Camcorders: A doomed relationship? Mac iMovie + Sony Handycam DCR/DVD
A doomed relationship? Mac iMovie + Sony Handycam DCR/DVD
by JohnY308 - 8/16/09 11:31 PMMy Sony camcorders (DCR-DVD 201 has a Mini B port and came with a Mini B-to-USB cable. I have a Mac and despite the Apple support site's representations, it is essential to use the Mac Firewire port to import video from the camcorder. Unfortunately, I can't find a Mini B to Firewire cable. The Apple Store directed me to a number of the retail stores that carry lots of cables. Nothing. In fact, some retail sales consultants (typically, barely helpful) say there is no such thing as a Mini B to Firewire cable.
Can anyone help me?
Is there a Mini B to Firewire cable? If so, how do i find one?
Can this camcorder be used with Mac/iMovie?
What's the ideal camcorder for Mac/iMovie?
Thanks
Or
by R. Proffitt
- 8/17/09 5:22 AM
In reply to: A doomed relationship? Mac iMovie + Sony Handycam DCR/DVD by JohnY308
You take the DVD media out of the camcorder and import that content. Sorry but there are far too many choices here for software titles. In this case the advice was off target.
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2361 tells you to use STANDARD and never to use VR formats.
You also see it writes to slip the DVD into your Apple.
Bob
Bob's right...
by boya84 - 8/17/09 11:11 AM In reply to: A doomed relationship? Mac iMovie + Sony Handycam DCR/DVD by JohnY308"You take the DVD media out of the camcorder"
You did not tell us which Mac. Most Macs have a slot loading DVD drive. Never put a small (8cm) or odd sized disc in a slot loader. You need to use a drawer loader. I like those from LaCie.
You will also need to get a DVD ripper. I like HandBrake
http://handbrake.fr/
You are partially correct, "it is essential to use the Mac Firewire port to import video from the camcorder" - the end of this sentence is when you are using a miniDV tape based camcorder.
Consumer flash memory, hard disc drive and DVD based camcorders do not have a DV port to which you would connect a firewire cable which would connect to the Mac's firewire port.
Is there a miniUSB-to-firewire cable? Yes - but I won't share a link because that cable won't work.
An "ideal" camcorder for Macintosh is the same "ideal" camcorder for any other computer...
Note there is no differentiation between computer hardware or operating systems in the next 3 paragraphs:
In this particular case, the standard definition DVD based camcorders are the worst possible camcorder for editing the video on a computer. The VOB files are very highly compressed.
Flash memory and hard disc drive camcorders use USB to copy the files to a computer, typically, they need to be converted. MPEG StreamClip can do that
http://www.squared5.com/
or
http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html
MiniDV tape means you connect the camcorder's DV port to the computer's firewire port with a firewire cable.
A bit of OS-hardware/software-specific information and other tidbits:
AVCHD and HDV for high definition have different requirements. Since you are referring to the DCR-DVD201, my comments are limited to standard definition video camcorders, only.
MacBooks made between October 2008 and June 2009 and MacBook Air computers have no firewire port and no way to add one - all other Apple Macintosh computers made in the last 10+ years have a firewire port.
Many traditional Windows machines have no 1394 or firewire port - some have available expansion slot to add one, some do not. Firewire, IEEE1394, i.LINK and DV are all the same thing. This is no concern to you - but may be for other readers.
USB-to-firewire cable/converter/hub/adapter things won't work to transfer high quality DV (or HDV) format video.
Sony Handcam and Mac iMovie
by JohnY308 - 8/18/09 1:47 AM In reply to: Bob's right... by boya84Thanks for the two reply posts. Yes, my Mac has a slot loader and yes i did not dare put a mini DVD disc in. So here's my novice understanding of the advice. a. While there may be a mini-B to Firewire cable out there, it won't work so not worth trying; b. Essentially, all of my mini DVD discs cannot be loaded into iMovie via my existing camcorder; c. Indeed, my mini DVD discs can't be loaded into my Mac period.
So if I want to transfer my mini DVDs onto DVDs to store for posterity and/or edit the content on a computer, I need a different computer...
If I want to use Mac iMovie, I had better purchase a different video recording device and scrap the Sony Handycam...
Very depressing.
Why a different computer?
by R. Proffitt - 8/18/09 3:38 AM
In reply to: Sony Handcam and Mac iMovie by JohnY308
I lucked into an external DVDRW drive with lightscribe for 25 bucks. I've seen people pay more than that for a pack of DVD media.
Hope this cheers you up.
Bob
import DVD to iMovie
by 11jjo - 8/24/09 12:24 AM In reply to: A doomed relationship? Mac iMovie + Sony Handycam DCR/DVD by JohnY308Handbrake may help you.
Here is a guide about how to import DVD to iMovie that may help.
http://www.applemacvideo.com/articles/how-to-put-dvd-into-apple-imovie.html#119
| Forum legend: | |
 |
Locked thread |
 |
Moderator |
 |
CNET staff |
 |
Samsung staff |
 |
Norton Authorized Support team |
 |
AVG staff |
 |
Windows Outreach team |
 |
Dell staff |
 |
Intel staff |
