How to capture MiniDV Tapes to a Macbook Pro with Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) Ports

In 1993 I began recording inline skating on a malfunctioning VHS-C camera that captured video with a blue tint and then edited the footage together with two VCRs to create very rough sections. That is why the first skate video I made with VCRs was called No Budget, Lo-Fi. The following year I purchased a Hi-8 camera and invested in video editing hardware and software for my computer. This equipment brought me into a new world of production and gave my videos a professional appearance. In 1997 I transitioned away from the High-8 format and began recording with a MiniDV camera. I traveled the world to document inline skating until 2009, producing nearly a dozen videos during that time using the MiniDV format. After 12 years of recording, I accumulated a sizeable collection of MiniDV tapes. External hard drives were expensive and did not have enough storage space to archive even a fraction of my collection. Regrettably, to save money, I recorded over a quarter of my tapes, erasing irreplaceable skating history.
When New Technology Conflicts With Old Technology
Today, external hard drives are affordable and have more than enough storage capacity to archive all of the tapes I have. While organizing my office a couple of months back, I came across boxes of MiniDV tapes. I've been moving these tapes around for almost two decades from city to city and shelf to shelf. It was at that moment I decided it was time to transfer them to my Macbook Pro and then archive them onto an external hard drive. The dilemma I immediately faced was, how do I capture footage from a MiniDV Camera with a FireWire 4-pin port to a Macbook Pro with only Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports.
In the past, all my hardware was either FireWire 800 or FireWire 400 compatible, which made capturing footage a breeze. Now I was at a loss of how to make it work, so I reached out to some friends for suggestions. One friend told me to buy a USB-C hub with a FireWire 800 port that cost several hundred dollars, while another friend recommended I send my tapes to a company that would digitize them for over $20 each. Neither one of these options was affordable or appealing to me. My goal was to find a way to capture my tapes without spending too much money.
Is This Even Going to be Possible?
After much research, I figured out what I needed to do to capture MiniDV footage onto my MacBook Pro. The only way to make this work, without spending an arm and a leg, was to buy multiple adapters made by Apple and piecing them together to connect the camera to the computer. Further down, I've posted links to purchase all the adapters and cables you need to make this work.
Check out the full article related to this video on the Big Wheel Blading website.
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What You Need:
Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 Adapter - amzn.to/35LPjKu
Thunderbolt to Firewire Adapter - amzn.to/3nIvNoi
FireWire 800 to MiniDV Cable - amzn.to/332hGCu
FireWire 800 to FireWire 400 Adapter - amzn.to/3kN1ZFh
FireWire 400 to 4-Pin MiniDV Cable - amzn.to/2ULTNur
Suggested Items:
MiniDV Head Cleaner - amzn.to/3lRAThH
Lacie 4TB USB-C External Hard Drive - amzn.to/3lOYHCX
The Gear I Used for this Video:
GoPro Hero 9 Black Starter Bundle - amzn.to/35OrhOZ
Neewer 18" LED Ring Light - amzn.to/3kNWUg1
Recommended Software:
LifeFlix - www.lifeflix.com/
Davinchi Resolve - www.blackmagic...
Links:
Website: www.bigwheelbl...
Instagram: / bigwheelblading
Facebook: / bigwheelblading

[@marcromanbravo]

THANK YOU! I was skeptical due to the age of my equipment, but it worked! I just blindly bought the adapters you linked to and it works. I’m reviving a tape from 1988. Holy shit. You rule, dude 🤘💀

[@BigWheelBlading]

Heck yea. I'm glad it worked out for you!

[@PeterDingley]

Legend! Thank you so much for posting this. Showing all the cables types, connections and software recommendations has really helped me unlock some precious DV tape memories.

[@lordsalt7542]

its 2023 and i bought a Canon XM1 for some cool car clips but i was lost af on how to connect it with my laptop! Thank you for this video i finally bought all the needed adapters and i can start doing the stuff i want

[@magnuswehus]

thats the longest chain of adapters I have ever seen 😂

[@BigWheelBlading]

It is a bit silly, but it's the only way I could get it to work.

