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Foxer

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 22, 2003
1,274
30
Washington, DC
Just curious if anyone knows if the HDR-CX 100 will work with iMovie 09 or FCE. I can't find any definative statements on the web.
 
Wayne

I just bought the HDR-CX100 from Best Buy last night. Two different salesmen there told me it would work with the Mac.

Got it home. It dosent.

The manual says to go to web site http://guide.d.imaging.son.co.jp;/mac/ms.us/ and down load software. But that site dosent' exist.

I called Apple support and they don't have it on their list to support.

Tried Soney Website, and the only software they offer is Microsoft.

I'll take it back tomorrow. Although I like the camera very much. I dosen't seem to want to work with the Mac.:(
 
Perhaps that Sony has the same problem as this one. See update 2.

Sounds like a good idea to ask about the cameras as Foxer did. I've also seen posts where people take in their laptop so they can test cameras with their system. It makes me wonder how messed up the video camera may be.
 
I just got the CX100 and the camera works fine with iMovie. I can import movies and it works fine.

The main issue that I'm having is that the quality is garbage. I have a Flip HD and it works perfectly fine. The quality is great. The Sony camera is not good at all. I've put it on the highest setting as well.
 
The Sony HDR-CX100 does work with Final Cut Studio 2 and iMovie 09 (automatically discovers camcorder and can import video in iMovie 09)

The way to get the video into fcp is below:
Step 1: Record footage
Step 2: Choose a scratch disk and logging bin
Step 3: Mount media volumes in the Log and Transfer window
Step 4: Choose a destination codec for formats not supported natively by Final Cut Pro
Step 5: Select clips in the Browse area
Step 6: View clips in the Preview area
Step 7: Add logging information in the Logging area
Step 8: Add clips to the Transfer Queue to ingest media

The footage is really nice if you are shooting in AVCHD 16M (FH). I purchased it from Best Buy today and it took me about 10 min to find the details of how to use it with fcp.
 
I just got the CX100 and the camera works fine with iMovie. I can import movies and it works fine.

The main issue that I'm having is that the quality is garbage. I have a Flip HD and it works perfectly fine. The quality is great. The Sony camera is not good at all. I've put it on the highest setting as well.

I was disappointed as well. Some shots are great , but if there is not enough light , might as well not even record.

Works fine with iMovie
 
Does the CX 100 Work?

I am getting different responses. I just bought a Mac this weekend. I still have the camcorder in the box. If I open it and it does not work I will have to pay a restocking. So does it or doesn't it work?

Thanks,
Alan
AgraffLawyer@yahoo.com
 
I am getting different responses. I just bought a Mac this weekend. I still have the camcorder in the box. If I open it and it does not work I will have to pay a restocking. So does it or doesn't it work?

Thanks,
Alan
AgraffLawyer@yahoo.com

I just bought the camera today and have OS X 10.5.6 with iMovie 09. I'll give it a shot in a bit an report back for you definitively.
 
HDR-CX100 compatible with FCE 4.0.1

Does anyone know if the sony hdr cx100 camcorder is compatible with Final cut express 4.0.1? Thank you.
 
Does anyone know if the sony hdr cx100 camcorder is compatible with Final cut express 4.0.1? Thank you.

You have to use iMovie 08 or 09, import the video from the camera, export to final cut xml, then import from final cut express. Sounds like a lot, but it's not.
 
Just curious if anyone knows if the HDR-CX 100 will work with iMovie 09 or FCE. I can't find any definative statements on the web.

iMovie'09 ver. 8.0.2 (741)
MAC OS 10.5.6
Proc. 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
RAM 2GB

The Sony HDR-CX100 camera works without any problems
 
Having so much trouble!

I recently bought a HDR-CX100 and I cant get it to download videos.. It will download the pictures straight to IPhoto no problem, but no videos! The Best Buy guy said to get a card reader since I have a MAC, but I cant get that to work because the little CD doesnt fit into the computer. I am so frustrated. I spent $1000 on this camera and memory cards, and cant get it to work. Any suggestions?? :mad:
 
I recently bought a HDR-CX100 and I cant get it to download videos.. It will download the pictures straight to IPhoto no problem, but no videos! The Best Buy guy said to get a card reader since I have a MAC, but I cant get that to work because the little CD doesnt fit into the computer. I am so frustrated. I spent $1000 on this camera and memory cards, and cant get it to work. Any suggestions?? :mad:

I read an odd Apple tech note recently that might apply here. I can't remember if it applied to SD video or images, but in it Apple said to remove the not HD material so that iMovie would then end up seeing the HD material.
 
The Best Buy guy said to get a card reader since I have a MAC, but I cant get that to work because the little CD doesnt fit into the computer.
I can't resolve your main problem, but your post raises a second one:

If this is a USB card reader, you shouldn't need to install drivers from a CD to make it work. If it's a mini-CD or mini-DVD that you have, whatever you do, do not put it in a slot-loading CD/DVD drive as you'll not get it out again without unscrewing the case on your machine.
 
I read an odd Apple tech note recently that might apply here. I can't remember if it applied to SD video or images, but in it Apple said to remove the not HD material so that iMovie would then end up seeing the HD material.


If you by any chance filmed some video footage in SD and some in HD, only the SD will show up in imovie. (you have to back up the SD seperately and delete it from the camera and then restart).

