Connecting a Mini DV camcorder and transferring video to an iMac

[PDemchko]

I have an iMac and an older Sharp mini DV camcorder. Does anyone know if there is a cable and program to transfer any video via a composite/S Video hookup? maybe a composite/S Video cord to a firewire or usb hookup? I think I might have another out connection but I don't have the camera in front of me, will check on that. I don't care if you have to actually play the video and the computer just records the video and sound as it plays, I just need some way to get this video on my iMac to work with. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[mrcqm]

Well to import something from an S-Video cord, you'd need something like this that converts a video signal to a data file. {note: not an endorsement of that product; never heard of it. It's just an example of the type of device you'd need.}

That said, if it's DV, it should have a firewire output. What model camera are you trying to connect?

[PDemchko]

whoa...that is way more money than I wanted to spend on a unit like that. I thought it was gonna be more like 40-50 bucks, tops. maybe theres something else out there.

Anyway, the camcorder is a Sharp VL-WD450U. It does have a mini DV(iLink) output but the software that came with it only allowed you to get still images off the tape/sd card so I wasn't sure if it would work (I don't have DV firewire cord).

I was really hoping to just be able to buy a cord (either Svideo/audio to usb/firewire or miniDV(iLink) firewire cable and the video edit software already installed on the Mac would take care of the rest. or maybe I had to buy some other program.

Thanks for the help and I look forward to anyone else's comments to hopefully get this resolved.

[mmkerc]

plug in the firewire cable between the camcorder and Mac. Turn on the camera, and start iMovie, and if the camera will work on the Mac you be able to control it through iMovie.

ilink and firewire are the same.

[mrcqm]

A quick check online and yes, that camera should be fine with iMovie.