Is there a better alternative to the Flip video camcorder?

How to import video from Canon Vixia HV30 without firewire?

• I have the new macbook that came out in October 08 which does not have firewire. I got the Canon Vixia HV30 camcorder recently. It seems that the computer does not recognize the camcorder via the USB cable. This is not a problem with my particular cable, camcorder, or computer - I have read across many forums that this is the case across the board. People often suggest firewire as an alternative way to import video from the camcorder to the computer (to imovie or some other program), but the new macs (including the one that I have) do not have firewire or anyway to use a IEEE1394 cable. Has anyone else had any success in finding a way to get the video to the computer for editing? Or is it hopeless? I have done quite some searching on forums and haven't found an answer yet. This would probably best answered by someone who knows a lot about this particular issue - it isn't obvious and appears to be a particular glitch with the HV30. Thank you for any help.

• Answer:

  DV and HDV format video from any miniDV or Digital8 tape based camcorder can be imported to a computer ONLY using firewire. This has been the case pretty much all along. Digital8 tape goes back about 10 years - miniDV tape goes back about 8. This is not an issue with the Canon HV30 (which is a fine camcorder, congratulations on your acquisition). When Apple shipped those MacBooks late last year without a firewire port, there was a LOT of screaming. It lasted about a month. The newest crop of MacBooks that started shipping a couple of weeks ago have a Firewire 400 port. The only other Mac with no firewire port is the MacBook Air. ALL other Apple Macintosh computers made in over the last ten years have a firewire port. There are only two things that you can do to get that digital video off the camcorder digital tape into your computer... 1) Replace the computer with one that has a firewire port. 2) Get another (older) Mac with a working firewire port and an external drive. Import the video using that Mac - but save the video project files to the external drive. When the importing is complete, shut it all down; disconnect the external drive from that "other" computer and connect it to your MacBook... Start up... edit on the MacBook. Your issue is not much different than the same problem others have with non-Apple computer hardware with no firewire port and no expansion slots... USB will not be recognized by any Apple video editing application (of which I am aware). USB-to-firewire cable/hub/adapter/converter things will not work. I do ALL my editing on Macs - I have had Sony, Canon, Panasonic and JVC camcorders connected to my computers and have imported and edited standard definition and high definition video from miniDV, hard disc drive, flash memory and DVD based computers.