There are so many little gems of knowledge on UA-cam, and this is one of them. Stumbled upon this looking for how to get that MiniDV/Firewire cable into a 2019 Macbook Pro. This helped a lot. Thanks.
If you don't already have a firewire cable lying around there are cables available that have a Firewire 400 jack on one end and a Firewire 800 jack on the other, meaning that's one fewer dongle to source (the 400 to 800 adaptor).
Thanks for this video. iMovie in conjunction with the following adapters works for camera control and capture: TB3 to TB2, TB2 to FW800, FW800 to FW400, FW400 to Mini-DV. So excited to be able to retrieve all the videos of the kids growing up into a usable and current format. Really appreciate you taking the time to get this info out there!
Hi - which FW800 to FW400 did you buy, can you share a link? I bought the one in the link in the video but theElego adapter doesn't fit the FW cable or the TB2. Thanks
This does work, eh? I'm glad the thunderbolt 2 to thunderbolt 3 addition works. FYI, you can get a cable that goes from firewire 400 mini to firewire 800, so that cuts down one adapter at least.
If you are a packrat like me, there are a few old working Macs in the basement with firewire ports. One even came with the right cable so going to try that.
Useful! Thank you. I was still using my old camcorder into my OLD MacBook Pro 17" that still had firewire but I fear it's firewire port is faulty so I wanted to go straight into my 2013 iMac via Thunderbolt 2. I have hundreds of tapes!!!! Eeeeeeeeeek! And a VHS collection that dates back to 1992!!!!! I have some serious work to do! Haha!
Thank you for the guide, it’s reassuring. If I have a FireWire camcorder and the cables should it also work for hi8 tapes or would the need to be digital tapes like digital 8?
i got a jvc cam i still use sometimes.. miniDV panasonic tape...my settings usualy are 16.9 LP. 24FPS manual contrast... funny my Hi8 cM is smaller than the jvc but cNnot do widescreen or custom framerates. i offload on to a external HDD the legendary seagate Barracuda 10K
I want do try this on my PC... but holy hell, all those adapters are not cheap! It's a lot cheaper/easier to just buy a Firewire card. Unless you're using a laptop, then I guess this is your only option
I have a Canon Mini DV and the Mini DV tapes play well on the camera. I have a fire wire from the camera to the Thunderbolt 2 and the computer has Thunderbolt 2. But I can't see the camera on iMovie or Adobe Pro.
Thanks for showing this. I bought the two rather expensive adapters, and all works fine. FCP recognized my faithful Panasonic NV-GS250 3CCD miniDV camera, and can import from it. It is a pity though that the various scenes on the tape do not show up as separate clips. Is there something to do about that? Now I can finally can start editing all the home movies of our 3 grand daughters!
Thanks for the great instructions. Do you happen to know if this setup will work with an iPad Pro 11” 2021 which has the same Thunderbolt 3 port. I also want to capture the video using iMovie. Thanks
Thanks so much for this tutorial- super helpful. Just started transferring my mini dvs to imovie and am noticing the audio is out of sync once I export my movie. Any chance you have a tutorial on this as well? Or s simple fix? Thank you!
I was able to snag an iLink (FireWire to thunderbolt) cable on Amazon, and I got a thunderbolt to USB adapter. Had to use the USB attachment for my MacBook because the newer ones don’t have usb built in anymore sadly. Plugged it in the Mac but nothing showed up. I don’t know if I have the wrong cables or not but I’ll try it again.
This is great! I have a Thunderbolt 3 Mac. My old video camera has two outputs and one of them is called DV. Can I use this? The other port has a USB symbol. I think I used to be able to attach this camera to a Firewire Mac via an adapter but that was a long time ago.
Hello there, I like to know if just the thunderbolt adapter to firewire would work on an iMac late 2013, I have lots of MiniDV tapes and like to save them, hope to hear from you soon. thanks
Awesome tutorial but I'm having a slight issue, I'm importing into iMovie and everything seems to be fine, but when playing the imported videos, the audio and video is not in sync even though it appeared to be when importing, any tips for correcting that? there's doesn't seem to be a lot of import settings in iMovie
from what I recall, in my case the camera has a FW 400 connection, and the Firewire Cable I owned already was the 800 interface. I just needed the adapter to connect to the camera. I'm sure there's other ways to do this, this was just the way I went. :)
Can somebody please confirm for me that the cable from the camera needs to be a fire wire 400 and then you need the adapter to change it to 800? Is it true that a table that goes directly from the camera to a 800 connector will not work?
If this really works you are my hero. I’ve been trying to work out how to do this since I moved over to Apple in 2013. I have been so sad to have lost so many lovely memories on mini tv. I am very excited to try this out. Cables on order.
@@landonbaileytech Yay! It really works. I only needed two of the cables as I already had the FireWire. So I bought the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter and the Elago Fireware 400 to 800 adapter. I used to use Pinnacle Studio on Windows PCs. Now I need to get to know iVideo. Thank you so much for your valuable information.
This may sound stupid, but I assume that I can still transfer the videos to my computer with all these cable and adapters, even if my LCD screen isn't working on my camcorder?
hey that's a fair question. I can't say for sure if that will work or not. The camera I used in my demo was purchased used on Ebay, because my original camera was broken.
Hello. I have Sony MiniDV camera. Can you tell me please how I can transfer to PC with USB C port? Before I had PC with firewireport so wasnt problem with firewire cable. Thank you.
This looks pretty promising, but I have a question: I have a camera with its DV port and I found a cable lying around that connects that to FireWire 400. I found a $4 adapter on Amazon that allows you to plug in FireWire to the adapter, which then has its “male” end as USB. I never see people using the DV to USB. Is this because it won’t work? Do I need to use specifically thunderbolt?
ya it's possible the USB doesn't support enough bandwidth for video transfer. I'm guessing it's old USB 1.1 stuff. Firewire allowed much more data to be sent for audio/video
Very helpful but I bought all the cables by clicking the links provided and the Elate FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter doesn't fit the Firewire cable or Apple Thunderbolt Adapter. Have you posted the wrong link?
oh hey sorry to hear that. this video is a couple years old so it's possible the links are outdated and have been changed (not on my end). I'll take a look
Lando27Tech Thanks for your prompt reply. I am found a solution by changing the sampling rate to 16bit works fine. However, I will try iMovie as well. Thanks so much man.
