import digital tape

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Level 1

9 points

import digital tape

Old topic, nothing recent, still need help.

I have old digital video tapes (Sony Optura 30), and recently posted and learned about how to hook it up to my 2018 Mini. Have yet to buy the cables.

However, I found an ancient MacBook (2009?, 10.5.8, not further updatable), still runs, with a Firewire 400 port on it.

I have successfully networked that old MacBook, so was wondering about being able to import digital tape video - preferably uncompressed, over the network to my Mini.

Question #1: Is this worth pursuing? Or am I just going to end up buying the several cables to connect directly to the Mini's Thunderbolt 3? (I'm concerned about doing that - not cheap - and then not having it work.)

Question #2: The Mini of course also has an HDMI port, but I'm presuming that's unidirectional _out_. Correct? (The older USB-3 ports and the Ethernet port won't help me, to the best of my knowledge.)

Thanks to all.

(Question #3: Then I will get into software to upload the digital tape videos, but that could be another post - and on which computer?)

Mac mini, macOS 10.15

Posted on Apr 7, 2020 2:30 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

BDAqua

Level 10

240,713 points

Apr 8, 2020 2:37 PM in response to ctlow

1/ How likely is it to work, to string 3 cables/connectors together as described (Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 to USB-C/Thunderbolt-3)?

I think 0% chance, but wait for more replies on that, but might be cheaper than a bunch of other ways...

https://www.macofalltrades.com/apple-imac-20-inch-2-66ghz-core-2-duo-early-2009-mb417ll-a-2/

Or even older Mac on eBay?

2/ Then is there current software which can read the digital tape format from a 2005 Canon Optura 30 digital camcorder?

iMovie for one should be able to do it.

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Answer 2

ctlow Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 8, 2020 8:45 AM in response to ctlow

I don't seem to be able to edit my post from yesterday, but I know and so should not have asked about sharing a port, Firewire or other, over a network. Not a thing.

Clarified questions, then:

1/ How likely is it to work, to string 3 cables/connectors together as described (Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 to USB-C/Thunderbolt-3)?

2/ Then is there current software which can read the digital tape format from a 2005 Canon Optura 30 digital camcorder? I would prefer "raw", and did this fifteen years ago on a different platform as "AVI" files. It's not that I haven't looked ... bit of a jungle out there.

Thanks again.

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Answer 3

ctlow Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 9, 2020 5:40 AM in response to BDAqua

Thank you, BDAqua. There have been no further replies to date.

What happened though is that you prompted me to have another look at the ~2009 MacBook (which I didn't discard way back when), and what didn't work yesterday, did work today - who knows what small setting I might have changed.

I would like to be able to get AVI files the way I did years ago, but managed to get uncompressed MOV video off that old camcorder, using iMovie (from about a millennium ago). I'm not quite sure what Sound option to use, but it's all working, at least. I'm sure that I'll be able to import all of these quasi-raw files into my up-to-date iMovie on my current computer, and process them further there.

For now I just want the data, while the old computer is still working. I have lots of disk-storage space.

And I'm happy (enough)! I can't thank you enough - I just needed that little push to verify my (initially-erroneous) findings.

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Answer 4

ctlow Author

Level 1

9 points

Apr 9, 2020 10:05 AM in response to BDAqua

Thanks again.

It turns out that some assumptions that I made about file formats were wrong:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_file_format

Yikes! That'll make the dusty corners of my cerebral circuits leak a little current. I will know in the fullness of time whether the files I produce will be widely readable or not.

Apparently the days of producing DVD-format movies - not meaning just files on a data-DVD - are falling behind us, and people are just distributing files (if for personal use, which these are). And iDVD is long gone from Apple. So, I will have to choose a format. iMovie offers many on the "Share" menu.

Thank you!

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