Sony DHR-1000 DV VCR no longer recognized

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139 points

Sony DHR-1000 DV VCR no longer recognized

Pre-Tiger, I recall using my Sony DHR-1000 DV VCR in iMovie on my PowerMac G5 (which I sold). It's also in Apple's device compatibility list for older iMovie versions. But the VCR is no longer recognized on either my iBook or my Mac Mini. Both are running Tiger and iMovie HD. The VCR doesn't show up in the Firewire section of System Profiler. My Sony HDV camcorder shows up fine on both computers using the same cable.

Was DHR-1000 support pulled from Tiger? Are the iBooks and Mac Minis different in some way than the G5 PowerMac?

This is a $5000 VCR and it's now useless without Firewire import capability!

Posted on Oct 8, 2005 9:35 PM

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Answer 1

Oct 8, 2005 11:45 PM in response to ChromePlanet

Aha ChromePlanet !
We share the same problem-mine in PAL.
This excellent link will take you to the some of the answers/noted problems.

http://www.sjoki.uta.fi/~shmhav/iMovieHD_bugs.html#quick_DVimport

I'm back to using iMovie 2.1.2 on a G5 2GIG so I can reliably do a long project with the DHR-1000. It can only be described in polite/very polite terms as "ridiculous."
Here's why:
1- iMovie 4.01 will import but on playback but will constantly have digital artifacts overlaid on viewing to external TV monitor. Pulling in/out the firewire cable from the deck (2x after a long moment each time)temporarily restores the picture until I click on a clip, bringing on the problem again. The solution is to use a camera to be able to view externally. Even then, I often have to reboot the computer otherwise there is no recognition of even the camera.

2- iMovie 3 similar problems

3- iMovie 2.1.2 works with Sony deck. instant playback view via external Sony deck.
Most of my projects are 2-4 hours. There is no other way to archive these without a DVCAM tape. Thus iMovie 2.1.2 is for me the only one of these versions I can trust.

And iMovie 5???
All the great advances in flexibility since version 2 mean little/mostly nothing in practice. So you have to ask Apple-Why is the firewire signal so weak in imovie?. I have asked , but no reply....

Was the Powermac you sold running Panther? Is that why the Sony deck was recognised?

Regards
Mark

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Answer 2

ChromePlanet Author

Level 1

139 points

Oct 9, 2005 12:29 PM in response to Mark Singer1

Your problem seems different than mine. Neither of my Macs even recognize the DHR-1000 as a device.

Also, I have Final Cut Express HD on one of the Macs, so I should be able to avoid your issues by using that, once I can get the VCR to be recognized.

Yes, I had Panther on the G5 I sold. That's why I think the DHR-1000 problem is Tiger-related.

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Answer 3

Oct 9, 2005 4:48 PM in response to ChromePlanet

"Yes, I had Panther on the G5 I sold. That's why I think the DHR-1000 problem is Tiger-related."

Exactly The conclusion I have come to. I had Panther loaded on an external drive & it seemed to work for the short time I tried but the imac comes preloaded with Tiger. Panther doesn't have fan control so the fans spin up uncontrolled. I'm looking for a G5 that came with Panther & can be updated to Tiger if/when these issues are resolved.
As for your Final Cut problems, have a look at this.
Alexandre Luthringer, "Solution to camera recognition problems after upgrades." #1, 07:29am Jun 18, 2005 CDT

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