Hey. Not sure if anyone has tried this on the MacBook M1s yet but I'm having trouble getting Final Cut Pro X or iMovie to recognized my MiniDV camera (Sony Handycam HDR-HC3). I have a Belkin DV/iLink to Firewire 800 cable running into the Apple Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and then into the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter into the USB-C port on the MacBook but the computer doesn't see the camera. (It used to on my old iMac 2014.) Wondering if you might have any thoughts?
Does this allow you to use a more modern codec? I have an old laptop with firewire (circa 2003) and the old avi codec it used ended up pixelating pretty much any person in the video. Unfortunately it's too old for H264.
OK - this is GREAT!!! for transferring my old tapes. But what about using the camera as a video recording device (meaning eliminate the tapes)? I've used my HDV Canon (Vixia HV40) to record to an external hard drive (which eliminate the tapes) for years now. Then I import the data from the hard drive (MCE Quick Stream DV/HDV) to the MAC. I'd like to eliminate the hard drive and just go straight to the Mac. Can all of these adapters still enable the live video and audio to get to the MAC via USB-C at speed? No A/V dropouts? What are your thoughts oh wise and creative one?
never thought of trying that, because in my case the camera is really old and the quality is not something I’d want to use. so I can’t say if that will work or not :)
@@landonbaileytech I did the test. Took only three cables and the camera was immediately identified and worked perfectly! I can record directly from the HD camera into the recording tool of choice. The only concern is the number of devices connected to the Thunderbolt 3 busses. The more devices on each bus, the greater the chance of data dropping. For example, the MacBook Pro (2019) has two TB3 busses, one on each side. So, if you are driving two 4K HD displays, one on each bus (as recommended by Apple), inputting an HD signal on the same bus could cause either screen jitter or video frames being dropped from your recording. A better choice, if you want to use an older camera that works just fine like mine does, is to output the video directly into a device like the MCE QuickStream which will capture your video directly to an HD drive without loss. Then transfer the video from the MCE to the computer at warp speed. Much better than using tapes... but you knew that! Anyway, thus far I have NOT experienced either data loss or video jitter just yet, but this is what I've been warned about. Thanks again for a great and simple tutorial. Very useful. And, if I'm being honest, I must say that I was thinking that "just because you can string a bunch of cables together to 'connect' and old camera to a TB3 port, doesn't mean it'll be recognized or transfer data." In this case, I was glad to be wrong.
Hi. I'm not sure you ready this but incase you do I am trying the same with a 2019 MacBook Pro. Two questions. Why does the Mac keep saying processing once the tape has stopped. The Mac recognised the camera ok. And secondly where does the Mac file them I am trying importing through I movies. Thanks for any consideration.
What about Sony mini DV DCR-HC19E? Is the same way? What about mini USB connecting directly to MacBook Pro 2017?Can use that digital converter? And OBS software? Thanks a lot!
I have a canon elura 100. I have purchased all the required adapters to connect to my Mac. I have opened iMovie, selected import media, my camera is recognized. I select my camera under the cameras, press play on my canon and nothing shows up. Can you please help? So frustrated.
I know this is an older video, but to make the whole import process simpler, do there exist DV to USB 2/3 cables? Otherwise, I have a capture card that I can plug S-Video and analog RCA cables into, but would that technically reduce the quality of both the audio and video?
@@landonbaileytechLet me rephrase my original comment. I have a Windows PC that, predictably, doesn't have a FireWire input, but I don't want to have to go through all the trouble of buying an extreme myriad of adapters that I'll only ever need for one camera, so, to lessen the amount I have to spend, I was wondering if simple FireWire to USB cables existed, or if there were any simpler methods of working around not having a straight FireWire connection. I have found a couple of cables that claim to be FireWire to USB, but say they only work for certain cameras. I have also found FireWire to USB adapters, but didn't know if they have any viability. I'm just hoping I'm not sitting on a brick of a camera because I can't connect it to my PC properly to get the best quality and both audio channels (I tried plugging in the right channel and it emitted a buzz even though the microphone on board is stereo). In any case, I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say a little bit more.
I have a question can I connect the DV camera through firewire then thigh one adaptor from firewire to thunderbolt 3 ( I Mac 2017) or to USB ( I found adaptor from firewire to USB) ] please your help would be appreciated
Yep. I though this was “simple” enough to give it a try.. I have a similar setup: iLink-FW800 + FW800-DisplayPort + DisplayPort-Thunderbolt3 .. connecting a DCR-HC85 to a MacBook Pro (2018 model with only USB-C ports, hence the extra dongle).. however when I try to import MiniDV tapes with iMovie or FinalCutPro (I originally recorded with an older camcorder, Sony DCR-TRV30) the videos imported are split into tiny 1second long clips. Any ideas what may be at fault here? Could it be the chain of adapters? could it be the version of the iMovie/FCP I’m using? (iMovie 10.1.14, FCP 10.4.8), the OSX version (Catalina 10.15.5), or could it be the difference between the DCR-TRV30 / DCR-HC85 used for recording/playback respectively? after a $300 “investment” (camera+dongles) I’m still nowhere near importing these old tapes. How much simpler than this can it get? :]
ah that sucks. Is your displayport the same as I'm using? (Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter) that's the first thing that comes to mind. my videos files get broken up to the length of the recorded clip, definitely not 1 second long. I recorded all my tapes on an old Canon camcorder, so I don't think the source camera matters. Also I'm running the latest MacOs and FCPX and IMovie and it's still working fine.