[@aNYCdj]

bought a 2012 mac mini Catalina for $100 last year of firewire plugged it in loaded life flix and everything worked perfectly no extra cables or work around

[@foundvhs]

You saved me from buying a bunch of crap that wouldn’t work. Then getting discouraged and abandoning what I was going to do. Thanks!

[@AforPep]

Thank you for your simple and eloquent solution. I too had fallen for the too-good-to-be-true 4-pin Firewire>USB-B cable. Starting from a Firewire 400/4pin, using the three adaptors and Lifeflix, I'm digitizing both miniDV from a DV camcorder and old Video 8 footage from my early '90s art school days with the Sony DVMC DA-2 Media Converter. Someone in the comments was having trouble with that device but it will work and all with a very new MacBook Pro running Mac OS Monterey, 12.4. One note to pass along; the chain of connectors ending in USB-C has to be plugged directly and solely into the MacBook's USB-C socket and not into a shared adaptor. I have an Apple 3-way USB-B/HDMI/USB-C adaptor which is in turn connected to other devices and with the DV input sharing the socket, the software (LifeFlix and iMovie anyway) won't recognize the camera/input box.

[@SuomyOna]

This is because all of the items in the "chain of connectors ending in USB-C" are Firewire backwards-compatible (Firewire and Thunderbolt are basically just iterations of the original IEEE 1394 protocol). The Apple 3-way adapters do not support this protocol. It should also work when NOT plugged solely into a Macbook, so long as the interface is Thunderbolt (such as on a Thunderbolt dock).

[@mdhavsarman7618]

Thank you for the accurate description of the adapters and cables required to connect IEE 1934 4 pin to USB - C on MacBook Pro. The free iMovie soft can also be used for converting these tapes to .MOV or .MPEG 4 format.

[@BrigandiFilms]

Dude!!!!!! I simply cannot thank you enough!!! It worked! I’ve got dozens of boxes of stuff to retrieve now. Amazing video in simple terms and you solved my problem in 5 min of instruction and $150.00 in parts. Thanks again!!!!

[@AdSprad]

Exactly what I needed to know, same problem but for live local shows during that period

[@sharonnelson127]

Hello and THANK YOUUUUU!!! so very much. I was tasked with transferring minidv to computer for a family member. Your video inspired me to take on this project myself, and each step of the way, I did what you suggested and it worked perfectly! Now, our long lost videos can be shared with the entire family. We sooooo appreciate this video!! Keep up the great work and keep posting to help others.

[@WLYandell1]

thanks for this- my wife has been bugging me for years to transfer our box of mini dv tapes...finally decided it was time. This was super helpful.

[@quasiguy]

I was stoked to find your video. I thought it would be the answer I needed. Unfortunately, I use Premiere Pro and I just updated to PP 2022 and also updated my Mac to Monterey (12.0.1) and my old method of transferring my miniDV and VHS via the Sony DVMC-DA2 no longer works. The method you suggested also does not work. I due value innovation by the computer software and hardware people. But I also wish they'd have some awareness of some of the older formats that still exist. Anyway, I hope your year-long digitizing effort was a success!

[@AforPep]

Hey quasiguy, I also have the Sony DVMC-DA2 and it works using the same string of connectors he recommends and with Mac OS Monterey 12.4. Apple responded to the DV-digitizing issue and fixed subsequent versions of Monterey. I'm digitizing old Video 8 and will moving on the VHS after that. Maybe you've figured it out since but for anyone with that box, don't be sad-its still usable.

[@quasiguy]

AforPep Thanks for the important informatuon. I was unaware of the update. I’ll have to give it another try. Thanks again!

[@dannyveras]

Very well explained with detail , best video I saw af all …. Enough for me! Thanks

[@louisdon2762]

JAN. YOU ARE THE GUY I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR !!!!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@icallmybabystp]

Hey Jan, used to watch your videos back in my rollerblading days. Been feeling nostalgic lately and decided to pull out my old box of miniDV tapes. So wild how I can get the camcorders I dreamed of owning when I was younger for dirt cheap now. And I personally still love the quality. Got myself a PD150 for pennies. But now I've run into the issue of capturing on a 2015 MacBook Pro. Thanks so much for the guide. Unfortunately now, that Apple FirewireThunderbolt adapter is quite $$$. It'll all be worth it in the end when I take a trip down memory lane with hours and hours of old footage, though!

