DV Camera Analog Passthru control problems

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Level 1

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DV Camera Analog Passthru control problems

Hi,

I'm fairly new to Macs but have managed to convert all my Mini DV vids to DVD using iMovie/iDVD which I'm really happy with. However, now I'm trying to get all my old Hi8 tapes done and I'm having a few problems.

I have a Sony PC101 Mini DV camera which lets you have an AV passthru from my old analog camera through the DV camera and via the firewire into the Mac. The problem is though that when I click import in iMovie it tries to play the tape in the DV camera but I need the footage from the analog camera.

I did this on my XP PC once where I told the package to not control the DV camera so I could play the analog camera and just say import and it worked.

I can't see a way of doing this in iMovie HD so any ideas? If i take the tape out of the DV camera it won't let me import as it says it needs a tape.

Help!!!

Mac Mini 1.42, Mac OS X (10.4.3), Sony PC101

Posted on Dec 27, 2005 7:04 AM

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Answer 1

SDIllini

Level 6

16,675 points

Dec 27, 2005 1:17 PM in response to Andy Roberts

Hi Andy:

Welcome!

Take the tape out of the DV camera.

Sue

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Answer 2

Andy Roberts Author

Level 1

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Dec 28, 2005 8:10 AM in response to SDIllini

Sorry, as I said I've already tried without the tape and iMove just says "insert tape".

When I used to do this on my XP PC I did just take the tape out the DV camera and it worked fine, but iMovie doesn't want to know.

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Answer 3

Dec 28, 2005 11:20 AM in response to Andy Roberts

Andy,

Do you have your camera manual handy?

On my Sony TRV-22 A/V to DV out setting that needs to be turned on before doing the kind of pass trough you describe. Perhaps yours is similar.

It's in the manual under "Capturing images from an analog video unit on a computer - Signal Convert Function."

Matt

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Answer 4

Andy Roberts Author

Level 1

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Dec 29, 2005 5:58 AM in response to Matthew Morgan

Matthew,

Yes it does but I already had this set. The problem is that iMovie is starting the tape in the DV camera so this then overriding the footage that is coming from the AV camera.

I need to stop iMovie from starting the DV tape.

If I can't get it sorted I'll just do this on my XP PC as that had the option to stop the application controling the camera and its looking increasing likely that iMovie is not capable of this.

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Answer 5

SDIllini

Level 6

16,675 points

Dec 29, 2005 7:31 AM in response to Andy Roberts

Hi Andy:

Read all of the pages in this link:

From VHS to DVD
Give New Life to Old Movies
http://www.macworld.com/2004/05/features/fromvhstodvd/

Sue

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Answer 6

Dec 29, 2005 7:37 AM in response to Andy Roberts

Matthew,

Yes it does but I already had this set. The problem
is that iMovie is starting the tape in the DV camera
so this then overriding the footage that is coming
from the AV camera.

I need to stop iMovie from starting the DV tape.

If I can't get it sorted I'll just do this on my XP
PC as that had the option to stop the application
controling the camera and its looking increasing
likely that iMovie is not capable of this.

I had a similar experience. On my Canon camcorder, I have to go into the menu and change DV in to AV/DV. When I do this, the tape doesn't play in the DV camcorder. I did this very thing with iMovie and it worked fine. Are you sure you have the right settings on your DV camcorder? I don't think it is an iMovie problem.

Don

Flat Panel iMac G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

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Answer 7

Dec 29, 2005 7:56 AM in response to Andy Roberts

I had the same problem with my JVC camera. Without tape, iMovie HD complained and refused to even show what the camera passed through from the analogue VCR. With tape iMovie HD only imported... 8 frames I think it was, before it gave up.

So I reinstalled iMovie 4. It works quite fine. It doesn't complain about missing tapes, it just accepts that the camera is in fact streaming something, and it imports without problems.

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.3)

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Answer 8

Dec 29, 2005 8:33 AM in response to Andy Roberts

Some analog to DV converters don't work in iMovie HD 5.0.2 like they do in iMovie 4.0.1. Sad but true.

1. For example, my Sony TRV320 can convert analog video to DV in passthrough mode in iMovie 4.0.1, but not in iMovie HD 5.0.2. Reportedly neither Sony DVMC-DA1 converter's, or Sony DCR-PC110, Sony DCR-HC30E, Sony TRV-340E, Canon ZR80, Canon ZR200, Canon MV630i or Panasonic NV EX3 camcorders' analog to DV passthrough work in iMovie HD 5.0.2 like it does in iMovie 4.0.1.

2. It is also not possible to record live DV with no tape in the camcorder (i.e. the camcorder in Rec mode, so that what goes in the camcorder's lens, imports in real-time to iMovie) from a camcorder (Sony TRV320, for example) to iMovie HD 5.0.2 because iMovie complains "Camera No Tape". In iMovie 4.0.1 and BTV Pro this works OK with no tape in the camcorder.

Analog-to-DV workaround #1: Import using $20/40 BTV/BTV Pro or iMovie 4.0.1. Then import it to iMovie HD or, to save time and HD space, drop the .dv file in the Media-folder.

Analog-to-DV workaround #2: (This worked with my Sony TRV320 with iMovie HD 5.0.1 but not anymore with v5.0.2). Put a tape in the camcorder and press the camcorder's PLAY-button to play the tape in VTR mode (usually the tape must be OUT when doing analog-DV conversion!), then in iMovie hit the Import-button (so iMovie starts to import from the tape), then press the camcorder's STOP-button. iMovie should then continue importing from the analog source as usual.

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

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Answer 9

Andy Roberts Author

Level 1

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Dec 29, 2005 11:00 AM in response to Matti Haveri

Thanks for all your help but nothing is working. I read through all the pages you sent and tried all the work arounds but none of them work.

I don't have iMovie 4 so can't install that.

The camera is set correct as I've done it on my PC before and when you connect the Hi8 camera is comes up confirming it AV-DV Out but as soon as you do import on iMovie it start the DV tape and you get DV footage. Try a blank tape you get blank recording. Try no tape and iMovie won't do anything until you put in a tape.

I do get about 3 seconds of footage when I click import but then the DV tape starts and thats it.

Pretty rubbish really. I'm going to import the footage on my XP PC and then copy the files over into iMovie I think. Glad I kept my PC now. 😟

I did a search on google as well for the same symptons and found thousands of people with the same problem, all since 5.0.2 update.

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Answer 10

Dec 29, 2005 11:17 AM in response to Andy Roberts

tried all the work arounds but none of them work

Could you not import even with the BTV Pro (AFAIR there is a time-limited demo of it)?

If you can, then the fault is in iMovie 5 and you can use BTV Pro to import, then dump the imported .dv to iMovie's Media folder:

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

But yes, this is a clumsy workaround. I hope this is fixed in iMovie 6 but I'm not holding my breath... <sigh>

Your Sony PC101 is not yet confirmed NOT to work with iMovie 5's passthrough mode (like Sony DCR-PC110 is, for example).

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Answer 11

Dec 29, 2005 7:34 PM in response to Matti Haveri

I must say that I have had no problems with iMovie HD 5.0.2 regarding Analog Passthru using my Canon ZR70 (I assume it would be similar to the ZR80).

Mine only works when there is no tape in the camcorder. If there is a tape in the camcorder, it won't work for me in iMovie 4.0.1 or 5.0.2.

After I choose the AV->DV option on my camcorder menu, I press play on my VCR, the video starts playing through to my camcorder (the no tape symbol is blinking away), iMovie initially says "no tape", but when the video starts playing, this goes away and I start importing.

What am I doing different?

Don

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