Same thing here. Tried 2 different cameras, several diff cables, and connectors, the latest FCPX, iMovie. The only thing that worked was recording straight to QuickTime/File/New Movie. But, I could not record audio from the camera to QT. So, I had to run the headphone line out of the camera into an I/O audio box (I used a Scarlet 2i2) into the computer, select line-in as the audio input then hit play on camera and record on Quicktime/new movie and it would record until there was a timecode break on the tape which would stop the QuickTime recording but, the tape would keep playing. So if I did not sit and watch for the timecode breaks I would have to see where the recording ended and rewind the tape past that point and start the process again. I never finished importing the 45-50 tapes I have it was a total P.I.T.A.
Hi, thank you for video. I have a Sony TRV50E. Also have the FireWire cable as in your video minus the last adapter as I have a 2014 MacBook Pro. I am trying to capture video using iMovie and QuickTime player. The Sony DV-VCR appears as the source but I get a message No Data from Device. Any ideas? Thank you.
hey there, I just tested with iMovie and it worked of for me. I don't know what would cause the issue for that error. sorry! Make sure it’s set to VCR mode and try an Import. Sometimes that will start whatever tape you have loaded
Does this work for PC at all? I bought all the dongles, but my computer doesn't recognize the camera. My computer makes a noise when I plug it in, but the camera doesn't show up anywhere. Even in device manager. It does recognize the USB-3 dongle though. I was on some forums, and I heard that Apple dongles may only work with Apple products, in which case I'm not sure what to do next. Thanks for your help!
I got it all hooked up trying to import to iMovie, I was really impressed with how clicking import in iMovie started the download. But, for some reason, the first 20 seconds gets all chopped up into clips that are less than a second long- And then it just stops downloading the rest of the 45 second take, and then starts up again on the next clip and does just fine. Any suggestions on how to get that first clip to recorded? I’m thinking of trying OBS, which may be a little more sophisticated than iMovie, a little more robust. And I’ve had had a lot of success digitizing VHS tapes with it. What do you think?
Lando27Tech OBS won’t capture any of the audio. From further research online macs have a problem if there’s any kind of gap between clips. No one seems to know why the first 20 seconds of a clip gets chopped up
Hi, im having a problem with import #ing files from my Sony PDR 170, everything seems fine on the cameras end however when i import into quicktime ,imovie etc the footage is showing a small bit of ghosting/lag ? like its not realtime . Do you know why this occurs?
Same thing is happening to me. I’m importing but for me, I’m getting numerous choppy bits of the same video. Super frustrating. I’m using FCPX and have a Canon Elura100. ...and then it gets stuck on “Processing”. I’m using a brand new this year MacBook Pro.
i did exactly this. my Camcorder was not detected on many Video download SW applications. FinalCutPro is 299$. Is there another SW I can use to get my device detected? MY Mac Book Pro is 10.14.6 and my camcorder is Canon ZR500 -- So far I tried Debut (application) and LifeFlix -- none of them work. On my camcorder it shows DVIN conforming Firewire is connected. On my MAC BOOK PRO, the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter:shows the following Vendor Name: Apple Inc. Device Name: Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter Vendor ID: 0x1 Device ID: 0x8004 Device Revision: 0x1 UID: 0x0001000301F4FC90 Apple Serial Number: DTN7493057XF494A2 Route String: 3 Firmware Version: 5.6 Port (Upstream): Status: Device connected Link Status: 0x2
I have the same exact issue. I have a Canon GL2 and a JVC GR-D73U, and 6 different firewire to 400, 800, and a Thunderbolt Display with Firewire 800 port, and even the Firewire-to-Thunderbolt adaptor. NOTHING is working. I am on a 2013 iMac with Mojave. I also have many older Macs, and none can see these. my 6 cables and all these adapters can't be broken. Please, any help would be grateful! Are there certain settings I am supposed to select in macOS setting, under network to get the firewire port to read correctly? on my Canon, I see the DV IN. I have FinalCut Pro and Quicktime, I don't see my camera in either. Help please!
ok so that should be the same setup I have in the video. my mac mini is Thunderbolt 3. expect you'll need something for PC as opposed to Mac. I'm not sure if the Mac cables are compatible
@@landonbaileytech I found this new dual cord that saves two cords in the daisy chain: its Firewire 800 and 4 pin: www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-FireWire-Hi-speed-F019-006/dp/B000AAZQM2?th=1 From there the FW800 into the Apple FW800 - Thunderbolt adapter: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SQ2CJUS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 lmk!
@@landonbaileytech Thank you very much for getting back to me. Yes FCX, just bought the new one. It's strange because I can control the camera from the import, and hear it, i see the image on the camera lcd but it doesn't show up on the import window. just suond.
ah that sucks. The first thing I would try is the usual full system reboot. Unplug all the cables. Then try again from there. Sometimes it's something simple like that! Best of luck, sounds like you almost got it. Frustrating for sure!
Have ALL the cables and components but my Mac says DEVICE OFFLINE. Can anyone help please? Have rebooted lots and reset and made sure the import device matches PAL etc in Premiere Pro. Just can't see the device on my mac?! :( Please help :)
@@landonbaileytech Hi, thanks for your very swift response! I've tried it on iMovie, Quicktime and PP. Nothing can see my camera. I have new cables. I'm now updating to Big Sur. (2019 MacBook Pro right now). I do have an old mac or pc a cupboard so maybe time to dig that out. But weird how it just doesn't see the camera. Have tried on my old MacBook Pro 2013 and offline there too.
ya I’m an NTSC camera, but hopefully that’s not an issue. Good luck, I don’t think there’s any other tips I can offer. tech/computer stuff can be frustrating for sure, but then rewarding once you figure it out.
Are there any VHS playback devices that will let me play back and digitize my VHS tapes at faster than real time speed? I’ve tried googling this but found no solution.
This did not work for me. I bought the camera, the dongles, and connected to my PC but I didn't have any tapes. No one online would sell me their families tapes for me to transfer which made it difficult.
It's not that simple. I followed the instructions to the letter, tried several variations, my Mac NEVER recognized the camcorder... Mini DV Camcorder to Firewire 400 to 800 Firewire Adapter to T-Bolt 2 to T-Bolt 3 into MacBook Pro... that didn't work. Tried, Mini DV to 800 Firewire to T-Bolt 2 to T-Bolt 3 into my MacBook Pro. I used iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro... neither worked.
