Use MediaInfo to analyze the file and post the details of it; Tree view is convenient.

See if the instructions in the 2nd post for NEW ITEM pointer

Looks like pretty standard MPEG2 video; almost DVD compliant MPEG2. Premiere works just fine with most flavors of MPEG2, so it's like a container issue. For giggles, try changing the AVI extension to MPG; that may force Premiere into using the MPEG splitter. If that doesn't work, post back--there are ways to demux (demultiplex) AVIs into their elementary streams.

The drag-to-the-new-item-button thing is not going to help; that's a shortcut to setting up a sequence, not a way to force Premiere into playing back a video file. Premiere doesn't care what sequence you use with a particular video file--that's why you can put AVCHD footage in a DV sequence, for example--it's format-agnostic with the formats it accepts. If it doesn't import, or doesn't playback properly from the Project Panel/Source Monitor, then the New Item button isn't going to do a thing--which is what you discovered.

Did you try an extension of .MP4?

Jonathan,

Do you have a short sample of one of these you can upload somewhere? I might have found an easier workaround--I was working on a sample clip that uses a different audio compression than what your clips use. Shoot me a PM if you can put one somewhere.

Thanks!

Hmm... interesting... Soundbooth, that is. I had installed a splitter that I thought maybe was letting me open the files (and then use the Windows 7 built-in H264 decoder), but uninstalling the splitter still lets me open the files in SB. I don't have many other things installed that would let me open the file, so this is indeed a mystery.

Well... let's take a different tactic, at least to get you rolling with the video:

1. Download and install My MP4Box GUI
2. Launch MMG, and click the "Demux" tab
3. Click the "Open" button, and navigate to/select one of the AVI files; hit OK
4. Back at the "Demux" tab, hit the "Demux" button; this will split the AVI into two new files. One will be the video track (filename_video.h264) and the other the audio track (filename_audio.raw). Continue with this process until you've demuxed all the files.
5. Just to be tidy, go ahead and trash the audio tracks (.raw files); I can't figure out how to convert them right now. There is surely some way, but I've tried everything that I immediately know, and nothing worked. I'll keep after it, though
6. Now click over to the "Mux" tab; hit the "Add" button and navigate to one of your .h264 files and select it
7. At this point, you can either click the "Mux" button and a new .mp4 file will be created, or use the "Add to Queue" button and then mux them all in one shot. Annoyingly, the "Add" button asks every time if you want to mux with one stream--you do, but it's a nag that you can't turn off. The "Mux" button doesn't do this, but then you need to hit the "Clear" button before adding the next .h264 file. Pick your poison
8. After all this, you'll have a pile of MP4 files which will import and edit just fine in Premiere; they haven't been transcoded (that's what my earlier "solution" involved), but just rewrapped in a container that Premiere can split open and the contents of which it can decode.

Anyway, it's a little clunky...

OK, scratch that... just figured out an easier way

1. Download VLC
2. In VLC, select Media > Convert/Save; "Add" an AVI file and hit the Convert/Save button
   
3. Specify your destination, and select the profile "Video - H.264 + AAC (MP4);" click the "tools" button next to it
4. In the dialog that appears, make sure that both the "Video codec" and "Audio codec" tabs are set to "Keep original video/audio track"
5. Finally, hit Start; a few moments later, a new MP4 file should appear in the specified destination. Nothing is transcoded--just rewrapped into an MP4 container--and Premiere will open this.

Geez... wish I'd tried that earlier I'm sure there is a way to commandline/batch this so you wouldn't have to do it manually. That's beyond me at the moment though--but this will get you rockin'.

Good to hear We all have to have each other's backs when it comes to this madness. Ain't no Geek Squad to come to the rescue

(...although, I suppose we sort of ARE the real Geek Squad...)

And careful what you wish for: chances are good I'll be out in ABQ sometime later this year for one of the documentary projects I'm working on. Green chili isn't too easy to find in the snowy confines of northern Michigan

Alright, I'm sure you're already done converting all these files manually (poor guy), but I finally figured out how to cook up a super-simple batch file to rewrap a whole folder of these AVIs into MP4s automagically!

Since we can't attach files any more, you'll have to do a little work yourself, but don't worry--it's worth it

1. In the folder containing your AVI files, create a new text document called "avi2mp4.bat" (without the quote marks). Be sure it has the .BAT extension.
2. Paste the following into the batch file:

   @ECHO OFF
   for %%a in (*.avi) do "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc" -I dummy "%%a" --sout=#:file{dst="%%~na".mp4} vlc://quit
   

3. If VLC is installed in the Program Files folder and not the Program Files (x86) folder, remove the " (x86)" from this line, and save the file.
4. To run the batch, simply double-click it, or you can drag and drop AVI files onto it, and they will be rewrapped as MP4s with the same filename as the original. If you use the drag and drop approach, you can save this file anywhere on your hard drive, and any files dropped onto it will be converted and placed in the same folder as the original.

How easy is that?