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runninmac

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 20, 2005
1,494
0
Rockford MI
Me and my friend are trying import some footage into iMovie with her Sony Handycam but it wont show up on my MacBook and Im afraid to put the mini dvd in it. Any suggestions
 

jsw

Moderator emeritus
Mar 16, 2004
22,910
44
Andover, MA
Not sure how the DVD-based ones work (USB 2.0?) but please DO NOT put the mini DVD into any slot-loading optical drive. Ever. Nothing in the manual for copying files?
 

Applespider

macrumors G4
Don't put the mini-DVD in a slot-loading drive - it won't read it and you'll have a tough time getting it back out.

If the camera doesn't have a FW out port, then you need to find a tray-loading DVD drive to rip the file and then convert it to a format that iMovie can use. DVD-cams really aren't that great if you intend to edit the footage.
 

Danksi

macrumors 68000
Oct 3, 2005
1,554
0
Nelson, BC. Canada
The DVD based camcorders act as USB2.0 drives, or at least my Father-In-Law's Panasonic does.

Do you mean your MacBook doesn't recognise it as a drive/device. Was there any OSX software with the Camcorder? - If so, you may have to use that.
 

balamw

Moderator emeritus
Aug 16, 2005
19,366
979
New England
Last I checked the DVD and MicroMV cameras made by Sony were not supported under OS X. At least with the MiniDVD you should be able to copy it off onto a larger DVD on a ray loading system and use DVDxDV or streamclip to get it into iMove, nothing to do with the MicroMV...

B
 

runninmac

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jan 20, 2005
1,494
0
Rockford MI
Applespider said:
If the camera doesn't have a FW out port, then you need to find a tray-loading DVD drive to rip the file and then convert it to a format that iMovie can use. DVD-cams really aren't that great if you intend to edit the footage.

Thanks for the help, were still having probems copying it to a DVD but what format should we use if we can get it to work? DVD cameras do suck!
 

Pistol Pete

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2005
616
5
California
i hate mini dvd camers...i hate them


horrible


horrible...

back to topic...

from what i knew i didnt even think they were compatible. possibly an external dvd drive that has a spot for the small disc?
 

balamw

Moderator emeritus
Aug 16, 2005
19,366
979
New England
runninmac said:
Thanks for the help, were still having probems copying it to a DVD but what format should we use if we can get it to work? DVD cameras do suck!
Ideally you'd like to bring it back to DV so that you can edit it. DVDxDV or MPEG streamclip can help you with that. Or you could probably play the DVD through a DV camera's passthrough and capture it. If your project is for the Web or iPod then you could also use Handbrake and go down to MPEG4 which iMovie 06 likes.

What problems are you having copying from the miniDVD to DVD?

B
 

Mac-ination

macrumors newbie
Jul 6, 2006
2
0
SoCal
Importing VOB file from Sony Handycam DVD205

Uh-oh. So my brand new Handycam that produced .VOB files--that I can't figure out how to import into either iMovie or Final Cut Express--isn't the hot solution for home movies with lots of editing required? I had a Canon Elura 50 MiniDV and it went on the fritz after just 2 years (plus was so slow importing with firewire) so I thought I'd really gotten clever with the mini DVD. I'd love to hear why you don't like them.


Pistol Pete said:
i hate mini dvd camers...i hate them


horrible


horrible...

back to topic...

from what i knew i didnt even think they were compatible. possibly an external dvd drive that has a spot for the small disc?
 

FF_productions

macrumors 68030
Apr 16, 2005
2,822
0
Mt. Prospect, Illinois
Mac-ination said:
Uh-oh. So my brand new Handycam that produced .VOB files--that I can't figure out how to import into either iMovie or Final Cut Express--isn't the hot solution for home movies with lots of editing required? I had a Canon Elura 50 MiniDV and it went on the fritz after just 2 years (plus was so slow importing with firewire) so I thought I'd really gotten clever with the mini DVD. I'd love to hear why you don't like them.

Make another thread please...
 

AJ Muni

macrumors 65816
Aug 4, 2005
1,149
23
Miami
Nope wont work. I have a sony dvd handycam, and since last april I've been trying to figure out how to use it with my mac. Bottom line is it wont work. I should of gotten a mini dv cam.
 

Mac-ination

macrumors newbie
Jul 6, 2006
2
0
SoCal
AJ Muni said:
Nope wont work. I have a sony dvd handycam, and since last april I've been trying to figure out how to use it with my mac. Bottom line is it wont work. I should of gotten a mini dv cam.

