firewire camera but only have usb ports

[skullhero]

Friend has a JVC camcorder and trying to import it into a new macbook but there is only usb ports on it. When we tried the firewire port on an imac it worked fine in imovie. What is the best way to plug in usb and then have a place to plug in a firewire 400. Granted already tried using a few external hard drives and they all failed. Thank you for your help.

[minidv2dvd]

unless you can add a firewire port you are out of luck. usb is useless for minidv and hdv cams except for transferring stills.

[jagabo]

unless you can add a firewire port you are out of luck. usb is useless for minidv and hdv cams except for transferring stills.

There are a few camcorders that allow DV transfer over USB. You must use the software that comes with the camcorder though.

[edDV]

I don't understand Apple leaving off the Firewire port on these new laptops. They don't even offer an option.

[minidv2dvd]

There are a few camcorders that allow DV transfer over USB. You must use the software that comes with the camcorder though.

ok. show us one that will transfer to a computer over usb and end up with a DVavi type I or II file.

[minidv2dvd]

I don't understand Apple leaving off the Firewire port on these new laptops. They don't even offer an option.

bottom line. firewire costs $. i wouldn't consider buying one either. kind of goes against themselves as they were a proponent of firewire from the beginning and some of their add-ons need it.

[edDV]

There are a few camcorders that allow DV transfer over USB. You must use the software that comes with the camcorder though.

ok. show us one that will transfer to a computer over usb and end up with a DVavi type I or II file.

It was a Windows OS driver only. Some Panasonic DV camcorder models are said to have implemented device drivers for UVC/USD (DV over USB2) but I'm still looking for model numbers.

http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/b/5/5b5bec17-ea71-4653-9539-204a672f11cf/DV_AppCompat.doc
See P-3.

BTW, the external iSight webcam interfaced Firewire only but the internal iSight models internally transfer video over UVC/USB. The protocol has been part of Mac OSX since 10.4.11 but only implemented for webcams, not external DV camcorders.
http://www.mac-compatible-web-cam.com/

[minidv2dvd]

thanks for the white paper. i really haven't come across it implemented. this footnote is a potential bummer.

Note The default DV format for the UVC/USB proxy filter is video-only since that is the first supported format on the capture pin.

[edDV]

See additions above on the iSight.

[edDV]

Proxima has a DV IEEE-1394 to USB 2.0 adapter that works with the Windows UVC/USB XP/Vista driver.

These guys got it working on a MacBook accessing Windows XP under Parallels. BootCamp/VMWare tests pending.
http://www.usbfirewire.com/Parts/rr-527950.html

At least this is a work around. I still don't understand Apple's reasons for dropping Firewire.

[rumplestiltskin]

Many consumers are buying flash media camcorders (or Hard Drive-based). The "clips" are now just files that may be transferred via USB cable (or, in the case of the flash media, yanked from the camcorder and plugged into the computer with a flash media reader).

Apple's opinion is that anyone using "pro" media (HDDV tape, for example) is using a MacPro or MacBook Pro and has FW.

Personally, I agree that FW is still necessary but when my Canon ZR mini-DV camcorder bit the dust I replaced it with a Samsung MX20 that uses SDHC cards. No need for FW for that. So Apple does have a point (although I bought the white MacBook with FW instead of the aluminum model).

[edDV]

That's right. Apple expects everyone to toss their old DV camcorder and LaCie external hard drives then buy everything new. HD capture from cable box is gone too.

[terryj]

Apple, being a business, has to make money.
Money is made by three things: innovation, rebranding, and restructuring.
Innovation is out currently, so by rebranding what's lower end and
what's higher end, and restructuring the products to reflect that,
you then cause the consumer to spend money.

Firewire 400 cost less than Firewire 800. Apple could include
any combination of FW and USB on its machines it wants.
But by doing this, they drive sales becasue they make FW an
"exclusive" item rather than "inclusive".

That's why I troll the Refurbished section of their webstore than the
new stuff. I'd rather have what works for me, not what
works for them....

[mikel]

Would something like this help?

http://www.usbfirewire.com/Parts/rr-527950.html

[orsetto]

No, there's nothing you can do. You'll have to borrow or rent a MacBook with FireWire to complete this project. The Apple knucklehead management mutants seem to have escaped sublevel 27 and entered the executive suite once again, to the regret of users everywhere. Hello 1996.

