Problems importing video from a Samsung tape-based video camera

[dllavaneras]

I just bought a Samsung SC-D383 camcorder, which records to a DV tape.

I'm having problems transferring the videos to my mac (2.0 GHz aluminum/glass iMac, 4 Gb RAM). I bought a Firewire cable to connect the camera to the computer, and I thought everything would be a matter of plug and play.

I opened iMovie '08, and after setting my camera to playback mode, an import window came up with a blue screen. It said that if I clicked "Import", the tape would rewind, all the footage would be imported and the tape would be rewound again. After I clicked import and selected to import to a new event, the blue screen said "Importing...", while the video played on my camera's LCD. After about 25 seconds, the window said "Disconnected or off" and nothing happened, no video got transferred, and the video kept playing on my camera's LCD. :-\

There's an option to record to an SD card, but the quality is lower, there's no 16:9 support and a bunch of other features are not available, so I really don't want to have to resort to this. The videos recorded this way can be transferred without a problem, though.

Is there anything I can do? I'm downloading iMovie HD 06 to see if that would solve anything, but I have my doubts.

 

[DPA]

Do you mean a Samsung SC-D382 because I can't find any such camera of a Samsung SC-D383 through Google.

 

[dllavaneras]

I'm positive it's a SC-D383. The manual for it is for the SC-D381, SC-D382, SC-D383 and SC-D385, so it's probably a very similar model.

 

[DPA]

Ok, just when looking for the camera on Samsung's website to look at the spec, I only saw the SC-D383 and assumed you made a typo because 3 and 2 are close. It is showing up in a google search but opens the Mexican Samsung website. So I can't understand a thing except to find the language which brings me back to the US homepage.
Well, the Samsung SC-D382 model only shows support Windows. So it is not made to connect on Mac and show the files. This may be your problem. This is determined by whether or not the camera is showing up as a device on your desktop and in a Finder window.

 

[dllavaneras]

Well, the Samsung SC-D382 model only shows support Windows. So it is not made to connect on Mac and show the files. This may be your problem.

I don't think that's the problem, as the manual says that IEEE 1394 data transfer needs a computer faster than 450 MHz, Windows or Mac OS 9-X, a firewire port and more than 64 Mb of RAM :-\ So it's supposed to support OS X.

 

[DPA]

Hmmm, very confusing. How many times did you try capturing through iMovie? You don't happen to have Final Cut do you? Does the camera show up as a device on the desktop when connected?
BTW, IEEE 1394 is the code name (fancy name) for FireWire.

 

[xStep]

One model down, same problem mentioned on a Mac-Forums.com thread.

 

[dllavaneras]

Hmmm, very confusing. How many times did you try capturing through iMovie?

I've tried about 6 times on iMovie 08 and about 8 times in iMovie HD 06. Nothing. All the camera does when I click import is start playing the video I want to import. If I click the import button again, the video on the camera stops. It's like all the import button does is start and stop playback, but without any actual importing.

And no, I don't have Final Cut (either version), and the camera doesn't appear as an external device.

One model down, same problem mentioned on a Mac-Forums.com thread.

Exactly what I get, a blue screen. Nothing else.

 

[DPA]

If the camera came with any software it probably isn't compatible with Mac because on the website it says that the whole camera isn't. I would try picking up a RCA to FireWire or USB converter that you can hook up to your Mac. Make sure you buy it from somewhere you can return it so that if it doesn't work you can do so. They sell them at the Apple store by my house, so if you have an Apple store you can take a trip to you might be able to pick one up. Here is the cheapest one from Apple.com that I found.

 

[dllavaneras]

If the camera came with any software it probably isn't compatible with Mac because on the website it says that the whole camera isn't.

The only software that comes with it is one for authoring DV (Windows only), and the manual specifies that the camera works with a Mac.

so if you have an Apple store you can take a trip to you might be able to pick one up.

That sounds a little complicated, and sadly the nearest Apple store is a couple thousand miles away.

Nevertheless, I got it to work! Neither version of iMovie can recognize it, but I tried it on a friend's mac with Final Cut Express 4, and it works like a charm. It auto splits the clips, which is great! (I know this may be a standard feature, but the last time I shot a video with a camcorder was over 15 years ago )

Thanks to everyone for their input!

 

[DPA]

I don't know how you live with an Apple store a couple THOUSAND miles away. The RCA adapter thing is actually really easy. I expected it to work on Final Cut (Express or Pro) because there you put in the video format information which iMovie doesn't allow you to do. Basically, Apple though that iMovie was smart enough to detect every camcorder in the world and be able to capture off it by using settings that they thought would work with every camera (in the world). FCP and FCE are much more user reliant, expecting the user to know some what a lot about video (and their camera) when using the app. I posted on your other thread so take a look at that. Hope I helped on this thread and can help on the other one. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or post here or on another thread and I or someone else will answer.

Happy New Year,
David

 

[dllavaneras]

I don't know how you live with an Apple store a couple THOUSAND miles away.

That's South America for you.

Hope I helped on this thread and can help on the other one. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me or post here or on another thread and I or someone else will answer.

You most definitely have! Thank you very much!

 

[iwebnow.tk]

press Play

press play before you open imovie
then it will show your clip insted of
blue

iwebnow.tk

 

[dirkus]

Hmmm, very confusing. How many times did you try capturing through iMovie? You don't happen to have Final Cut do you? Does the camera show up as a device on the desktop when connected?
BTW, IEEE 1394 is the code name (fancy name) for FireWire.

I have Final Cut Pro 7.0.1 and can't seem to get it to work. The tapes are DVC60 I'm not sure of the setting or the process. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[giffut]

My ...

... old DV camera did not work properly with iMovie 08, but did so with iMovie HD (aka 6).

Try it in iMovie HD again, but don´t use the "import" button solely: Hit the "play" button in iMovie HD first, then after the tape starts and the image appears on the iMovie HD window, hit the "import" button. Now all your clips should import and appear in the clip window on the right.

 

[dirkus]

... old DV camera did not work properly with iMovie 08, but did so with iMovie HD (aka 6).

Try it in iMovie HD again, but don´t use the "import" button solely: Hit the "play" button in iMovie HD first, then after the tape starts and the image appears on the iMovie HD window, hit the "import" button. Now all your clips should import and appear in the clip window on the right.

No, that didn't work either. I got iMovieHD. Did as directed. However, the images didn't appear when I hit play and the computer just locked.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[giffut]

Can ...

... you crosscheck with a different machine running OSX and iMovie, even a PC with WIndows might be a good choice, because what you describe could be a broken firewire device on the Samsungs part (loose internal connectors, electric damage to component).

 

[dirkus]

can you crosscheck with a different machine running OSX and iMovie, because what you describe could be a broken firewire device on the Samsungs part (loose internal connectors, electric damage to component).

The camera and cable are brand new. I originally tried my Mac Pro tower. Then I tried an older laptop with Imovie HD. The results are the same. There is serial control but no image appears and both machines freeze. I can, however, record directly to imovie.
I also have FCP 7 which should work too but it doesn't recognize the camera at all. Perhaps I'm neglecting a setting