Newbie Question

[hippy74]

Whats the best way to record from my vcr to my mac , what software do i need ..

I have G4 Powerbook 125Ghz 512mb

i just got it so i want to put my vhs tapes on dvd

Thanks

Again Newbie Question

[live4ever]

MiniDV camcorder (with analog in RCA jacks) + firewire cable + iMovie
https://www.videohelp.com/dvanalog

Analog to digital converter (either DV or mpeg2) + firewire cable + iMovie

Give a bit more information on what you plan to do with the footage, ie. is there lots of editing involved or do you just want to put the tapes on DVD.

This will help you decide the the best way to do it.

[cbkilner]

You don't need any software - your powerbook came with iMovie and iDVD.

What you need is hardware to convert from analog (VHS) to digital (DV to use iMovie or MPEG using other software).

I'd look at a Canopus ADVC-100 (analog-to-digital DV) at $250 or
ADS USB Instant DVD for Mac (analog-to-MPEG) at $180 at www.macsales.com

I use a discontinued Dazzle Hollywood DV-Bridge that is not as good as the Canopus, but can be found cheap ($150) on ebay.

[hippy74]

Ok heres the deal i just want to put my vhs tapes to dvd , i also want to record from my tv to my mac .. here's the biggest catch , i got my powerbook in march but everytime i use my firewire cable to record from my dv camera imovie or final cut pro 4 does not pick up the dv , it tells me no camera was attached ..

so i want to do this a little diffrent not using firewire .. i dont have much money to fix my mac at the moment if there's a problem with it ..

thanks

hippy74

[cbkilner]

There are many reasons why iMovie or FCP will say "no camera attached" other than bad FW ports. Try a little troubleshooting based on Apple's support discussions, etc. I know that use of iChat AV locked lots of people out since iChat still had control of the camera.

I have to turn things on in a certain order to get my system to see the camera.

If the FW port is bad and the PB isn't under warranty, a FW PC-card is a cheap fix. Also, you might try another FW cable.

[hippy74]

yes i was thinking about the same thing use another firewire cable line maybe a 9' , i have a 6' fw cable line im using now , again it wont pick up