Somehow, I missed the news that FW was dropped on the new MacBooks: that's a really bad move. I can't tell if Steve is too ill to think clearly or the lunatics are running the asylum, or both. With the economy in long-term shambles and decent high-feature Windows laptops selling for 60% less than a low-end MacBook, this was the worst possible year for Apple to pull one of its periodic "lets screw our dedicated long-term users by forcing them to buy a "pro" model just to keep at feature parity with their three year old consumer Mac" stunts. (Remember when our only choice was the crippled orange 'toilet seat' iBook or $3K TiBook?) It wouldn't be so bad if the price discrepancies to Windows laptops were not so utterly insane: you can walk into any Best Buy and find a loaded Vaio or Toshiba for one-third the price of a MacBook Pro!! That's the worst value ratio Apple has had since 1988: what the hell are they thinking to drop FW? The "entry-level" MacBook used to be almost defensible at 200% markup, but not stripped of FireWire. I don't want to hear about cost-cutting: the freaking FW400 port cannot possibly cost them more than $5 wholesale/$20 retail to implement (if I can get one on a disposable crap Dell for $399, there should be three on a $1299 MacBook).

Typical arrogant asinine Cupertino logic: dropping FW did not "drive up sales of the more obscenely profitable MacBook Pro", but it certainly did create a thriving cutthroat market for second-hand FW-equipped MacBooks. It is a myth that the MacBook only sells to college students and housewives- its the standard Mac laptop, even for damn near every IT pro I'm aware of who deals with Macs at all. The only ones who buy the inflated "Pro" MacBooks are the high-end pro content creators who truly need one (and the overpaid hipster twits who emulate them). Neither of those groups is wiping their ass with $100 bills at the moment: Apple should rethink and restore FW to the next round of "budget" models. They won't, though: in 20 years of using Macs I don't remember them ever once backing down from a mistake. (Sorry for the rant, kids, I had no idea about this missing FW issue and it really ticks me off: I hate it when Apple makes patently stupid decisions like this that even Bill Gates's goldfish could have told them was bad policy. )

[edDV]

...the freaking FW400 port cannot possibly cost them more than $5 wholesale/$20 retail to implement...

Probably much less than that. I'd estimate less than $1. Its only a connector and few traces on the PCB. Firewire is supported in the chipset hardware.

Like you said, FW400 would be fine. Let the pro have the FW800.


It seems humorous that the only way you can get the Proxima DV to USB2 converter to work on the MacBook is to run Windows XP under Parallels. Apple could have offered a software workaround but chose to disrespect their loyal customers once again. And what about the Windows crossover customer that has a DV camcorder? The MacMini was successful because it supported PC peripherals.

[skullhero]

thank you everyone for your support... love to hear what others are thinking about this.

[Kryton]

I too think the omission of firewire was a huge blunder. The fallout was bad and I hope they rectify the move when they refresh the unibody MacBook (together with a 200 dollar price cut).

[AntnyMD]

Arent there Firewire 400 to 800 adapters for like $8 that makes this whole topic dangerously moot?

[minidv2dvd]

Arent there Firewire 400 to 800 adapters for like $8 that makes this whole topic dangerously moot?

no. the computer has no firewire port at all, what good would that adapter be?

[JohnnyMalaria]

That Proxima thing is the same as that DV-USB cable from Pixela. It converts to MPEG1. Both sets of marketing contain the same misleading claims.

You'd be much better off and less poor by buying an external USB2.0 analog capture device and hook up the analog outputs of the camcorder to it.

[minidv2dvd]

yuck, just don't buy a mac without a firewire port if you have miniDV or HDV cam.

[edDV]

That Proxima thing is the same as that DV-USB cable from Pixela. It converts to MPEG1. Both sets of marketing contain the same misleading claims.

Can't trust anyone these days.

[AntnyMD]

Arent there Firewire 400 to 800 adapters for like $8 that makes this whole topic dangerously moot?

no. the computer has no firewire port at all, what good would that adapter be?

True, sorry about that. How about analog capture via an ADVC box?

[edDV]

Arent there Firewire 400 to 800 adapters for like $8 that makes this whole topic dangerously moot?

no. the computer has no firewire port at all, what good would that adapter be?

True, sorry about that. How about analog capture via an ADVC box?

ADVC uses Firewire. The new MacBook lacks a Firewire port.

[AntnyMD]

Three strikes, I'm out. Can you tell I havent used a Mac in awhile?

[rumplestiltskin]

I have an iMac with a FireWire port. Wanna buy it? $200 + shipping. *grin*

[pretzel1]

So, Mac just came out with a new macbook w/ FW last week. Go figure! I've been bitching about this issue since I bought my aluminum macbook (no FW) in January. I didn't realize that this would be a problem w/ my external devices, inparticular my video camera. Now I have crappy video of my 8 month old daughter b/c of the memory stick and conversion problems on imovie. I think it's b/c imovie '09 is HD and my camera's not HD. NO ONE at the apple store can help me, sony can't help me. Meanwhile, I'm losing precious days of video taping my daughter. I'd get rid of my macbook if I knew I could sell it to almost the price I paid for it. or I'm willing to get a new video camera. BUT no one can recommend a good HD camcorder that will work with my macbook. HELP!!!!!
please email me directly b/c I don't have time to check for responses.
pretzel1@comcast.net