Do you have old tapes that you never transferred over to a digital format? All the items used in the video: Firewire Cable: Amazon (US) amzn.to/3bPpAlS Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2l329iF Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32o2lvW elago FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter Amazon (US) amzn.to/35vz194 Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2l6wMUu Amazon (UK) amzn.to/3iB6vql Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter Amazon (US) amzn.to/2Fnf4q3 Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2jG850z Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32moGu0 Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter Amazon (US) amzn.to/2DSZemz Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2xLldoF Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32m2yjf
I tried both recently. I found that the FireWire connection gave better picture quality than an SVH-S connector. That makes sense, because it avoids an unnecessary digital to analogue and then analogue back to digital conversion.
There are so many little gems of knowledge on UA-cam, and this is one of them. Stumbled upon this looking for how to get that MiniDV/Firewire cable into a 2019 Macbook Pro. This helped a lot. Thanks.
hey thanks! glad it helped. I've got like 15 tapes to go through.
If you don't already have a firewire cable lying around there are cables available that have a Firewire 400 jack on one end and a Firewire 800 jack on the other, meaning that's one fewer dongle to source (the 400 to 800 adaptor).
Good tip thanks!
now im confused- which 2 does this replace? thanks :)
Thanks for this video. iMovie in conjunction with the following adapters works for camera control and capture: TB3 to TB2, TB2 to FW800, FW800 to FW400, FW400 to Mini-DV. So excited to be able to retrieve all the videos of the kids growing up into a usable and current format. Really appreciate you taking the time to get this info out there!
Thanks for sharing!
Hi - which FW800 to FW400 did you buy, can you share a link? I bought the one in the link in the video but theElego adapter doesn't fit the FW cable or the TB2. Thanks
Very nostalgic!! I miss those dv days! I owned vx2100e and gs400 3ccd and they spoilt. I will give repairer a visit.
It works! Just did a quick 1 minute import. Many, many, thanks for this simple and valuable instruction video. It really helped.
You're welcome!
This does work, eh? I'm glad the thunderbolt 2 to thunderbolt 3 addition works. FYI, you can get a cable that goes from firewire 400 mini to firewire 800, so that cuts down one adapter at least.
Ya works great. If you can avoid any adapters in the middle that’s awesome! Also works with iMovie.
@@landonbaileytech How do you transfer the mini dv to a Lenovo PC?
Hey I'm kinda old like you. Thanks for the helpful video. Got a ton of old DV tapes to digitize, and yea.. definitely forgot how big of a pain it is.
Thanks for watching!
Lando, you are absolutely right. It is so satisfying putting a DV cassette into the camcorder!
so many little pieces that can break though! :)
If you are a packrat like me, there are a few old working Macs in the basement with firewire ports. One even came with the right cable so going to try that.
nice!
Useful! Thank you. I was still using my old camcorder into my OLD MacBook Pro 17" that still had firewire but I fear it's firewire port is faulty so I wanted to go straight into my 2013 iMac via Thunderbolt 2. I have hundreds of tapes!!!! Eeeeeeeeeek! And a VHS collection that dates back to 1992!!!!! I have some serious work to do! Haha!
ya the real time capturing is so time consuming! I think I have 10+ tapes to go, 60 mins each
Thank you for the guide, it’s reassuring. If I have a FireWire camcorder and the cables should it also work for hi8 tapes or would the need to be digital tapes like digital 8?
I can't say for sure, I haven't tried
I’ve ordered the cables and will give it a go and confirm back
Intuitive and also humorous, great video 👍🏻
i got a jvc cam i still use sometimes.. miniDV panasonic tape...my settings usualy are 16.9 LP. 24FPS manual contrast... funny my Hi8 cM is smaller than the jvc but cNnot do widescreen or custom framerates. i offload on to a external HDD the legendary seagate Barracuda 10K
Thanks for this great video and the links to the cables. Saved me a lot of time!
Glad it helped
I want do try this on my PC... but holy hell, all those adapters are not cheap! It's a lot cheaper/easier to just buy a Firewire card. Unless you're using a laptop, then I guess this is your only option
this isn't a PC how-to, so I can't say any of this will work.
I have a Canon Mini DV and the Mini DV tapes play well on the camera. I have a fire wire from the camera to the Thunderbolt 2 and the computer has Thunderbolt 2. But I can't see the camera on iMovie or Adobe Pro.
I've only tried with my scenario
Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for showing this. I bought the two rather expensive adapters, and all works fine. FCP recognized my faithful Panasonic NV-GS250 3CCD miniDV camera, and can import from it. It is a pity though that the various scenes on the tape do not show up as separate clips. Is there something to do about that? Now I can finally can start editing all the home movies of our 3 grand daughters!
cheers! ya not sure if anything can be done about clips
Thanks for the great instructions. Do you happen to know if this setup will work with an iPad Pro 11” 2021 which has the same Thunderbolt 3 port. I also want to capture the video using iMovie. Thanks
I don't know if it would work on any Ipad. I've only tested this particular config. cheers
Thanks so much for this tutorial- super helpful. Just started transferring my mini dvs to imovie and am noticing the audio is out of sync once I export my movie. Any chance you have a tutorial on this as well? Or s simple fix? Thank you!
oh hey, I only briefly tried with iMovie. I've done the rest with Final Cut, so I don't have any advice
I was able to snag an iLink (FireWire to thunderbolt) cable on Amazon, and I got a thunderbolt to USB adapter. Had to use the USB attachment for my MacBook because the newer ones don’t have usb built in anymore sadly. Plugged it in the Mac but nothing showed up. I don’t know if I have the wrong cables or not but I’ll try it again.
Let me know if it works out. I've only tried on this setup
You are AWESOME! I presume this set-up works for HDV tapes as well. Now I gotta order those darned cables from Apple. Thanks for the great video!
haven't tried that format, let me know how it goes
it's only gonna cost 100 bucks
This is great! I have a Thunderbolt 3 Mac. My old video camera has two outputs and one of them is called DV. Can I use this? The other port has a USB symbol. I think I used to be able to attach this camera to a Firewire Mac via an adapter but that was a long time ago.
