MacBook = no iMovie for most camcorders?

Simple. They haven't.

The best workaround I can think of is to keep using my iBook G4 to import my DV to an external USB drive, then attach the drive to the new MacBook for editing. I would like to think that Apple had a plan to allow DV importing to the new line of MacBooks, but they certainly would have announced it already. This problem can't be a big surprise.

I was planning on buying a new laptop soon, and video editing of my home movies was a major priority. Now I think I'll wait until Snow Leopard is released. Maybe I'll buy a refurb of the new MBP line early next year. Very disappointing.

Actually, most notebooks sold over the last 5 years, Apple and others, have firewire ports.

Message was edited by: altrenda

altrenda wrote:
Actually, most notebooks sold over the last 5 years, Apple and others, have firewire ports.

Apple has been different in that they usually had the 6-pin powered port. Most notebooks seemed to have that 4-pin mini port without power.

I recall my 2001 Sony VAIO PC had two FireWire (iLink) ports. There was a 6-pin one in the back and the 4-pin one in the front. I used a FireWire only hard drive from LaCie, but they don't make those any more.

I think the Sony USB port is only for photos, for video you still need the firewire. I've not used a USB+FW hub, but the underlying technologies are different so I don't think it will work for sending DV to the MB.

Well, that's 1500 bucks I've saved for Christmas! I'll probably wait for the next generation of MB and see if Apple fixes this before deciding whether to get a new MB or switch to another brand (would be a pity because I do love the Mac experience!).

Arthur, almost all PC laptops have firewire now.

Mini DV tape based camcorders have to connect/transfer through firewire port.

I have a Canon HV20 HD camcorder and it can only transfer movies through firewire port.

USB transfer is for photos taken on a SD card onboard the camcorder.

So is there an official answer from Apple on how you're supposed to get video from consumer camcorders into iMovie on the new MacBooks?

I'm another one in the camp that would likely have already ordered a new MacBook if this question was answered. I suppose I could always hook up my JVC camcorder via USB and convert the video from MPEG2 to DV before importing it into iMovie like I did on my iBook before I got a firewire cable, but it's soooo much easier to just hook it up via Firewire and import it directly into iMovie. And my iBook is dying (literally) to be replaced...

I suppose I could always do my video editing on my PC (which has Firewire), but I rather prefer iMovie to anything I've seen on the PC.