Capturing analogue/digital conversion from camcorder

[workmark123]

Just bought a Canon camcorder which has analogue to digital conversion ability.

My question is what can be used to capture the output? I'm running an emac G4 with Tiger version of iMovie installed. It handles input from the dv tapes without problem but doesn't seem to recognise that I don't want to import from a tape but 'live' from the camcorder.

In the iMovie help it suggests this can be done & points to a list of camcorders which work (although mine isn't on there it's a new model & the list doesn't seem to be that up to date). However it doesn't give much more information other than you won't be able to control the camcorder from the mac as you can when importing from dv tape.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Any suggestions that don't involve spending several hundred pounds on professional quality movie editing software will be even more appreciated!

Thanks

 

[Applespider]

It should work in iMovie. You may have to 'trick' iMovie into thinking it's importing from a DV tape by attaching the camera and starting it with a tape in it before removing the tape and doing the AV capture.

 

[workmark123]

applespider

It seemed to recognise that there was no tape & disable the Import button but I will give it another go when I get back this evening in the ordre you suggest. Thanks.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Lacero]

With the Canon's they don't have DV pass through. You need to record the analog signal onto DV tape first, then playback the DV tape to transfer from firewire to your computer. Sucks, I know.

Some newer model camcorders allow DV passthrough, you might want to look at some Canopus DV products.

 

[workmark123]

Lacero:

I'm not familiar with this so I may have misunderstood the term 'pass through' but from the instruction manual that came with the camcorder & from the camcorders listed in the article on Apple's website, it sounds like the camcorder should be able to plug straight into the computer from the vhs source without needing a tape. There are certainly different sections for the two processes in the manual (one for recording to tape, one for conversion sent directly to the computer) but no further information once the three devices are connected. Obviously it's not really Canon's business to delve into the particulars of different programs to capture this but I thought Apple might offer a bit more detail.

This quote is from the Apple article at the link below. Further down in the article are instructions to say that after clicking play on the (in this case)VHS recorder you should be able to import in iMovie. This is the point where I'm stuck as the import button isn't enabled.

"If you use a converter to import non-DV video, you can't control your camera or deck with iMovie. However, you can manually control the camera to import video clips and use all of iMovie's editing features,"

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61745

I may misunderstood what you meant by the term & if so would be grateful for clarification - I'm certainly new to this side of things.

Thanks for your help.

 

[balamw]

FWIW On my Sony camcorder, the passthrough feature needs to be specifically enabled from the camera UI. If you don't turn the feature on, you get exactly the kind of behavior you describe: You can record to tape, but not from the FireWire port.

B

 

[workmark123]

Found the solution:

1. Don't use the scart connector supplied - use one from Maplins with an input/output setting -set this to Output.

2. Ensure you're plugged into to same output that the VHS is playing through.

Otherwise it's all in the manual.

Thanks for the advice & I'll try not to post next time until I've tried a bit harder myself - you know what it's like when you have a new toy impatience is running wild.

Next problem is going to be space in the hard drive.....

 

[LethalWolfe]

Next problem is going to be space in the hard drive.....

But that problem is easily solved just by talking to Mr. Wallet.


Lethal