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Question

MacBookPro compatible w/Hitachi Dig 8?

Jul 24, 2011 7:19AM PDT

I have a MacBookPro running 10.5.8 and pulled out my old (but in perfect condition) Hitachi Ultravision Digital 8 VM-D965LA cam corder. I ordered a special fire wire to go from the camera to the 8pin fire wire jack, but my Mac will not respond or recognize the connection. Help! This is all I have to work with, does anyone have a suggestion on how to interface these two?

Discussion is locked

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Answer
8 pin firewire? Maybe 9, 6 or 4?
Jul 24, 2011 7:56AM PDT

This model looks like my unit from the 90's and it's dead. You may want to invest ZERO and ebay it off.
Bob

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works with an iMac
Jul 24, 2011 11:35AM PDT

I do have an old blueberry iMac with IMovie 2 and that machine does recognize the camcorder. I was just able to download my recent take. But it is interminably slow. So, this is not a complete loss. We run a mission in New Mexico where we serve the poor, and live on donations. Going out to get another camcorder is not an easy option unless someone offers to help with it. So....I want to make the best of what I have for now, I am limited by this old blueberry in that it doesn't burn well or reliably. If I exported the take in Quick Time and burned it to disc...I don't have a DVD burner on that computer, would the current quick time recognize the file format on my new MacBookPro? I guess what I am asking is, for the time being, barring a visit from Santa Claus, is there any way possible I can get the clips from the blueberry to the macbookpro?

Thanks for taking the time to help.

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From memory
Jul 24, 2011 11:52AM PDT

The blueberry accommodated USB hard drives. I'd try that.

It's good the bb works with it but that does not bode well for the Macbook since it can be a sign the firewire is dead there. If it's under apple care, have them test it before it's out of warranty.

Also, that old camcorder delivered footage I think is worse than my cell phone. Maybe you can try other things around the place.
bob

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not sure I understand what you are saying...
Jul 25, 2011 4:09AM PDT

"The blueberry accommodated USB hard drives. I'd try that."

Sorry, I'm not connecting with that suggestion, what do you mean? If it has anything to do with transferring data that doesn't work on the bb for some strange reason the bb doesn't recognize any connection to the macbook, so I'm stuck there.

The firewire port on the Macbook is working perfectly, I used it for recording last night.

I know the standards of the new camcorders are awesome, but really, the quality that I have now will get me buy, (it has to) if I can just get those video clips on my new macbookpro, ideally without having to go through the bb.

So I'm still asking myself, "Why won't the MacBookPro recognize the fire wire connection to the Hitachi?"

It seems like there has to be a way around this. I think this is a Mac issue.

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That's great to read.
Jul 25, 2011 8:22AM PDT

As to the bb connection to the macbook, I didn't write about that. I wonder what you've been exposed to so far in the world of computers today. I use USB HARD DRIVES to transfer files. Sorry if that's something new.

As to the macbook firewire port that's a relief. But there is no 8 PIN FIREWIRE I know of today. As to the none recognition that's going to be a mystery left for you to take the macbook and camera to the Genius bar for them to try to fix it up. Not all camcorders work and when you go past 10 years it's a gamble.

Some may call that a Mac issue which you can. I call it just the luck of the draw.
Bob

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Thank you for your perspective
Jul 25, 2011 10:17AM PDT

As I mentioned below your post, I got my pins and speeds mixed up. (See: My Error below.) It is a nine pin, 800, to 4 pin 400 cable. Fortunately for me my Mac still has service time on it and a tier 2 tech got on the phone with me and we went through everything it could be. He finally suggested to me that the issue might be the fire wire, it could be faulty, I did notice that I was having trouble downloading from the camera on the bb, with iMovie 2, a message kept flashing, connected, no connection, connection, no connection. I'd manage to hit the import button when it was flashing connection and it worked. But then it gave me more trouble so I just gave up. Think I will try to test this fire wire on something else to see if that's the issue.