DV should be the right connection. I can’t guarantee though, I just know it worked with my exact setup :)
Hello there, I like to know if just the thunderbolt adapter to firewire would work on an iMac late 2013, I have lots of MiniDV tapes and like to save them, hope to hear from you soon. thanks
I can't tell you if that will work or not. I can only confirm my setup
Awesome tutorial but I'm having a slight issue, I'm importing into iMovie and everything seems to be fine, but when playing the imported videos, the audio and video is not in sync even though it appeared to be when importing, any tips for correcting that? there's doesn't seem to be a lot of import settings in iMovie
sorry I don't know
Super helpful video, thank you!
Thanks for this! What's the purpose of the 400 to 800 adapter? Can the firewire cable not connect directly to the thunderbolt 2/firewire adapter?
from what I recall, in my case the camera has a FW 400 connection, and the Firewire Cable I owned already was the 800 interface. I just needed the adapter to connect to the camera. I'm sure there's other ways to do this, this was just the way I went. :)
Hi there. Great video. Which software did you use to "accept" the transfer?
It’s Final Cut Pro X on MacOS
@@landonbaileytech Many thanks for your quick reply.
@@landonbaileytech Something for free?!
I’ve seen that QuickTime on Mac works pretty well. Just a small issue with audio from time to time.
Can somebody please confirm for me that the cable from the camera needs to be a fire wire 400 and then you need the adapter to change it to 800? Is it true that a table that goes directly from the camera to a 800 connector will not work?
If this really works you are my hero. I’ve been trying to work out how to do this since I moved over to Apple in 2013. I have been so sad to have lost so many lovely memories on mini tv. I am very excited to try this out. Cables on order.
oh great! Hope it works out. cheers!
@@landonbaileytech Yay! It really works. I only needed two of the cables as I already had the FireWire. So I bought the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter and the Elago Fireware 400 to 800 adapter. I used to use Pinnacle Studio on Windows PCs. Now I need to get to know iVideo. Thank you so much for your valuable information.
I tried this. Got the connection working but there’s some issue with the tape or transfer. The recordings are choppy and the audio doesn’t line up!
Thanks- but why -if you have thunderbolt 3 slots- not use a firewire 800 to thunderbolt 3 connector? (and skip the thunderbolt 2 to 3 connection)
Good question
@@landonbaileytech Thanks, but what's the answer?! 😃
I can't recall 5 years ago why I did that
Have you had any feedback using Premier Pro for the capture software? Is VCR mode the same as playback mode?
Also do you have to save to your computer when importing or can you save the file directly to an external hard drive while it's importing?
Sorry, no I’ve only used FCPX
Most of my storage is external so that should be fine. I believe that may have been what I was doing. I’ll have to go check again
This may sound stupid, but I assume that I can still transfer the videos to my computer with all these cable and adapters, even if my LCD screen isn't working on my camcorder?
hey that's a fair question. I can't say for sure if that will work or not.
The camera I used in my demo was purchased used on Ebay, because my original camera was broken.
Hello. I have Sony MiniDV camera. Can you tell me please how I can transfer to PC with USB C port? Before I had PC with firewireport so wasnt problem with firewire cable. Thank you.
I haven't tried with a PC
Thank you so much for this video. It really help me.
Glad it was helpful!
This looks pretty promising, but I have a question: I have a camera with its DV port and I found a cable lying around that connects that to FireWire 400. I found a $4 adapter on Amazon that allows you to plug in FireWire to the adapter, which then has its “male” end as USB. I never see people using the DV to USB. Is this because it won’t work? Do I need to use specifically thunderbolt?
ya it's possible the USB doesn't support enough bandwidth for video transfer. I'm guessing it's old USB 1.1 stuff. Firewire allowed much more data to be sent for audio/video
Very helpful but I bought all the cables by clicking the links provided and the Elate FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter doesn't fit the Firewire cable or Apple Thunderbolt Adapter. Have you posted the wrong link?
oh hey sorry to hear that. this video is a couple years old so it's possible the links are outdated and have been changed (not on my end). I'll take a look
elago FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter (White) is the one I have and it works fine. So I'm not sure
Can you connect this series of dongles to thunderbolt 4 port on laptop? It is not working for me.
I don't have one to test, but it looks like no if it's not working
Thanks a lot man, I have done the same but the problem I am getting the videos in FCPx without sounds unfortunately. Do you have any suggestions?
Hey there! I haven’t had any audio issues myself. Did you try importing in iMovie as well?
Lando27Tech Thanks for your prompt reply. I am found a solution by changing the sampling rate to 16bit works fine. However, I will try iMovie as well. Thanks so much man.
Hey. Not sure if anyone has tried this on the MacBook M1s yet but I'm having trouble getting Final Cut Pro X or iMovie to recognized my MiniDV camera (Sony Handycam HDR-HC3). I have a Belkin DV/iLink to Firewire 800 cable running into the Apple Firewire 800 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter and then into the Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter into the USB-C port on the MacBook but the computer doesn't see the camera. (It used to on my old iMac 2014.) Wondering if you might have any thoughts?
I need to try that on my M1 stuff.
Does this allow you to use a more modern codec? I have an old laptop with firewire (circa 2003) and the old avi codec it used ended up pixelating pretty much any person in the video. Unfortunately it's too old for H264.
I'm not really sure about the codec being used with Final Cut Pro.
i'm from Brazil i'm using google translator to speak I wonder what application you use to download the mini dv this application that you used
I used Final Cut Pro X, but you can also use iMovie
OK - this is GREAT!!! for transferring my old tapes. But what about using the camera as a video recording device (meaning eliminate the tapes)? I've used my HDV Canon (Vixia HV40) to record to an external hard drive (which eliminate the tapes) for years now. Then I import the data from the hard drive (MCE Quick Stream DV/HDV) to the MAC. I'd like to eliminate the hard drive and just go straight to the Mac. Can all of these adapters still enable the live video and audio to get to the MAC via USB-C at speed? No A/V dropouts? What are your thoughts oh wise and creative one?
never thought of trying that, because in my case the camera is really old and the quality is not something I’d want to use. so I can’t say if that will work or not :)
@@landonbaileytech I did the test. Took only three cables and the camera was immediately identified and worked perfectly! I can record directly from the HD camera into the recording tool of choice.
