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Can't import from Sony DCR-SR200 camcorder

Just upgraded to iMovie 08 as I was told my Sony DCR-SR200 was supported at the Apple Store. Also see it listed as a supported camcorder on Apple's support site. Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

The HDD of the camera comes up on the desktop as a disk drive but iMovie says a it does not detect a connected camcorder. I can even try to manually import the files and again, iMovie see the HDD as a mounted disk but the MPEG-2 file are grayed out and can't be imported -- even though the dialog box states that it supports MPEG-2 files. I've tried various combinations of when I connect the camera -- before I start iMovie, after, etc but nothing seems to work.

I'm running a dual 2GHz PowerPC G5 with Mac OS 10.4.11. Using USB to connect the camcorder.

- Connectless in Seattle

G5, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Feb 8, 2008 9:25 PM

19 replies

Feb 9, 2008 9:24 AM in response to daarnav

Just want to add that I am using the latest iMovie update v7.1.1 and my Sony DCR-SR200 camcorder still isn't recognized by iMovie '08.

Any other ideas?

Feb 9, 2008 3:41 PM in response to AppleMan1958

The camcorder has a computer mode which is activated via the touch LCD screen or disc burn mode. In both cases the HDD appears on the desktop and I can copy over the MPEG-2 files onto the Mac. I can't do anything with the files since they are MPEG-2. I believe I could purchase the MPEG-2 add-on for QuickTime for $20 and be able to play the files back but it still doesn't address the real issue of being able to edit as iMovie '08 doesn't recognize the camcorder - even though its listed as supported.

Feb 14, 2008 7:37 PM in response to Blue Ridge

Is it possible the time format is not the same on the camera as it in on your Mac?
Can you set the time format on the camera your mac uses?

Apple menu>System preferences>Time and date
Set it like the timeserver broadcasts it, on your camera and check the Mac's correct settings.

Wait until a level 4 lady or gentlemen confirms this can be useful, I'm not sure about the right settings.
It could be the HHD drive is not formatted correct.

Feb 15, 2008 8:31 PM in response to Blue Ridge

I have same problem Sony DCR-SR200...Just received iMovie 08....followed the whole process and iMovie does not recognize the camcorder. Furthermore - in iMove Help - section "If iMovie does not recognize your camcorder"...you click on that and nothing comes up. Says you searched wrong and gives you search tips. This is insane! I have a cheap PC laptop that I use for some office work. Has vista Home Premium. Recognizes Camera, can create a movie and then move the movie over to Vista DVD creator. I am not happy. No plug and play that I can see. However...any tips on getting this horrible software to work would be appreciated. I am not anxious to buy or obtain 3rd party software to convert from my camera so iMovie will work.

Feb 21, 2008 6:27 PM in response to Barthshoe

I have to do this with my Sony DCR-SR200. It produces the Sony proprietal MPEG-2 files, which aren't recognized by iMovie, even the latest version.

If you wanted to put it onto a computer hard drive in lieu of importing with iMovie, I just drag and drop then use MPEG Streamclip (<http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html>) to convert to a format you could import into iMovie or something else. It is the slickest free-ware application I have ever used. With MPEG Streamclip from MPEG-2 you can convert into a ton of different formats, including a QuickTime export.

Mar 2, 2008 9:51 AM in response to lvnv4me

Exactly. That's what we had to do before we were promised iMovie '08 would solve the problem! It was the only reason we got iMovie '08 in the first place.
Could it have to do with the type of processor the machine is using? Maybe you need a machine using the latest intel processor, which also can run bootcamp. I've seen someone say it works with the dcr-sr300, which is the same camera, only with a bigger harddrive.
http://discussions.apple.com/post!reply.jspa?messageID=6664949

Message was edited by: Host

Mar 2, 2008 10:20 AM in response to mfalkenberg

Exactly. That's what we had to do before we were promised iMovie '08 would solve the problem! I've seen someone say it works with the dcr-sr300, which is the same camera, only with a bigger harddrive.
http://discussions.apple.com/post!reply.jspa?messageID=6664949

A very strange thing just happened. While I was writing the first post, I was downloading and installing mpeg-streamclip, and I let it start to convert my movies. Simultaneously, in the background, iMovie suddenly recognized my camera(?), with all the thumbnails appearing in the lower window. mpeg-streamclip was not even done converting the movies, but in iMovie, it looked as though all the movies were ready to be imported. Also, before mpeg-streamclip started the conversion, it asked for the Quicktime plugin, which I have backed up somewhere, but did not bother to install. I proceeded to convert anyway, although it alerted me that it needed to fix timecode breaks. I guessed it would be fine to say OK to that.
Could it be that I simply did not give iMovie enough TIME to recognize the camera.
Since I don't know what helped, I suggest doing exactly what I did. Try downloading mpeg-streamclip from the squared5 website mentioned above, have iMovie running and click on the first "computer" button on the camera's screen to connect to the computer. I had to wait about 5 minutes. I will try this again.
Well, you seem to need to give a 2004 2.5 GHz G5 about 5 minutes to recognize your camera. Everything comes to him who waits. I'm still not sure whether this happened simply because I had mpeg-streamclip installed, or if I never waited long enough before to let iMovie recognize my camera.
It'd be nice if someone knowledgeable solved the mystery.

Mar 4, 2008 2:30 PM in response to Community User

I figured this out. It works every time for me now.

The key is NOT to select the transfer icon on the Sony DCR-SR200's touch screen. Instead, select the computer icon. After the Sony's hard drive shows up on your desktop, open iMovie '08 and wait. Be patient. It can take a while. Eventually you will see thumbs of all the clips on your Sony. You can select all or just the ones you want. You can them import them, and the import is really fast. I do a lot of 90 seconds clips, and the Sony DCR-SR200 and iMovie '08 combination is saving me a lot of time. But it is crazy that you use the hard drive icon rather than the transfer icon on the Sony's touch screen.

Apr 12, 2008 6:55 PM in response to Blue Ridge

Blue Ridge wrote:
Be patient.


I could not agree more. I have seen a number of posts about how the DCR-200 is not "recognised" by iMovie08 and how importing video does not work. It does work. I did it yesterday on a colleague's brand new iMac.

I thought, after my success, I'd browse around the forums to see if I could help anyone out and find that someone has beaten me to it: Blue Ridge's instructions are spot on the money! Forget the "Transfer" button - it can't help you. Just select the "Computer"/"Hard Drive" icon (I can't remember exactly what it is called) and let iMovie do it's thing.

If you are worried nothing is happening just have a look at the red "Access" light on your SR200 - If iMovie is preparing to import your clips then it will be lit up and flashing like crazy.

I guess in hindsight it is not all that strange the the "Transfer" button does nothing: The SR200 is trying to push video onto a computing platform via software the doesn't exist for a Mac!

Can't import from Sony DCR-SR200 camcorder

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