[Jedd]

I've shot footage with an analog camera unto a v8 cassette.
Will I be able to use a digital cam to move that footage into a Mac
for editing? I know the digital cam's player function can play analog v8s
but I'm not sure if it will also deliver it as digital signals through its firewire port.

Can iMovie directly make VCDs that play 100% for sure on Windows
and on VCD players?

Does iMovie also operate in the OfflineRT format, as Final Cut does?
I've read that one gig of disk space only equals 5 minutes
of video.

Does the PowerMac have a port where I can directly connect it
to a tv's video-audo ports? I think it's called video mirroring on the iMac.
I've also read that some tv sets need scan rate converter for this.
How do I know if my tv set still needs it?

Is there a website for people just getting started on a Mac and new
to video-editing? so I can find the info I need myself.

I've been following up on the Mac for months now and I think I'm finally ready
to commit to a PowerMac. Please help me with my questions, thanks!

[MickS]

Originally posted by Jedd:
<STRONG>I've shot footage with an analog camera unto a v8 cassette.
Will I be able to use a digital cam to move that footage into a Mac
for editing? I know the digital cam's player function can play analog v8s
but I'm not sure if it will also deliver it as digital signals through its firewire port.</STRONG>

I have used iMovie to edit old Hi8 video. I had to playback the Hi8 on the Hi8 camera and record it to DV tape on the DV camera. Quality was pretty good. I would be surprised if you could go straight from v8 tape.

<STRONG>
Can iMovie directly make VCDs that play 100% for sure on Windows
and on VCD players?
</STRONG>

No. You need Toast to be able to do this.

<STRONG>
Does iMovie also operate in the OfflineRT format, as Final Cut does?
I've read that one gig of disk space only equals 5 minutes
of video.
</STRONG>

No. It is 5 minutes per gig of space.

[PatriCanuck]

you can take your analogue, 8mm or Hi8mm tape - load it into a Digital 8 camera, and at least for Sony, this will provide a proper DV bitstream through the firewire to iMovie or whatever editing program you are using. alternatively, you can for example plug in a VCR with a favourite VHS to the Digital 8 camera's rca jacks. and do the same thing - the Sony Digital 8 will convert it to a DV bitstream, through firewire to into iMovie, etc.

in this case, we have both Sony *and* Apple to thank. it's one way to archive valuable footage - and it's a good thing to then store and use the "Digital/DV" copies to work on or play, instead of using the master/original tapes over and over again. you will not lose any quality, as the DV format will handily surpass anything you had as original/analogue tapes anyway. it won't make your original quality *better* but it will faithfully capture whatever was there to begin with.