Sony DCR-TRV480

[Frederickgolf]

Has anyone had any luck importing tape based video from a Sony TRV480 to a Mac lately? I can't seem to get iMovie 10 to recognize the camcorder.
I would appreciate any help.

Frederickgolf

OSX 10.13.6,Sib.6.2, MacBook Pro (Mid 2014), 2.5GHZ,
Intel Core i7, 16 GB Ram

[ultane]

I used Roxio ‘Easy VHS to DVD’ which I purchased at BeatBuy, and used the Roxio software. Easy peasy. I’m sure there is something better, but it eaorked for my very old analog Sony camcorder. I haven’t done any editing with iMovie, yet.

[Frederickgolf]

I used Roxio ‘Easy VHS to DVD’ which I purchased at BeatBuy, and used the Roxio software. Easy peasy. I’m sure there is something better, but it eaorked for my very old analog Sony camcorder. I haven’t done any editing with iMovie, yet.

My video is not on VHS, rather 8mm Hi8 format. Not sure why iMovie doesn't recognize the Sony camcorder.

[ultane]

My memory is foggy. Is Hi8 a digital format?

[october262]

I used Roxio ‘Easy VHS to DVD’ which I purchased at BeatBuy, and used the Roxio software. Easy peasy. I’m sure there is something better, but it eaorked for my very old analog Sony camcorder. I haven’t done any editing with iMovie, yet.

My video is not on VHS, rather 8mm Hi8 format. Not sure why iMovie doesn't recognize the Sony camcorder.

try reading this here - https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/camcorders-tape-camcorders/dcr-trv480/articles/S1F1192

[Cornucopia]

No, it's analog. Hi-8 is to 8mm video as S-VHS is to VHS. They're all analog and all should be easy to capture. If you have the right camcorder & cap device and connectors, it is better to cap using S-Video line vs. Composite video line, but considering that converter, it may not be that much of a difference.

iMovie wouldn't recognize the camcorder, it would recognize the capture device. (or not).

@october262, that doesn't apply as it is referring to Digital sony cameras (and mainly solid-state AVCHD ones at that).
<edit> My mistake, @october262, I was thinking about an 8mm/Hi8 camcorder from another thread. The Sony TRV480 is a digital camcorder, and so should hand 8,Hi8, and Digital8, and if it supports pass through, it could be captured digitally via the Firewire jack, though for the analog tapes that might lose some color purity/resolution.</edit>

Scott

[ultane]

I used Roxio ‘Easy VHS to DVD’ which I purchased at BeatBuy, and used the Roxio software. Easy peasy. I’m sure there is something better, but it eaorked for my very old analog Sony camcorder. I haven’t done any editing with iMovie, yet.

My video is not on VHS, rather 8mm Hi8 format. Not sure why iMovie doesn't recognize the Sony camcorder.

Since your videos are analog, you’ll need a capture device. I used ‘easy VHS to DVD for Mac’ by ROXIO. It will work just fine with your Sony tapes. I purchased it from BestBuy, for I think ~$50-$60. It includes the analog to digital converter dongle, and the software to capture the signal sent from the dongle to your computer. Plug your camcorder into the dongle, using S-video cables if possible, and the dongle into a vacant USB port on your Mac. Start playing the tape, within the ROXIO software. I think I had to click record, or capture, on the computer screen once I turned on the tape player. The ROXIO software will create a digital file of your analog tape. It’s been many months since I converted 30 or so 2 hour tapes of my children’s younger days. IIRC, a two hour tape makes about 2.8+ GB of digital info (don’t quote me on that). It’s also possible to clip out sections of the tape if you want, but I don’t remember now how I did that. [emoji51] All you have to do is label the file (hover the pointer over the file after it is completed, click and type). The videos will be stored on your computer in the folder created by the ROXIO capture software. If you chose to do extensive editing using iMovie, I suppose you could do so later, if you choose. But the Roxio software makes it easy to get the analog tapes converted to a digital format that your Mac can recognize.

I bought four (one for each grown kid) 128GB microSD cards, with the SD card that they fit into, so I could plug the SD card into my MacBook Pro, and simply drag all of the digital files over to the SD cards. (less expensive than burning a bunch of DVD’s). All the kids were happy to have them.

