Sony DCR-HC44E Problem importing to iMovie HD

is the i-link a firewire cable or usb cable? Macs only support firewire.

Also, just a reminder to check for basic things. Make sure the camera is in "playback mode", and not recording mode. Check your connections, try a different firewire port, etc..

good idea

It should be perfectly compatible. Here are the suggestions which Apple offers.

It can occasionally be awkward to "kick start" iMovie HD 6 into accepting video from a camcorder it's never "seen" (..been used with..) before, in which case it's sometimes better to import the camcorder's video into an existing project ..but if you haven't imported anything yet, that obviously won't work!

No point in asking Sony about compatibility; they'll either say "don't know", or "unsupported", or "no; we only provide PC software" or some such nonsense ..and the person you reach may know nothing anyway. All known Sony miniDV and HDV products which end in ' E' ('Europe', 'England', 'PAL TV system') work OK with iMovie.

(..NOTE, however, that according to Sony this camcorder does not have FireWire/i.Link IN, so you won't be able to export back to that camcorder when you've finished editing your project ..but you can, of course, export to iDVD and burn a disc in your iMac..)

So persevere: as Trevor says, make sure that the camera's in Playback mode when you connect it.

Oh, and there will probably have been no FireWire cable in the box when you bought the camcorder; they usually come only with a USB cable. So are you sure you're using FireWire? ..The tiny end which plugs into the camera can easily be confused with USB. You'll probably need to go to Jessops, Dixons, PC World or somewhere similar to buy a cable. It'll need to be a 6-pin-to-4-pin i.Link/DV/FireWire cable.

Look in the instruction manual for the location of the i.Link connection to be sure that you really are connecting to the correct socket..

Lennart generally says turn off the computer and unplug it from the mains electricity supply for fifteen minutes. That can 'reset' the FireWire ports.

Then reconnect to the mains supply and switch on again.

I can't find any item in Apple's "KnowledgeBase" which specifically links FireWire and an iMac G5 to give model-specific info. (..Of course, that doesn't mean that there isn't any; just that I don't see it..)

Page 58 of the iMac G5 User's Manual (..available as a downloadable .pdf, which may take a long time to download if you don't have broadband, which downloads automatically here..) says:

- - - - - -

Using Apple Hardware Test

You can use Apple Hardware Test to help determine if there is a problem with your computer’s hardware.
To use Apple Hardware Test:
1 Disconnect all external devices from your computer except the keyboard and mouse.
If you have an Ethernet cable connected, disconnect it.
2 Insert the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 that came with your computer.
3 Restart your computer and hold down the Option key as it starts up.
4 Click Apple Hardware Test when the list of available startup volumes appears.
5 Click the right arrow.
6 When the Apple Hardware Test main screen appears (after about 45 seconds), follow the onscreen instructions.
7 If Apple Hardware Test detects a problem, it displays an error code. Make a note of the error code before pursuing support options. If Apple Hardware Test does not detect a hardware failure, the problem may be software-related.
For more information about Apple Hardware Test, see the Apple Hardware Test Read Me file on the Mac OS X Install Disc 1.

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You might want to try that..

Hi Tommy

You probably have all good advices but take a look at my list and see if there
is any solution for Your dilemma.

Mac:
- hardware
◊ Slow hard disk (fragmented: repair permissions, repair hard disk, use a faster hard disk)
◊ Reset PRAM
◊ Bad RAM-chips
◊ disconnect Mac from powerline (not just switch off, really plug out) for a few minutes to reset FW ports

- software
◊ File-Vault is on - turn it off
◊ Something is occupying the CPU/System, like other programs, Internet etc.
◊ Do You have desktop pictures or screen or energy-savers active? Try turning them off.
◊ Updating - OS has to be a clean install - not an update eg from X.3.x to X.4.x (no good) OS X.4.0-5 needs a clean install to work (I use X.3.9)
◊ Updating QT and/or other updates (to 7 needs v6 to be cleaned out first) QT v.7.0.0-4 needs a clean install to work (I use 6.5.2)
◊ Have you tried the crazy fix: Open GarageBand, play a few notes, close it and reopen iMovie. The camera should import fine now. Sue/SDillini
◊ Running iDVD at the same time as iMovie can cause problems: (Lennart Thelander)
◊ If You also have installed FinalCut Express/pro there are possibly problems with this


iMovie:
◊ remove bookmarks in iMovie project
◊ Trash: com.apple.iMovie.plist and com.apple.iMovie3.plist : files (Xinram)

Connection:
◊ don’t Daisy chain Camcorder <--> external hard disk <--> Mac
◊ FW-wire cable, is it OK?
◊ USB/USB2 is NO GO !

Camera:
◊ The Camera is set to VTR ? (not as when You ”film” record with it)
◊ defective camera TRY IT ON ANOTHER MAC ! (if the A/D chip in the camera is harmed then it will say in iMovie that the camera is connected and You can forward rep. backward the tape but there will be no picture or sound just the blue screen.
◊ Cheque the menu on Your Camera so that it communicates with the FW digitally to Your Mac
◊ Date and Time is correct on Your Camera ?

Tape:
◊ Drop outs on the miniDV-tape - make a camera to camera copy on a tape which You have previous recorded with a time code (dummy recording).
◊ Break in the time-code on the miniDV tape (make a camera to camera copy on a tape which is pre-recorded with nothing/anything so that the tape has a time-code from beginning to the end)
◊ If You recorded in LP-mode (90 min on a standard 60 min tape with 12-bit sound). Try to change in iMovie pref. to import but not as individual clips. If this doesn’t work You have to make a Camera to Camera copy with the receiving Camera set to SP-mode and 16-bit sound.

More:
◊ follow advises here http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=43000
◊ follow Grandmaster Dan's advice for Sony cameras here: http://www.danslagle.com/mac/iMovie/usage/5020.shtml

Yours Bengt W