DVD Camcorders

I'm looking to purchase a DVD camcorder. I have been told that there is no camera that records directly to a DVD or to a hard drive that is compatible to imovie, imac.
Does this mean I am forced to use digital tape. No matter what the quality, tape has a tendency to fold, bend and crink. Eventually, tape will be degraded simply by rolling over record and playback heads. Somebody please tell me I'm wrong.
imac G4   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  
imac G4   Mac OS X (10.4.5)  

... tape has a tendency to fold, bend and crink. Eventually, tape will be degraded simply by rolling over record and playback heads....
using tapes for about 20 years, that happened never/zero/nullinger to me...
DVD uses mpeg2 as compression codec, that is a playback format, it doesn't store every frame of video (30/25fps)... so, for editing, your computer has to "estimate" the content... that conversion is a (very) lossy process...
iMacs have a slot-in drive -that can be damaged by using non-standard-sized disks...
finally:
iMovie is a video edit app meant to work with firewire connected miniDV camcorders
.. you need a Sony Vaio to handle such a miniDVD-camcorder....

Similar Messages

  • Is iMovie HD Compatible w/ Sony DVD camcorders?

    Trying to find out how they will play together before I fork out the $$$.
    The Sony DVD camcorders I am considering (DCRDVD405 or the 505 coming out in March) both record on a mini DVD. The cam manual says that "only photos can be downloaded to Mac." It only uses USB 2, no firewire.
    But I read here in a thread that with a $20 Quicktime Playback component for Mpeg-2, I can copy the DVD to the desktop (?) and then import to iMovie.
    1. Can the iMac read a mini-DVD?
    2. Will I experience a loss in quality when I import from Mpeg 2?
    Thanks for any advice...
    iMac 20" Intel   Mac OS X (10.4.2)  

    Hi Phyllis,
    as Sue said:
    1. Can the iMac read a mini-DVD?
    NO! it has a slot-in drive, you can kill it by using non-standard size/shaped disks....
    2. Will I experience a loss in quality when I import from Mpeg 2?
    For sure! mpeg(2) is a playback format, tricking the eye... the basic principle, why 1h mpeg2 is just 2GB, but 1h miniDV is 13GB: it doesn't store every frame of video (1sec=30 frames), just "differences". If you want to edit such stuff with frame-precision, your Mac needs a lot of computation to "estimate" the content of each frame=VERY lossy process! (not, because a Mac cannot esitmate, but.......;-) )
    3. iM sends some commands to cameras (play, ff, rew, rec)... these commands are not understood by a dvd-camcorder......
    4. you get tapes even in Ivorycoast (we had that lately here....), but mini-dvd-r....?
    5. you get miniDV cameras with a MUCH better pic quality then any miniDVD camera....
    6. tape has a longer lifespan then dvd-r (Hi Lennart! <inside joke>)
    7. some miniDV have analouge input - good for new life of old VHS/videodisks/recording your best PSP1 game....
    8. ......... forget that miniDVD thing........... ;-))

  • Do mini DVD camcorders work for FCE?

    I'm sure this question has been asked here before but I can't find anything on it.
    Am I correct in assuming that the camcorders that burn directly to a mini DVD instead of using the mini DV tapes are unsuitable for use with FCE? I would imagine that the quality of the footage would not be as high as mini DV tape, if indeed they are downloadable to the MAC at all.
    Thanks

    That's correct. I don't know anything on the Mac that will read the files off the disc directly from the camera.

  • Importing and Using Video from Sony DVD Camcorders

    I have a Sony DVD Camcorder (DCR-DVD 92) and I have recently shot a lot of footage which is now on my computer. The file extensions are .BUP, .IFO, and .VOB. I am able to import some of the files into final cut but they are shortened to only a few seconds each when in reality, they were shot for several minutes. Is there a way to make these work or to convert the files so they can be edited in Final Cut Pro 5?

    mrescobar 1 1,
    You should find that GreatVideo! v1.7 for Mac OS X - 10.4', by Software Architects, Inc., solves your problem. Converts from Sony to Mac readable format.
    Come back if you have questions.
    LM

  • Sony DVD camcorders and macbook

    I have the Sony DVD403 DVD camcorder. I bought it just before I bought the MacBook. As I have seen in other posts it doesn't seem to be the best camera for use with Mac. Has anyone got this type of camcorder and actually managed to find out a way to use it with iMovie/iDVD? Selling it and getting a new one doesn't seem like an option for me right now....

    hi again,
    Michael is right - Toast can do this... also helpful perhaps is the ~20$ application Streamclip...
    all the details (and the recipe if using Toast) are in this thread from the Roxio forums:
    http://forums.support.roxio.com/index.php?showtopic=1996
    there's also the free program called Handbrake which can read video_ts folders and then render the movies to other formats importable into iMovie...
    cheers

  • High school basketball games highlight dvd help needed.