I’m not very tech savvy, so I put off doing this for over almost two decades, but I was able to figure it out after staying at a Holiday Inn Express a week or so earlier.

[Frederickgolf]

My memory is foggy. Is Hi8 a digital format?

Sorry, I was wrong, the video is on a standard 8mm tape. The Sony TRV480 can also use Hi8 and Digital8 tapes.

I think I recorded the tape on my old 8mm camcorder(which died).

[ultane]

So, do you have a working tape player to play the tapes that you have??

[johnmeyer]

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. The OP's camcorder can transfer both analog and digital.

The Sony TRV480 is a Digital8 camcorder and therefore can transfer Digital8 tapes to the PC without loss. For the analog 8mm and Hi8 tapes, it will digitize the tapes and send the digital version to the PC via the same Firewire/1394 used to transfer the Digital8 tapes. So, once you have a Digital8 camcorder, if the tape will go into the camcorder, you can transfer it.

I suspect that the problem is that modern Macs may no longer have a Firewire/1394 input. Apple started this standard, but then quietly abandoned it. You will need to either get another computer that does have a Firewire port, or find a device that will interface your existing computer to Firewire.

[ultane]

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. The OP's camcorder can transfer both analog and digital.

The Sony TRV480 is a Digital8 camcorder and therefore can transfer Digital8 tapes to the PC without loss. For the analog 8mm and Hi8 tapes, it will digitize the tapes and send the digital version to the PC via the same Firewire/1394 used to transfer the Digital8 tapes. So, once you have a Digital8 camcorder, if the tape will go into the camcorder, you can transfer it.

I suspect that the problem is that modern Macs may no longer have a Firewire/1394 input. Apple started this standard, but then quietly abandoned it. You will need to either get another computer that does have a Firewire port, or find a device that will interface your existing computer to Firewire.

Well, I stand corrected.

Thank you for your input johnmeyer.

[Frederickgolf]

There seems to be some confusion in this thread. The OP's camcorder can transfer both analog and digital.

The Sony TRV480 is a Digital8 camcorder and therefore can transfer Digital8 tapes to the PC without loss. For the analog 8mm and Hi8 tapes, it will digitize the tapes and send the digital version to the PC via the same Firewire/1394 used to transfer the Digital8 tapes. So, once you have a Digital8 camcorder, if the tape will go into the camcorder, you can transfer it.

I suspect that the problem is that modern Macs may no longer have a Firewire/1394 input. Apple started this standard, but then quietly abandoned it. You will need to either get another computer that does have a Firewire port, or find a device that will interface your existing computer to Firewire.

You are correct John. The newer macs don't have firewire but one can buy a firewire to thunderbolt adaptor which I have. It still doesn't work with iMovie as iMovie doesn't recognize the TRV480. I also have an older Macbook pro that does have firewire ports and that version of iMovie doesn't recognize either. When I try to import the video the iSight camera kicks in and there is no option to choose another device.

This is what I ended up doing using my stand alone Toshiba D-VR7(VHS-DVD video cassette recorder):

1. play the tape using the AV out of the Sony480 camcorder to the in of the Toshiba to record a DVD
2. use my older Macbook pro (which has a built in DVD player) to copy the files from the DVD to a memory stick
3. put the memory stick into my newer Mac book pro and used "Handbrake" app to make mp4 files of the video
4. finally import the mp4 files into iMovie

Very convoluted I know but it worked. I just wish iMovie would recognize older cameras!!

[johnmeyer]

You are correct John. The newer macs don't have firewire but one can buy a firewire to thunderbolt adaptor which I have. It still doesn't work with iMovie as iMovie doesn't recognize the TRV480. I also have an older Macbook pro that does have firewire ports and that version of iMovie doesn't recognize either. When I try to import the video the iSight camera kicks in and there is no option to choose another device.

This is what I ended up doing using my stand alone Toshiba D-VR7(VHS-DVD video cassette recorder) <snip>

Wow, that is indeed convoluted, but it sounds like it is working. Congratulations on figuring this out!