 to whatever it's using as its preferred/interim format. What is their preferred format, so I can convert to it using faster and/or GPU accelerated programs?</p>

<p>I've somewhat ruled out WMV, however, I converted the video to it, and WMM is processing it a good amount faster.</p>

<p>What is the ideal format to use for movie maker for importing video?</p>

<p><sub>55 hours of video to encode/process with microsoft "technology" is not fun!</sub></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-22T02:12:28.123Z
Please retag this, I can't create the tag "windows-movie-maker", which would be most appropriate.
Yet Another User
CC BY-SA 3.0
2013-12-23T12:42:33.767Z
To the close vote: this is not opinion based. Most probably Windows Movie Maker has a preferred format which doesn't need any transcoding by WMM.
Saaru Lindestøkke
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-15T20:41:20.703Z
Which version of movie maker?  It appears it may make a difference.
AJ Henderson
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-06-15T23:14:36.193Z
@AJHenderson 2012
Yet Another User
<software><video-editor><file-formats><windows-movie-maker>
Ideal video format for Windows Movie Maker
Yet Another User
# Ideal video format for Windows Movie Maker

(Asked by: username_0 on 2013-12-22)

Windows Movie Maker is very slow in converting from MP4 to whatever it's using as its preferred/interim format. What is their preferred format, so I can convert to it using faster and/or GPU accelerated programs?

I've somewhat ruled out WMV, however, I converted the video to it, and WMM is processing it a good amount faster.

What is the ideal format to use for movie maker for importing video?

55 hours of video to encode/process with microsoft "technology" is not fun!

**Tags:** software, video-editor, file-formats, windows-movie-maker

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Please retag this, I can't create the tag "windows-movie-maker", which would be most appropriate.  
> **username_1**: To the close vote: this is not opinion based. Most probably Windows Movie Maker has a preferred format which doesn't need any transcoding by WMM.  
> **username_2**: Which version of movie maker?  It appears it may make a difference.  
> **username_0**: @AJHenderson 2012  

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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_0 on 2014-06-13. Score: -1 | Accepted answer

Poking around in the cache files, it appears that its ideal format is actually MP4. This matches my observations on CPU usage when using a non-mp4 format.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Prior to windows 7, WMM didn't even have MPEG-4 support without third party codecs.  It is rather unlikely that MP4 is the prefered codec.  More likely, you are seeing reduced CPU usage on MP4 because they may be using GPU decoding capabilities for MP4 since MP4 is a more broadly used standard than WMV.  The [MS materials](http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-live/movie-maker-file-types-faq) for WMM list WMV first and this makes sense as WMV is Microsoft's video format.  
> **username_0**: But that's not the case. The cache files in appdata are all mp4.  

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### Answer by username_2 on 2013-12-23. Score: 1

Windows Movie Maker, being a Microsoft product, works with WMV files using the Windows Media Video codecs. You can use the free Windows Media Encoder to encode the files. I believe there is also a free version of Microsoft Expression Encoder that you could use as well. Expression is a bit newer, but slightly less capable since they moved a lot of functionality to the commercial Expression Encoder Pro (the Pro version is unfortunately not free).


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