    Problem: FCE 3.5 stops capturing at every time break.
    Background: First of all I don't know much about FCE as it is my sons program and I am trying to help him out. Please bare with me if I don't get the terminology correct.
    He is capturing basketball games recorded from a Panasonic model VDR-D210 camcorder that uses mini dvd discs. Because there is no firewire out port on this camera he is capturing thru a Pyro a/v Link analog to DV video converter, then firewire out to his intel imac running 10.4.11.
    FCE 3.5 is capturing(video only no audio needed) thru this converter, but stops at every camera time break. He has about 20 games to go and it would be nice to be able to get the whole game without it stopping every minute or two.
    He is volunteering to do this project for them but at this rate it will take forever. Any suggestions? Thanks, Jim

    Hi Jim
    DVD camcorders are not the easiest source for video editing. Since you are using an analog to digital converter, you need to change your FCE easy setup. In FCE open the drop down menu "Final Cut HD" > easy set up > DV -converter DV NTSC or DV - converter DV PAL depending on where in the world you are. > set up.
    That should take care of your problem. FCE is a complex program. You'll face a steep learning curve to get your video done, especially since it sounds like you're under time constraints. You may be better off using iMovie 6. It's less complicated and is great for editing DV. You can create something that's simple or complicated. And, you'll face less of a learning curve.
    If you already own imovie 8, you can download imovie 6 for free here:
    http://www.apple.com/support/downloads/imovieHD6.html
    Good luck. Let us know how your project turns out.
    Carl

  • Help on purchasing a dvd camcorder to work with imovie

    hello out there...was wondering which camcorder that has a dvd burner works best with imovie and osx...i want a sony, but i thought the small dvd's did not work on osx. presently, i have a digital8 and use a firewire connection to ingest video for editing with imovie. thanks for any help...

    ... boxes that holds DVD and hard drive recorders:
    These files are intended for "one time" captures.
    The file format is not intended for editing.
    I totally agree with your recommendation: try to avoid DVD and harddisk camcorders at this point if you plan to edit on a Mac. Not only is software support seriously lacking, those Mini-DVDs don't even work with slot-loading drives that are common on Mac's.
    But... there is nothing wrong with the MPEG-2 compression used on DVDs. Just look at HDV: It uses the same MPEG-2 compression to fit the the HD video into the space of a SD MiniDV tape. iMovie converts HDV video streams during capture into a format that is easier for editing - that's why the files on your harddisk are 4 times as big as the data on the tape. The quality of video captured by most consumer camcorders is more limited by the optics and the video sensor (in particular indoors, with less than perfect lighting), than the recording format and media. And yes, you can edit MPEG-2 just fine, it is just more challenging to get it working right.
    I used to tell all my friends to stay away from DVD camcorders, too, but then broke down and very reluctantly bought a DVD camcorder recently. It's mainly used for recording music lessons, with instant and repeated replay. It took me some tinkering to work out a good workflow for editing with iMove. I did some side-by-side comparisons with a similarly priced MiniDV camcorder (Canon DC50 vs. Sony TRV-33). Overall, the video clips were almost identical from either camcorder, with the DVD camcorder producing slightly better video in some situations. But as I said in the beginning, that is probably mostly a result of the better video sensor and the optical image stabilization in this particular model.
    So how does my workflow go:
    - Use DVD-RWs, formatted in Video-VR mode, and prefinalized. This allows
    you to pop out the DVD from the camcorder at any time and immediately
    use it in your DVD player or computer without another time-consuming
    finalization step.
    - Find a Windows PC to copy the video files from the DVD to my Mac.
    Mac OSX cannot read the filesystem used by Video-VR discs without
    additional software like Roxio's Toast (which I don't have). Besides, all
    my Macs are slot loading.
    - Convert the clip with the Quicktime MPEG-2 plugin and MPEG Streamclip
    to DV format.
    - Finally, import the clips into iMovie.
    Workable yes, but neither convenient nor esay. Stick with MiniDV.

