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Panasonic HDC-HS9 + mac compatibility issues?

O

okachobi

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 30, 2007
30
0
I'm thinking about picking up the brand new Panasonic HDC-HS9, however I just read a troubling review. The HS9 is a Hard-Disc recording version of the SD9. The review I just read said that there were problems importing video to iMovie 08 using the hard disc, but no problems using the SD-Card.

The review is here:

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/Reviews/panasonic_hdc-hs9.html

Does anyone know if Apple or Panasonic has resolved this?

I have owned other Panasonic cameras and really like them, but the reason I'm choosing the HS9 is for the hard disc. 16gb/32gb SD cards are over $300, and the difference in price between the SD9 and HS9 is only $200, so I immediately get 60gb of storage and can go back to an SD card later.
 
okachobi said:
I'm thinking about picking up the brand new Panasonic HDC-HS9, however I just read a troubling review. ...

The review is here:

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/Reviews/panasonic_hdc-hs9.html

Does anyone know if Apple or Panasonic has resolved this?

...
Click to expand...
iMovie 08 is compatible with tape-based digital camcorders that have FireWire ports plus a few select non-tape cameras. Apple posted a list of supported non-tape cameras on the iMovie support website. The Panasonic HDC-HS9 is not on the list.
 
I have purchased the HDC-SD9 which is the same model minus the hard drive. It does not play nice with the Mac right now (firmware issue?). Importing video (except when using the 24p "cinema mode") causes both Final Cut and iMovie '08 to crash. The weird thing is that the pre-release (SD9) version that Colin at simplydv used worked fine with the Mac in all respects. Something must have changed between December (when he received the unit) and now. He's having lunch with the Panasonic Camcorder Program Manager on Friday and is raising the issue with him then.

I'm a little p Ode that my nice new $800 camera doesn't work with my Mac! Hopefully Panasonic can get their act together soon. Otherwise, it is an absolutely fabulous camera. Once this software problem is resolved, I will be very happy with it.
 
It sounds like a good time to wait cautiously to see how Panasonic/Apple responds. Were your crashes observed only in OS X 10.5.2? (or were you able to try 10.5.0/10.5.1 ?)
 
okachobi said:
It sounds like a good time to wait cautiously to see how Panasonic/Apple responds. Were your crashes observed only in OS X 10.5.2? (or were you able to try 10.5.0/10.5.1 ?)
Click to expand...
Why are you fixating on the HDC-HS9? iMovie 08 is pretty much a fixed target that most digital camcorder manufacturers can hit if they want to. You have numerous models from all major manufacturers that work just fine. These include virtually every mini DV and HDV camcorder with a FireWire port. Life is too short. Move on.
 
I'm not sure I'd call it a fixation, as much as an interest in buying if the issue is resolved. The camera sports some very good specs at a good price point and I've been very happy with my 3CCD Panasonic GS250 MiniDV model I've had for a few years. I like the form factor of the camera too.

However, I am a bit of a tape guy and not sure if I'll like AVCHD over the HDV. But if there is a 1920x1080 24p HDV 3 CCD camera at the same price as the SD9, I've not discovered it yet.
 
Compatibility btwn latest MacBook Pro & Panasonic HDC-HS9

Hi, I was wondering if anybody has tried downloading their footage from the Panasonic HDC-HS9 digital video camera to a MacBook Pro (iMovie/ Final Cut Pro Express). I also liked the specs of this new camera for the price but will be doing a lot of editing on the mac, so the ease of transferring footage is really important as a user.

Thanks for the link to the compatibility chart on apple's site. I am wondering if this camera isn't listed there since it just came out. Hoping somebody has added insights to help. I'm about to purchase the Panasonic. The closest alternative was a Canon, but the lens wasn't as good.

Thanks very much for any suggestions on how to make these 2 work nicely together OR thoughts on a comparable camera (specs/ quality/ price) which would work great with iMovie & Final Cut Pro Studio.:)
 
UrbanPeacock said:
... I am wondering if this camera isn't listed there since it just came out. Hoping somebody has added insights to help. I'm about to purchase the Panasonic. ...
Click to expand...
Apple's website is updated everyday. The Panasonic HDC-HS9 is not listed on the compatibility page because it is not compatible. If you buy it, then you are making a conscience decision not to use iMovie 08.
 
So - to ask a stupid question - is the Panasonic HS9 compatible for Mac or not?

