Connecting FireWire Camcorder

I have a Sharp vl-wd255, and I bought a firewire cable from Radio Shack. Nothing happens when I connect it. When I have iMovie HD open and try to import video, it says that there is no camcorder connected. I tried the camcorder and cable on a modern Gateway, and it doesn't detect it either. When we tried to the cable the cable to Radio Shack, they said that it is probably a USB camcorder. I'm now sure that it isn't. We tried again, and they told us that our firewire port may be turned off, and we need to enable it. I don't know how to do this. The camcorder works fine. Does anyone know how to enable the firewire port? Or, is the problem the firewire cable?
Thanks.
Mac Mini Mac OS X (10.4.3)

Your camcorder does indeed have a Firewire connector (marked as an iEEE1393 port on the rear panel), but unfortunately, that doesn't give any assurance that it will work with a Mac. Indeed, there seem to be a number of camcorder manufacturers who's products are either only partially compatible, or not compatible at all. As a consequence you may find that even with the benefit of a new cable, the camcorder isn't recognised by iMovie or Final Cut.
If that turns out to be the case, not all is necessarily lost. I found with my JVC that iMovie would often report that there was no camcorder when I was trying to import, and that I could get it to connect by switching off the camcorder, restarting iMovie and switching back on. Sometimes unplugging the cable and then reconnecting it worked. Manually starting playback on the camcorder before clicking 'import' in iMovie also sometimes worked. When exporting back to tape, iMovie always reported no camcorder, but if I manually started the record, on the camcorder instead of letting iMovie trigger it, iMovie would then export perfectly.
Similar reports were common from users of some other JVC miniDV models, as with Samsung and others.
Unfortunately, if you cannot get the software to recognise the camcorder by any variation of switch on/connection sequences, it would then suggest that the Sharp wd255 isn't compatible and that you may need to replace it with a model that is. Most Sony miniDV camcorders work well, Panasonics seem to and most Canons. It would be strongly recommended that if you do buy a new camcorder, you shop from a source that will allow an exchange should you find that the Mac won't recognise it properly.

Similar Messages

If your Mac doesn't see your firewire camcorder, you might give this a try

If this issue has been resolved, please accept my apology.
The first time and ONLY the first time I connected my Sony DCR-TRV17 camcorder to the firewire port on my Leopard MacBook (Oct 2008 I think), iMovie recognized it. After that time, the MacBook never recognized it again. After lots of fooling around I gave up and just imported the tapes into my eight year old iMac running Tiger, saved them to an external hard drive and connected that to the MacBook.
A few weeks ago I was thinking about the problem again and an idea came to me… what if I play the camcorder tapes on the TV screen and send the A/V outputs back to the laptop? I did some searching and found a device that transmits analog signals through a USB connector. I bought an iGrabber on Amazon for $35 and it works… no need to connect the camcorder to the Mac… you connect it to the TV! The iGrabber connects to the Mac's USB port.
1. connect a cable from the camcorder to your TV inputs so it plays your tape on the TV screen
2. connect the iGrabber's included A/V cable to the outputs on your TV
3. connect the iGrabber's included USB cable to the Mac's USB port
4. run the iGrabber app (there are settings to be configured)
5. start playback on the camcorder and the Record function in the app
6. I chose to capture the video to a 1TB hard drive in MPEG-4 format
When you finish capturing, open iMovie and import your video from the hard drive.

I'm having the same problem. My machine is doing 1 GB per hour. Excruciatingly slow to backup 395GB. I do have Norton Anti Virus on my machine. I will try and remove this. I don't really want to reformat my entire G5 just to be able to back it up. If anyone else can suggest other programs that might be interfering or other solutions let me know. At this rate it will be 16 days before my 395 GB is on TC. Unacceptable Apple!

Can you connect Firewire 400 to Firewire 800?

Have had a Powerbook Titanium G4 and just got a new MacBook Pro. The TiBook has an 800FW port, the TiBook only a 400FW port. Can I connect the two directly? Is there a 400 to 800 adapter cable? I'd like to transfer files fast between the machines.
Currently I transfer files through an external hard drive that has both 400 and 800 ports. But it sure would be easier if I could get the TiBook to run in FW target disc mode with the MacPro. Any other suggestions for linking the machines?