The only concern is the number of devices connected to the Thunderbolt 3 busses. The more devices on each bus, the greater the chance of data dropping.
For example, the MacBook Pro (2019) has two TB3 busses, one on each side. So, if you are driving two 4K HD displays, one on each bus (as recommended by Apple), inputting an HD signal on the same bus could cause either screen jitter or video frames being dropped from your recording. A better choice, if you want to use an older camera that works just fine like mine does, is to output the video directly into a device like the MCE QuickStream which will capture your video directly to an HD drive without loss. Then transfer the video from the MCE to the computer at warp speed. Much better than using tapes... but you knew that!
Anyway, thus far I have NOT experienced either data loss or video jitter just yet, but this is what I've been warned about.
Thanks again for a great and simple tutorial. Very useful. And, if I'm being honest, I must say that I was thinking that "just because you can string a bunch of cables together to 'connect' and old camera to a TB3 port, doesn't mean it'll be recognized or transfer data." In this case, I was glad to be wrong.
very cool thanks for sharing the results!
Hi. I'm not sure you ready this but incase you do I am trying the same with a 2019 MacBook Pro. Two questions. Why does the Mac keep saying processing once the tape has stopped. The Mac recognised the camera ok. And secondly where does the Mac file them I am trying importing through I movies. Thanks for any consideration.
hey there! I really can’t say. I’ve only got it working with my exact config.
What about Sony mini DV DCR-HC19E? Is the same way? What about mini USB connecting directly to MacBook Pro 2017?Can use that digital converter? And OBS software? Thanks a lot!
Sorry, I can't comment on every camera. I can only show that my setup works.
I have a canon elura 100. I have purchased all the required adapters to connect to my Mac. I have opened iMovie, selected import media, my camera is recognized. I select my camera under the cameras, press play on my canon and nothing shows up. Can you please help? So frustrated.
hey there! does the Elura 100 have different output modes? First thing I would be looking at is all the Settings. I'm not familiar with the camera
anybody know of a firewire 1394a/b to Thunderbolt 3 adapter? Or just a cable that does it in a single shot?
that would be helpful for sure
Unfortunately I did this with about 100 DV tapes and when I go to play them in the computer Inone of them have audio. What did I do wrong?
I have no idea. I would have tested one first to see if it was working ok
Thanks for this, also if you start playing the tape prior to capturing to iMovie seems to fix the “no audio” problem
I know this is an older video, but to make the whole import process simpler, do there exist DV to USB 2/3 cables? Otherwise, I have a capture card that I can plug S-Video and analog RCA cables into, but would that technically reduce the quality of both the audio and video?
Im not sure about the cable you mention, but yes S-Video and RCA would have a lower quality that straight digital.
@@landonbaileytechLet me rephrase my original comment. I have a Windows PC that, predictably, doesn't have a FireWire input, but I don't want to have to go through all the trouble of buying an extreme myriad of adapters that I'll only ever need for one camera, so, to lessen the amount I have to spend, I was wondering if simple FireWire to USB cables existed, or if there were any simpler methods of working around not having a straight FireWire connection. I have found a couple of cables that claim to be FireWire to USB, but say they only work for certain cameras. I have also found FireWire to USB adapters, but didn't know if they have any viability. I'm just hoping I'm not sitting on a brick of a camera because I can't connect it to my PC properly to get the best quality and both audio channels (I tried plugging in the right channel and it emitted a buzz even though the microphone on board is stereo).
In any case, I hope this clarifies what I was trying to say a little bit more.
What editing software are you using? Adobe doesn't support DV any more!!!
I am using Final Cut Pro
@@landonbaileytech I can't get FCP to recognize my DV camera
I have a question
can I connect the DV camera through firewire then thigh one adaptor from firewire to thunderbolt 3 ( I Mac 2017) or to USB ( I found adaptor from firewire to USB) ]
please your help would be appreciated
Im not sure
Can you import directly to MP4 instead of 14gb raw? I'd hate to then have to convert/compress the video after importing.
good question, I'm not sure if it offers that. I'll have to go back and check . (took a look, and there is no option to choose a format for import)
Yep. I though this was “simple” enough to give it a try.. I have a similar setup: iLink-FW800 + FW800-DisplayPort + DisplayPort-Thunderbolt3 .. connecting a DCR-HC85 to a MacBook Pro (2018 model with only USB-C ports, hence the extra dongle).. however when I try to import MiniDV tapes with iMovie or FinalCutPro (I originally recorded with an older camcorder, Sony DCR-TRV30) the videos imported are split into tiny 1second long clips. Any ideas what may be at fault here? Could it be the chain of adapters? could it be the version of the iMovie/FCP I’m using? (iMovie 10.1.14, FCP 10.4.8), the OSX version (Catalina 10.15.5), or could it be the difference between the DCR-TRV30 / DCR-HC85 used for recording/playback respectively? after a $300 “investment” (camera+dongles) I’m still nowhere near importing these old tapes. How much simpler than this can it get? :]
ah that sucks. Is your displayport the same as I'm using? (Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter) that's the first thing that comes to mind. my videos files get broken up to the length of the recorded clip, definitely not 1 second long.
I recorded all my tapes on an old Canon camcorder, so I don't think the source camera matters. Also I'm running the latest MacOs and FCPX and IMovie and it's still working fine.
Same thing here. Tried 2 different cameras, several diff cables, and connectors, the latest FCPX, iMovie. The only thing that worked was recording straight to QuickTime/File/New Movie. But, I could not record audio from the camera to QT. So, I had to run the headphone line out of the camera into an I/O audio box (I used a Scarlet 2i2) into the computer, select line-in as the audio input then hit play on camera and record on Quicktime/new movie and it would record until there was a timecode break on the tape which would stop the QuickTime recording but, the tape would keep playing. So if I did not sit and watch for the timecode breaks I would have to see where the recording ended and rewind the tape past that point and start the process again. I never finished importing the 45-50 tapes I have it was a total P.I.T.A.
this works with windows and premiere pro?
