Please help! Problem importing video from camcorder

[dorian86]

I've been using iMovie and this one camcorder for quite awhile without any problems. Just recently some video clips starting displaying an error when importing. I cannot even archive the video file.

Some forums say that there might be a corrupt file, but what is causing it to be corrupt? I tried unplugging and trying again to no avail. Also I tried plugging into a USB hub and also directly to the computer.

There are 2 clips that I did on the same day. One 15 min and one 45min without pause. The 15min video imported just fine but not the 45min one. I also do have the disc space.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thank you.

 

[benchracer]

I've been using iMovie and this one camcorder for quite awhile without any problems. Just recently some video clips starting displaying an error when importing. I cannot even archive the video file.

Some forums say that there might be a corrupt file, but what is causing it to be corrupt? I tried unplugging and trying again to no avail. Also I tried plugging into a USB hub and also directly to the computer.


There are 2 clips that I did on the same day. One 15 min and one 45min without pause. The 15min video imported just fine but not the 45min one. I also do have the disc space.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thank you.

Having what sounds like a similar issue, wondering if you ever resolved this?
When i import from my Sony Digital Cam, the video shows on the camera screen and on the viewer in iMovie but about the last 8minutes of the video don't show up in the library with the rest of the clips.
I've changed cables and reinstalled iMovie. I just up dated the OS to High Sierra with the current iMovie version for that OS, I've never had this issue with previous versions of iMovie. I also noticed that the clips are saved in the browser/library not in the order they are on the tape.
Which has me thinking it might have something todo with the metadata on the tape

Thx

 

[MightyGem]

I've been using iMovie and this one camcorder for quite awhile without any problems. Just recently some video clips starting displaying an error when importing. I cannot even archive the video file.

Some forums say that there might be a corrupt file, but what is causing it to be corrupt? I tried unplugging and trying again to no avail. Also I tried plugging into a USB hub and also directly to the computer.

There are 2 clips that I did on the same day. One 15 min and one 45min without pause. The 15min video imported just fine but not the 45min one. I also do have the disc space.

Any suggestions would be really appreciated. Thank you.

What sort a camcorder are you using? Tape based or SD Card? If SD card, what format are the videos, ie; AVCHD, mp4 etc?

 

[benchracer]

What sort a camcorder are you using? Tape based or SD Card? If SD card, what format are the videos, ie; AVCHD, mp4 etc?

It is a Sony digital 8, digital 8 tape, and I’m not sure what standard the camera records in, I have 20+ hours of movies I’ve imported and edited using older versions of iMovie and haven’t run into this challenge
Any thoughts are welcome

 

[Lifeisabeach]

It is a Sony digital 8, digital 8 tape, and I’m not sure what standard the camera records in, I have 20+ hours of movies I’ve imported and edited using older versions of iMovie and haven’t run into this challenge
Any thoughts are welcome

Are you having this problem with every tape you import or just the one? Because it sounds to me like the tape is simply defective in that segment.

 

[pm-r]

I am just wondering if the hard drive is anywhere full, and the import is having trouble finding clean drive space to store the movie.






- Patrick
======

 

[benchracer]

I am just wondering if the hard drive is anywhere full, and the import is having trouble finding clean drive space to store the movie.






- Patrick
======

I have over 360Gb left of 500, and I’ve uploaded other tapes after this tape with no issues.

I started transferring tape to the iMac with old VHS tape and had an issue with missing clips from one of those, when I recognized that some of it was missing I reimported the tape again and the missing video appeared on that try.
So a different type of tape, run through the camera as a means to turn the VHS to digital and using a FireWire connection.
On all of these attempts the video showed on the camcorder and the iMac. with pic/sound, when it was importing, all the way through to the end


Sent from my iPhone using Mac-Forums

 

[pm-r]

On all of these attempts the video showed on the camcorder and the iMac. with pic/sound, when it was importing, all the way through to the end

So, i gather, it sounds like you have overcome your problem and everything is now working properly.






- Patrick
======

 

[benchracer]

No unfortunately, I'm waiting for a Thunderbolt adapter to firewire, to try importing it on my newer iMac and see if it will import the complete video to iMovie

 

[MightyGem]

It is a Sony digital 8, digital 8 tape

Ahh. Sorry, I have no experience with those.

 

[benchracer]

Just some-more info.
I plugged it into my daughters MacBook Pro Mid2010, OS El Capitan, iMovie 10.1.5
and it got all the video.
Thinking of uninstalling the iMovie on the iMac again, wondering if I need to do more than sending it to the trash, before reinstalling?

