iMovie ’08: Camcorder Support

The following information is provided for your general reference.

• Tape-based Camcorder Support 
• Tapeless Camcorder Support 
• Other Tapeless Device Support 
• Known Compatibility Issues 
• Disclaimer

For more information on using your camcorder with iMovie '09, see iMovie '09: Camcorder support.

Tape-based Camcorder Support

iMovie '08 works with most Mini DV tape-based camcorders that use a FireWire cable (also known as IEEE 1394 or i.Link) to transfer data. iMovie works with DV (standard definition) or HDV (high definition) formats. 

Note: Not all Macintosh Computers include a FireWire port. Check your system configuration to confirm your Mac includes FireWire support before attempting to connect a DV or HDV camcorder.

Tapeless Camcorder Support

iMovie '08 works with many tapeless camcorders that record to flash memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), or DVD media. These devices use a USB 2.0 cable and include camcorders using MPEG-2 (standard definition) and AVCHD (high definition) formats. If you use the AVCHD format you will need a Mac with an Intel-based Core Duo processor or better.

Apple has tested the products listed in this table. iMovie may not work with similar camcorders. Compatible iMovie features include device recognition when connected to a Mac, display of import controls for the device, and importing of the video to iMovie.

Due to the wide range of media types, and the different ways manufacturers store video on these media types, not all tapeless camcorders are compatible with iMovie '08.

• NTSC Camcorders
• PAL Camcorders

Note: If your compatible device has both a USB and FireWire port, you will only need to use the USB port to work with iMovie '08.

NTSC Camcorders

PAL Camcorders

Other Tapeless Device Support

Other types of tapeless video devices—including digital still cameras, video phones and other hybrid devices—import their video clips into iPhoto if they are compatible with iPhoto. Some of those iPhoto-compatible formats can be accessed from the iMovie library, including video in MPEG-2 (standard definition), MPEG-4 (standard and high definition), and other formats.

MPEG-1 formatted movies from Sony Digital Still Cameras (DSCs) use iMovie's Random Access Device (RAD) import window, you can use importing video from a USB camcorder or camera to import these files.

Known Compatibility Issues

• Some DVD camcorders may start your DVD Player application. If this occurs, quit DVD Player.
• Video devices in the tables above may have additional compatibility information. If additional information is available, you can find the link to the article listed under "Additional Compatibility Information."

Disclaimer

This information reflects many of the video devices we have inspected for use with iMovie. It may continue to evolve and expand as we test additional devices. We have attempted to ensure this list is accurate at the time of publication. Due to the wide range of devices that vary widely in their capabilities—and the many different ways manufacturers implement and may change implementations—you should use this information only as a general guide. The accuracy of this information is not guaranteed by Apple. Users of this list must assume responsibility for purchase decisions.