[@AuntieMoMo05]

OMG!!!!!!!!! I am soooooo grateful to you for making this video!!!!!!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! I'm going to get the set up all together and give it a whirl. You are awesome!!!

[@theappie62]

Thank you !! Worked really well. I Was afraid i could never get the Movies of my Sony DV Cam onto my Mac Mini after trying it a lot of ways, but this worked.

[@tonymeitw]

I’ve been looking for such a wonderful video for a long time. Now I think an MacMini is okay for me to buy to extract my old mini DV tapes. 😀 Thank you so much.

[@minidv7596]

miss the minidv era.....nice!

[@claushillerupemborg7808]

Thanks for taking the time to make this very helpfull video... I just ordered cables and adapters as you recommend. Happy new year to you !

[@pabsgabs]

Did it work for you? It works on my 2012 ok fcpx but not on my m1 max latest updates. Thanks!

[@claushillerupemborg7808]

@@pabsgabs I bought the equipment but haven't got around to try it yet, so I cant tell...

[@elinsofia7161]

Thank you for making this video! finally a that explains this simply how to do it from beginning to end... very needed! :)

[@philwayman4902]

Just what I was looking for. Thanks very much.

[@andrew.nicholson]

This is great. I recently dug out some mini dv tapes from when I was in high school/college and I found a working camera on eBay for $30. I also recently picked up a 2006 Mac Pro that was being thrown out - so now I’m trying to decide between ripping the tapes on the og Mac, or doing dongle shenanigans with my 2021 MacBook Pro.

[@DDCamel]

Thanks for this video. iMovie in conjunction with the following adapters works for camera control and capture: TB3 to TB2, TB2 to FW800, FW800 to FW400, FW400 to Mini-DV. So excited to be able to retrieve all the videos of the kids growing up into a usable and current format. Really appreciate you taking the time to get this info out there!

[@leeroyle2381]

YES!! all working for me as well with same connections on Mac M1 air.

[@luciusliu9939]

@@leeroyle2381 do I need to buy the FW400 cable to make it work? or I can just simply get a FW800 to MiniDV cable and it will work.

[@twiggiestarimfamous993]

ur the best only one in the internet to help this thank you so much brother

[@GavinReeves]

Hi just discovered your channel and rediscovered my Panasonic NVGS17B. Love the format. I'm going to be using it for some future video. Awesome vid mate 👍

[@stammishehu9454]

Thank you for the information! I did exactly instructed, even swapped out the cables and connectors to make sure none were defective. Camera Sony TRV20 not recognized by computer (Mac and Windows). DV Out is enabled on camera. Many thanks in advance

[@unifiedatlantic]

CLUTCHHHHHHHHH I NEEDED THIS

[@crewshair360]

Thanks!!! U are the Man!!!! Blessings! Happy 2022! Crews

[@kylehenke5655]

Dude. LEGEND. Thanks so much, worked immediately.

[@holger_b]

Great video. Helped me a lot to figure out which of these countless adapter variations i have to use. Thanks! Impressive beard - btw 🙂

[@cameronmclainbhhsflpg]

Thank you so much! This worked!!!! We used imovie to import our footage!!

[@GloriaLaRiva]

Thank you so much, this was very useful, and the SF Apple store had the cables. Thanks for a very understandable video!

[@pabsgabs]

Did it work for you? It works on my 2012 ok fcpx but not on my m1 max latest updates. Thanks!

[@deswalk]

Another thanks for explanation very helpful.

[@King_Flush]

Good video, but Apple discontinued these adapters. So after a lot of research, I found out my best route was to buy a 2012 mac mini with a firewire 800 input. Good luck!

[@Ristichr]

Thank you. That was very helpful.

[@Lauriesantafe]

Thanks so much! That was just the information I needed.

[@jeffrypittman]

Thank you! Very helpful and I appreciate you including the links.

