Thank you for being a valued part of the CNET community. As of December 1, 2020, the forums are in read-only format. In early 2021, CNET Forums will no longer be available. We are grateful for the participation and advice you have provided to one another over the years.

Thanks,

CNET Support

General discussion

Sony DCR-SR100 -> MAC

Sep 30, 2006 8:14AM PDT

I purchased a Sony Handicam DCR-SR100 (Hard Disk Drive) recently to take on vacation.

When I returned from vacation I transfered the video files (MPEG2 with - "I think" interleaved audio&video) to my Sony Vaio Laptop. Editing the video into a DVD was possible with Sony supplied software, but the editor is horribly difficient.

I took the opportunity to convince the wife that after 22 years of PC's it was time for a MAC to edit our new videos.

Bought a MacBook Pro. Final Cut Express HD..... Well, I can't even open the .mpg files let alone edit them.

Help? (if I can't fix this I'm going to see my toy budget turned into a knick-knack budget)

Discussion is locked

- Collapse -
Final Cut Express
Sep 30, 2006 8:42AM PDT

I have been looking through the help manual for FCE and see that, in my version, it only imports AVI or Quicktime as a finished file. It does export MPEG2 the video format used to compress video for DVD playback.

That is not the least of your problems. I note that the specs for this camera does not include what Sony calls iLink and what Apple calls Firewire.
FCE HD and iMovie HD do not accept video input from a camera that is not connected with this method. Unless you can output from the camera, via USB, to the MacBook in some other format, not MPEG 2, I'm not sure that you will solve this problem. Check to see if the camera can output DV format, AVI or QuickTime. FCE will import using AVI or QuickTime.

iMovie HD is a very capable program without the learning curve of FCE, although FCE is a much more powerful application

Let us know what you find out

P

- Collapse -
Since this camcorder is hard drive based,
Sep 30, 2006 9:27AM PDT

what happens when you connect the USB cable to the camera and the Mac? My guess is that it *should* appear as a USB hard drive. Anyway...

The Apple support forums are REALLY comprehensive... Check this:
http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=668121&tstart=0

There are a couple of other threads that are referred to, but you are not alone with this model camera - and there IS light at the end of the tunnel.

mrmacfixit is absolutely right: Give iMovie a shot. It is indeed quite a capable editor.

- Collapse -
An excellent answer
Sep 30, 2006 9:56AM PDT

That link has all the information necessary for you to import your movies into iMovie. Unless you have been using some high end Windows video editing product in past, you will be well pleased with iMovie HD.

The more I read about Final Cut Express HD, the more I believe that it only deals with raw Digital Video, directly from a camera or DV file, and not MPEG 2 video which is almost the finished product for DVD production.

I note that Sony only seem to include the iLink (IEEE1934) on their DV line of camera's which is disappointing.

Keep going, it will be well worth the initial effort

P

- Collapse -
Homerun!
Sep 30, 2006 12:46PM PDT

Hey Hey! Short answer: It worked!

Long answer:

I had copied the 10gigs of mpeg2 files to a data DVD and lent the camera to one of my guys who's wife just had their first baby...... so I can't answer the question regarding whether the USB attach looks like an external Hard drive.

I followed the link in your message. I downloaded and installed Apple's $20. Mpeg2 playback component and downloaded and installed Square5's free Streamclip 1.7 software. The Streamclip tool has among it's many options the ability to import mpeg2 and export DV. I tried a small test file and it worked like a dream. The resultant DV file played (video and audio) perfectly in iMovie HD, FCE HD, and QT 7.1.3

Homerun boya84!
Thanks mrmacfixit!

- Collapse -
Your're welcome
Sep 30, 2006 11:09PM PDT

One one these threads more than makes up for some of the others.

Glad it all worked for you. I'm sure you will have many happy hours of editing in front of you.

P

- Collapse -
YAY! I love when I score...
Oct 1, 2006 1:38AM PDT

; )

- Collapse -
Yes... You're welcome. By the way, thank YOU
Oct 1, 2006 2:08AM PDT

for taking the time to let us know that you have been successful - and that you are (so far) pleased with what you've been able to work through. I don't see that sort of feedback on these types of boards much (occasionally, but not a lot) - and when I do, it just helps me want to continue reading through posts and responding to questions.

I am glad it helped - Pass it forward - Remember us when you're famous!

Bill

- Collapse -
Quality of Video when transferred to MAC
Dec 10, 2006 11:02AM PST

Hi. I recently bought the Sony DCR SR100 and was able to get the free software and the $20 mpeg2 from Apple. Im wondering, is there a way to transfer the file to mac and convert it with the least loss of quality on the video i took? It seems like theres a loss on the video once I import it to i Movie. Hope someone can help. thanks

- Collapse -
how do you know where the loss is happening?
Dec 11, 2006 4:37AM PST

The SR-100 is a hard drive based camcorder - is it possible that the compression employed to get the video to the camera's hard drive is actually the source?