New to Mac, new iMac - trying to transfer VHS thru Hauppauge via iMovie

[Randomizer]

I have an S-VHS player hooked up to a Hauppauge PVR via S-video and composite audio and then out of the PVR to the iMac via USB. Nothing is happening. iMovie doesn't seem to be picking it up at all. Only camera import option is the built in. Am I missing something? Research indicated that this should be easy with this unit and iMovie. Am I missing something?

 

[Dave Braine]

To the best of my knowledge, S-Video is analogue video. iMovie, and computers in general, can only import digital video.

You will need an Analogue to Digital converter like one of the Canopus products:
http://www.grassvalley.com/products/conversion_hardware

or Elgato's Video Capture:
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html

Canopus uses iMovie/Final Cut to import, so you could end up with your import split into many separate clips. The Elgato uses it's own software to import, and you end up with a single Quicktime file.

 

[ScoobyMcDoo]

On the Hauppage web site, it says you need this software to import video from the PVR to the mac.

 

[Randomizer]

To the best of my knowledge, S-Video is analogue video. iMovie, and computers in general, can only import digital video.

You will need an Analogue to Digital converter like one of the Canopus products:
http://www.grassvalley.com/products/conversion_hardware

or Elgato's Video Capture:
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/Video-Capture/product1.en.html

Canopus uses iMovie/Final Cut to import, so you could end up with your import split into many separate clips. The Elgato uses it's own software to import, and you end up with a single Quicktime file.

The Hauppauge is an analog to digital converter. It's the recording it to the mac part that I was seeking to understand. The video would be coming in digitally via the USB connection. Something I read indicated that iMovie would be able to import this but this does not seem to be the case. I was hoping to do this without additional cost.

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On the Hauppage web site, it says you need this software to import video from the PVR to the mac.

Yes. The site indicates that this is one option. There are others. EyeTV will do it as well. I just thought I might be missing something in what iMovie would be able to do.

 

[Dave Braine]

Apologies, I read it that you had S-Video going to the Mac.