Compatibility Mac OSX and Sharp VL-PD3

[Steve Rayson]

Hi there,

this is my first post on this forum, but probably not my last. I have recently bought an iBook G4 and am trying out all of the software, including iMovieHD (version 6.01 (255)). I have connected my DV Camera, a Sharp VL-PD3 to the Mac, via Firewire. So far , so good. I get a message "Camera Connected" and am able to control the camera via the on-screen controls. My problem comes when I try to capture video. Nothing happens at all, except that I see the message "Camera Playing". I don't get to see any on-screen picture of the camera, as I am used to seeing in Windows Movie Maker and the like. I have searched the internet, but can't find any help. Is there anyone who has any advice?
Thanks
Steve

 

[gingaman]

Hi Steve

I also have an iBook G4 and use iMovieHD (version 5 not 6). I have used 2 different Canons (MV400 & MCX200i) and a JVC (DF470) with this and not had any problems importing footage. The fact you can control the camcorder via iMovie implies that the firewire cable is OK and iMovie recognises the type of camcorder. When you press the play button do you see any picture, or is it just when you press 'import' that the picture disappears? I assume the camcorder is in VCR mode when you're doing this.

You might want to ask for help on the SimplyDV site (www.simplydv.co.uk), many of the guys on there use Macs and have a Mac dedicated forum.

Sorry, but not much help!

Good luck

 

[Applespider]

One thing to be wary of while using iMovie HD is to be sure that Quicktime is up to date (7.0.4)? And to make sure that the clock on your camera is the same as the clock on your Mac.

You certainly should see the video playing as it imports. I'll also suggest somewhere else to try. Apple's own discussion boards (linked under Discussions on the Support tab on their site) are pretty good.

 

[Steve Rayson]

Thanks for the quick replies. I have checked the QT version, I have Version 7.0.4, Player Version 7.0.4. I have looked into getting both clocks the same, but discovered that the backup battery in the DV camera is dead, so I can't get any menu items in the display in camera mode, so can't adjust the date. I'll try again when I get a new battery.

Regards

Steve

 

[Steve Rayson]

Put a new backup battery in yesterday and changed the date and time zone from sometime in 1998 to present and to zone 2 (Europe - ECT). Still no joy. I get no picture and no sound. Am I missing some kind of setting I have to change in iMovieHD?
Steve

 

[gingaman]

Hi Steve

In your original message you said that nothing happens at all when you press 'IMPORT' - I assume though you just mean you just get a black image, but the tape in the camcorder is actually moving?

When you stop importing does iMovie have any clips stored at all on the clip board? And if so are they just black when you play them back?

Cheers

 

[Steve Rayson]

I have just got my first pictures! I have tried everything I have seen in all of the various fora. I have tried different tapes. I have done a full verification of permissions, I have used the camera first - and got a picture, and I have made a new file. I then got a picture as I played and as I imported. So far so good. However, when I triede to make a second clip, no joy. Excactly the same as before. I get a blue screen with the texts "Camera connected", "Camera playing", "Camera rewinding" etc., but nothing in the screen. Which of the actions "unlocked" the transfer and gave me a picture I don't know, but now at least I know it's not a compatibility problem. But what it is???

Steve

 

[Steve Rayson]

Oh by the way, the video clip has stored and plays as well.

Steve

 

[gingaman]

Hi Steve

How much RAM do you have in your iBook? And how many other applications you have running along with iMovie? Just wondering if maybe there's not enough RAM available or something like that that's causing iMovie to misbehave, and that when you did get an import to work perhaps you had more RAM available due to fewer applications being open.

At least you've managed to get a picture so that's a bit of progress and shows it can be done.

Cheers

 

[Steve Rayson]

Gingaman,

thanks for all your suggestions. I'm still plugging away to try to find the cause and the solution. As far as ram is concerned, I'm not too sure how the Mac treats the various memory types (I've only had it for a week and it's my first Apple), but in Activity Monitor I get a summary of about 60 MB wired, 150 active, 250 inactive, and 48 free. That's just at the moment. So I have a total of c. 500 MB. During the 50port, I had Safari running and nothing else. Is the inactive part what is available to the system? What is the free part? It also shows a VM (virtual memory?) of 3.6 GB.

Steve

 

[Applespider]

What's available to the system is a mixture of Inactive and Free. The Inactive doesn't become immediately free since if you reopen that application, OS X will recover some of the information stored in that inactive memory so that the new instance of the applications opens more quickly. But if another application needs more memory, it will overwrite the inactive.

One thing I would suggest is upping the memory in any case. 512MB isn't all that much these days and it will speed up iMovie and the system a huge amount if you can add another 512MB or a GB stick in there - it's very easy to do on the iBook.

The other problem might be that as an entry-level laptop, the iBook won't have a very fast hard drive in there and it's trying to run the system, the virtual memory and capture your video on it which is a lot to ask on 512MB of RAM since it will be paging out memory to the HD while simultaneously writing to it.