  • DVD camcorder to Mac ?

    Hoping someone can help. DVD camcorder, want to put film onto mac to edit. No USB or firewire connection only AV. Records onto 8cm discs not compatible with imac G5, any ideas?? The camera is a samsung DC172W. Thanks

    I would recommend that you get an inexpensive USB DVD reader/burner that sits flat with a sliding tray. You definitely do not want to put a miniDVD into a vertical iMac drive (unless you have a high tolerance for rattles.)
    Once you have it, you need to find a way to convert the contents of your DVD to an editable format. First check your manual to see if you need to finalize the DVD.
    Then take your 8cm DVD to your new USB burner and drag the contents into your Mac using the finder.
    Most, but not all, DVD camcorders record onto MPEG2, which is not editable in iMovie. So first you have to convert it to an editable format.
    There are several tools that will do this conversion. MPEG Streamclip combined with the MPEG2 Playback Component for Quicktime will do it. Visual Hub will do it. Many other options as well.
    Convert your MPEG2 to DV or h.264 or AIC. Then it can be edited in iMovie, Final Cut Pro, or Final Cut Express.
    If your camcorder does not use MPEG2, post back with what codec it is using and we can suggest other workarounds.

  • SONY Digital Video Camera DCR-DVD 201 and iMovie

    I have a sony Digital Video Camera
    Posted: Aug 6, 2006 6:59 PM in response to: max Farina
    Reply Email
    Can I use this Digital camera with my MacBook Pro
    it is a SONY DCR-DVD 201
    I do not see a firewire port on the camera ONLY a USB.
    How can I get my video from my DVD to iMovie?
    I want to put my home video from this camera to iMovie, Can it be done?
    I am going nuts, I paid alot of money for this camera and now I can't use it in my new Mac?
    I am very new to Mac and this hurts!
    PLEASE someone help me, I only see a USB, DO they sell some thing to help get the Video into iMOVIE?
    Thanks......

    Search this forum for "compatible, DVD camcorder" and you will find many threads where people lament this truth:
    iMovie is for miniDV formatted video connected via Firewire.
    Mini DVD camcorders are designed for you to do very light editing on the camera before you finalize the DVD and don't support being imported into a computer. Anyway, many of the experts here know of converters and workarounds, if you want to spend some more money. You could start with these threads:
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2404104&#2404104
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2288697&#2288697
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=2243781&#2243781
    Somewhere I have read a pretty detailed thread describing what converter you need and how to do it. So just keep searching...

  • How do I capture video recording made by DVD Handycam?

    Hi,
    I have used a Sony DVD Handycam as a second camera during a gig. I can't capture this to Final Cut Express 4, Not I to iMovie, either! I can watch the recording on my Mac via a USB cable in DVD player (maybe this isn't relevant). The camera has no firewire connection. Is it possible to export the files on my MacBook Pro to a format recognised by FCE. What format do I need for that? MPEG4? How do I do it?
    PS People on this forum have been very helpful before. Thanks again.
    Karl

    Software Method:
    Step 1: Make sure the disc is finalized in the camera.
    Step 2: Load the disc into a tray-loading DVD drive. NEVER, EVER put a miniDVD disc into a slot loading drive.
    Step 3: Use a program like MPEG Streamclip or DVDxDV to convert the DVD's VOB files into an editable format that works natively with your NLE. Typically that would be QuickTime DV/DVCPro.
    Hardware Method:
    Step 1: Make sure the disc has been finalized in the camera.
    Step 2: Connect a DVD player's analog outputs to a qualified DV device (DV camcorder, VTR or converter).
    Step 3: Connect the DV device's Firewire port to your Mac.
    Step 4: Capture in FCE as you would any other non-controllable video source.
    Tips for the future: don't use DVD camcorders to acquire footage that will be edited.
    -DH

