Convert miniDVD Camcorder footage

[dannnyh]

Apologise for lots of questions but I really dont understand the whole Mac/iMovie/camcorder situation.

What I know so far is iMovie6 and my iBook will accept footage from a miniDV camcorder.

My girlfriend has a DVD camcorder. Is there a workaround/software that will enable me to get the footage onto my ibook and into iMovie to enable me to edit it?

 

[ftaok]

Apologise for lots of questions but I really dont understand the whole Mac/iMovie/camcorder situation.

What I know so far is iMovie6 and my iBook will accept footage from a miniDV camcorder.

My girlfriend has a DVD camcorder. Is there a workaround/software that will enable me to get the footage onto my ibook and into iMovie to enable me to edit it?

You have a couple of options.

1. Get an external DVD drive and rip/convert the DVDs produced by your GFs camcorder into DV or MPEG-4 footage. iMovieHD will be able to use these files, although you'll probably lose some video quality. BTW, the external DVD drive is so that you don't jam your iBook's DVD drive with the small DVDs ... but maybe I would try connecting the DVD camcorder to the iBook first, to see if it acts like an external DVD drive.

2. iMovie'08 handles footage from DVD camcorders. Check out theApple Compatibility Page

3. Keep in mind that if your GFs camcorder is a DVD based AVCHD camcorder, your SOL. AVCHD camcorders need an Intel Mac to convert the footage.

 

[antalya]

You have a couple of options.

1. Get an external DVD drive and rip/convert the DVDs produced by your GFs camcorder into DV or MPEG-4 footage. iMovieHD will be able to use these files, although you'll probably lose some video quality. BTW, the external DVD drive is so that you don't jam your iBook's DVD drive with the small DVDs ... but maybe I would try connecting the DVD camcorder to the iBook first, to see if it acts like an external DVD drive.

2. iMovie'08 handles footage from DVD camcorders. Check out theApple Compatibility Page

3. Keep in mind that if your GFs camcorder is a DVD based AVCHD camcorder, your SOL. AVCHD camcorders need an Intel Mac to convert the footage.

fine thanks

 

[hondak24]

iMovie 6 was probably not designed for DVD camcorders. You probably need to upgrade to iMovie 08 for best compatibility. I recall seeing somewhere on the iMoive or Final Cut Express website that DVD camcorders require OSX 10.5 (latest).

If you hook up the camcorder to your mac via USB, does it show up on your desktop?

If not - then I don't think iMovie can see it either.

If yes - The combination of iMovie 6 and the Apple mpeg-2 pluggin ($19.99) might work. I don't own a DVD camcorder myself, but I own a hard drive camcorder and it worked. Just drag the clips from the camcorder to your clipboard in iMovie.

 

[bigbossbmb]

using an external DVD drive (don't put the little disks in a slot-loading drive), you can use Mactheripper to get the DVD info onto your hard drive and MPEGstreamclip to convert that footage to DV for editing.

 

[gabrules]

The Dvd Camcorders have lots of problems, it may be tricky to put them onto the computer. They seem to have very low compatibility. At work, we have a lot of problems with them when customers bring them to us. Try exporting them to your mini Dv camcorder and then put them on your computer its less of a hassle if your knew to this.
Gabriel
Video Express
http://www.videoexpressmontreal.com