I can't confirm that
I am having trouble seeing the file when I go into iMovie, I have all the cables but it does not pop up. Do you know why this is happening?
that's tough to troubleshoot remotely. Do you have the exact same hardware and setup?
Yooo Lando I have a 2019 MacBook with the new usb-c I may have missed something here but is this possible with my set up?
I’ve only tested with Thunderbolt
@@landonbaileytech I ordered what I think I need to accomplish this I will let you know when it works
Hi, if my camera manual says that I need a 4 pin to 4 pin i.LINK, which adapter should I use? Or will it also work with the 4 pin to 6 pin cable?
I'm not sure
Hi, thank you for video. I have a Sony TRV50E. Also have the FireWire cable as in your video minus the last adapter as I have a 2014 MacBook Pro. I am trying to capture video using iMovie and QuickTime player. The Sony DV-VCR appears as the source but I get a message No Data from Device. Any ideas? Thank you.
hey there, I just tested with iMovie and it worked of for me. I don't know what would cause the issue for that error. sorry! Make sure it’s set to VCR mode and try an Import. Sometimes that will start whatever tape you have loaded
Violet Biggs Productions - I’ll give that a try!
Does this work for PC at all? I bought all the dongles, but my computer doesn't recognize the camera. My computer makes a noise when I plug it in, but the camera doesn't show up anywhere. Even in device manager. It does recognize the USB-3 dongle though. I was on some forums, and I heard that Apple dongles may only work with Apple products, in which case I'm not sure what to do next. Thanks for your help!
I have not tried on Windows. this is for Apple only
@@landonbaileytech Thanks for the reply! I found a video on here of someone successfully doing it on windows, so I'm gonna try that out and see.
I got it all hooked up trying to import to iMovie, I was really impressed with how clicking import in iMovie started the download. But, for some reason, the first 20 seconds gets all chopped up into clips that are less than a second long- And then it just stops downloading the rest of the 45 second take, and then starts up again on the next clip and does just fine. Any suggestions on how to get that first clip to recorded? I’m thinking of trying OBS, which may be a little more sophisticated than iMovie, a little more robust. And I’ve had had a lot of success digitizing VHS tapes with it. What do you think?
ah that sucks. I can’t say what would cause that. OBS might be worth a shot for sure. probably a bit of work to configure, but let me know how it goes
Lando27Tech OBS won’t capture any of the audio. From further research online macs have a problem if there’s any kind of gap between clips. No one seems to know why the first 20 seconds of a clip gets chopped up
What program were you using to capture on your computer ?
I did one transfer already into iMovie but it keeps dropping frames and skipping.
it was probabably Final Cut Pro
Thank you Lando!
My pleasure!
Hi, im having a problem with import #ing files from my Sony PDR 170, everything seems fine on the cameras end however when i import into quicktime ,imovie etc the footage is showing a small bit of ghosting/lag ? like its not realtime . Do you know why this occurs?
Same thing is happening to me. I’m importing but for me, I’m getting numerous choppy bits of the same video. Super frustrating. I’m using FCPX and have a Canon Elura100. ...and then it gets stuck on “Processing”. I’m using a brand new this year MacBook Pro.
i did exactly this. my Camcorder was not detected on many Video download SW applications. FinalCutPro is 299$. Is there another SW I can use to get my device detected? MY Mac Book Pro is 10.14.6 and my camcorder is Canon ZR500 -- So far I tried Debut (application) and LifeFlix -- none of them work. On my camcorder it shows DVIN conforming Firewire is connected. On my MAC BOOK PRO, the Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter:shows the following
Vendor Name: Apple Inc.
Device Name: Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter
Vendor ID: 0x1
Device ID: 0x8004
Device Revision: 0x1
UID: 0x0001000301F4FC90
Apple Serial Number: DTN7493057XF494A2
Route String: 3
Firmware Version: 5.6
Port (Upstream):
Status: Device connected
Link Status: 0x2
Did you try iMovie?
I have the same exact issue. I have a Canon GL2 and a JVC GR-D73U, and 6 different firewire to 400, 800, and a Thunderbolt Display with Firewire 800 port, and even the Firewire-to-Thunderbolt adaptor. NOTHING is working. I am on a 2013 iMac with Mojave. I also have many older Macs, and none can see these. my 6 cables and all these adapters can't be broken. Please, any help would be grateful!
Are there certain settings I am supposed to select in macOS setting, under network to get the firewire port to read correctly? on my Canon, I see the DV IN. I have FinalCut Pro and Quicktime, I don't see my camera in either.
Help please!
Violet Biggs Productions - I don’t see your reply. What is your suggestion, I’m excited to give it a try! Thanks again!
What adapter would I need to transfer mini dv to a HP Omen laptop with thunderbolt? I didn't see one on Amazon.
what kind of port is coming out of the laptop, Thunderbolt 2,3?
@@landonbaileytech Thunderbolt 3
ok so that should be the same setup I have in the video. my mac mini is Thunderbolt 3. expect you'll need something for PC as opposed to Mac. I'm not sure if the Mac cables are compatible
It would be cool if all these components could fit into a small box.
Something 3D printed perhaps?
do it!
Hi , how about if I don’t have the camera anymore. Do you have another way or another device I can play these mini tapes on or transfer from?
my original camera was a Canon Elura. It no longer works for I found this used Sony camera on EBay for around $70. You’ll need a camera
Hey Lando27Tech, dies this work for PC?
hey there! I haven't tried. I also don't have a PC with Thunderbolt 3
Anyone know if the thunderbolt 3 will connect to a thunderbolt 4 port?
