Sony DCR-SR32E file transfer

Hi,

I've just got a sony DCR-SR32E camcorder, but I'm having problems getting the files onto my iMac. I've found lots of forums that suggestsoftware for file convertion, but all of them assume that the Mac will recognize the camcorder when it's plugged in to the USB port. This doesn't seem to be happening with me. No icon appears on my desktop as it does when I put in a USB key or external hard drive. Any ideas?

Thanks

Yes! This my problem as well. Same Sony model and everything! All the different handycam/mac-discussions on the net seem to assume that the computer recognises the camera through usb and that all problems can be solved with different conversion software. But my macbook doesn't react to it at all.

Does anyone have any suggestions, or should I just take my handycam back to the store before I have a nervous break-down...

Help...

Does your Sony handycam have a firewire port? AFAIK, USB is only for photo transfer ....

What happens when you connect your handycam and launch iMovie?

Can you access your cam via the "Open Camera Import Window"? (My pic comes from iMovie '08, but iMovie '06 has a similiar button.)

I eventually solved this problem. At least in my case, it was because the camcorder wasn't connecting properly to the base that is comes with. It's actually quite a shoddy design, which means that it easily falls out of contact without you noticing it. I found the magical cure was a piece of bluetack! Put the camcorder onto the base and you'll notice it is free to rock substantially, this causes the camcorder to disconnect. Stick a piece of blue tack between the corner of the camcorder and the base until it stops rocking so much. Make sure the connection is secure by turning the camcorder off when it's on the base so that the charge light comes on, then rock it around a bit and see if you lose the connection.

Once you're happy with the connection, open the screen, turn the camcorder on and plug in the USB. The camcorder screen should go blue and give you the option of connecting the hard disk (left-hand option) or the memory stick to the computer. Once you've selected the one you want, it should appear on your Mac desktop. You have to be really careful while using the touch-screen, as moving it too much breaks the connection.

Hope this helps

Eric

oh, a couple of other things. The USB definitely works for video transfers. Also, the file transfer problem still arises once the files are on the computer. The forums I found all suggested solving this with a combination of MPEG streamclip and cashing out for MPEG2 playback software. There is a free alternative, however. Just go to www.videolan.org and download VLC media player. Simple as that.

Oh my. I feel like such a dutz. It must have been the connection, because now it works just fine.

What a relief, now I can start the next battle in trying to convert the files! Yay! Thanks for the help, guys.

Oh and... Just in case someone else is having the same dilemma as me, I managed to tranfer the files to mpeg-4 with VisualHub (that one of the other forum discussions had prompted me to do). Sound and everything. But I will definately be trying videolan as well 'cause the hub's free demo doesn't accept longer clips.

Thanks again.

I did a thread on this a while ago. USB and Firewire are ONLY methods of transfer and either will transfer files or video - you do not need to use Firewire cameras for Macs for transfer, the firewire issue was limited to the Mac software iDVD only, not hardware.

Visual hub is the right software to use. Please see thread here the HD Sony cams are the same, they don't come with the Mac software:

http://www.mac-help.com/forums/showt...highlight=sony