Hi
There's a couple of ways to do it:
One solution is to get an Expresscard (e.g. Belkin Firewire 400 which gives you an extra two ports). I bought one of these and then went and misplaced it!
Rather than buy another Expresscard, I bought a Firewire 800/400 cable (cheapo/no name, I'm afraid) from a small computer shop - it was a quarter of the price of the Belkin and works fine. I also got a small adaptor plug so I that I can connect connect my camcorder.
Of course, I found the ExpressCard a couple of days ago...
You could connect the computers by an Ethernet cable, too.
Hope that helps.
OBG

Connecting DV Camcorder to G570

I am having a regular 1394 6 pin to 4 pin Firewire cable, but i dont see any port on this laptop for the 6 pin. Is there any other way to connect my camcorder to G570? Like a 4 Pin to USB kind of Firewire Cable?

have you tried to search ebay? ( with the keywords "4 pin to usb" )

Connecting a Camcorder

My digital camcorder outputs via a Firewire socket. My new (2010) Macbook doesn't have a Firewire port. How do I connect my camcorder to the Macbook, please?

Obviously, you don't.

Cannot connect SONY camcorder to MAC

Hi. read some of the discussions re this but need different details. My camcorder is a SONY HDR-HCE. It says in manual that I need to connect using an i.Link cable. Does the iMac have an i.Link cable port? Where is it? When I use my USB it doesn't work on videos and I can't see a firewire port on the camcorder. HELP!!!

Ok, I bought a firewire cable and connected my camcorder. When I open iMovie it says that the camera is connected. I can play the video using the controls on iMovie but it only shows on the camcorder screen, not iMovie screen which remains blank. How do I fix this?

Import directly from FireWire camcorder

I'm trying to use my camcorder to import footage directly into FCP as I view it, without recording it to tape. (This is perfectly possible using the FaceTime camera, so I'd expect it to be easy using my Sony FireWire camcorder.)
If I record to Mini-DV tape, I can subsequently import the footage from the tape just fine. But if I set the camera to record mode (but don't actually record anything) the image appears in the FCP import window exactly as I'd expect. I can click Import... and it appears to be importing, just like if I use the built-in FactTime camera. But nothing is recorded to disk.
What's going on? Am I missing something? Is there a workaround?
Martin S Taylor

Hello! I have the exact same problem! I tried FCPX and iMovie and clips don't show on the events after importing. You say the problem is not having timecode since it's an on the fly analog to digital conversion.
But I can import using quicktime player. 500MB for a minute of footage. wow. I converting old 2 hours tape footage of my kids so you see my stress...
Is there an older version of iMovie that could do it?

Can I connect firewire cable to a usb dvd drive

Can I connect firewire adapter or cable to a usb dvd drive to install tiger cs when I tried installing with just the usb dvd drive didn't work so can I connect a firewire cable or adapter

No.

I am having trouble with downloading videos from my Sony HDR-XR160 video camera. iMovie doesnt open up when i connect the camcorder. any suggesions?

i am having trouble with downloading videos from my Sony HDR-XR160 video camera. iMovie doesnt open up when i connect the camcorder. any suggesions?

Looking up your camera online, I found it is capable of 1920 x 1080 Full HD 60p Recording. It's the 60p (60 frames per second Progressive) that's the problem I think. iMovie '11 will do 60i (Interlaced). You might need to convert it from the format the camera currently uses into another format to get it into iMovie. Read more about it on this link here: How to import 60p footage From that message thread comes the recommendation to use ClipWrap to convert the camera's video clips now that they are in 60p:
Tom Wolsky
Re: How to import 60p footage
Aug 17, 2011 12:40 PM (in response to ptburnett68)
Use ClipWrap to rewrap to QuickTime. Import the files. Edit in either 59.94 or 29.97. The latter if you want to use the high frame rate for slomo

MacBook Pro Retina (15") intermittant freeze connecting firewire drive to Thunderbolt adapter

Since having my MacBook Pro Retina (15") I have been having intermittant (often only have 5 days or so) hard freeze on connecting firewire 800 drives to it via the thunderbolt adapter. This occurs with both powered (LaCie 2gb) and unpowered (Iomega GO 1gb) drives. After the last few times I tried connecting the thunderbolt adapter and then plugging in the drive (rather than having the firewire cable already plugged into the adapter and then plugging the adapter in). I was able to reproduce a hard freeze after nothing happened when the adapter alone was plugged in, plugging in the powered drive caused an immediate freeze.
By a hard freeze I mean that when the system reboots it doesn't even recognise a crash occured. There was no kernel panic screen.
I plug into these drives at least once a day but it usually takes up to a week before the freeze occurs. I have had no trouble with leaving the unpowered drive cnnected during sleep it appears to be when I change drives. I always unplug the adapter and make sure the computer is still running before putting to sleep and make sure it is functioning properly after wake before connecting the drive.
Using USB 2.0 there have been no problems with the same drives.
Any ideas?

I believe this issue is caused by bad ground coupling between the two devices, some of the induced charge can spark between connectors in the thunderbolt port causing computer to basicly freeze.
To solve this issue try touching the connectors outside metal part to your macbooks body first to discharge it, then while plugging int the connector do it at slight angle so the metal of the connector touches Mac's body.
This method has been working for me.