 

[pm-r]

No unfortunately, I'm waiting for a Thunderbolt adapter to firewire, to try importing it on my newer iMac and see if it will import the complete video to iMovie

Did you happen to check and does your iMac qualify???:

Product Information
Overview
Easily connect your Thunderbolt-equipped Mac to a FireWire device with the Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter. Small and compact, it connects to the Thunderbolt port on your Mac computer, giving you a FireWire 800 port that supplies up to 7W for bus-powered peripherals like hard drives and audio devices.

What’s in the Box
Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire Adapter with built-in Thunderbolt cable

System Requirements
OS X v10.7.4 or later

Thunderbolt-equipped Mac computer


Compatibility
Mac Models
MacBook Air (13-inch, Early 2015 - 2017)
MacBook Air (11-inch, Early 2015)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012 - 2015)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012 - 2015)
iMac (Retina 4K, 21.5-inch, Late 2015)
iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, Late 2014 - 2015)
Mac Pro (Late 2013)
Mac mini (Late 2014)

- Patrick
======

 

[benchracer]

My iMac is the Late 2017 model with the Thunderbolt 3 ports and it looks like I will need another adapter to connect to the Thunderbolt 2/ Firewire 800, and it looks like that may not work according to one answer I saw regarding this question.
They were saying this iMac doesn't talk with Firewire, maybe you know something different?

 

[pm-r]

They were saying this iMac doesn't talk with Firewire, maybe you know something different?

No, i don't know, but i just happened to notice that your iMac model didn't seem to be among the list of compatible computers that Apple had listed at their particular adapter site:

adapter - Apple (CA)

Apple Store Search Results

www.apple.com

- Patrick
======

 

[pm-r]

Thinking of uninstalling the iMovie on the iMac again, wondering if I need to do more than sending it to the trash, before reinstalling?

Personally, from my understanding of your problem, i don't think it's a problem with the iMovie app, i think you have a directory file structure problem, and maybe your hard drive is failing.

I would try another different pristine source to make a backup or recover. But it's odd it just seems to be particular file that's having the problem.

Why not just use your daughter's mac to get the job done then just carry on???




- Patrick
======

 

[benchracer]

Yes, I saw that it wasn't included in your list, which makes me think that even though I can get it wired up, it won't recognize the Sony Cam.

But as far as using another Mac to do the importing,
will the iMac be able to work with the file from the MBP, being that its an older version of iMovie in the MBP.



And yes it's strange that its only 5-8 min's of video that doesn't transfer to the iMac

 

[Lifeisabeach]

My iMac is the Late 2017 model with the Thunderbolt 3 ports and it looks like I will need another adapter to connect to the Thunderbolt 2/ Firewire 800, and it looks like that may not work according to one answer I saw regarding this question.
They were saying this iMac doesn't talk with Firewire, maybe you know something different?

What exact interface(s) does your camcorder have? If it's a Firewire 800 port, then there don't appear to be any single adapters available to connect to TB3. Using a pair of adapters to force the matter I suspect may not work.

Based on what I'm reading here, it looks like the problem is that the iMac can't write the data as fast as it's being read (you are effectively "outrunning" the cache), and using multiple adapters, even "if" it's an option, may complicate this further. pm-r's advice is on track and it "could" be a failing drive or directory problem of some sort. It could also be your drive is too full and heavily fragmented (do you have an HDD or SSD? How much used/free space?).

 

[benchracer]

It has the FW 400, I've seen posts where the adapters work with TB2, but it looked like the newer TB3 Macs weren't capable of working with the FW. That was only 1 post, answering at least a dozen people asking the same question.
As far as it being able to write the data fast enough, it's worked on other tapes I've been importing, before and after this tape I'm having troubles with. And my understanding of this cable business, is it only goes as fast as the slowest connection, so I not sure if its being over worked with that FW400 end.
I currently have 360 of 500 available on my HDD
Thx

P.S. - I have been importing using a FW 400/800 cable, Sony to the iMac, no adapters in this

 

[benchracer]

Well I received all the appropriate adapters and connected the Camcorder to the newer iMac(late 2017) and it recognized the Sony, all controls through iMovie worked the cam remotely. Did the importing and had the same results with this iMac.

So, an older version of iMovie (El Capitan OS) with a MacBook Pro worked with no issues. Older iMac running High Sierra and the most current iMovie for that OS, missing video just like the newer iMac running the same OS and iMovie.

Going to try updating the newer iMac to Catalonia and that version of iMovie, to see if I get a different outcome.

On the upside the expense of the adapters was worth it, just have to find a version of iMovie that works for me