Sony mini DVD compatibility

Hi,
I have a Sony DCR-DVD106E but for some reason imovie does not recognise it. The mac seems to pick up the camcorder by showing it as an external, blank, dvd disc but will not open the application.
Is there any way of getting the home movies into iMovie?
Eric

Hi,
at first I have the same problem, but now I use a special USB cable with two A connectors and iMac recognizes the camcorder. Now I have realized that the clips captured don't have info about the date/time in which they were recorded. Is it necessary too to close the disc in order to have this info.
Thanks in advance for your answer.

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I recently bought a mac book pro and I have final cut express. I am trying to hook up my sony mini dvd camcorder to my computer so that I can capture my footage off of my camcorder to make movies. Any suggestion would be helpful. Thanks

"No matter how competent FC / FCE is, it is still a very small minority with respect to the numer of professionals actually using it. Adobe might be counting on gaining market share by being able to announce AVCHD support before Apple, and given that the majority of users out there do not use FC/FCE and that more an more Mac users are new users / switchers, it might not be such a bad plan if Apple is typical Apple and slow to adopt new technology (but getting it mostly right when they finally do move)."
I'm not quite sure what some of this means, and I think much of it is quite wrong. If, by the first sentence, you mean that only a small minority of professionals use Final Cut. This is quite inaccurate. It is by far the most widely used video editing software on the planet. Far exceeding Avid, Media 100, Premiere or any other available software. Avid is strongly entrenched in film production and primetime television, but that accounts for a minute proportion of all video production worldwide. I would also disagree that Apple is slow to support new technology. Apple was the first software with professional DV editing, native HDV editing, DVCPRO 50 and DVCPRO HD via FireWire, the first to support DVX 24p and 24pa, and while it might have have been the first to support IMX and XDCAM, it wasn't far behind. It was slow to support native JVC HDV 720p editing, but that's about the only area in which it was not a leader, and it only happened because Apple wanted to edit the material natively as it did Sony 1080i, coupled with the Intel issue. AVCHD is very new technology, and its use of delivery format, 15 frame GOP-based compression for acquisition presents huge issues for any editing applications. Not something that can be turned around in a couple of weeks or even months. One thing that has greatly slowed down the development of video editing application interface functionality over the last few years has been the constant stream of ever-changing formats introduced by camera manufacturers. This has meant that less and less time has been available to actually work on the software. In Apple's case this has been further complicated by the move to Intel-based hardware, and the necessity to port all its software to a new architecture. This has not slowed Apple's development and support for new formats, but it has greatly delayed feature enhancements, in my view. Personally I feel, at this stage, it would be better for the pro apps to work on core issues and enhancements rather than continue development for yet another format, particularly a problematic consumer format. Panasonic is developing a professional format AVCHD Intra that might be supported on the pro apps before the consumer version.

October 2005 Dual G5 Won't Read Sony Mini DVD

My sister shot some stuff on a Sony mini dvd camera. I thought that since the built in dvd/cd player has a groove for mini discs, it would read. Doesn't. Any help is appreciated. I was going to rip it and put into Final Cut Pro and make a home movie.

For some reason, the edit option didn't come up. Anyway, been checking around other places, where others have asked a similar question. People keep responding, by saying, use MPEG Streamclip and others. Just want to re-iterate, that the computer needs to read it before using such.

Adventures in Sony Mini DVD land....

OK...
I've read & digested all the good advice 'round here regarding getting DVD into FCE.
SCENE 1, Act 1:
Customer gives me Sony Mini DVD's recorded on an NTSC cam, and wants an edit deleiverd in DVD NTSC. I live in a PAL country. And I own a cheap camera that doesn't appear to have any kind of NTSC playback or recording option. I use this to digitize. So recording the analogue output of my DVD player is out.
Paid my money and got DVDxDV..
YAY! working well EXCEPT!!!......
SCENE 2: ...these DVD's are two sided. the contents of side 1 show up as what I assume are chapters. These I converted to NTSC for Final Cut and everything is rosy. However the final chapter thingy seems to be an fast forward silent montage of the contents of side 2 of the disc.
The other side of the disc placed upwards in the DVD tray gives me no joy in either DVDxDV or in Apples DVD player.. Both sides play on my domestic player.
Anyone got any experience/advice/ideas/condolences to share?
Tearing my hair out, and if you've seen my picture (think Yoda but pink) you'll understand why that can't be a good thing...
Pete

UPDATE:
the superfast forward montage thing is stills captured to the disc.
I used disc utulity to make a new disc image (.cdr) which has a ts_video folder and a DCIM folder which has stills in it.
No idea of whether or not I'm getting anything from side two ina amognst all those chaptery thingos I converted.
Now I have a Video TS folder I might try opening THAT with DVDxDV.....

