Random Video Question of the Day:

This was sent to me by email from a fellow co-worker,
who knows I'm a mac guy and a video enthusiast:

"I have a non-work related question for you when you 
have time.  
My niece has a Mac at home and is trying to the get videos
off of her Sony video camera.  
It came with Windows software but not Mac software.  
She wants to be able to get the videos off the camera onto
her Mac and then probably put them onto DVDs.  
The camera records to internal memory or a hard drive, 
so there are no tapes or  CD/DVD on the camera itself.  
It is a Sony model DCR-SX63.  
I was able to plug a USB cable from the camera to the Mac 
and get access to the videos.  
It looks like it records them in .mpg files.


Do you have any ideas of what would be easiest way for her 
to get the videos off?  She is willing to buy software 
or something if she needs to."

Here's my answer:

" Yes, the DCR-SX63 Sony Camera records to internal flash memory,
as many post 2008 model cameras do.

It allows the camera to be mounted like a USB drive, as you have found out,
& from there, the videos can be extracted
( copied ) to the Computer's HD ( desktop).

http://guide.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/mac/ms/us/

This often happens with manufacturers like Sony and Coby who cater
to only Windows and not to Mac.
( Mac friendly camera makers are JVC, Samsung, Canon, and Panasonic)

They tie everything proprietary to two technologies : Windows and USB 2.0.

Mac Friendly Camera makers will have FW ports on their cameras,
and will work with Apple on driver Specs.

But to answer your question, yes you are doing everything "right" so far with this camera.

Your steps in using video recorded with this camera are going to be as follows:

1. Attach the Camera to the mac via USB, thus mounting it like a MS-DOS external HD.

2. Copy off the videos recorded to it to the Mac's desktop.

3. Go to the Apple Website and buy this $20 plug in:
http://store.apple.com/us/product/D2187Z/A?mco= MTY3ODQ5OTY

4. Install as it says to do so after purchase.

5. Go to this website and then download this software: http://www.alfanet.it/squared5/MPEG_Streamclip_1.9.2. dmg

6. Install it after downloading.

7. Use the application (MpegSteamclip) which will now work
because you bought the $20 plugin to open the files from
the camcorder copied to the Mac Desktop.

The files will now open, and you can then edit them and
then export them to .DV files.

8. Open iDVD, ( Free, came with the Mac) and then drag and drop
the .dv files into iDVD. From there, you can burn them off to DVD."