Transferring video onto iBook

[garyb]

What's the easiest ( cheapest) way to transfer video onto my iBook.
Thanks

[CocoPops]

What format is it in at the moment?

Do you have a MiniDV camcorder with firewire?
You can pull video off minidv camcorders (and others with firewire) straight into iMovie for example.
It might be easier to do that (if you have the means) rather than look at video in etc?

[garyb]

I'm afraid it is on VHS.

[CocoPops]

You'd need to go an buy a video import device (and possibly software).

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=61745

[CocoPops]

I was thinking that if you knew someone with a minidv, you can copy the vhs onto the minidv (via the standard leads) and then import via firewire straight into teh mac.

[Funkstar]

Some camcorders let you use it as a firewire capture device and will just digitise the composite input into miniDV format and stream it directly to the PC/Mac.

[garyb]

As it happens I do have a Mini DV camcorder. I didn't know I could copy VHS onto it (doh).
I will check which leads I will need.
This does sound a cheap way! Thanks.

[CocoPops]

Basically, the MiniDV cam will need to have "AV In" and may come (or you can get) a spider cable.. ie from miniplug (to the cam) to a 3 of 4 plug end that has phono plugs that you can then plug into a sscart plug convertor in the back of the vhs video.

[garyb]

I'm sorry to say there is no "AV in"
Back to square one!