Sony Handycam - how connect? Where is firewire connection on cam?

[patrickmdryan]

Help! New SONY Handycam 30GB - HD AVCHD

How do I connect this to my Mac? I need to connect for web conferencing and for imovie and so forth. So what's the trick?
It only appears to have USB and that serves to apparently the PC only.
Thanks everyone!
Patrick
patrickmdryan@comcast.net

[Westside guy]

Dude, I'm sorry but looking at the camera specs this looks like yet another case of Sony trying to push one of their proprietary protocols rather than using an industry's de facto standard. Unless Sony provides a driver for OS X you are out of luck.

This has been a problem for several years. Some of Sony's digital tape cameras used a proprietary format called MicroDV rather than the standard MiniDV. If you got one of those back then, you could only use a hardware plus software combo that'd been blessed by them.

This is why it's important to do research BEFORE buying a product - not just for Mac users, but for anyone. Especially with Sony. They lock you into their particular system, and you're stuck with it.

Edit: I may not have been entirely correct. It appears that one other vendor - Panasonic - is on board with AVCHD. So it's possible the format isn't as closed as I thought (it's still possible that it is closed. It's an open question).

You might be able to move the files over by dragging them, if you treat the camera like an external hard drive. But it doesn't look like there is support for AVCHD in any software not offered by Sony, at least at present.

[patrickmdryan]

I am desperately looking for a work-around to get this Sony handycam to work with iDVD, iPhoto, iMovie, Messenger, and AIM!
It looks like I might have to take it back to Best Buy and yell at the sales guy for pushing this on me. I told him I wanted to go home and do more research but he convinced me he could answere all my questions. Too bad one of my questions wasn't "Will this work with my Mac?" - he assumed I was on a PC!
This was a $1000 plus camcorder.... it has a 15% restocking fee! It looks like I am out $150 or more! Damn it!!!

Originally Posted by Westside guy

Dude, I'm sorry but looking at the camera specs this looks like yet another case of Sony trying to push one of their proprietary protocols rather than using an industry's de facto standard. Unless Sony provides a driver for OS X you are out of luck.

This has been a problem for several years. Some of Sony's digital tape cameras used a proprietary format called MicroDV rather than the standard MiniDV. If you got one of those back then, you could only use a hardware plus software combo that'd been blessed by them.

This is why it's important to do research BEFORE buying a product - not just for Mac users, but for anyone. Especially with Sony. They lock you into their particular system, and you're stuck with it.

Edit: I may not have been entirely correct. It appears that one other vendor - Panasonic - is on board with AVCHD. So it's possible the format isn't as closed as I thought (it's still possible that it is closed. It's an open question).

You might be able to move the files over by dragging them, if you treat the camera like an external hard drive. But it doesn't look like there is support for AVCHD in any software not offered by Sony, at least at present.

[MisterMe]

Originally Posted by patrickmdryan

...
It looks like I might have to take it back to Best Buy and yell at the sales guy for pushing this on me. ...

You are being childish. Apple tells you what works with iMovie. That did paid it no mind is your fault, not the fault of the Best Buy salesman. He was just doing his job as a salesman. In Best Buy, your job is consumer. Learn to be good consumer.

[patrickmdryan]

Originally Posted by MisterMe

You are being childish. Apple tells you what works with iMovie. That did paid it no mind is your fault, not the fault of the Best Buy salesman. He was just doing his job as a salesman. In Best Buy, your job is consumer. Learn to be good consumer.

I will remember that next time! The fact is, the technology is new on the Sony... no one can edit it except for the generic software that comes with the cam. It's hard to keep up with all the changes and new rules you have to follow. Besides, the salesmen assured me he could answer all my questions.

As a consumer, we know you sales people don't really care if what we buy works or not, you just want to see it go in the cart and out the door. And if it don't work, you always blame the consumer for being dumb! You must be a sales person yourself otherwise you would have never made that comment. There are other more important things are going on in this world that you have to pay more attention to vs. what the latest and greatest technology is currently. You must be a geek who has nothing else better to do than put down "dumb consumers" all day for making an error anyone could have made. But thanks for the input. Maybe if I try really hard someday I can be as smart as you. Learn to be a good forum poster that actually has a valuable comment. Have a good one!

[whenpaulsparks]

you didn't make a bad purchasing decision. hopefully Apple will add AVCHD to iMovie in january.