  • Support for hard disk drive camcorders

    I am currently using FCE with footage I have taken using my digital stills camera (which produces mov files.) I am now looking to buy a decent camcorder but have read on the forums that FCE does not support HDD or DVD camcorders, only DV and HDV ones - is that the case?
    I thought HDD camcorders produced video files that I could just import into my project (much like my stills digital camera) rather than going through the whole capture process into FCE - can anyone tell me if this is so? If so, why does FCE 'not support' them?
    Please help a camcorder and FCE newbie out before he makes an expensive mistake.
    Thanks
    Darius

    FCE supports standard video formats. Once again some stupid camera manufacturer has come up with non-existent format and expects people to use it. That's just BS. There is no digital format that is 848x80. There is no digital format that's 30fps. There is no SD format that uses square pixels. And who knows what codec it's using. Do you? The format specifications for DV and HDV are created by consortiums and sanctioned by international standards bodies. None of the formats available in DV or HDV conform to that. Just because they're using the QuickTime architecture doesn't mean anything. In FCP you can make a sequence any shape and a number of different frame rates, that doesn't mean it's a standard format. When you put material in an FCE sequence it has to conform to the standard specifications of the format your selected. Your material doesn't conform to anything, which why you have to render it.

  • Sony DVD Camcorder to iMac

    I've been trying to figure out a way to import video from my Sony DVD camcorder. I've searched these forums and so far much of the advice is not to buy Sony DVD camcorders. While I understand the good intentions of this advice, I like all the other advantages which the Sony DVD camcorders offer.
    That being said, I have two questions which will help me decide whether I really should return the Sony DCR-DVD 205 and/or use a Sony DCR-DVD 305 instead:
    1) Some others have suggested exporting the A/V out from the DVD camcorder and feeding it into the analog port of a DV camcorder. I happen to have a DV camcorder (broken lens but fine for this purpose) which can record the analog input onto a DV tape. This allows me to use the firewire out from the DV camcorder to the iMac just fine. I have tried this technique and while it is a hassle it appears to work well. Here's my question: Am I losing a significant amount of quality or resolution by converting DVD to analog to DV to iMac? The picture quality seems OK so far but I'm wondering if I am missing something.
    2) So my next question is thiis: Is it worth getting the 305 model instead? Unlike the 205, the 305 has a USB 2.0 port. But from everything I have seen, USB 2.0 ports are far from ideal when it comes to transferring digital quality video.
    Thanks in advance. I am going a bit crazy trying to figure out what to do about this.
    iMac g5    

    welcome TeamIguana to the  board ...
    you've done your research on this board about DVDcorders, so you do know, the iApps don't support such devices ... you miss the convenience of simply plug-in/hit import/done... and some others...
    you have two options:
    convert from dvd (please use the forum search for that popular issue), or, as you wrote, a playback-analoge-digital conversion...
    the loss in pic quality happens while playback a dvd...- you record in a codec called mpeg2, which is a very, very effective compressor...- a standard iM project of 2h=~26GB gets compressed with mpeg2 to fit onto a 4.7Gb single-layer dvd-r...
    to be so effective, mpeg uses different "tricks", e.g. it doesn't store every frame of the 30fps a video contains... dv (as on miniDV, or iM's native internal codec) does so... as you probably know: mpeg2 is a delivery format, no edit format...
    so answer to 1): due to mpeg standards, you have a loss of pic quality. any miniDV would be ... better.- but it has to fullfill your tastes and standards, if it is ok to you.. just do it
    ad 2) iMovie doesn't support the import via usb2.- when you're lucky, you get some Sony-made app with that device which allows to remotely control the corder via usb2 to force it to playback/stream the video to the Mac.. HardDrivecorders behave like some ordinary harddrive, easy to drag'n drop file from them to the Mac.. but a DVDcorder? even, when you hit manually "play"... how should your Mac know what to do with that stream of data coming via usb??
    you guess it allready; I'm not convinced by DVDcorders
    so, just to feed my personal curiosity:
    I like all the other advantages which the Sony DVD camcorders offer.
    ... which one?

  • Import Mini DVD's

    I have a new imac G5 slot loading & an iMac G4 tray loading computer. I hear it is possible to put the Mini DVD's into the G4 for extraction with 3rd party software? Anyone out there have any experience with this? The camera I'm using is a Sony DCR DVD 203. I see it has a USB port, is this USB 2.0?