That's what I get for thinking intuitively...it seemed so easy in concept. Any DVD handycams that do work with Macs out there? If not, any favorites for Mini DV? My Canon Elura was a huge disappointment.
 

Pistol Pete

macrumors 6502a
Jan 6, 2005
616
5
California
AJ Muni said:
Nope wont work. I have a sony dvd handycam, and since last april I've been trying to figure out how to use it with my mac. Bottom line is it wont work. I should of gotten a mini dv cam.

yah basicly. next time just research a lot and ask the right questions.
 

Rickay726

macrumors 6502
Dec 29, 2005
341
0
New Jersey
when i first got my camera i dindt no how to upload it in imovie either, its actually very easy tho once you get the hang of. open i movie jut like you would do regually. NOTE* YOU CANNOT UPLOAD VIDEO VIA FIREWIRE. YOU MUST USE USB. makesure that the firewire cable is unplugged from your camera. turn ur camera on and put it in play/edit mode. usually the 3rd setting like on my handy cam. Now in imovie take the little slider bad on the bottom and slide it toward the scciors ur screen on imovie should be blue and say that the camera is connected. NOTE* BEFORE DOING THIS MAKESURE THAT YOUR CAMERA IS QUED TO THE POINT YOU WANT TO UPLOAD.
 

Tom in AZ

macrumors newbie
Sep 9, 2006
1
0
Well, this is not a DVD style cam I have. It is a (Hi8) Sony CCD-TRV608, and it has a built in USB port. I connect it to the PowerBook G4 making sure the USB port is activated on the camera (In the menu system). iMovie still does not see it even following the directions in the above post. Is there a way to take a set of winhose drivers and use a wrapper with it? Something a long the lines that ndiswrapper does for the linux community for 802.11 WiFi? It is a great camera, and works fine with XP machines. I just want to try to move away from XP as I find this OSX just to be smarter 95% of the time.

Any ideas on where to go to from here?
 

MacFan25863

macrumors 6502a
Jun 20, 2004
557
0
Tom in AZ said:
Well, this is not a DVD style cam I have. It is a (Hi8) Sony CCD-TRV608, and it has a built in USB port. I connect it to the PowerBook G4 making sure the USB port is activated on the camera (In the menu system). iMovie still does not see it even following the directions in the above post. Is there a way to take a set of winhose drivers and use a wrapper with it? Something a long the lines that ndiswrapper does for the linux community for 802.11 WiFi? It is a great camera, and works fine with XP machines. I just want to try to move away from XP as I find this OSX just to be smarter 95% of the time.

Any ideas on where to go to from here?

USB transfer for video tends to suck. USB can't keep up with the video, resulting in lost frames.

Try hooking your camera up through a capture device, such as the Canopus ADVC 55


You can do the same for the miniDVD cameras.
 

Applespider

macrumors G4
Tom in AZ said:
Well, this is not a DVD style cam I have. It is a (Hi8) Sony CCD-TRV608, and it has a built in USB port. I connect it to the PowerBook G4 making sure the USB port is activated on the camera (In the menu system). iMovie still does not see it even following the directions in the above post.

iMovie won't see USB devices. Check and see if it has a Firewire (iLINK) port and buy a cable for that.
 

innovationcreat

macrumors newbie
Nov 28, 2007
2
0
leopard on MacBook can read USB camera

Time heals all!

I have a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD108 and a MacBook running leopard. Leopard recognized the camera as soon as I plugged in the USB cable and suggested iMovie as the application to open. iMovie then asked to import the movies already recorded on the mini-dvd discs.

I was then able to edit and produce the movie clips.

I do agree managing mini-dvd discs is a pain and a format that is not super convenient.

Hope this helps
John Blue
 

bebowler

macrumors newbie
Dec 6, 2007
2
0
Time heals all!

I have a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD108 and a MacBook running leopard. Leopard recognized the camera as soon as I plugged in the USB cable and suggested iMovie as the application to open. iMovie then asked to import the movies already recorded on the mini-dvd discs.

John Blue

Yeah I have the same - MacBook with Leopard - and a sony handycam from school. I plugged it in but had to wait for about half an hour for the videos to load up in the iMovie import window. I prefer the SD cameras I have used.
 

chapin

macrumors newbie
Dec 27, 2007
1
0
handycam 108 and imovie

I have a Sony Handycam DCR-DVD108 and a brand new MacBook 2.2 running leopard but the mac will not import the clips. What am I doing wrong?
 
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