New to the forum and need some help with video converting

So I have an old mac mini (mac OS X version 10.4.11) and I have a Panasonic SDR-S26 camcorder. The camcorder shoots in the .MOD format which obviously doesn't work with iMovie. I'm not good with computers and I'm having a hard time navigating through the endless number of video converters on the market. I was hoping that you could give me some recommendations on a good video converter. I would like to keep the price tag below $50 if possible.

Also once I get the video converter would I be able to use the camcorder as a web cam?

Thanks for the help!

MPG Streamclip will open and convert them to DV or whatever that you can work with in iMovie of Quicktime.

Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X

+1 for for Streamclip. I am pretty sure it handles those files. And if all you need to do is trim some unwanted video from a clip or remove audio you can do that in Streamclip as well as a few other things without using iMovie.

Sweet. Thanks for the help.

MPEGStreamclip has a very good batch conversion function. You'll find it in the List menu. Just drag all your clips in then go and have a coffee while that converting.

HandBrake is also a good tool to have at hand though I find the sheer number of options/settings can be intimidating at times. It lacks Streamclip's editing functions but is still very useful.

Never miss the free solution: Handbrake

So I downloaded streamclip and didn't realize that I had to pay $20 for the playback function... So I downloaded Handbrake, cause I like free stuff, and the current version is too new for my aging mac mini. Is there an older version somewhere that I can get my hands on? I have version 10.4.11

Gaviao said:

So I downloaded streamclip and didn't realize that I had to pay $20 for the playback function... So I downloaded Handbrake, cause I like free stuff, and the current version is too new for my aging mac mini. Is there an older version somewhere that I can get my hands on? I have version 10.4.11

Click to expand...

Try MPEG Streamclip anyway. The $19.95 is for Apple's MPEG 2 Playback component which Streamclip needs only for certain types of files. I don't remember if it is needed for your or not.

Took a bit of digging but here you go Old Version of HandBrake 0.9.6 (x64) Download - OldApps for Mac. When the page loads click the red link that says something nike "Legacy OS Support". A window will appear with links to the version that you need. There are links to both the Intel and PPC versions.

Slydude said:

Try MPEG Streamclip anyway. The $19.95 is for Apple's MPEG 2 Playback component which Streamclip needs only for certain types of files. I don't remember if it is needed for your or not.

Took a bit of digging but here you go Old Version of HandBrake 0.9.6 (x64) Download - OldApps for Mac. When the page loads click the red link that says something nike "Legacy OS Support". A window will appear with links to the version that you need. There are links to both the Intel and PPC versions.

Click to expand...

I tried a couple of different ways with the streamclip and it looks like I need the playback function.

I downloaded the old version of Handbrake and it said that I didn't have a valid source. So that's not working. Any ideas?

1. Make a note to yourself to never buy a camcorder that shoots in MOD format ever again.

2. Pay the $20 and get on with your editing.