Help me transfer tapes to digital!

[jelleverbeek]

Hi! I have been trying for a while to get this to work, but I am completely lost. I have about 30 miniDV60 tapes from by TDK from the early 2000s that I'm trying to digitalize. I'll be using an iMac for that. I have the original camera the tapes were recorded with and I will be using that camera to transfer the video. It is a JVC GR-D240E. Basically, it has only two outputs: an AV port (I can't ID it, see the picture) and a DV port (4-pin FireWire 1934). I've been Googling all over but I still don't know anything about this. I've seen a lot about RCA to USB converters but the camera does not have any RCA outputs. Can someone please just tell me how I can connect the camera to my iMac and record the tapes?

 

[Grimley]

You can get firewire to thunderbolt adaptors. Apple invented & developed firewire many years ago & there are many legacy products still around. There's a good chance that it will connect & transfer the footage over.

 

[MarkE19]

Welcome to the forum jelleverbeek

For camcorder to Thunderbolt adapter you need a 4pin to 9pin firewire cable - Firewire IEEE1394B 800 to 400 9 Pin to 4 Pin Cable Lead: Amazon.co.uk: Electronics

If your iMac has a Thunderbolt 2 connection then you just need a Firewire to Thunderbolt 2 adapter - Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter
But if the iMac has Thunderbolt 3 then you also need a Thunderbolt 2 to TB 3 adapter - Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter

Mark.

 

[michaeltomiak]

I have the exact same camera and problem. I don’t however have a Mac and I’m not willing/able to put a fire wire connecting method (e.g card) in my laptop. What about the AV option? I can’t find a cable to fit this anywhere online....

 

[DocJackal]

I have the exact same camera and problem. I don’t however have a Mac and I’m not willing/able to put a fire wire connecting method (e.g card) in my laptop. What about the AV option? I can’t find a cable to fit this anywhere online....

Think of it this way, mini DV is effectively a digital file that's stored on tape rather than a drive. You do want to make FireWire work, as you'll be doing a digital transfer - much the same as a drive to drive transfer.

If you use AV leads, you're converting it and loosing data.

Have a look on the classifieds. I'm sure you can pick up a computer that would do this for you for under £50

 

[Vila]

Ive been clearing out my house and found a few mini DV tapes myself.

Looked into transferring to a modern computer with cables and adaptors.

In they end sent them off to someone to professionally transfer to files and upload back to me, de interlaced and ready for a online sharing with family for £13 a tape - frankly it wasn't worth the money buying cables and adaptors or my time when it can be done professionally that inexpensively.