I REALLY want to get the iMac DV, but I read at iMac2Day that it doesn't work properly with JVC Cybercams. Is there a workaround? Otherwise, I might have to purchase a PC instead to get the included software to work.

PLEASE HELP!!!

[wlonh]

http://www.themacintoshguy.com/lists/digicam.html
"a forum for discussion of digital still and video cameras. The list joins others that he hosts at themacintoshguy.com, including G4, iBook, MacGames, and MacFireWire."
from MacNN frontpage today

iMax,

I was the one who initiated that discussion after crappy tech support from JVC. Basically, all the functions you would want to use work, except for one problem: you can't export back to tape (at least I can't). I've received several emails from people all over the world who seem to have no problems with other JVC DV cameras, but I have the whatever-21 model, and it doesn't work with mine.

I can import to the computer, edit, all the fancy stuff, just not back out to tape.

PLEASE don't let that stop you from getting the iMac DV. It's an incredible machine, and you'll like it a LOT.

HTH

--Kevin Kelly

According to Apple Tech Support, JVC's IEEE 1394 interface is not compliant with Apple FireWire specs, therefore it is unsupported. We have the high-end "Pro" mini-DV camera and deck that JVC sells and they work great with G4's and B&W G3's with both iMovie and Final Cut Pro. However, we have an iMac DV SE and it will work for a few moments then the Picture goes to Digital Noise and we get no sound. No Mac OS or Quicktime version or FireWire driver combo seems to work consistantly. If you are having qualms about an iMac with the JVC, you should think about spending a couple hundred more dollars to get the G4/400. It seems to make a difference for us.

[David R]

I had purchased a good JVC cam and I had to send it back.

You can control the camera from the computer (a G4 450mhz) and you can capture clips. You can rearrange the clips and dump them back to the camera.

All that works.

But the moment you put a transition or a title, everything stops working. It has to do with how Apple sends information to the camera. The JVC cams cannot understand it or handle it and they shutdown/reboot.

[lockhartt]

I've been using iMovie on my iMac DV with a JVC GR-DV3u for over six months now without issue, and I know others with JVC camcorders are also having success. The only camcorder I know of from JVC that seems to have consistent problems is the GR-DVF21u... with no known explanation, it just doesn't play nice with FireWire on the Mac (at least on the iMac DV).

Visit Digital Origin's Web site (they make EditDV and other fine video editing products) and take a look at the camera compatibility notes... there are some excellent notes there on some of the idiosynchracies of various cameras... JVC and otherwise.

See http://www.digitalorigin.com/product...vcamnotes.html

[This message has been edited by lockhartt (edited 06-22-2000).]

[bugs]

As someone already said, JVC tech support is not helpful. I sent emails for two months asking for some specs on that cute little one they make. Finally I got an answer saying that they couldn't answer. They would (snail)mail me a copy of the owner's guide, but they couldn't be sure that it could answer my questions either.

I would never buy anything from them unless it was so cheap that it was disposable.

I have mixed results with my JVC hardware (a DV-SVHS combo deck, the HR-DVS1) and my G4: it's true, the unit does allow me all the usual DV functions, it does not write to tape under Final Cut Pro 1.2.5 and iMovie so if you don't actually mind adding 3-5 seconds of black to the beginnings of your movie (so you can switch over and manuallt start the REC function) then go buy one.

Frankly, it's not a big deal, but the arrogance of JVC is annoying. Before I bought it I called their tech support to find out if it was completley compatible with Apple hardware. Of course they say yes with no reservations, and later when I called about the record problem, they blames Apple and said Apple didn't follow the specs.

Good hardware but they still lied without reservation...

Found this at video.netdesign.net. Think it answers the problem:

The message just below yours supplies the solution to your dillema.
The only thing that caused some camera to not work with iMovie or Final Cut Pro, was Apple's QuickTime DV codec.
Apple just release the public preview of QuickTime5 with a completely new DV codec that solves that very problem.

If you analyze at your problems with iMovie you will notice that plain video will go back to your camera with no problems. The JVC camera's just don't accept the video that was rendered by the QTDV codec (due to a bug in teh codec). Rendered video includes transitions, titles, filters, and non DV source material (analog capture, computer generated video, etc)

There is more information on the problem on my web site under teh "my setup" link at video.netdesign.net

Hi Steven

What you said, about QT5 being able to fix the JVC problem is interesting.
But unfortunately I can't connect to the url you gave for more info. As for my problem with JVC, that's isolated to audio and video pops during transitions. Exporting, othervise occurs without problems. MacFormat in England stated that this problem was isolated to iMovie and not FCP. As both use the same QT engine, it kind of suggests to me that the problem does not lie with QT, but with iMovie. What are your thoughts on this?

Having just purchased a JVC DV camera (GR-DVX8) I ma following this thread with interest, as I too experience drop-outs in my audio when exporting back to the camera from iMovie whenever a title or transition occurs.

It appears from some of the previous posts that the next release of QT (version5) may help. Any update from the earlier poster Steve Masur on the correct url for more info (not video.netdesign.net as originally posted)?

[jgilman]

If this is true JVC's are looking better all the time. Here's the info I found in Google's cache for http://video.netdezign.net/setup.html :

My video setup


My capture/NLE system consists of the following:

Macintosh G3/300 (clocked to 375)
IBM 18es 18GB Ultra2 drive (DNES-318350)
OrangeMicro USB/Firewire card
192MB RAM
JVC GR-DVM70u camera
I use the stock video port of the computer's built-in video, and the stock SCSI card that came with the machine.
NEC MultiSync XP21 monitor at 1280x1024
SanDisk USB MMC reader (to capture the stills from the memory card of the camera)

Capture from the camera to the computer is a snap. It worked the first time, every time and never a dropped frame in or out.
Quicktime handles DV natively so I can play my clips without any editing software for preview. Quicktime also allows you to do rudimentary cut type edits. There is no 2GB limit on files on the Mac, I believe the limit is currently 4TB.
�

I've had one problem with the setup: After editing a clip, when I go to export to tape ehe camera would "reset" itself and stop the recording process. Several hours of troubleshooting revealed that the problem is with the Apple Quicktime DV codec.
It is my belief that the codec is generating values that are outside the range allowed by the SD-DV specifications and that when the camera sees these out of bounds values it resets itself to clear the problem. In my research I've found that luminence values for DV range from 36 to 236 or so, I don't recall the exact values right now. My guess is that the QT codec generates values from 0 to 255. Apple discusses a related issue in a TechInfo Library article. Untill Apple figures out what their problem is I have a useable fix.

My solution is to use the Quicktime DV for importing and exporting the video from the camera. I use the Radius SoftDV for editing and rendering frames. I have two extension manager sets for working with DV, one for I/E and one for editing. This combination had worked well.

The only differences between the two sets are that in the I/E set I disable the QuickTime FireWire Enabler and Quicktime FireWire Support extensions, and enable the RadDVcodec extension. This disables my preview to the camer, but renders clips that can actually be put on tape.

I obtained the RadDVcodec from a demo version of EditDV unplugged that I downloaded from the site www.digitalorigin.com
�

GREAT NEWS - October 10, 2000

Apple's QuickTime 5 solved the DV codec rendering problem for JVC cameras. With QT5 I can now export rendered video to my camcorder without a problem.

[This message has been edited by jgilman (edited 02-06-2001).]