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crazylegs5150 · Nov 30, 2006, 11:11 AM

Hey everyone. I am totally new to Apple and this is my first post. I just bought my very first Apple Macbook 8oGb which is on the way as we speak. I delayed for 3 years now on getting a new laptop but the real reason I got this was to transfer many home videos from vacations to the computer to make a dvd of. My question is this. I have a panasonic mini DV palm recorder (model pv-gs14) that is about 2-3 years old. It did not come with any accompanying cd disc. Now that I have a macbook, what do I need to get to be able to transfer the video from the recorder to the harddrive of the Macbook? I am confused after reading many things. Do I use a USB plug or something other? I was told initially about needing to get a firwire plug of some sort to transfer to my windows based Dell desktop from a service guy at Best Buy. I am hoping that someone out there can point me in the right direction. I am pretty smart once I get pointed in the right direction and can usually figure things out for myself but this thing has baffled me and I have finally broken down and asked for some much needed insight. Do you think I need to install any drivers? Thanks a bunch! This place is really great source of help and information.

Crazylegs5150

ghporter · Nov 30, 2006, 04:53 PM

Your camera has a mini-Firewire port under the palmswell on the right side. You'll need a "4-pin to 6-pin IEEE 1394" cable to connect it to your MacBook. Once you plug it in, apps like iMovie will detect it immediately and transfer the video for you to do what you want. Simple and quick!

crazylegs5150 · Dec 1, 2006, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by crazylegs5150

Hey everyone. I am totally new to Apple and this is my first post. I just bought my very first Apple Macbook 8oGb which is on the way as we speak. I delayed for 3 years now on getting a new laptop but the real reason I got this was to transfer many home videos from vacations to the computer to make a dvd of. My question is this. I have a panasonic mini DV palm recorder (model pv-gs14) that is about 2-3 years old. It did not come with any accompanying cd disc. Now that I have a macbook, what do I need to get to be able to transfer the video from the recorder to the harddrive of the Macbook? I am confused after reading many things. Do I use a USB plug or something other? I was told initially about needing to get a firwire plug of some sort to transfer to my windows based Dell desktop from a service guy at Best Buy. I am hoping that someone out there can point me in the right direction. I am pretty smart once I get pointed in the right direction and can usually figure things out for myself but this thing has baffled me and I have finally broken down and asked for some much needed insight. Do you think I need to install any drivers? Thanks a bunch! This place is really great source of help and information.

Crazylegs5150

Thanks so much for the info. I am still learning the different things about Pc and Mac based computers. I didn't know if i needed some special drivers or a special adapter plug in addition to the firewire plug. thanks so much for the help.

Madrag · Dec 2, 2006, 06:33 AM

I've done that with a Sony mini-DV camera, and the result is a bit dodgy

I captured the footage by using the cable, and the software was iMovie, but the movie quality is poor, especially when there are scenes with quick movements, in those cases, I see a sort of horizontal strips, very fade, almost unnoticeable, but I can spot them...
Any idea of why this happens?
crazylegs5150: are your footage showing this?

wulf · Dec 3, 2006, 05:37 AM

Originally Posted by Madrag

I've done that with a Sony mini-DV camera, and the result is a bit dodgy

I captured the footage by using the cable, and the software was iMovie, but the movie quality is poor, especially when there are scenes with quick movements, in those cases, I see a sort of horizontal strips, very fade, almost unnoticeable, but I can spot them...
Any idea of why this happens?

I suspect that your captures from your Sony camera have worked fine and what you are seeing are interlace artefacts, which are totally normal. These occur because of the difference between standard video/TV display - which uses interlaced fields - and computer displays, which show whole frames at once (known as progressive-scan display).

The fine lines you see on fast motion will not show up on your video once you transfer it back to tape or onto DVD, and show it on a TV, because the TV is an interlaced display.

If you want to create progressive-scan videos to show on a computer you'll want to deinterlace your footage when you export it. You can select deinterlacing though the size option of QuickTime export.

crazylegs5150 · Dec 3, 2006, 08:12 AM

What is this DVI adapter I keep hearing about? What does that do? I like the idea of plugging in and just going but just want to know more about things. By the way, thanks for all the help here. For a Mac newbie, this makes learning this "new language" so much more enjoyeable.

crazylegs5150 · Dec 3, 2006, 08:14 AM

One more thing i just thought of. How much space does a typical 30 min DV footage take up on hard drive? I am planning on getting an external hard drive to handle this but was wanting to know rough estimates of space useage. Thanks!!

wulf · Dec 3, 2006, 09:13 AM

DVI is a digital interface, primarily for computer displays. Basically it is used to attach external displays (monitors) to computers.

You need roughly 1GB per 4.5 minutes of Mini-DV footage.

30 minutes of DV requires about 6.5GB.

Madrag · Dec 3, 2006, 01:33 PM

thanks for the explanation wulf!

dbmacman · Dec 5, 2006, 10:10 AM

I just got a new MBP and don't seem to be able to get my very old Sony DCR-TRV510 to be recognized by iMovie, The camcorder works fine with PCs that I have transferred movies using firewire ports. I have checked the date time and it is set correctly. The firewire cable feels a little loose in the macs firewire port, doesn't fit snug like it does in a pc. The cables are universal are they not? Is there something that I have to "turn on" to make the firewire port active? Thanks for any help you can provide.

Madrag · Dec 7, 2006, 02:22 PM

yes the firewire cable are "universal", and you don't need to turn anything on.
My best guess would be that your camera isn't supported, but someone more informed may help you more.