Is there a workaround - or simply would I need to wait for Apple to update its compatibility list?

Thanks for any advice.
 
Bought Panasonic HDC-HS9 Tuesday, Returned Wednesday for Sony hdr-cx7

I bought the hdc-sd9 on Tuesday and returned it on Wednesday back to BestBuy.

I mentioned my reservations on buying this camcorder b/c i didnt see this on the mac imovie 09 camcorder compatibility list. http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014 . The kid at BestBuy was going to get the floor sample hdc-sd9 to connect to the imac display model. Since I was in a hurry to get home, they did say if I got home and this didnt work out for me within the first 14days, they would let me exchange for equal or higher priced camcorder model (w/o no 15% restock fee assessed)

I took literally 2 x 1 min clips at the highest settings of 1080/24p settings. Just before I imported the first clip, I was prompted that if I import using the highest resolution 1920x ??? may not play properly on this machine... I can't remember the exact wording, but close enough...

Using imovie 08, I was able to import the first clip, but the playback was choppy. The recorded sound was ok, but the video looked like someone was pressing play and pause over and over again.

The 2nd clip caused imovie to crash and close and prompt for sending a report to apple.

I attempted lesser quality recordings, but figured if I couldn't get it to work w/ the highest resolution, why bother.

I didnt want to keep sorting through this forum until this got resolved, so I returned the camcorder for the sony hdr-cx7.

The hdr-cx7 is on the http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1014 and I have seen positive and successful feedback from owners of the sony hdr-cx7 who used imovie 08 to import video.

I would have kept the hdc-sd9, but I didnt want to wait for a fix to imove 08 that may/may not arrive within the first 14days of owning the hdc-sd9. It will likely happen, but who wants to spend that cash on a new hi-def camcorder and not be able to edit the video. When you're connected by the usb cable, you have to the lcd screen open.

I also didn't like the fact that you couldn't just connect it to a tv (hdmi) or to your pc/mac (usb) without removing the battery and you also have to connect it to an outlet in order to power it.

The menu system is kind of odd, b/c the toggle menu thingy is between the lcd screen and the inside door.

Overall, it's a cool camera b/c of the size. But compared to the hdr-cx7, there is a lot to be desired due to the inconveniences caused by the size of the camera.

I was going to chose something other than Sony, b/c I just sold my dcr-sr80 (60gig standard def handycam). It just missed the compatibility list for imovie 08. This recorded in mpg format which requires these files to be converted prior to importing into imovie 08 and the video quality was so-so.

My 2003 sony trv33 had better quality video, but required tapes.

Overall, i expect the hdr-cx7 to be a good hi-def grade.
 
SD9 vs HDR-CX7 vs new Canon Vixia Series HD Camcorders

I recently was highly recommended to purchase the Panasonic SD5 camcorder, only to find out that the SD9 is the current model. Purchased at Circuit City, took some sample video, only to find out that it crashed iMovie 08 both by attempting the install from a card reader and again from the camera itself. This obviously sent me to find these forums with numerous people having the same issues. I'd like to wait out the MAC programmers to fix this issue as I'm confident that it will be fixed eventually and I really like the 3CCCD quality of the Panasonic, but I need a camera "now" for some events, so I'm in a time crunch. (I returned the SD9 back to Circuit City, only to find out they really wanted to enforce the 15% restock fee in which after many conversations with various people in the store, they finally decided that I did know what I was talking about and accepted the fact that I wasn't trying to purchase the equipment to use and return, but that I genuinely couldn't use this model with my MAC. Bottom line, for those who want to return, stick to your technical facts and you will be able to get your full refund!)

After reading that the CX7 was compatible, I still had reservations (and couldn't bare another grand discussion trying to return), so I went to Best Buy and instead of buying the camera, I used a memory stick and asked them to let me take some sample video to be sure I could download this to the MAC and I'm happy to report, it worked! (BTW, the associates there told me this would never work with MAC and assumed I was stubborn and I'm glad I was-thank you for the tip!).

So here's the dilema that I'm hoping for a simple answer on....My application includes me needing to make a video including both video clips from a camcorder, as well as still images. Historically, I've been able to download my old DV tape standard definition to iMovie HD (old Macbook G4), create my project with photos as well, load it into iDVD, burn it, and be done with it. Now that I've upgraded to this new iMAC 2.4Ghz and have gone HD with my TV's, my questions are:

-Is it better to stick with DV Tape even though the download time is equal to the time off the tape? That doesn't bother me, so if this is a better method for simple editing, at this point, I'm quite fine with it.