Communications error when connection my camcorder

I am having trouble downloading my movie tapes to the iMac. I use a canon mvx460 camcorder .When I connect the camcorder to the iMac, it recognises the camcorder. I can make the camcorder play the tape from the imac but does not generate a picture. Then after a few minutes I get 'communications error' displayed. Sometimes i can connect but stops within a few minutes. I removed the imovie plist to another location but still no joy.
On the Macbook pro I have no trouble although it runs on lion but still has imovie 8.
I have just installed iMovie '11 on the iMac as I thought it was iMovie 8 that was giving me trouble with Lion, but it has made no difference.
Help
Llasa

you can try turning the phone on and if u get it to come on this is a reset, *#7370#. if the phone wont turn on. hold these keys while powering up, 3 * green and this will perform a factory reset, you will lose all of the data on the phone. other than that a trip to a nokia service centre will be needed. hope this helps
EmoKid

No Firewire on my macbook, how do I connect my camcorder?

I had an older macbook with firewire and I connected my HD Canon camcorder to import my videos. it was easy. using one cable from DV to Firewire.
Then I bought a newer macbook and it doesn't have firewire. All it has is two USB 2.0 ports and this crappy Mini Displayport which I think only serves as a video output (not a video input). So how screwed am I?
is there a cable out there that can transfer video and audio from a HD camcorder (camcorder outputs DV, HDV, HDMI, Component A/V out) to my macbook's USB port? or maybe through the mini displayport?
All I want to do is import video I took in Thailand from my camcorder to my macbook. this isn't rocket science, right?

What model is your camcorder?
HDV is a computer FILE, so if your camcorder has alternate input/output options you might be able to just COPY that file. This is camera specific.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HDV#Distributing
HDMI to USB is a bit expensive, here's one solution.
http://www.elgato.com/elgato/na/mainmenu/products/capture-convert/GameCaptureHD. en.html
However, remember this:
When you take your miniDV and use a firewire connection, you are doing a data transfer.
When you take your miniDV and use a HDMI to USB, you are doing a file conversion + transfer, which is NOT lossless. (You are decoding the video and then re-compressing it.)

Firewire camcorder connection

After working the first time I used it, the Imac (lion) will no longer recognize my camcorder via firewire connection. Is there a fix for this?

From the Micro$oft Knowledgebase article:
>This problem occurs if you connect a 1394a or 1394b FireWire device to a 1394b port. This problem occurs because Windows XP SP2 changes 1394b ports to S100 speed when you upgrade.
Are you using a 1394b Firewire port? Most folks are not. And, even if you were, the miniDV capture negotiates a speed that is appropriate for the device. Since miniDV transfer speed is slightly less than 30 Mb/s the Firewire hub will always connect at the S100 or ~100 Mb/s speed.

XP patch for Firewire camcorder connection

This may help people whose XP wont detect their camcorder on Firewire, or have other problems with it.
(I expect this has been on the forum before, but I couldnt find it on a topic search.)
Apparently, Service Pack SP2 can interfere with Firewire, & Microsoft issued a patch to solve it.
It's at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=ca0f2007-18b5-4112-8bd6-8bf4bd313 0b9&DisplayLang=en
Or search Microsoft Download Centre for
Update for Windows XP (KB885222)

From the Micro$oft Knowledgebase article:
>This problem occurs if you connect a 1394a or 1394b FireWire device to a 1394b port. This problem occurs because Windows XP SP2 changes 1394b ports to S100 speed when you upgrade.
Are you using a 1394b Firewire port? Most folks are not. And, even if you were, the miniDV capture negotiates a speed that is appropriate for the device. Since miniDV transfer speed is slightly less than 30 Mb/s the Firewire hub will always connect at the S100 or ~100 Mb/s speed.

Connecting a camcorder to mbp

I just bought a new macbook pro and I've anticipated hooking my camcorder up to it. I've had my camcorder for a couple years (JVC Mini DV GR-D270U) and I have hours of footage but I never attempted to hook it up to my old imac, simply because I didn't think it could handle it. I've attempted to hook it up to my new mbp and it does not recognize it. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong. It has a USB port and a DV port. I've tried a couple different USB cords, even purchasing a new cable today...still nothing when I plug it in and turn it on. Any suggestions?

I've tried to connect my Sony HC-35 through that kind of cable (firewire 4pin-9pin) but when connected to my newMBP firewire port the mac doesn't see the cam at all...I don't know what to do, is it possible that the camcorder is not compatible with the firewire 800 port, and therefore I have to use an adapter in between?

Connecting FireWire Camcorder

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for