Importing Video from a VHS Tape to iMovie

Begin by turning on the VCR and loading the tape with the video you want to transfer to iMovie.

To prepare the camera, connect the AC power adaptor, if possible, to preserve the battery. Turn the Power switch to VCR while pressing the small green button (A).

If there is a miniDV tape in the camera you should remove it. It will not be needed, and can confuse iMovie if it is present.

A composite video cable, with a mini-jack at one end and red, white, and yellow plugs at the other end, is supplied with the camera. Use this cable to connect the camera to a VCR.

Open the plastic cover on the side of the camera to expose the connection ports.

Plug the mini-jack end of the composite video cable into the Audio/Video port on the camera.

Plug the other ends of the cable into the Video/Audio Out ports on your VCR. If you are using the JVC VCR in Murray 114, these ports are on the rear of the VCR.

You use a Firewire cable to connect the digital video camera to the computer. The Macs in Murray 114 and Murray 116 should already have a firewire cable connected. Locate the free end of the cable.

Plug the small end of the Firewire cable into the camera port labelled DV IN/OUT.

At this point you should have

• vcr connected to the camera using composite video cable
• tape you want to import from in VCR
• camera connected to the computer using firewire cable
• no tape in camera
• everything turned on, with camera in VCR mode

If so, you are ready to launch iMovie. Otherwise, please return to the top of the page to correct your set-up.

Launch iMovie by clicking the iMovie icon on the dock or in the applictions folder. If iMovie opens with an existing project, click File > New Project... on the iMovie menu to start a new project.

You should see the blue VCR screen displayed.

Press PLAY on the VCR to begin playing video. You will see the video playing in the iMovie window. When you see the video that you would like to import, click the Import button.

Click Import again to stop importing video. Press STOP on the VCR to stop playing video.

Hints:

• Any text from the VCR (PLAY, etc) that displays in the iMovie window while you are importing video will also be captured. To avoid this, begin playing video a few seconds before you want to begin importing, and only press Import after the text has stopped displaying.
• If you switch from camera mode to edit mode in iMovie before you are done importing all your video, iMovie may not properly recognize the VCR when you switch back to camera mode. If this is the case, switch back and forth again (by clicking on the scissors side of the slider and then on the camera side). If this does not work, save your project, close iMovie, and re-launch iMovie.

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