Sony mini-DVDs to imovie

My parents have recently bought a Sony HD video camera - namely the Sony HDR-UX1. I cannot figure out how to get the HD picture into either of my computers. Neither will load the mini-DVDs properly, so I am forced to use either an outboard cd/dvd deck, or the camera. the camera ONLY uses USB.
The only types of files that show up on a finalized mini-DVD are .clpi .mpls .dbmv and .m2ts
Any ideas?
Imac g5 vers.B 2Gig Superdrive Mac OS X (10.4.2) laptop: PowerBook G4

Chris,
The Sony HDR-UX1 can be used with MPEG Streamclip (and the QT plugin) when used in the SD mode. If it was used in the new AVCHD mode, you appear to be out of luck on the Mac at this time.
but which of those files do i convert?
Try them in MPEG Streamclip and see. (I just hope they weren't shot in the AVCHD mode.)
Take a look at: http://galbraiths.org/blog/2006/12/26/sony-hdr-ux1-camcorder/
Sony make some excellent equipment, but unfortunately, compatability with the Mac is not high on the product requirement list when new products are being designed.
F Shippey

Importing from Sony mini DVD?

Brand new iMac and I cant insert the mini DVD from Sony Handycam camcorder since iMac only takes standard size dvd. It appears as if there is no other plug-in option, eg, firewire or usb port. Any suggestions? The Sony model is dcr-dvd 305 ... should I burn files from small dvd to large one? Will I lose quality? Bought this computer for ease of use and already frustrated...thanks!

If your camera is several years old, it is most certainly Mpeg2. If your DVD will play in a DVD player, it is almost certainly MPEG2. The alternatives are AVCHD which is a fairly recent format for high definition cameras, and dv which is uncompressed, and probably not used on your dvd. If you can open your dvd in the finder, you may be able to right-click, get info, and find out for sure.
If you are interested in a new camera, there are a lot of choices. The simplest choice is a standard definition miniDV tape camera that connects with firewire. If you go HD, there are mpeg2 cameras and AVCHD cameras in tape, DVD, flash memory, and hard drive formats.
Personally, I like the flash memory AVCHD, but others like the easy archival capability of tape.
See this Apple document for compatible camcorders.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=306171

Can't import some Sony mini dvds

I have a Sony Handycam DVD403 and am importing with iMovie '09
I've successfully imported 15 mini dvds but have 7 which do not get recognized.
For the ones that work, I turn the handycam to play, the handycam screen says 'USB MODE', the Mac gives me a dialogue box that say 'you have connected a mini-DVD device to your computer. Chose an action from the popup menu or click Ignore' . I just click ignore and a few seconds later, the Device list of the mac shows a new entry, another dialogue box displays at the top of iMovie that says 'Looking for cameras and devices' with a blue/white moving bar under it and the words 'Sony Storage Device' under the bar. After a couple of minutes, it says 'Generating poster images' and then shows me the clips and I select which ones to import (oddly enough, it lists everyone twice, so I must deselect 1/2 of them, but at least I can import them)
For the ones that don't work, I get the 'you have connected a mini-dvd device...' but the mac never shows me anything new in the list of devices and nothing more happens.
If I unplug the USB cable, I can see the videos on the handycam, so something is on the mini DVDs
I have tried turning off the handycam, rebooting the mac, unplugging the usb cable, using another usb cable...all in various sequences with no luck.
Because the handycam device is not listed as a device, I can't use the import facility from the File Menu
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. I was so encouraged that some worked and hope someone has tips to get the last 7 working
thank you!

nevermind...kept reading on this support forum and tried finalizing one of the mini DVDs and it WORKS now!
Yeah!

Sony Mini-DVD's with Final Cut Pro

I am wondering if it is possible to convert mini-DVD's such as those from sony camcorders to the Final Cut Pro editing program? I have been able to do this on my PC but is difficult, long and complicated. I have read other posts my my question isn't completly answered. My camcorder does not have a USB or Firewire port on it but I already own an exterior disk burning drive that accepts mini-DVD's. I am considering switching to a MAC from PC and Final Cut Pro is one of the main reasons why.
Thanks in Advance!
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Welcome to the forum!
To convert ANY non-copyrighted, non-encrypted DVD video footage to an editable format that FCP can work with, you have two basic options; hardware or software.
The hardware method is connecting a DVD player's outputs to a qualified DV device, which is connected to your Mac via Firewire. In FCP, set device control to "Non-Controllable Device" and use capture now - or dub the footage to DV/DVCam/DVCPro for logging and batch capturing.
The software method involves using a program such as DVDxDV, Cinematize or MPEG Streamclip to demux and convert the DVD-Video's VOB files into an editable format for later importing into FCP.
-DH

Import video, stills from Sony Mini DVD-RW?