-I would actually much prefer to use an SD card than the Sony proprietary memory stick simply because they are compatible with more devices. I noticed that the newer Canon Vixia Series HD camcorders all say they are compatible with MAC. They have 2 models, DV tape and SD card....is there a better choice for what I'm trying to do?

-Wouldn't all SD card recording be considered equal? Does anyone have any idea why ALL Canon's seem to work with MAC and yet this very cool Panasonic SD9 doesn't? Does Canon and MAC have a specific relationship where they purposely endorse their cameras?

I'm sorry for the long email, but I've spent hours trying to make the right choice and my options are to figure this out now (meaning within the next week or so) or just use my old standard definition tape camera and continue doing what I was doing, (only now on my new iMAC on iMovie 08) and wait for the rest of technology to catch up?

Thanks in advance for any recommendations and help you can offer!!!:confused:
 
Kulee said:
...

-Is it better to stick with DV Tape even though the download time is equal to the time off the tape? That doesn't bother me, so if this is a better method for simple editing, at this point, I'm quite fine with it.

... :confused:
Click to expand...
Why are you confused? For the non-professional or the professional on a budget, the best medium is miniDV in a FireWire-compatible camcorder. mini DV tapes are cheap, small, and available in every chain drugstore franchise. If you have some money to spend, then you may buy a mini DV-compatible video recorder that attaches to your vidcam.
 
HD mini-DV tape vs SD Card

My confusion is whether or not SD card is better than tape for editing. Regarding a budget, really, the price of the High Def mini DV cameras are the same as the SD card and instead of a 1 hour recording to a tape, I can get much more without changing the media from a card. The memory card cameras themselves are smaller and lighter weight as well so the budget part isn't the issue as much as the question of is mini-DV tape a better media for download and editing than SD card? If it is in fact "better", why, and doesn't anyone else find it odd that the Canon's always work with MAC and this sweet Panasonic SD9 doesn't if you're recording to the same media?

I'm not a professional obviously, but have turned our many fair quality videos in the Standard Def mode, even beginning with using the old Windows Movie Maker and transferring to VHS, so my upgrades have been a process and I learn along the way. I'm trying to make an educated decision with my next $1k and don't really want to keep getting hit with restock fees since there really isn't a "try a buy" process from any manufacturer.

Again, advice and help is appreciated.
 
Kulee said:
My confusion is whether or not SD card is better than tape for editing. ...
Click to expand...
The answer is right in front of you, but you are doing your best to turn a blind eye to it. The best format is the one that is compatible with iMovie 08, Final Cut Express, or Final Cut Pro. With a tape-based, FireWire-connected camcorder, you are just about set. For the budget videographer, that means mini DV (or HDV). How many video user forums do you know that deal with the ins and outs of SD cards? Do you really think that it is better to search compatibility lists for a camcorder that works with your software, or could you make better use of that time editing your productions? From where I sit, there is not even a question. It is a Canon HDV (or mini DV) camcorder.
 
oh .... i got my camcorder today too..., tried with final-cut + imovie 08... crashes : oh noooo !

will this be fixed ? soon ?
 
Reply to thread 'Panasonic HDC-HS9 + mac compatibility issues?

I haven't heard anything about a fix. I opted for the Canon Vixia HF100 that records to SD card in the same format, but compatible with MAC. The Vixia HV30 is the update to the HV20 that won all sorts of awards last year, but uses tape, which means it needs about 13GB for 1 hour of HD movie recording when you download to your computer. The SD card has the compressed format, so it will take much less and with Canon, you can be sure of compatibility with MAC.
 
Kulee said:
I haven't heard anything about a fix. I opted for the Canon Vixia HF100 that records to SD card in the same format, but compatible with MAC. The Vixia HV30 is the update to the HV20 that won all sorts of awards last year, but uses tape, which means it needs about 13GB for 1 hour of HD movie recording when you download to your computer. The SD card has the compressed format, so it will take much less and with Canon, you can be sure of compatibility with MAC.
Click to expand...

Regarding the 13 GB/hr number, when using iMovie and HD footage, it's much much more than 13 GB/hr. Both HDV and AVCHD gets transcoded to Apple Intermediate Codec (AIC) for editing since iMovie does not edit native HDV or AVCHD. AIC clocks in at about 40 GB/hr (I think 40 is correct).

