[murthys]

I'm using a flat panel imac with superdrive and a Sony TRV 17 mini dv camera. Mac OS 10.3 and imovie 3.0.2. Everything was working fine for a year now. Today, I wanted to start a new project - I can't get the imovie to recognize the camera! System profiler says no Fire wire devices found. I restarted the computer and no luck still.

[MountainMac]

Try logging in as another user and see if the problem goes away. If it does, then log back in as yourself and trash the iMovie preferences for your user (~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.imovie3.plist).

HTH,

MM

[Aku]

This might sound stupid, but I've done it before so.....

You do have the camera turned to VCR, right?
If not, I'd go back to iMovie 2.1.1. iMovie3 just isn't stable enough yet.

OT: If you start a sentence with iMovie or iMac, should you capitalize the 'i'?

[EnVoy]

I have the exact problem, It just stopped reconizing the camera all of the sudden. It seamed to happen before 10.2.5, and after the last security update. I have no 3rd party apps running. I'm using a Sony DCR-TRV18 ntsc with the Mac listed in my sig. Also using iMovie 3.0.2. I've made sure the camera is in VCR mode! The system profilier also says no Firewire devices attached.

Anyone have a clue?

[murthys]

Apple support recommended changing the firewire cable. No luck with that and I'm out 40 bucks! Hopefully, I can return it.
Looks like they don't have a clue. The lady was asking me to contact Sony and update the drivers! I had to tell her that no drivers are required for firewire.

Anyway should I trash imovie 3 and reinstall it?

[EnVoy]

I'm not so sure it is an iMovie thing. My Apple System Profilier doesn't detect the camera when attached, so I'm lead too believe it is a Firewire thing.

[murthys]

You are right. It doesn't appear to be related to imovie but rather an issue with firewire connection. Yahoo messenger also doesn't recognize the camera now whereas earlier it used to.

[EnVoy]

The sys update must have somehow caused conflicts with the firewire drivers.

[Webscreamer]

I had the same thing last night using 10.2.5 and iMovie 3.0.2.

This is what worked for me. Unplug your camera, restart, open iMovie, then plug camera back in... thats all and it worked.

[EnVoy]

Tried that, and it didn't work. I even trashed the iMovie prefs, still didn't work.....

[murthys]

OK, I spent half an hour with Apple Tech support yesterday and went through with their Techtools and Apple hardware diagnostics CD routine. As expected, nothing came out of that. Finally, the guy was convinced that it had to be a hardware issue with the firewire port. Next stop, take the iMac, the camcorder and the cable to the nearest Apple store and let the genius in there take a crack at it. If they can't figure it out, it is going to be sent out for repair. Thank god, that I have the Apple Care protection! Other wise I would have kicked myself since it broke exactly after 13 months.

I'm going on vacation for a week on Friday. Therefore, I can't take it to the store until after the 26th. Bummer!

[EnVoy]

I wouldn't be so sure about that. A lot of people are reporting this problem after upgrading to 10.2.5. And not with just video cameras, but with firewire drives as well. Look in the support forums at apple, in the OSX and iMovie forums.

Did you recently upgrade to 10.2.5?

[murthys]

OK, It is working now!!!
I came back from vacation and magic, the camera is attached now and can be operated from the mouse!! I guess, it helped that I turned off the iMac and switched off the power supply. That must have done the trick because only switching off the iMac and restarting earlier didn't help.

EnVoy, can you try this and see if it works for you? By the way, I have OS X 10.2.3 and imovie 3.0.2.