[@marcromanbravo]

Dude. Thanks a lot for this. You're saving people a lot of research time. I really appreciate it. My sister found her old Nuclear Death videos on VHS, and I thought I could pass my Sony analog to digital converter through an old hard drive that has a firewire port, but it isn't seen by FCP. I think your solution will work. I hope. Anyway, yeah--THANKS!

[@Joeysan24]

Very helpful. Thank you for making this video!

[@nolanpike6537]

Thanks so much, I have the first adapter in the chain and was wondering if this would work. Glad to know it does!

[@paulallenMacca]

Thanks for sharing but i need help a Thunderbolt 2 to Mini DV as have a Late 2015 iMac will i be able to use iMovie to capture my footage and Edit if i can get the correct Adopters.

[@bvomgaea9315]

Great video! I am curious what mini DV camera you used because I have not been able to get my Canon Optura 300 to be recognized by my Mac?

[@billhayden6057]

Thank you, Thank you. I did exactly what you showed also downloaded iMovie app and it works great. Transfering old VHS/CVHS to miniDV then to iMac. Fantastic, again all the best.

[@pabsgabs]

Did it work for you? It works on my 2012 ok fcpx but not on my m1 max latest updates. Thanks!

[@MrTrickyBuzz]

It doesn't work anymore on Mac OS Monterey. It stopped working in 12.3. :-( I hope they fix it soon.

[@pabsgabs]

@@MrTrickyBuzz What are the chances that they would fix this? I guess is not many of us still doing this?

[@MrTrickyBuzz]

@@pabsgabs Not sure. Very annoyed as I JUST got these adaptors. Works fine on Big Sir, but stopped at Monterey. You can still see it just fine in System info, but nothing sees them anymore. KZbin kills any links I post, but search for "Monterey 12.3 Broke The Mini-DV Connection" to see the thread on apple discussions about it. Now I am stuck using my old Mac Pro for video work vs my M1.

[@pabsgabs]

@@MrTrickyBuzz Yes, it will show on the system. I also just bought the adaptors. So which is the las Mac OS that works?

[@FullMoon7]

You are a GENIUS

[@badboyhj]

Thank you for this Jan!

[@InlineDownhillVancouver]

Great tutorial! Nice work.

[@garygarelick6926]

Thank you very much! Worked like a charm!

[@buffaloweddingvideos]

Thank You bro.that was awesome info.

[@hartl002]

When I connect my Canon Optura 300 to my MacBook Pro (15" 2016) running MacOS 12.0.1 and using LifeFlix DV Importer 3.5.2 using the cable and adapter arrangement you show, the display on the Canon shows flashing "DV IN", suggesting that the Canon recognizes that it is connected to a digital device but is expecting that I want to transfer data from the MacBook to the Canon instead of from the Canon to the MacBook. I can't figure out how to get it to understand that I want the video to flow from the Canon to the MackBook. Can you help? Thanks very much! Really enjoyed your video.

[@ruthlee1562]

same issue wiht my Sony Digital Handycam (miniDV)

[@dggd]

Thank you ❤

[@crawford323]

Apple nor Amazon has the Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter ( August 2024) EBay does have used ones at an outrageous price of $154! What's up with that?

[@macgamer1973]

That’s cool. I still today use XL1 cam to videograph

[@AlannaandIvor]

my premiere pro doesn't have a capture feature? Its the new 2022 version and It's not in the file dropdown menu. Did they remove it?

[@Dolemaneil]

Yes and they don't even allow you to open Premiere using Rosetta anymore. Found another video that offers a workaround using Quicktime to capture. I'm trying to convert mini dv from a canon GL1, haven't gotten a chance to try it and at this point I don't even know if it's worth the money and effort lol.

[@maxpetts8225]

Quicktime also lets you record from a usb input, no need to buy any software!! Just go on new movie recording and click the arrow next to record button n select the "AV to USB2.0" option - might be named differently

[@juliettelenahagerpiedagnel4247]

heyyy ! I am trying with this technique but the screen remain black..? trying to figure out why. Under which OS are u running? :---)

[@juliettelenahagerpiedagnel4247]

omg actually I managed. bless u man for this trick x

[@benjihuman]

whew, thank you for this tip! premiere wasn't allowing me to capture (adobe cc 2022 / mac OS catalina ver 10.15.7) but quicktime has worked for me. good luck to anyone out there still trying to transfer their old dv tapes

[@gangstercheese2779]

There's other ports on your camera you can use like the s cable and av with a Roxio adapter. But I'm wondering if the quality of the video and sound better using the firwire connection better?

