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PatsPalace24 · Nov 9, 2004, 08:26 PM

Sorry for my wording if it is confusing, but hopefully you know what I am talking about:

The video camera I have right now is not DV. It's older than that, like recorded to a tape, and then the camera itself has output cords, the yellow and white ones. ( I am sorry,I can't remember for the life of me what these things are called, but you know, the red, yellow, and white cords?) Well, I can plenty fine, with the included cable, from the camera player, watch the film on the "tape" on my TV, but I want this on my computer.

It cannot be that hard, and I have seen things for PCs where its a converter, one end you plug the red, white, and yellow plugs, and the other end is just a USB connection. So I know it exists and will work fine. Just what is one that is OSX compatible. I will just be needing it for some iMovie work, nothing intensive. But digital camera is not in the budget right now. ANY HELP IS PERFECT. Thanks again!

Nap · Nov 9, 2004, 09:29 PM

One USB device is called Interview and was formerly marketed by XLR8. An outfit called EchoFX is still selling them, along with software to use with OS X, for under $100. It is limited to 352x240 29.97 NTSC (or the PAL equivalent) capture but that is fine for non-digital sources like analog cameras and VCRs. The software also works with other brands of USB digitizers, including those sold for PCs.
http://www.echofx.com

PatsPalace24 · Nov 9, 2004, 11:19 PM

What about for iMovie integration? I am suspecting it works OK? Thanks for the help!

msuper69 · Nov 10, 2004, 12:28 AM

Originally posted by PatsPalace24:
What about for iMovie integration? I am suspecting it works OK? Thanks for the help!

That device will require you to run the captured footage thru a program in order to create a DV file that iMovie recognizes. An extra step. Plus the resolution is lower because of the USB connection. If you're goin to work with digital video, you absolutely must use Firewire devices. This is what you need to work with iMovie. iMovie will not work with USB devices (USB 1.1 or USB 2.0).

You should get a hardware encoder like a Formac Studio TVR or Sony DVMC-DA2. More expensive but you can import directly into iMovie in real time.

Remember, iMovie will only accept files in the DV format. Anything else will require conversion.

PatsPalace24 · Nov 10, 2004, 05:06 PM

Ok, so what I am gathering is that If I got the USB converter, I would have to use the required software to get the file into DV format, then import that into iMovie? I don't mind that, but if the quality is lower, than I don't want to have to sacrafice that. So I guess I will be doing mostly digital work, so I can't get it. I guess the next thing will be the Formac studio that you are saying. I looked it up, very expensive, so I will probably just have to get a digital camcorder? Any recomendations? Cheap, but decent quality, but not perfect or anything.

tr · Nov 11, 2004, 08:08 PM

Originally posted by msuper69:
That device will require you to run the captured footage thru a program in order to create a DV file that iMovie recognizes. An extra step. Plus the resolution is lower because of the USB connection. If you're goin to work with digital video, you absolutely must use Firewire devices. This is what you need to work with iMovie. iMovie will not work with USB devices (USB 1.1 or USB 2.0).

just because it's a USB connection doesn't mean it's lower resolution. one must look at the hardware. case in point, the ADS Instant DVD for Mac. it connects via USB, and encodes video in real time to mpeg1/2. since the box does all the encoding, there is no work done by your computer. the converted video stream is transferred via USB to your hard drive. the resolution is excellent. the box can encode up to 6Mbps; most commercial DVD's have rates of 6-9. USB 1 spec is 12Mbps. so you can see that USB has no problem transferring this video. do a search in this forum for the ADS Instant DVD and you'll find a few threads of people who have had great success with this hardware (including me

).

of course, if you use this box, and you wanted to use your footage in iMovie, you will still have to convert the video to DV. i don't know what kind of editing you will do, but the ADS box does come with some software to edit your video and create DVD's with menus and such.

tr

Amorya · Nov 11, 2004, 08:33 PM

Borrow a digital camcorder.

Then connect the red, yellow and white wires from your camera's output to the borrowed camera's input. Plug the borrowed camera into your Mac by Firewire.

Hit Play on your camera, and Import on iMovie. Should work fine and at as high quality as you can feasibly get.

Amorya

d.fine · Nov 14, 2004, 06:21 AM

I need some help here : I want to transfer old VHS-C cassettes to DVD. I play the VHS-C cassettes in my VCR with a convertor tape (or something like that) and want to use my DV camera as a convertor (as explained in the manual) and then import in iMovie. But I just can't get it to work.
My connections : I connect the VCR to the DV Cam with a Scart-to-composite switch (Scart on VCR, Composite goes from 1xvideo 2xRCA to 1x3.5mm jack on DV Cam, cas supplied). I then connect the DV Cam to PB/PM through FireWire.
Put the DV Cam in VCR mode, and I should be able to capture on Cam and PB/PM, but I don't get anything. If I import in iMovie I only get a black screen, no sound, nothing. On the DV Cam I don't get anything either. And I do everything as explained in manual, and as some recommended here.
What am I doing wrong please ? These components should be enough to capture these old tapes to DVD right ? Or am I missing something ?
Thanks in advance for any help.