Importing Sony Handycam DCR-HC37 mini DV to Macbook Pro iMovie HD 06

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Importing Sony Handycam DCR-HC37 mini DV to Macbook Pro iMovie HD 06

Hi, I'm having problems with my Sony Handycam DCR-HC37 importing to my Macbook Pro with iMovie HD 06. I've been trying to get it to work for a couple of weeks but still nothing.

I plugged it into a friend's new Macbook with iMovie 08, 2 weeks ago, and it worked fine, but then last week when it was tried again in his same Macbook it wouldn't work (it just doesn't show up in iMovie along with 'builtin iSight' and 'time-lapse' (what ever that is)).

It also had been working fine on my Macbook Pro with iMovie about 8 months ago, but now it won't show up in iMovie, no matter how many times I disconnect it - reconnect it, restart camera, restart laptop. I've bought a new firewire cable which doesn't work. I've also looked in the system profiler - where it doesn't show up under firewire. The camera is always looked after, it's a year old and doesn't have a scratch on it. Has there been some kind of software update or something that needs to be installed? Has my Handycam suddenly broken? Gone past it's year's warranty and decided to stop working? I'm really stuck.

I have to show some footage at one of the most respect art institutions in England next week, and without this footage I'm in deep trouble!!!

I really hope that someone can make sense of this problem, I've seen lots of people posting similar problems, but I don't know if this has a resolve or not.

macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.4.11)

Posted on Feb 22, 2009 6:17 AM

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Answer 1

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2009 6:45 AM in response to alisdair.m

Hi

Can anyone tell me – if I plug my Handycam into my Mac with the USB cable - should iMovie recognise that it is connected?
(I know it won't download video this way)

If iMovie SHOULD recognise that the camera is connected via the USB then I can probably be sure that there is something wrong with the camera - or some kind of software problem rather than the connections...

... help!!

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Answer 2

alisdair.m Author

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8 points

Feb 23, 2009 7:32 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

Thanks, Lennart. So the USB connection is absolutely no good with a Mac at all?
Do you think it's worth me finding a PC to test the USB connection with? Do the Handycams use USB to play/download the video on Windows machines?

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Answer 3

Feb 23, 2009 7:37 AM in response to alisdair.m

You can import the stills using USB, that's it.

Try resetting the Firewire ports on the Mac:
Shutdown normally.
Unplug all cables, especially the power cable.
Since you have a portable: remove the battery, too.
Wait 15 minutes at least.
Put everything back and try.

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Answer 4

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2009 7:59 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

How do people on Windows PCs import video from a Handycam when they don't have Firewire?
And can you use the USB to import stills onto a Mac?

I've tried it on my desktop Mac (Dual 2.3GH G5 with 10.5.6) and also on a friend's Intel Macbook, and it won't show up on either. So I don't know if resetting the Firewire port would help tbh.

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Answer 5

Feb 23, 2009 8:04 AM in response to alisdair.m

How do people on Windows PCs import video from a Handycam when they don't have Firewire?

No idea. It certainly isn't "DV" as "DV" requires Firewire.

And can you use the USB to import stills onto a Mac?

Yes, try the "Image Capture" application.

I've tried it on my desktop Mac (Dual 2.3GH G5 with 10.5.6) and also on a friend's Intel Macbook, and it won't show up on either.

OK, then there are three possibilities:
1. You changed a setting on the camera, in effect turning off the FW port. Check the camera menus.
2. Your cable is broken. (Yes, even brand new cables may be broken; It wouldn't be the first in this forum.)
3. Your camera is broken.

Can you try another camera with your cable?

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Answer 6

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2009 8:29 AM in response to Lennart Thelander

I have tried connecting the camera with the USB cable and opening Image Capture which says there is no device connected. (same with iPhoto).

+1. You changed a setting on the camera, in effect turning off the FW port. Check the camera menus.+
I wish this was the case but I can't find any settings in the camera menu that mentions anything about connections at all.

+2. Your cable is broken. (Yes, even brand new cables may be broken; It wouldn't be the first in this forum.)+
I bought a new Firewire cable only the other day - which hasn't worked.

+3. Your camera is broken.+
Everything else on the camera is functioning as normal. This is very strange.

+Can you try another camera with your cable?+
I don't know anyone else with a camcorder!

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Answer 7

Feb 23, 2009 12:20 PM in response to alisdair.m

1. Nothing that mentions iLink (Sony's name for Firewire)? Nothing that mentions DV?

2. You mean you have an old cable (that used to work) AND a new cable? And neither seems to work?

3. Bring your Mac to the nearest store that sells video cameras and try a miniDV camera.

You have to rule out all but one of the above. Then (and only then) you know what the problem is.

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Answer 8

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2009 3:48 PM in response to Forest Mccready

thanks for the help.

+2. You mean you have an old cable (that used to work) AND a new cable? And neither seems to work?+

I actually had 2 firewire cables, one old one, one not so old, neither will work with the camera, so I bought a brand new one, which also doesn't work.

I know the firewire port in my mac is fine - I use it constantly, and I've also tried the camera on 2 other Mac's so I know it's not that.

I tried plugging the camera into my Macs with the USB connection but Image Capture can't detect it. But I also tried plugging it into a Windows PC laptop today - it recognised that something was connected (although didn't have the software to operate it) so I presume it can still connect via the USB.

I guess that the firewire out port on the camera itself is the most likely problem (I can't have 3 broken firewire cables!!). One of the pins in the port on the camera may have been damaged somehow when plugging or unplugging the cable. Hopefully I'll be able to download the video on a PC using a USB connection, but I don't know yet! And I don't know how easy it would be to fix the port on the camera... presuming that is the problem... and it's not just been 'disabled' by a setting somewhere somehow...

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Answer 9

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 24, 2009 3:15 PM in response to Lennart Thelander

hi again.

To put this to bed – I inspected the 4-pin firewire port in the Handycam with a magnifying glass and one of the pins had been twisted out of shape. I've managed to move it back into a position that will connect using a very thin needle.
It is working right now, hopefully it will continue to work for a bit!

I have always been pretty careful with this camera, so I guess the connection is very delicate, I'd recommend anyone that has one of these Handycams treating it with real care when connecting and disconnecting the i-link cable.

Cheers.

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Answer 10

Feb 23, 2009 6:54 AM in response to alisdair.m

Can anyone tell me – if I plug my Handycam into my Mac with the USB cable - should iMovie recognise that it is connected?

No.

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Answer 11

Feb 23, 2009 1:25 PM in response to Lennart Thelander

Apparently, it is not too difficult to get the firewire cable inserted into the Mac the wrong way. If this has happened, you may have fried the computer firewire port. Something else to consider.

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Answer 12

alisdair.m Author

Level 1

8 points

Feb 23, 2009 4:03 PM in response to alisdair.m

... from what I've read you can't import video from a camcorder to a Windows machine using USB either, you need to install a firewire port first... ****!

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Answer 13

Feb 23, 2009 10:25 PM in response to alisdair.m

I guess that the firewire out port on the camera itself is the most likely problem (I can't have 3 broken firewire cables!!).

I agree.

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Answer 14

Feb 24, 2009 10:18 PM in response to alisdair.m

Good job.
I'm glad you solved it.

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