[@bradvincet1848]

Firewire is superior to those other connections.

[@davidparrish7977]

I saw the thunderbolt to FireWire all sold out as well. Walked into my Apple Store in the mall and they had one in the back. Might be luck.

[@fredreal1964]

Thank you very much 😊. Good stuff !!! 😄

[@SaintMT]

Another option is if you have a HDV camera with HDMI out port, you can play out any DV or HDV tapes. You then just need a single cheap HDMI to USB C capture card/ adaptor and of course a standard HDMI cable. I have the Panasonic HV20 and it works great for all my captures.

[@MrWiseinheart]

You lose quality this way though

[@grouper3059]

Wow big help, thank you!

[@Neomjj1]

I tried this, and unfortunately in premiere pro it can only capture in HDV format and in iMovie it says “no data from device” so at this point I don’t know what to do with my 30 dv tapes 😔

[@BushidoBrownSama]

Get an old pc with firewire/ieee1394 & use that to backup your tapes

[@fredfrenchy]

my imac only has thunderbolt 3 so this is good option instead of cards - thanks

[@antoniodbo]

Nice to see you're using the Panasonic PV-GS500. It's one of my favorites! Unfortunately the Thunderbolt to Firewire Adapter doesn't seem to be available anywhere else. Do you have any tips? Thanks!

[@joebagnardi5701]

Found it thanks . The one item is discontinued

[@switchrollinglife9980]

amazing videos you did ❤❤❤🙌

[@myleicam8546]

Bravo! Thank you!

[@doodle999911]

Hi Jan, thanks for the video. I'm struggling to get my hands on a Firewire to Thunderbolt adapter. Would it work if I got a Firewire to USB, then used a USB to Thunderbolt? Cheers

[@therealpuppychannel]

Thanks for the video! But why not skip the thunderbolt 2 to 3 connection if you have thunderbolt 3 slots?

[@jozecuervo]

I was wondering if this is would actually work. Thanks for posting.

[@Cherrysodastudios]

Thanks for making this vid. I recently got an A/V out to USB 2 cable on Amazon for $12 and using Quicktime to capture because Premiere isn't seeing it. BUT...It seems to be capturing at 480 and not in HD. Is this because of the cables or the camera I got on eBay to digitize with?? I'll get the other cables if it gets me the higher res that I know it was originally shot in.

[@grunt12000]

Great video.

[@mikevandelagemaat]

Perfect!

[@tonyjoconnor]

Thank you. I did as you suggested as hey presto - I'm back in business. Needed to connect a Sony DHR 1000UX player to MacBook Pro. Tony O'Connor Dublin

[@johnffrench4340]

thanks, I'll give this a try

[@zeroinsdiary]

Ur amazing bro ❤️

[@AI-Hallucination]

Top man

[@jacoe33333]

You video is the best!! So you can use the firewire 800 cable directly to the camcorder then to the apple adapter. I don't need the 400 to 800 adapter if I have a 800 cable?

[@kimberlyobrien1835]

This is a great help. Thank you! I also have an older Canon video camera (8mm tapes) with only RCA cable ports. How would I go from RCA to thunderbolt?

[@ReR7474]

Gee what a mess of cables. I guess I have to buy those two Thunderbolt cables :( I have the Panasonic dvx with xlr mic and I trying to use the mic for recoding voice but I need to buy the extra 48v box and I figure to directly record to the Mac at this point and just keep the audio rather than spend $100+ since tge DVX mic set up is great quality!!

[@Mrjonathanwoods]

Thank you for this. It promises to solve my connection issue. Only problem is - I've found the thunderbolt 3 - thunderbolt 2 adapter on apple, but there's no thunderbolt 2 to firewire 800 adapter listed. Could you by any chance send me a link? Really sorry for the hassle. Thanks again.

