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Please Help! Macbook With Sony Handycam minidv

N

nickdj

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 14, 2006
24
0
I recently purchased a sony mini dv handycam. When i connected via usb to my macbook so i can edit video it did nothing. I was told i would need the ilink to plug in via firewire. I have done that and still nothing. nothing at all happens when i connect. are these types of camcorders able to connect to mac to edit video or to download to disc? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

thanks
 
Are you connecting it to the usb or firewire?

All firewire cameras will work with the Mac, I know that the Sonys work. What software are you using.
 
I don't know if I'm reading this right, but it appears to me that you're looking at your camcorder the same way you do as your digital camera. As in, if you plugged in your digital camera, iPhoto opens up automatically and asks you if you want to import photos.

Camcorders don't work that way. You need to load editing software, such as iMovie, then import it directly from the software. Your Mac will recognize it instantaneously via FireWire, as the previous poster mentioned. There are some extra steps required to get it working via USB.

I hope that helps.


NoClever
 
Not directly related to the OP's problem, but a good way to diagnose these sorts of problems: Look into a utility called Peripheral Vision (www.grantedsw.com). It pops up a little indicator whenever things connect or disconnect from USB or Firewire. I use this all the time so I can see when the Mac is recognizing (or not) my plugged-in peripherals. You'll see that your Sony camcorder is recognized as soon as you turn it on.

To use it, fire up iMovie or Final Cut or whatever you like to use.
 
I have a Sony DV camcorder too and I connected it via USB to both my MBP and iMac but it's never worked. So I have to buy a ilink cord instead? One of you mentioned that extra steps are required to make it work via USB......what are they? :)
 
I have a Sony MiniDV HC21. My initial attempts to connect it to the computer failed because I hadn't connected the AC power cord as well. To be sure, you need to connect the FireWire cable to your computer and make sure to connect the power cable to the camera.
 
you need a 4pin to 6pin firewire/iLink cable to transfer the video...it will not work with USB. you can get em for like $10.

once you get the cable, connect everything up and open up iMovie. you will then need to import the video. this doesn't work like a file transfer, it actually just plays back the tape and records onto the computer.
 
Yes, sorry, it will only work on Firewire (at least if you want full-quality DV video). I had a Sony miniDV that advertised that it would work over USB, but what you got was 320x240, webcam-quality streamed video. Yuck.

I'm surprised you had to plug in the AC adaptor, though. My Sony cameras have never had that requirement in order to talk to the Mac or PC, although of course it's a good idea.
 
i have connected the firewire (i-link). the power adapter is plugged in. i open imovie. i have no option there to retrieve this movie or to read anything connected. i have played the movie from the camcorder to see if something pops up but nothing at all happens. is there a version of imovie i need to purchase? I only have the one that came with the macbook and the icon says imovie hd. all the equipment is brand new. new mac, new camera, and $40 i-link cable. Wierd and frustrating.......
 
Having same problem with firewire

Hi
I have connected the firewire to the sony handycam and the mac doesn't recognize it. I've tried turning the computer on and off, turning the camera on and off. The camera is plugged in. I have a macbook pro with imovie installed. I'd appreciate any help available. Thanks.
 
PishaWard said:
Hi
I have connected the firewire to the sony handycam and the mac doesn't recognize it. I've tried turning the computer on and off, turning the camera on and off. The camera is plugged in. I have a macbook pro with imovie installed. I'd appreciate any help available. Thanks.
Click to expand...

What specifically does iMovie say?

You need to turn the camera on, in either "camera" or "VTR" mode, and then in iMovie '06 move the slider to "capture". (don't know about iMovie 08, I don't use it at all). You should see a big blue screen.

You might also try another Firewire cable. I know when I first started doing this (on my PC), I had a crappy Firewire cable that the computer refused to recognize. Changing cables fixed the problems.
 
notjustjay said:
Yes, sorry, it will only work on Firewire (at least if you want full-quality DV video). I had a Sony miniDV that advertised that it would work over USB, but what you got was 320x240, webcam-quality streamed video. Yuck.

