Slashdot Mirror
Getting Sony TRV-22 Cams Working w/ G5s?
Phil wants to take a bite out of this issue: "I'm having a time trying to get my Sony handycam to work with my Mac G5. Sony provides software for all Windows environments, and a USB driver and 'shim' program for Mac OS, but not Mac OS X. The Mac documentation says to hook a camera into the Firewire port, no software needed. So is there a device that will allow me to go from USB to Firewire, or do I have to spend a lot of money on an OS 9 video capture program? I can't seem to find an answer anywhere I look, and was hoping Slashdot readers could help me out, because I know I'm not alone with this problem. Thanks."
I just got an iBook G3 800 and have been trying to get my TRV-19 handycam working with it.
It's basically not detected as all, short of an external USB audio device. Yes, USB Streaming is set up on the camera (works fine on my windows box).
Any way to have this work under Panther? I only have the USB cable that came with it, and would prefer not to get the firewire cable.
So, any one have a clue?
Using image capture in your applications folder?
T Money
World Domination with a plastic spoon since 1984
Have you tried the Image Capture application yet? .avi clips]) the OS X application of choice is Image Capture. It's fairly straightforward, so give it a try.
I do not, repeat *DO NOT*, own this camera.
I do, however, know that when I want to extract video from a USB image device (such as my Canon PowerShot S30 [30 second
On a side note, chances are that the OS 9 video capture Application would not work properly. As the Power Mac G5 can only run OS 9 as Classic [emulation] you're going to have a real hard time finding a compatible application.
Finally, since hindsight is 20/20, you really ought to have purchased a FireWire DV camcorder. They behave much better on the Mac.
I'm not popular enough to be different.
Homer Simpson, The Simpsons
...is FireWire, get a FireWire cable. If your camera is USB only, you got skinned; sorry.
From the page:
Features:
i.LINK(R)* DV Interface (IEEE 1394)
The USB port on sony Video Cameras is for transferring still images off the compactflash card, while the firewire port is used for transferring DV (Digital Video) content. If your mac does not have a firewire port, i highly doubt it would be running OS X. Get a 6-to-4 pin firewire cable to hook the camera up and try iMovie.
Use the Firewire port, and it will just work.
Features The full range of input and output connections are included, being one of only two in the range to do so. FireWire, MiniUSB and single-jack AV connectors are provided, along with LANC, S-Video in/out, headphone and external microphone sockets, which are situated at the front of the body.
There is no framework for video over USB in OS X as far as I know, unlike firewire.
It's not as simple as hooking up a USB-based video camera and having it work straight away with OS X.
Get the FireWire cable.
It's much cheaper than any other solution.
iChat AV, iMovie, and Final Cut all work wonderfully when you have it hooked up via Firewire.
Else none of those programs will work.
GPL Deconstructed
I have a DCR-TRV17 and it works just fine with Final Cut Pro and iMovie for video transfer. As someone mentioned, you need a 4 pin - 6 pin firewire cable, which you should definitely buy online as best buy, etc. usually gets about $40 for the cable. Just make sure in the settings when you go to capture that you set the DV stream Out -> On (something similar to that) and then your iMovie or FCP or whatever will detect the DV stream. If you want to transfer the images, you can use either an external usb memory stick reader or a 4-6 pin USB cable and image capture or iPhoto will do the trick. Of course, still images are pretty lousy on DV cameras - not useful for much. You would be better off getting a cheap digital camera just for photos.
Notice that the specifications list an IEEE1394 interface? And looking at the front of the camera in this pic, I think I see an iLink logo (a fat lowercase i). iLink is Sony's brand name for 4-pin firewire. If you look under the flap with the i logo, you should see a little port about a third the length and 3/4 to half the width of a USB port. That's the iLink port. As I said above, a 4-pin to 6-pin Firewire cable from Apple should do the trick. iMovie and Final Cut will both recognize the camera. If the computer doesn't have firewire (just possible, I suppose; I got my first mac when OS X came out), then you're using the wrong tool for the job anyway.
Firwire is needed for video streaming. Get a cable, plug it in, enjoy!
As for the 4-pin FireWire port, it saves a hell of alot of space. My mom's little digital video camera is TINY, and there would be no place to put the 6 pin port without making the camera physically bigger. I don't see anything wrong with that.
Now the 4 pin port on my Dell laptop, THAT I hate. Why not make it 6 so it's powered? So I don't have to have power for HDs I plug into it, etc? WHY MAKE ME BUY OBSUCRE CABLES FOR WHAT SHOULD BE THE STANDARD 6 PIN PORT??? Dumb Dell. My laptop has MORE than enough room to put a BUNCH of 6 pin ports around the laptop, but they just put a tiny little 4 pin one on.
Back on topic, I don't know what's going on but there seems to be alot of Sony bashing in this thread from people who haven't look at things. There IS A FIREWIRE PORT ON THE CAMERA, I think the guy is just using it wrong. Sony is a good company, why don't you trust that they knew what they were doing and put firewire on it?