I edit video on my Powerbook but I do so using an external hard drive linked by firewire since it's faster (7200 against 4200) and the HD writing for system memory and video are no longer happening simultaneously.

 

[gingaman]

In response to what Applesider has said above, my iBook G4 (3 years old) only has 384MB of RAM and I have never had any problems when using iMovieHD to import from or export to the cams that I have used.

I haven't upgraded yet to iMovieHD v6 so maybe there's a problem with it that iMovieHD v5 doesn't have in my setup.

Gingaman

 

[Steve Rayson]

After a pauze of a few weeks I am again trying to get video into my iBook from my video camera, but still without success. I have looked at the preferences in iMovie HD and have tried playing around with them, but I still get no import from a video tape. I have imported from the camera itself (live recorings in camera mode) and thereafter tried importing from the tape, but I still only get a blue screen with the message "camera connected" followed by "camera playing", but no sign of any pictures.
Any suggestions are more than welcome!

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

[Steve Rayson]

By the way, I've still only got 512 MB RAM, aas the 1 GB units are not in stock in my local dealers at present, and the wife has put a padlock on the finances!!

Steve

 

[gingaman]

Hi Steve

Sorry to hear you are still having problems with the iBook/Sharp VL-PD3 setup. Do you know anyone else with an iBook (or any Mac for that matter) that you could maybe use with your cam for a few minutes of testing, or a different cam that you could borrow to connect to your iBook to see if the same problem occurs?

It may be worth posting a similar message here, plenty of the guys on there have Macs and the guy who runs the site tests all cams with both Macs & PCs, and can be very helpful.

Cheers

Gingaman

 

[Steve Rayson]

I've just tested a colleague's camera with various cables and imported a number of clips successfully, with no hiccups, so there is probably either something wrong in my camera, or there is a compatability problem.
I'll get the camera checked this week and keep you posted.

Steve

 

[Tenex]

By the way, I've still only got 512 MB RAM, aas the 1 GB units are not in stock in my local dealers at present, and the wife has put a padlock on the finances!!

Steve

I import to iMovie HD '05 from a Sony miniDV. My iBook is a G3 and although I have upgraded the memory to 640Mb I don't think your more powerful G4 should have a problem even with 512Mb, in fact with mine I can run other apps while editing my footage etc. I think you should close all other apps when trying to import but one thing you haven't mentioned is the free space on the HDD? If you don't have a significant amount of space (Gb's) available you won't be able to import much at all.

No disprespect to the guys here who undoubtedly know more than me but I think you should post this on Apple's own Discussion forums, which if you're new to OS X you may not have yet encountered. You'll find the iMovie one at http://discussions.apple.com/category.jspa?categoryID=141

...and before I forget buy your upgrade module from Crucial UK, much cheaper than Apple and fully guaranteed etc. Ask on the iBook forum for a link to the upgrade video/guide.

HTH

 

[Steve Rayson]

Latest update on my quest to get the Sharp communicating with my iBook. I spent 2 hours last Monday with the guys from the technical services department of my local Mac store (my compliments to their patience and knowledge). They connected my camera to almost every Mac in the store, from a simple iBook, PowerBook, G5, etc., etc. On many occasions we got pictures and were able to import to the Mac, but never twice. Further, the import often stopped at scene changes. We tried iMovie HD, an older version of iMovie, Final Cut, QuickTime Pro, but each time the same results. they couldn't find the reason for the breakdown in communications.
My final conclusion was that there is a compatibility problem. I finally found the key to the coffers here and bought a Sony DV Cam, a PC55E (very limited selection in the town here). Connected and imported first connection, with absolutely no problems.
Maybe one day I'll give it another go, but for now my thanks to all who came up with suggestions, they were very much appreciated.

Steve
http://www.avforums.com/forums/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif

 

[gingaman]

Hi Steve

Yep, sounds like something has changed in iMovie (or more likely in some of the lower level OS functionality) to make it no longer compatible.

If you look here then it was listed as being compatible with iMovie v1.0 !!!

But if you look here then someone else who used to use a Sharp VL-PD3 also with iMovie has found that it no longer works with the same symptoms as yourself - however he says that it actually worked with Quicktime Pro as a workaround.

Anyway, at least you now have a working setup

 

[Tenex]

For the benefit of any future readers of this thread I thought I'd include some info I found originating from the Apple forums.



It seems the MIDI interface can interfere with DV import!

It's a common problem really-has to do with the audio in the mac.

*Open the Audio MIDI Setup application (Utilities folder).
*Set the audio output format to 44100Hz and try the file again.

We often call this the Garageband fix because simply opening GarageBand also resets the Audio MIDI Setup.

Sorry it's too late for you Steve, hope the new camcorder is performing as desired.