VCR -> MiniDV (passthrough) firewire -> Mac?
 

Hi

Just wondering what folks think of connecting a VCR S-video to a miniDV camcorder and connecting its firewire output to a mac to capture? So the camcorder is just acting as a pass through.

Currently my other option is to go straight to a bog-standard DVD Recorder.

Details:
VCR: Panasonic NV-HS860 (with TBC and DNR)
MiniDV: JVC GR-DX307EK
Mac: 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
S/W: iMovie ?? (I expect this is carp but not investigated yet)
DVD Rec: Funai DRVR-B778S

Thanks

I don't think it's the best option, but it certainly works. If nothing else, you already have the camera and Mac, so it's worth trying out. Run a few tapes, look at the results, and see if you like it better than you like just using a DVD recorder.

If you're not planning to editing the video -- and iMovie is lousy at it ...
And you're not planning to restore the video -- a near-impossible task on Mac, as it lacks the tools ...

... then the DVD recorder will be a faster method, if you just want a quick-and-dirty DV-to-DVD transfer setup.

Even Final Cut Express would be a better choice than iMovie.
Windows, Linux or Mac -- I'm always of the opinion that anything that came free with the computer isn't very good. I want a good tool, not something slopped together so the company could advertise that their computer/OS does "everything" without "needing" more software.

Apple: "See, see, Mac makes movies within 5 minutes of setting it up!! Whee!"
Me: No.

I like my Mac mini and iPad a lot, but some of the things Apple does is stupid. :rolleyes: