How to import MPEG-1 camcorder video into iMac?

I have a Sony digital camcorder purchased in 2002 which records to film. I would like to import the video from this camcorder into my iMac (purchased Jan. 2007) for playback on the computer and to burn the video to DVDs.
When I hook up the camcorder to my computer via Firewire cable and turn it on to the VCR position for importation into the iMovie HD program, nothing happens. There is no communication between the camcorder and the iMovie HD program. None of the steps recommended by Apple that I have tried to establish communication between the camcorder and iMovie HD have worked. It appears that the camcorder format (MPEG-1) is incompatible with iMovie HD.
I will appreciate any knowledgeable advice on how to successfully import this video into my iMac for the intended purposes.
Bob

Thanks for your responses.
I’m embarrassed to admit that I miscued in attempting to import the camcorder video into my computer. I corrected my mistake and successfully imported the video, watching it on the iMovie monitor and seeing the video clips appear as the import proceeded.
I added the clips to the movie and saved the project. I just got through playing back the whole movie. Yippee!
I was surprised that this 12-minute recording produced a movie file size of 2.14 GB. Ouch! Is this normal? If so, I’m glad I opted for a 500 GB hard drive on this iMac!
You may be wondering where I went wrong in my initial attempts to import this movie into my computer. John was right in saying “...it should be as simple as you thought.” Simple, that is, if you follow all of the necessary steps! Where I missed the boat was in not clicking the Create button after entering the various pieces of information into the Create Project window. I obviously overlooked the fact that Apple treats the importing of a simple camcorder video into a computer as a major movie-making event. The next time I go through this exercise I’ll don my Martin Scorsese hat to make sure it doesn’t happen again!
The next step will be to burn this movie to a DVD. Wish me success as I research how to do this without any further miscues.
Bob

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