Options for Importing DV Tapes from Camcorder

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Level 1

4 points

Options for Importing DV Tapes from Camcorder

I'm having the same issue, and was hoping maybe someone had figured this out in the few months since you all discussed this. I've tried using my wife's old 2011 iMac, using an external hard drive as an adapter, but every time I attempt importing the camera into iMovie (which used to work in, say, 2006), the program becomes unresponsive or crashes.

There has to be enough demand out there for importing analog video signal into a modern computer. I can't believe they don't make some $50 plugin with a software driver that easily converts the video signal...

iMac 21.5″, macOS 10.15

Posted on Jun 9, 2020 4:07 AM

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Answer 1

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Top-ranking reply

Ian R. Brown

Level 7

23,213 points

Jun 9, 2020 7:58 AM in response to Maliguna

DV is Digital not Analog.

Connect the DV camcorder by FireWire to the iMac and switch it into "Playback" mode.

If iMovie doesn't see it you could always try importing the video into QuickTime Player and then transfer the files to iMovie.

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Answer 2

Rich839

Level 8

48,048 points

Jun 9, 2020 7:55 AM in response to Maliguna

Hi, Maliguna,

I cannot determine what issues where discussed in the old thread to which you refer. If you want to transfer analog video to a Mac you need to get a video converter to convert it to digital. Take a look at the Elgato video converter in the Amazon link below, for $87.99. I have not used it myself, so cannot personally vouch for it, but I recall that at least one other poster on this forum successfully used it.

https://www.amazon.com/Elgato-Video-Capture-Digitize-iPad/dp/B0029U2YSA

Also, you can do a search on You Tube for tutorial videos on transferring analog to digital.

-- Rich