[@joonamjoon]

thank you! can i do this with an older macbook? it has the usb connect not the usb-c. would i just need the same adapters except into usb & not usb-c?

[@charminbaer2323]

you can just use QuickTime to capture video and its already on your Mac.

[@JeremyNaus]

Thank you, I've been looking at all kind of adaptors from BlackMagic Design, but hadn't thought about just cable adaptors. I just ordered the cables you advised, if all goes well I'll be able to capture video from my old camera :-)

[@willloeb7388]

You’re the fuckin man!!! Going to spend $200 tm but seems like I’ll be solid!! Time > Money I owe ya!

[@nicolaykhmirov337]

Why your used that many adapters ? Your camcorder have hi-speed usb whith possible tranfer DV video lossles. My to this is model - GS500 camcorder. I compared. The output files are identical.

[@SuperWhiteLightning8]

THANK YOU

[@BryanBrews]

Thanks for this! Does iMovie work for capturing video??

[@MurrayPolisky]

I have an old Canon optura10. I have the IEEE 1394b (Firewire 800) cable and the Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter. My iMac has the original thunderbolt port so I don't need the Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter. When i connect the camcorder to the iMac nothing shows up in the Finder. I have set the Optura to AV to DV out in the camcorder menu set it in playback mode and still no go. Any ideas where I can get support on this?

[@creativehogg8628]

HELP! I've used the adapters and Premiere Pro is not recognizing my the Dvcam deck. All the device capture buttons are greyed out. Ugh.

[@ghahrai]

Hi thanks for the info . My mac book is the 2000 modle( pretty old) I don’t think it has the fire wire port in front like the one you show in this video. Now days nobody looks for these kinds of cables but i am trying to save some of my very old videos on my mac. I will look for the confections you mentioned on here. Do you know what kind of wires i would need to transfer from old fire wire port to mac book 2000? Cheers

[@breakz360]

Most direct firewire support has been removed from windows 10. And using a firewire 8 pin, or thunderbolt 2 directly from the old ports have problems on the new osx. The best bet is a thunderbolt 3(usb-c) with the daisychain adapters , firewire and thunderbolt. Or settling with low quality and using the usb to av cable capture devices. Then upconverting the files with the handbrake software. Or try iMovie if u get it going before paying for software

[@RachelAbbott]

Incredibly helpful and bought all the cables. However, when I tried to attach the DV cables, none of them would fit. One cable I bought (by mistake) was a DV to DV, and one end fits, the other doesn't - but all the cables I bought to add together, including adaptors and two thunderbolt cables can't be attached to the camera because the DV end doesn't fit. I bought both a 9 pin to 4 pin male to male and a a Firewire 1394 cable 4 pin to 6 pin. The only DV cable that works is one end of a 4 pin to 4 pin cable (but only one end). Is there some good reason for this? I thought I had bought every combination possible! Thank you!

[@banakula]

thanks so much! I've got the same camera.

[@henrikfrengler7903]

Thanks for the explanation. I'm using Sony DCR HC90 camera but my macbook don't recognize the camera. Is there a setting on the camera I need to do? I have tried so much and my next step will be to find another camera.

[@gatesbisson1746]

very helpful thank you

[@spooky1251]

Bro show us what are you doing in adobe. I don’t get it 😩

[@nathangonzlaez2]

Can you go with fire wire on one end of cable other end is usb to Usbc adapter on MacBook Pro ?? Anyone thx

[@renatovelarde422]

So lifeflix has good log and capture settings like older premiere does? I’ve struggled with this for years no one seems to have an elegant solution. I have hundreds of tapes, (I shoot and edit for a living.) the actual “DV” format is dead and can’t really even be played back in a modern OS even though it’s technically the least compressed. Do you thing a conversion to a modern h264/ mp4 looks ok? And can lifeflix go straight to a modern format like that from capture? I’m curious because logging everything will take forever, and I only want to do it once. It’d be nice to not have to convert after the fact. Thank you! Helped so much to know that a kooky daisy chain like that actually works.

[@kevinpaccione614]

Hey. Thank you for the great instructions. Do you have any idea if this will work with the iPad Pro 2021 that also has a USB C Thunderbolt port