MBP not detecting video camera via FireWire 800

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MBP not detecting video camera via FireWire 800

Hey all,

I bought a MacBook Pro late 2008 mainly for video editing. Also, I purchased a 3rd-party FireWire cable because Apple doesn't distribute them here in Singapore (-_-).

I've tried many times to connect my 2 video cameras to my Mac and NONE of them turn up in iMovie. It can't possibly be the cable because the store sells them to many people because Apple doesnt distribute them and none came back complaining it doesn't work. And us Singaporeans will go to lengthy methods to get back our money if products we bought don't work.

My 2 video cameras are both Panasonic and they are

NV-GS90
NV-MD10000

The first one is a small one while the second one is a professional camera.

If the cameras can't connect then my whole purpose of purchasing the Mac is defeated. I called Panasonic and they said that it should work fine with the Mac, no drivers needed (Applecare told me to check with them for drivers).

Anyone can provide a solution? T-T

MacBook Pro (Late 2008), Mac OS X (10.5.7), 2.4 GHz

Posted on Jun 2, 2009 7:41 AM

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Answer 1

hambonez

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Jun 16, 2009 4:49 AM in response to Khaizz

I don't have a solution, but I have the same problem. I have the late 2008 MacBook Pro using firewire and a Sony miniDV camcorder. It is as if the firewire port is not working at all. I can import the video from the same camera onto my Vista machine just fine, but the MB PRo doesn't even see the camera. In the System Preferences->NetWork settings the Firewire has the red dot next to it but I don't know how to make it green. But isn't that just for firewire network interface connections?

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Answer 2

Jun 16, 2009 5:06 AM in response to Khaizz

How are the cameras set when you are trying to access them in iMovie? My Panasonic camcorder must be set in playback mode, not PC mode, to show up in iMovie.

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Answer 3

hambonez

Level 1

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Jun 16, 2009 6:27 AM in response to neuroanatomist

Yeah I have it set in Play mode. I can get it to work fine on my PC, but not on my Macbook Pro. Its like the Firewire port is disabled or something. It says there is a 800 Mbit/sec bus in System profiler, though it doesn't mention there is anything connected to it, but I'm not sure its supposed to.

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Answer 4

Khaizz Author

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Aug 17, 2009 5:14 AM in response to hambonez

Yeah, I've set it in Tape Playback Mode like I always do. I didn't know there was a 'PC Mode'. My camcorder's model is NV-GS90. Both my professional and casual camcorder work fine on my Windows XP PC when capturing with Adobe Premiere Elements but everything just doesn't work in the Mac with iMovie or Final Cut Pro 6.

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Answer 5

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Aug 17, 2009 6:44 AM in response to Khaizz

It can't possibly be the cable because the store sells them to many people because Apple doesnt distribute them and none came back complaining it doesn't work.

I suggest trying a different cable, regardless of your supposition that the cable can't be at fault. Faulty cables, even brand-new ones, are relatively common. And if you have a faulty one, the store will probably exchange it promptly and without complaint.

Do you have a FireWire hard drive? Does that work when connected to your MBP's FireWire port? If so, the port is working properly. Is it possible to connect that drive to the computer using the same cable that you use with your camcorders? If so, that would be a way of testing the cable.

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Answer 6

Khaizz Author

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Aug 17, 2009 6:58 AM in response to Khaizz

I've considered the cable problem, and I've went back to the store. I told them that the cable didn't work and they agreed that if I tried other cables and they worked, they would exchange it.

I tried around five different cables in the store. All of them didn't work. >_> I'm really bugged that Apple doesn't even offer the cable in their Online Store.. we have no Apple Stores here in Singapore and we rely on the online store and resellers.. and the resellers don't carry the cable because FW800 is relatively new and there's not a large demand yet..

I still face this problem! 😟

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Answer 7

eww

Level 9

53,052 points

Aug 17, 2009 10:07 AM in response to Khaizz

While you were in the store, did you connect any other FireWire devices to your computer to find out whether or not your FireWire port is working? You should certainly do that at the first opportunity, now that you've effectively eliminated a bad cable as a possible cause of your problem.

You may also want to run the Apple Hardware Test that you'll find on one of the discs that were shipped with your MBP. That may be able to identify a problem with your FireWire port.

Apple generally doesn't make or sell cables — there's not enough money in them. Apple leaves that market to third-party vendors, who supply them at lower prices than Apple could or would. And FireWire 800 is far from new: all or most new Macs have had FW800 ports for more than five years now.

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Answer 8

Khaizz Author

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Oct 25, 2009 8:24 AM in response to eww

I've tested the video camera with other FW cables from the same store.. all couldn't detect. I called up Panasonic to ask whether there was any compatibility issues and they told me that it should be compatible with Mac computers. So, I really can't pinpoint what the problem is right now. Any more suggestions? 😟

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Answer 9

F Shippey

Level 7

21,500 points

Oct 25, 2009 8:54 AM in response to Khaizz

As eww suggested, have you tried connecting some other FireWire device (like an external hard drive) to your computer's FW port to verify the port is OK?

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Answer 10

Khaizz Author

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Oct 29, 2009 6:04 AM in response to F Shippey

I sent my MBP for repair for trackpad issues, and asked them to test the FW800 port as well because I have no other devices using the FW800. They tested the FW800 port with a hard drive and it appears to be working fine. So I really have no idea what the issues are now.

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