I plan to test this on M1 mac devices soon
does iMovie work with this or do u need premiere pro ?
hey there! I just tested and it works with iMovie. I use Final Cut Pro X, can't speak for Premiere Pro
@@landonbaileytech oh cool thanks, also do u have any idea if u can get a fisheye lens for the sony TRV18 ?
@solly mercer no problem! I don't know, I bought it used solely to have a it as a transfer unit for my old tapes
I have 3 mini dv tapes that I want to watch to see what’s in them but I no longer have the camera. Is there any other way to watch them ?
I don’t believe so. That’s why I bought this camera for as cheap as possible on EBay. It’s a player, and I don’t use it as a camera
Landon fabu thank you dude will try it out!
hey thanks! can't guarantee every camera will work but this one did
@@landonbaileytech I found this new dual cord that saves two cords in the daisy chain:
its Firewire 800 and 4 pin: www.amazon.com/Tripp-Lite-FireWire-Hi-speed-F019-006/dp/B000AAZQM2?th=1
From there the FW800 into the Apple FW800 - Thunderbolt adapter: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00SQ2CJUS/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1
lmk!
@@landonbaileytech and this page for cables: www.samys.com/c/Firewire-Cables/3/449.html
Hi I get sound but not getting image when I import. Any idea why? Thanks
that’s tough to troubleshoot remotely. are you using Final Cut Pro X?
@@landonbaileytech Thank you very much for getting back to me. Yes FCX, just bought the new one. It's strange because I can control the camera from the import, and hear it, i see the image on the camera lcd but it doesn't show up on the import window. just suond.
ah that sucks. The first thing I would try is the usual full system reboot. Unplug all the cables. Then try again from there. Sometimes it's something simple like that! Best of luck, sounds like you almost got it. Frustrating for sure!
Thanks for the video, made this bullshit a little easier.
ya it's a wonky setup for sure
@@landonbaileytech Does it lose quality when its transferred? Like when you gotta compress it?
I don't believe so
I've got it all running but no audio with FCP 10 import.
sorry to hear that. any luck?
Where do you plug it into the camera?
there's a firewire port on the right front of the camera. under a hidden panel
@@landonbaileytech Darn. I don't think my camera has that :/. Bummer. It's a sony viewcam
Have ALL the cables and components but my Mac says DEVICE OFFLINE. Can anyone help please? Have rebooted lots and reset and made sure the import device matches PAL etc in Premiere Pro. Just can't see the device on my mac?! :( Please help :)
can you try it in iMovie? I've never used Premiere Pro
@@landonbaileytech Hi, thanks for your very swift response! I've tried it on iMovie, Quicktime and PP. Nothing can see my camera. I have new cables. I'm now updating to Big Sur. (2019 MacBook Pro right now). I do have an old mac or pc a cupboard so maybe time to dig that out. But weird how it just doesn't see the camera. Have tried on my old MacBook Pro 2013 and offline there too.
is your camera similar to mine? I know I had to turn it to playback mode so the Mac would see the camera.
@@landonbaileytech I have Canon XM1 PAL - tried all playback modes - on/off etc. So frustrating as so close to resolving this issue I feel.
ya I’m an NTSC camera, but hopefully that’s not an issue. Good luck, I don’t think there’s any other tips I can offer. tech/computer stuff can be frustrating for sure, but then rewarding once you figure it out.
does it work for windows ?
I haven't tried on a Windows system
Should this also work with windows?
I can't say. I've never tested it
Are there any VHS playback devices that will let me play back and digitize my VHS tapes at faster than real time speed? I’ve tried googling this but found no solution.
not that I know of. That would be handy though. realtime tape conversion is so time consuming.
I think there was something like high speed dubbing, but the exact feature and which devices employed it escapes me now
exist adapter fireware 800 male to usb c female
love it
cheers
This did not work for me. I bought the camera, the dongles, and connected to my PC but I didn't have any tapes. No one online would sell me their families tapes for me to transfer which made it difficult.
That would be a challenge that would be tough to avoid. Did it make you happy?
I have a dell inspiron 15 500 windows 10 will it still work and how
I can't say for sure, this example was with Apple hardware
It's not that simple. I followed the instructions to the letter, tried several variations, my Mac NEVER recognized the camcorder... Mini DV Camcorder to Firewire 400 to 800 Firewire Adapter to T-Bolt 2 to T-Bolt 3 into MacBook Pro... that didn't work. Tried, Mini DV to 800 Firewire to T-Bolt 2 to T-Bolt 3 into my MacBook Pro. I used iMovie and Adobe Premiere Pro... neither worked.
what kind of MacBook Pro is it? I've only tested on the Intel Macmini shown in the video.
You can buy a cable already IEEE to 800 9 pin male/ 4 pin male for about ten bucks to take one doggle out of the loop.
ah perfect! thanks for sharing
Thanks. Also ur funny 😄
Thanks 😅
I’m having to the camera doesn’t even pop up on my computer
4 Dollars or 3 Dollars for Fire Wire Cable ??? No no no....... 92 Euro ..... 3 together
??
It's gonna cost me 100 bucks to get all these cables and connectors
sounds about right
what about the audio
what do you mean?
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk, magical
did it work?
3:27😆,
:)
Do you have old tapes that you never transferred over to a digital format?
All the items used in the video:
Firewire Cable:
Amazon (US) amzn.to/3bPpAlS
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2l329iF
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32o2lvW
elago FireWire 400 to 800 Adapter
Amazon (US) amzn.to/35vz194
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2l6wMUu
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/3iB6vql
Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter
Amazon (US) amzn.to/2Fnf4q3
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2jG850z
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32moGu0
Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter
Amazon (US) amzn.to/2DSZemz
Amazon (CA) amzn.to/2xLldoF
Amazon (UK) amzn.to/32m2yjf
I'm currently trying to go through the analog component connection route, try to get component into digital signal.
ah k! let me know how that goes
I tried both recently. I found that the FireWire connection gave better picture quality than an SVH-S connector. That makes sense, because it avoids an unnecessary digital to analogue and then analogue back to digital conversion.
Thank you so much - this was super helpful
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks a lot for your tutorial...It was fantastic!
You are welcome!