Analog tape to imovie. Is it possible?

[aminalw47]

Hello People

I bought the Mac Book Pro specifically to do video editing of old analog tapes I made over 30 years living abroad..

Since buying it I have been unable even to load my video tape (Hi 8) from the camera to the hard drive to edit it in imovie.

I was told that all I needed to do is connect my Dazzle interface input to my camera and put the USB into the computer and I could load the video tape (analog) onto the hard drive and then edit etc.

I called and talked a long time with a MAC guy, we walked through a lot of attempts and finally he told me it couldn’t be done. He said that I could only load digital from a camera and that if I wanted to load my old analog tape, I had to by a device that was over $500.

I then asked if I could load my tape onto a dvd and then put the dvd in the Mac, copy it to the hard drive and edit, he wasn’t sure but thought that once the dvd was finalized in the process, copyright rules would not allow me to copy it to the hard drive.

What this means to me is that all I was told was not true and that I cannot do what I bought the Mac to do.

If the analog is out, Can I do the following?

I have since down loaded Hand Brake and done the following to make my video work on imovie:

• Download Handbrake

• Put my analog tape on a dvd

• Put the DVD drive in the Mac

Here is where I have problems????

• Open disk in the DVD drive and copy to hard drive

• Drag and drop into iphoto, How??

• Open it with imovie just like the normal process, How??

Please help or let me know that I can’t do it.

Les Winberg

 

[robanga]

As long as your camera has analog out connections its going to cost your far less than $500.

I have an Elgato device that does this for $200 and it even has a TV Tuner to boot. I believe you can get simple analog to digital/USB converters for that $99 you mentioned.

There is no reason iMovie should not import an MPEG2 file as created by a capture device and then allow you to edit etc. At the very most you may have to convert the file into another format first.

 

[Sonicjay]

Start with some specifics.. what make and model camera do you have, which Dazzle device do you have, etc. Also, do you have a MiniDV camera available to use/borrow as a pass-through? You do not want to take analog to MPG2, then convert, edit, and recompress. The end result will be abysmal.

 

[Flynnstone]

I have done what you're trying to do. Although I have different hardware.

Basically go from Hi8 video to ... DV in my case.

Do you have a miniDV camcorder?

Here is my method:
Connect my old Hi8 (analog) camcorder to my miniDV camcorder with s-video cable. Connect audio as well.
Put miniDV into a passthru mode and connect to Mac via Firewire cable.
(You can also go from tape to tape if you want a backup. But miniDV is 1 hr per tape. Hi8 is up to 2 hr I think).

Once its in a DV format, iMovie has no problem. Edit away!

You can do the DVD method, but will likely loose quality. Don't know.
But need to convert the DVD to DV. I think Handbrake will work.
I've used ... can't remember the name.

 

[aminalw47]

Start with some specifics.. what make and model camera do you have, which Dazzle device do you have, etc. Also, do you have a MiniDV camera available to use/borrow as a pass-through? You do not want to take analog to MPG2, then convert, edit, and recompress. The end result will be abysmal.

Thanks

I posted the two similar threads about analog video to ivideo because it didn't look like people understood the first one.

I need more input about this. If I really can't do what Mac told me when I bought the Macbook without buying more equipment or doing work arounds, will have to give the Mac Back.

All I want to do is get a digital version of my tape in imovie. Everything I have heard says I can't without buying or manipulating. I can do all this on my old PC with Studio but I wanted to do it better on a Mac.

I will ahve to get the model numbers. I have the Mac without the firewire.

Les

Thanks

People at Mac can't help or don't know how to help me.

 

[nkawtg72]

since others appear to be pointing you in the right direction, i'll simply say that you should probably take the mac back anyway and get a model with firewire.

the problem you are experiencing right now, is a good example of why firewire shouldn't have been removed from any of apple's offerings.

without firewire, DV pass-through is impossible. it will be necessary to buy an analog-digital converter between $100-250, to get it done otherwise.

 

[Flynnstone]

Do you have a MacBook or a MacBook Pro?