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
Since the poster is using a G5, he can use the FireWire port in front of the computer to hook up a 6pin-to-4pin cable. The iLink port was described above. If you are using iMovie all you need to do is turn on your camera and launch the program and you'll have control of the camera from your computer. If you are using Final Cut (Pro or Express) it's a little more complicated to set up but the manuals are pretty clear. No extra software or adapter needed.
is there a device that will allow me to go from USB to Firewire - Sure, it's called a TRV-30 :)
Firewire is key... If you buy a DV cam with only USB, better hope you've kept the receipt.
USB is good for moving images off the Memory Stick, if you could make it work (you can't), but I wouldn't want video across that channel...way too poor quality if any at all.
OK, the Sony DCR TRV-22 IS in fact a FireWire Mini DV camera. Go check out your local Apple Store, they have one there that is hooked up, using iMovie. The thing is, though, none of the Sony camcorders ship with a FireWire cable. You'll need either a 6-4 pin FireWire or a 9-4 pin FW cable ('cause the G5 has the fancy new FireWire 800 on the back). Buy the 6-4 because it's cheaper! Next, just plug the TRV-22 in, turn it to playback mode and launch iMovie. if you need help, check the Apple Knowledge Base and more specifically this article on how to hook up a Mini DV cam. Oh, yeah, the USB cable that ships with the camcorder is only for photos, not video.....hope that helps!!
~panthman~
Yes, I've just been there myself on a PC rather than an Apple, with a Sony DV camcorder.
The guts is, if you are serious about taking digital video from the camera, you must use a firewire cable. Don't believe what you read about USB2.0 being equivalent to Firewire speedwise so they must be the same - it isn't true. USB2.0 is functionally very different.
Most video capture programs won't even recognize the USB2 connection - even on the PC (I suspect this is the problem you are having - The Sony USB connection is only good for taking stills from the memory stick really). However, plug in a firewire cable and you are sweet - all programs recognise it and it is a pure lossless transfer from the camera to the computer - PC or Mac. Apple have probably done you a tremendous favour by not recognising the USB connection.
You don't need drivers, get out of your Wintel state of mind. You plug the camera into your Mac via FireWire, open up a video editing program (iMovie/Final Cut) and it just works.
It's not an "obscure reason", it was a legal one. Apple trademarked the word "Firewire", and Sony didn't want to pay to use it, or Apple wouldn't let them use it, so they call it iLink. Others call/label it "1394", or less-commonly, the full "IEEE-1394".
If the camera is not equipped with Firewire, he's tough out of luck unless it's USB2, because USB 1 is not fast enough for DV.
Please help metamoderate.
I got a six foot 4 pin to 6 pin Firewire cable from B&H Photo for $20. Works great.
"The Mad Jester" (at yahoo.com, now _that's_ a serious email!!) trolled Cliffy with a non-question and Cliff took the bait.
Anyone who shelled out the shekels for a Sony DV camera knows that it comes with Firewire (or iLink, or IEEE-xxxx).
So my guess is that the entire article was an elaborate ruse.
I'm pretty sure Pudge wouldn't have fallen for it, but it looks like Pudge has Sunday off.
i dont know why this is even a discussion. i have used a TRV-11 extensively with a mac, and i know they work fine. GET A FIREWIRE CABLE. dear lord. video over usb = not good idea!!!
and this doesnt help make mac users look any more intelligent either...
Gee, all this fuss for a stupid cable...
Now that's end user support at its best. Couldn't you just walk to your local apple store/eletronic store/whatever photograph store and ask how to plug your DV cam on your G5? Any vendor with an IQ slightly above a donkey would have told you to get a 20$ firewire cable.
Even worse are Sony's two FireWire sins:
1. Put an unpowered 6-pin port on desktops.
2. Put a 4-pin port on laptops, then put a proprietary 'power out' connector right next to it! (So they can have a custom made cable that carries both FireWire and power, instead of just using standard 6-pin FireWire to do it, which would take up the exact same amount of space.)
Another non-functioning site was "uncertainty.microsoft.com."
The purpose of that site was not known.
Hi. I'm right now spec'ing out a handful of TRV-22's for teaching entry level video editing. They're a good price point and fairly good quality, with some reliability.
And, they're EASY. Easy, easy, easy. Video tech here is Mac-based. Here's how it works:
1. shoot video
2. boot computer
3. turn on camera (make sure it's set to video not stills), set to Play or VTR, plug iLink port on camera to firewire 400 port on computer using a 4-6 pin $12 cable
4. boot up iMovie/FCP/whatever
5. capture your footage
Really, that's all. Oh, well, for stills it's a bit different:
1. shoot photos
2. boot computer
3. turn on camera, set to stills (or card) playback
4. plug USB cable into camera and keyboard
5. sit back and wait for iPhoto, then import
As always, RTFM! In this case that's about 20 minutes investment. Once you've done that, you can worry about gotchas, like having to eject a USB connection, or whether to leave your camera plugged in by firewire between any reboots (don't - but you're using OS X, why reboot?).
Damn those pesky terrorists