Importing analog video using MovieBox DV

I purchased a Pinnacle Studio MovieBox DV Version 9 last February at my local Apple Store. I want to convert old analog videotape to movies in iMovie HD. I'm finally getting around to using the MovieBox, but it's not working. I have a Sony CCD-TRV87 Hi 8 camcorder hooked up to the MovieBox, and the MovieBox firewired to my Mac OS X. The iMovie screen indicates "Camera Connected". When I press "Play" on the camcorder, it plays -- but not on the screen. I realize I need to control the camera with its buttons and not iMovie's. The Apple Store employee I spoke to today said that the cords used to hook up the camcorder to a TV should work just fine hooked up to the MovieBox, but do I need an "S" cable? I am at my wits' end fighting with this, as the MovieBox was an expensive piece of equipment, and I just opened the box. Pinnacle doesn't offer anything but "live chat" for support, and just as I reach #1 in the queue, the session cancels. Funny joke! The "Import" button under "File" is grayed out; I can't even make a "Magic Movie" since the Mac is not communicating with the camera. I bought my Mac a year ago, and have only used it to make two movies, which I've since removed from the hard drive to free up space. What am I doing wrong? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Hello,
Like yourself I purchased the MovieBox some time ago from Apple, to convert analog video tapes to DV and am now finally getting around to working with it. My problem is getting it to transfer the data without timecode breaks. I decided to take a closer look at the "manual" which is limited on information (there is no Mac support on their website) and learned the following; there are 2 DV ports. A & B. A is where the Mode Select switch is. Here is where you select the mode you are working in. If you are using s-video then you select that by pushing the mode button until the LED lights up on that connection. Same goes for firewire transfer mode and composite mode. The one thing you need to know is if you are using s-video, you have to connect the audio connections of the composite cable to get sound (white & red as indicated by the music note graphics on the box) I'm not clear on how the connection to the computer works with the firewire. The manual is confusing in this area. I will have to play with it to figure this out. My guess is, since I'm converting to DV that My VCR should be connected to port B and the firewire to my computer on port A. We shall see...
Hope this helps.
Good Luck

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I would like to import analog video into my Mac so that I can edit and extract video. I have many analog video tapes and I would like to import into my Mac. I can output video to my analog video camera or to a VCR but can't input. There is a unit, Elgato's EyeTV, for viewing TV that imports but I don't plan on watching TV on my Mac. I hear you can burn to DVD with a VHS-DVD deck and Extract from the DVD using software (Hand-Brake).
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There is a unit, Elgato's EyeTV,...
It is possible to use the Elgato EyeTV devices (and EyeTV software) to capture analog video. The Elgato devices record mpg-2 video on your hard drive and you can then use something like DVDxDV or MPEG-Streamclip to convert the mpg-2 content to DV video for use in iMovie,
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Imported analog video successfully and it is normal in the "Event" pane but when I move a clip into the "Project" pane, it enlarges it slightly and distorts it. How can I keep that from happening?

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I am interested that you have been able to use 'pass-through' to import your analogue video. Did you have to have a tape in your camera, or were you able to do it with no tape?

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Near the end of this thread;
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=2506624
From VHS to DVD
Give New Life to Old Movies
http://www.macworld.com/2004/05/features/fromvhstodvd/

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Help-Import Analog Video

I have done this successfully in the pas, but think am missing a stp, can anyone help.
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Does that help at all?
Message was edited by: catspaw

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