Not sure this applies to photos
 
I just bought the HDR-CX100 last week and was initially worried when I tried to upload my first video footage to iMovie09. I connected using the USB cable, but iMovie didn't automatically open the Import tool when I connected. The solution was rather simple. When you connect your USB cable to the CX100, the USB select menu automatically comes up on the CX100 LCD screen. If you select USB Connect with the Play symbol (the button on the right) while iMovie is open, iMovie will immediately detect the camcorder and open the Import tool window. From there it's straightforward. I recorded everything in HD and it looks great in iMovie.
 
sony HDR -CX100 & IDVD

I have just been given the CX-100 as the videographer for our small theater company. The instruction book has a postage stamp of information on Mac's. I was searching the web & I appreciate the advice in this thread.

I understood that these HD camcorders record in AVCHD which has to be converted to apple intermediate codex (AIC) in I-movie 08 & 09.(This process vastly increases the size of the recorded footage.)

The problem I was told is that AIC is not supported by I-DVD. Is this true? has anyone made a DVd with the HDR-CX100 on a Mac?
I need to archive the footage & share via DVD .

There may be work arounds but this should be simple.I should not have to buy final cut pro or perform some techy maneuvers.

Unfortunately the DVD burning works easily on PC's & I may have to give the footage to a PC user to archive.
 
mini DV all the way

the moral of the story here is that mini DV has been around for years for a very good reason.
Flash based has never impressed me or resulted in good quality.

sorry... I had to be "that guy" :cool:
 
I understood that these HD camcorders record in AVCHD which has to be converted to apple intermediate codex (AIC) in I-movie 08 & 09.(This process vastly increases the size of the recorded footage.)

The problem I was told is that AIC is not supported by I-DVD. Is this true? has anyone made a DVd with the HDR-CX100 on a Mac?
I need to archive the footage & share via DVD.

You are confusing archiving with an end production.

Archiving is about taking files, in this case that would be the files from the camera, or at minimum, the AIC files, and backing them up as original source material you can go back to if needed. Archives can be placed on DVDs, CDs, tapes, BD discs, hard drives, etc. Apparently iMovie has an option to archive the files from not tape cameras.

An end production in iDVD is a product playable on modern DVD players. Usually this content has had some editing done to it. After editing, you export your final edit to a file format compatible with iDVD or other such product. iDVD can use AIC files with PCM audio encoding which will have a .mov extension.

Yes, iMovie converts AVCHD files to AIC files. These are easier for the editing software. Apple does not make any editing software that natively edits AVCHD files. Not even the recently released Final Cut Pro 7 is capable of editing those consumer AVC files.
 
sony HDR -CX100 & IDVD archiving vs making ADVD

Thanks for all your advice.
Archiving is also a theater term for keeping a single copy of a show on hard media. Copyright laws will allow you to make only 1 "archival" copy.

Perhaps I can simply my query
I want to use the companies Sony HDR-CX100 to record a show, open it on my Mac in I-movie ,maybe take out footage of the carpet & worst wobbles, then burn it to a DVD we can watch on a standard DVD player. Lastly put it in a box with all the old videotapes of previous shows.(Archive it)

The older Mini DVd tapes worked fine in I-movie, but only those recorded in 16 bit sound could be burnt via I-DVD. It seems you can view many formats in I- movie , but I-DVd is very select about what it will burn. The Mini DVd tapes would only record an hour & many shows were longer. Hence the company bought the Sony HDR Cx-100 (not my advice)

The video camera documentation is only for Pc users. It mentions that HD movies burnt to DVD's can only be seen on BlueRay players, furthermore if you insert these into ordinary DVD players, the disc will not eject.

So i plan to shoot some test footage in SD mode. Open & edit in I movie & see if I-DVd will burn to a DVD disc that can be watched on a standard DVd player. if this works I can record a show to a DVD then put it in a box with all the videotapes of older productions.

Obviously i can do this & see if it works. I was hoping to find out if it's possible to make a physical DVD before I spend a frustrating 1/2 day & night.

Finally as a Mac user since 1992 Its a great shame that the latest video technology excludes the non "techy" Mac user This process should be simple. Camcorder manufactures , salesmen & Apple are colluding in "disinformation' when they say a new camcorder is Mac compatible; yes if you want to view a movie on I-movie or your TV. No if you want to burn & keep a physical DVD. .
 
If you can get the content into iMovie, you should be able to export to a format usable by iDVD. In iMovie 09 there is an iDVD option under the Share menu. If that fails for some reason, then you could simply export the project using the AIC settings I mentioned in my previous message. You would do that by choosing the "Export Using QuickTime..." selection in the Share menu. See my iMovie Export Guide to understand that.

If you use the SD format of that camera, you might need to use Streamclip to convert it, or Apples MPEG2 decoder which costs a small amount of money.

If you want good widescreen, I would think recording in HD would be the better choice. Yes, that too should be usable in iDVD via iMovie editing. It won't be HD, but widescreen like the Hollywood movies with the black bars on the top and bottom. That might be a better choice for a wide stage.
 
I have an HDR-CX100 and a Mac OSX 10.4.11 with iMovie HD. I've tried a few of the suggestions I've read but nothing works so far. Any further suggestions?
 
Clarification

I can get files from the cx100 to the desktop but when I try to import them into iMovie, it won't recognize MTS files and when i try to bring in a SD MPEG file, it says "Quicktime couldn't parse it - 2048" Any ideas?
 
maggie d'artist,

You don't copy from the camera to the desktop via the Finder. You use iMovie or other editor to read straight from the camera.

There is a trick to create a disk image and copy the files from the camera to that.
 
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