Mini DV Camcorder Bridge Advice Please

[buntonn]

If I connect my 8mm camcorder to the AV socket on my Sony Mini DV camcorder, then the DV out on the Sony camcorder to my FireWire port on my Mac, I can get pass through on the Sony camcorder and capture the video footage in iMovie by just playing the 8mm camcorder. I am now trying to do the same but with a VHS machine in place of the 8mm camcorder, but I cannot get pass through. I have to record the VHS onto Mini DV tapes and then play these back and capture them in iMovie. I have a task to import 3 full VHS tapes and this will take ages with this two step process and I will also have to patch together all the breaks for each 60 minute DV tape. Any idea why this works with an 8mm camcorder and not with the VCR?

Thanks,
Nick

[Frobozz]

I don't know which version of iMovie you're using, but I've read posts at Apple Discussions where iMovie HD won't capture video from a low-quality source such as VHS recorded in an extended play mode. So maybe it is the video quality of the source that is the problem here.

[buntonn]

I am using iMovie 4.0.1. I will try with a different video tape which is of better quality, but it seems as though the camcorder isn't providing pass through and i cannot think why this would work fro an 8mm camcorder and not VCR.

Thanks