Sony Handycam and Easy Setup

Please give full and exact information rather than generalities. Please give your full system specifications, what computer, what drives, what camera or deck, how everything's connected, what settings are on the media, what settings you're using in Final Cut, and finally what version of the software, of the OS, and of QuickTime you are using.

You cannot capture video via USB. You have to ingest via FireWire.

The spec: http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-camcorders/sony-handycam-dcr-trv460/4507-6500_7- 30671273.html shows that there is 1394 port on the camcorder, so you should be able to use firewire port on your imac. I am not sure what MPEG EX format is, so you may need to convert via Streamclip of import into iMovie. USB is no way electrically or otherwise compatible with firewire. When they say DV input, they generally mean FireWire, iLink, IEEE 1394 - same thing:http://hometheater.about.com/od/hometheaterdoityourself/ig/Home-Theater-Connecti on-Photo-/DV-Connection-.htm .

If you already imported footage from the camcorder in the past, just connect via FireWire on both ends and import using one of the DV settings in the "Easy Setup". The MPEG EX name confused me, since DV stream is not one of the MPEGs, (HDV is MPEG2) but the camcorder manufacturers are always sloppy with the non-standard marketing terms they use, and people don't know what it means when they try to match it to other devices, like PCs and editors, that do use industry standard terms.

That IS a FireWire connection. Sony calls it iLink. The technical term is IEEE1394. They all mean the same thing. You connect the camera to to the FireWire port of your computer.