In either case, get more HDD space.

I would also suggest setting up a good workflow for archiving AVCHD footage. HDV users have the advantage that the tapes are the archive. With AVCHD, you might want to burn the raw AVCHD files onto a DVD-R for 4GB cards (or DVD-R/DL for 8GB cards). Use quality DVD blanks as well.

ft
 
1 solution to HS9 mac compatibility

we have recently received a Panasonic HDC HS9. it was a gift and a really nice one at that. i'm not in a position to be comparing cameras and making choices but my first impressions of this model is that it is easy to use, very small and gives great quality video. having 60gb of storage is very nice indeed.
however, not being mac compatible sucks and so i've been exploring options.

here is a link for Voltaic. it will convert the AVCHD MTS files to MOV files.
http://www.shedworx.com/?q=volmac-home
i'm on an ibook g4 with leopard. worked no problem. i'm a video novice so i'm not sure of any technical flags. important to note that the converted files are not for immediate viewing in quicktime, but are designed to be imported into imovie or final cut. also, the files become considerably larger when converted so i'm using my external hard drive for all storage. best to copy files over to the HD before converting.

i would like to know if anyone has any experience using QTpro as an import medium before i actually pay money for Voltaic? someone in a mac store told me it would work but i've had no luck confirming it. QTpro would be a better $30 spent than Voltaic if it does the conversion.
 
g18e7 said:
we have recently received a Panasonic HDC HS9. it was a gift and a really nice one at that. i'm not in a position to be comparing cameras and making choices but my first impressions of this model is that it is easy to use, very small and gives great quality video. having 60gb of storage is very nice indeed.
however, not being mac compatible sucks and so i've been exploring options.

here is a link for Voltaic. it will convert the AVCHD MTS files to MOV files.
http://www.shedworx.com/?q=volmac-home
i'm on an ibook g4 with leopard. worked no problem. i'm a video novice so i'm not sure of any technical flags. important to note that the converted files are not for immediate viewing in quicktime, but are designed to be imported into imovie or final cut. also, the files become considerably larger when converted so i'm using my external hard drive for all storage. best to copy files over to the HD before converting.

i would like to know if anyone has any experience using QTpro as an import medium before i actually pay money for Voltaic? someone in a mac store told me it would work but i've had no luck confirming it. QTpro would be a better $30 spent than Voltaic if it does the conversion.
Click to expand...


wow.. thanks for the info, ill try this tonight when i get home. thank you so much once again as i was thinking to return the cam , and get another one.

thanks again CHAMP !!! :)
 
g18e7 said:
we have recently received a Panasonic HDC HS9. it was a gift and a really nice one at that. i'm not in a position to be comparing cameras and making choices but my first impressions of this model is that it is easy to use, very small and gives great quality video. having 60gb of storage is very nice indeed.
however, not being mac compatible sucks and so i've been exploring options.

here is a link for Voltaic. it will convert the AVCHD MTS files to MOV files.
http://www.shedworx.com/?q=volmac-home
i'm on an ibook g4 with leopard. worked no problem. i'm a video novice so i'm not sure of any technical flags. important to note that the converted files are not for immediate viewing in quicktime, but are designed to be imported into imovie or final cut. also, the files become considerably larger when converted so i'm using my external hard drive for all storage. best to copy files over to the HD before converting.

i would like to know if anyone has any experience using QTpro as an import medium before i actually pay money for Voltaic? someone in a mac store told me it would work but i've had no luck confirming it. QTpro would be a better $30 spent than Voltaic if it does the conversion.
Click to expand...


works fine with the software only downside is that when it convert , its almostthe double the size of the originl file... need to save in the external drive :) to save spae on my mac ,

About QT Pro .. i have QT pro.. i dont think its good for this at all ... ,
so i would say go for Voltac for sure for now :)
 
countermike said:
works fine with the software only downside is that when it convert , its almostthe double the size of the originl file... need to save in the external drive :) to save spae on my mac ,

About QT Pro .. i have QT pro.. i dont think its good for this at all ... ,
so i would say go for Voltac for sure for now :)
Click to expand...

Thanks. glad we could help each other out.
happy editing.
 
Yay Yay Yay Yay Apple

FInally... apple fixed the HD compatibility ... for all my friends out there .. . download the latest update by mac for imovie and Panasonic camcorder will work fine...

THANK U APPLE :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
 
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