As far as external hard drives, all my backup is on the Time Machine. I had a real bad experience loosing art and music files on an ex-hd that couldn't be retrieved. But I could try a flash drive on the blueberry and see if that works. There is no usb port on the Hitachi.

Thank you for taking an interest in my issue and helping me along. I still have lots and lots to learn. Can anyone ever learn all there is to know about these things? And just when they do, things change again. I'll let you know for sure the outcome...that is if we can figure it out for sure. Oh, Hitachi wrote back to me and suggested "check online for software that may work with it or you can look for a video capture device you can connect the video output on the camcorder to." Since none of the Apple techs I talked to said that "it shouldn't work," I'm still hoping I have the luck of the draw and it will finally work.

Thanks again.

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That flashing may be a clue.
Jul 25, 2011 10:21AM PDT

Is the camcorder on battery at the time? I found that rarely helped.
Bob

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Another clue.
Jul 25, 2011 10:24AM PDT

Back then you would see trouble with anything but SHORT cables. Folk would get some 10 foot cable and immediately start calls to support desks. Try a shortie.
Bob

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battery, cable
Jul 25, 2011 12:28PM PDT

short cable, battery is dead so I plugged it in

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Just one?
Jul 26, 2011 1:12AM PDT

Just one cable? I find cables to still be a great source of troubles. And no battery? Seems this camcorder is un-useful as a camcorder.

But you are getting content off it with any method you can which is all anyone can expect at that age of parts.
Bob

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Answer
The Digital8 DV port is a
Jul 24, 2011 3:00PM PDT

4-pin IEEE1394 compliant firewire or "i.LINK" port. Firewire connections come in 4-pin, 6-pin and 9-pin configurations. There is no "8-pin special firewire" cable. Using a standard 4-pin to 9-pin firewire cable should resolve the issue.
http://www.frys.com/product/5941974
There are less expensive cables available - I just happen to shop Fry's...

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my error
Jul 25, 2011 4:01AM PDT

You are correct. It is a 9 pin to 4 pin fire wire.

My problem is that the MacBookPro does not acknowledge the connection.

I'm wondering if there is some way I can get iMovie 9 to recognize what iMovie 2 recognized on the blueberry.

I suppose it is possible that the fire wire is faulty...but I'm wondering if it is another issue.

Your suggestions? Thanks for the link.

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Have you gotten enough
Jul 27, 2011 1:47AM PDT

information for getting the clips from the older Mac to the newer Mac? I *think* the USB drive (either flash memory or hard disc drive) should do.

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we will see
Jul 27, 2011 2:59AM PDT

You have been very kind to keep up with my issue. Thank you very much. I've learned some things about trouble shooting. I'm going to try and get to an expert today and test that fire wire. Would you believe Radio Shack in Taos, NM wants $45 for a wire I can get for $14+shipping on the net? Well, I guess they have to cover inventory, space and personnel costs.... But the higher level tech said that the MBP 'should' recognize the link... When I connect it to the bb the screen flashes, connected/not connected so it very well could be the cable.

We will see.

Thanks again.

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a solution at last
Aug 13, 2011 3:38AM PDT

Having spoken with Apple tech (tier 2) we have found a work around for getting the video into the MacBookPro. Since the old blueberry doesn't respond in the usual way to a fire wire, he taught me to hold down the t key and restart, continuing to hold it down and after a while a floating fire wire symbol comes up. Then my MacBP recognizes the blueberry and I can import the data.

But here's an odd thing. The power went out at our house and I didn't have the BB on a backup box.
When I restarted it, a screen appeared on the MBP that showed it was ready to import from the camcorder directly. The camcorder was on one firewire port on the BB and the MBP on the other port, via fire wire.

Who knows why that worked and nothing else seemed to? I tried to replicate this situation to connect with the camcorder and it didn't work the second time. But I'm going out on a shoot today and when I come home I'll try it again. The tech said it may be that the MBP doesn't recognize the SP mode. Who knows??

Thanks to all of you who supported me in trying to resolve this situation.