I'm surprised you had to plug in the AC adaptor, though. My Sony cameras have never had that requirement in order to talk to the Mac or PC, although of course it's a good idea.
Click to expand...
Some of the newer ones have docking stations which you need to use to get footage off.
 
????

hi....i have a sony camcorder (dcr-pc55) and i have a bunch of used up mini DV tapes with important footage on them. i need to figure out how to be able to get them on to my computer and be able to edit them, put them on a website, etc.
what are the things i need in order to do this??? and can i do all of this with the new macbook 13.3 inch OS X???
 
cabasso66 said:
hi....i have a sony camcorder (dcr-pc55) and i have a bunch of used up mini DV tapes with important footage on them. i need to figure out how to be able to get them on to my computer and be able to edit them, put them on a website, etc.
what are the things i need in order to do this??? and can i do all of this with the new macbook 13.3 inch OS X???
Click to expand...
Just get a firewire cable and import the footage to iMovie.

Edit:wait do you have firewire on that mb
 
cabasso66 said:
it doesn't have a firewire port.... does that mean i cant put them on?
Click to expand...
You can but it is going to be a pain in the butt to do. The Sony has a firewire port. You will need to convert it into USB 2.0. Im sure you can get a capture box that will do the conversion.
 
i'm not quite sure what a capture box is... can u please post a link showing me an example of one...
thanks
p.s. after i do the conversion is there anything else required (additional wires, softwares,etc.)
 
It looks like some companies have started to make Firewire to usb cables. But they are not cheap. I guess it could work, I have never seen one though. Apple really dropped the ball in getting rid of the Firewire port on the Macbooks.
 
If you have a new aluminum MacBook (no Firewire :mad:) and a new miniDV camcorder, then I have no idea how to get the video off.

The only 2 options I can think off is:
1) return Aluminum MacBook for a White one with Firewire(ilink/1394).
2) return Al MacBook for a MacBook Pro with Firewire 800.
3) return camcorder for a compatible one (non miniDV)

I not sure if that was any help.

I think a lot of people are displeased with Apple for the lack of Firewire on the MacBook.
 
ok, seems everyone here is a bit confused.

1. I have NEVER seen a miniDV camera that DOESNT have firewire. It just doesnt look like the FW port on your mac. You need a 4 pin to 6 pin FW cable. (the 4 pin -small- end goes into the camera, and the 6 pin -large and looks like the port on your mac- goes into the mac). Sony calls it iLink on the cameras. Also called IEEE1394 (firewire is an apple name, so to call it FW sony would have to pay apple. So they call it something else, but its the same).

2. You need to turn the camera to VTR mode (the mode you have it in to watch the tape on the camera screen).

3. The camera needs to be in VTR, plugged in AND turned ON BEFORE you launch iMovie. (if you turn on the camera AFTER iMovie is launched, it wont recognize it)

4. iMovie has a small slider that looks like a film clip on one side, and a camera on the other. Slide it to the camera icon side.

5. Most cameras will be controlled via the iMovie interface at this point. Meaning you can play, pause, RW, FFW from the buttons in iMovie.

6. You should see your viewer window go BLUE, press play (either on iMovie controller, or on camera) and click IMPORT.

7. let the full amount of footage you want to import play (it will do so in real time, so if you shot 25 min, it will take 25 min to import.)

8. When finished click ESC (or done) in iMovie and it will stop the import and camera.

9. Slide the slider BACK to the film strip icon in iMovie and you will then see all the footage as little clips on the right.

10. edit and enjoy



You should NOT be capturing from a miniDV camera via USB. EVER. forget the camera even has the port on it. It is mainly for cameras that also take stills and store them on a separate memory card. The data transfer rate is not fast enough to capture DV footage on anything other than FIREWIRE.

if you do have a new macbook with no firewire port, i have heard there are FW to Ethernet adapters that may work.

(some of my naming may be a bit off depending on which version of iMovie you have, as I have not used iMovie in several years.)
 
cabasso66 said:
it doesn't have a firewire port.... does that mean i cant put them on?
Click to expand...

a two second google of your camera model showed that there is a FW port on the dock for the camera (which i assume came with it).

google is your friend. as is the cameras instruction manual.
 
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