Hi.
I just bought a Sony DVD 403. How do you import video from the Sony DVD-RW?
When trying to drag the files from the mini DVD I get "Unsupported File Type" into iDVD, iMovie HD, Quicktime, and Final Cut Express. (All are the latest versions). Thank you for your response.
Walter

Thank you Len!
I wouldn't mind spending the 20 dollars if it lets me import my videos from the
Sony DVD-RW. I find it odd that iDVD plays the videos without anything of the mini DVD alright but I can't save them? Are you sure about that JPEG 2? When I
do a get info it does not say what those files are. Thank you for all your help.
The USB on it is useless, I can't figure why no fire wire and I for sure thought
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Walter

Mini-DVD compatibility

I just bought a camcorder that records to 8cm Mini DVDs.
Can I put these into the Superdrive?
Thanks.

Hi, Wb M. No, that won't work.
If you do put one in, you probably won't be able to play it, eject it, or use the drive for anything afterward until you dismantle it and remove the disc manually, and the drive may be permanently damaged. That pretty well minimizes the payoff for trying it out.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=88275

Can I use mini dvd's in my new imac?

Have several movies made with sony mini dvd camcorder, can I put the mini-dvd in the dvd slot of my imac, or will it get stuck? Thanks,
Dan

I was thinking about this and one way to avoid this problem completely is to invest in an external Pioneer Burner housed in an ext. FW enclosure.
Essentially one needs to make certain the drive has the capacity to play such a disk prior to its insertion into the machine.
Click here
I realize it's much harder to do this visual exam on a laptop or a slot loading S-Drive as opposed to a slide out tray as shown above.

Mini dvds

Does the imac take mini dvds because I got a mini dvd camcorder and was seeing if I can just put the dvd in and edit the footage from the mini dvd.
imac g5 17 inch 1.8 ghz Mac OS X (10.4.3)

The trouble is the Sony mini DVD handycams don't have firewire. I have been able to drag VOB files across USB (after the mini DVD has been finalized in the handycam). However, the mini DVD files have to be converted from Video_TS VOB to mp4 (I used a program called Open Shiiva that I found in a macworld posting). I can view the footage in QuickTime Player, but there's no audio and the whole process is very, very slow and cumbersome. I have dozens of mini DVDs that I need to convert (preferably without spending hundreds of dollars on new hardware and software). Any suggestions would be warmly appreciated.

Can't play mini dvd - and now I can't eject

I had a training video made at a class yesterday, and the instructor used a Sony mini-dvd camera for media. I can't read it on my work Dell laptop, and I placed the DVD in my mid-2009 17" MBP. Won't play, and I can not eject it either. Other than splitting the case is there a way to eject the disk?

Regardless of the brand of computer, non-standard optical discs are totally incompatible with slot-loading optical drives. That instructor should have known.
Even if you open the case, the disk is still stuck in the drive because the drive irself is a full wrap-around design:
You can try holding the computer so the drive slot is pointed down and rocking it (not "shaking it!"). the computer should be OFF, not asleep when doing this. If that does not work, seek professional help.
Others may tell you to stick something thin and flat well into the slot to free the mini-disk, but I believe you can imagine how bad that could turn if not properly done.

Mini DVD importing

I have a Sony Mini DVD 305 handycam camcorder. When i plug my camcorder into my imac, using a usb, my mac picks up the DVD in the camcorder, and it can not read it, and imovie can read it, or edit it. What should i do? Will Imovie be offering mini DVD compatiblity it the future? If not what can i do?

your device is not supported by the iApps...
iMovie is a consumer video edit app meant to work with firewire connected miniDV/D8 camcorders
you have to..
a) finalize dvd in your device, read camera's manual how to accomplish that
b) avoid sticking miniDVD into slot-in drives.. gets damaged.. buy an external dvd-drive
c) handle that disk as any other DVD:
* DVDxDV (free trial, 25$, Pro: 90$)
* Apple mpeg2 plugin (29$) + Streamclip (free)
* Cinematize >60$
* Mpeg2Works >25$ + Apple plug-in
* Toast 6/7 allows converting to dv/insert dvd, hit apple-k
* connect a miniDV Camcorder with analogue input to a DVD-player and transfer disk to tape/use as converter
non of these apps override copyprotection mechanisms as on commercial dvds...
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6010.shtml
http://danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/tips_tricks/6018.shtml
best practise:
use the apps as intended - use a miniDV camcorder....
concerning "future":
no rumors here allowed, but I strongly doubt, Mac will ever support the usage of a delivery/playback-only format as DVD for editing purposes....

Sony mini DVD compatibility

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