    The iMac's USB ports on the back are USB 2. The Sony camcorder should have come with Mac software to extract MPEG video from the mini DVD via the camera connection. I think it is called ImageMixer. Toast 7 also can extract MPEGs from DVD camcorders using Toast's Media Browser.
    You do know you cannot put a mini-DVD in a slot-loading drive.

  • Canon DC10 DVD Camcorder - compatible w/iMac?

    Am a newbie to iMovie and the world of DVD Camcorders - the one I just got is a Canon DC10 mini-DV, and the manual states that one can only download still images to Mac. I suspect that if I can get the video into the Mac, I can use iMovie to edit, etc. Do I need to connect via firewire? Is this camcorder model even compatible w/Mac at all? (NOTE: Canon Customer Service unable to help me...)
    thanks

    DVD Camcorders always seem to cause problems and iMovie will only work from firewire.
    Look at the thread http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageID=967074#967074
    Karsten's posting might help but the whole thread will give you some useful information.

  • Looking for a GREAT mini DVD Camcorder that is compatible with my MAC! :-)

    Ok. Here it is: I have a Sony DCR-TRV350 Camcorder, which I LOVE. However, the DVI port on the camera is screwed up. I bought a new DVI firewire, alas, to no avail. I cannot get the information from the camera to my Mac. So, making my fun, goofy movies is being inhibited by a fix, that will cost nearly as much as a new camera. I am looking for a new camera, that takes advantage of the firewire port on the Mac. Any suggestions? I would prefer a Sony. I am looking for advice from someone who knows, better then I, (that should be easy) of a good camcorder (miniDVD?) that works well with a Mac. I just want to have fun, bringing in footage to iMovie HD, editing, and posting them to Metacafe. Any and all input is, of course greatly appreciated. Thanks so much!!
    ~ George

    "..I wish Apple would tell me "why" a standard MiniDVD camcorder would not be compatible with I-Movie, because I can not think of a single logical reason.."
    iMovie was designed to work with "DV" digital camcorders. These were, and are, camcorders which record video in a particular method onto DV, or miniDV, tape. iMovie wasn't designed to import or edit analogue 8mm or Hi-8 recordings, so it won't. iMovie can't handle an incoming analogue (non-digital) signal. (..But if you put one of those 8mm or Hi-8 analogue tapes in a Digital-8 camcorder such as the Sony DCR-TRV350, mentioned in the very first post, above, you can then import it as a digital signal through the camcorder's FireWire connection..)
    Various other digital recording methods came and went, and Apple have supported some, but not others: there was the short-lived Sony "microMV" tape format which Apple didn't support, although you can handle that with MPEG Streamclip. Then there was HDV, which Apple does support ..but they did that by creating an Apple Intermediate Codec, into which the MPEG-2 video format of HDV tape gets converted during import.
    Then there were various MPEG-2 DVD video formats, and the various movie formats used by solid-state memory-chip camcorders. Now there's AVCHD format, for memory chips, hard drives and DVDs.
    These methods of recording video just keep multiplying - because the camcorder manufacturers want to offer "Look! Ours-does-it-better!" claims. But just because they produce a camcorder which records video, that doesn't mean that Apple (which doesn't make camcorders) has to provide a means to edit all these weird formats which keep springing up. Surely, the camcorder manufacturers should be providing Mac-compatible, or iMovie-compatible, editing methods for their devices, shouldn't they?
    As Thomas mentions, there's a list of some compatible camcorders (see above) ..but that's a list of camcorders which are compatible with the latest iMovie '08 (..which can deal with some DVD camcorders, but not those which record DVDs in AVCHD format..) and AVCHD format can be handled only by Intel-based Macs, anyway.
    So for an MPEG-2-based mini-DVD camcorder and iMovie HD 6, copy the files into your Mac, and then use MPEG Streamclip to convert them to iMovie HD 6 compatibility.
    For iMovie '08, some miniDVD camcorders are compatible (those using MPEG-2 recording). For DVD camcorders using AVCHD recording, you may have to copy the recordings onto your Mac, and then download and use "Voltaic" to convert the recordings into iMovie-editable format.
    "..I can not think of a single logical reason.." ..the reason is that manufacturers just want you to buy these cameras. But they don't give a hoot that you can't edit the material they record, and so it's left to Apple, and other software developers, to try to devise some way to "unravel" the compressed recordings for you, and make them editable.

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