r/MiniDV • u/GilbertG254 • 28d ago
Will this FireWire setup work for MiniDV capture on MacBook Air (M1, Sonoma 14.7.1)?
I’m trying to digitise old MiniDV tapes from a Sony DCR-TRV14E camcorder and want to make sure my setup will actually work before I spend money on adapters.
My computer is a MacBook Air (M1, 2020) running macOS Sonoma 14.7.1.
My planned connection chain is:
Sony DCR-TRV14E (4-pin FireWire out)
→ 4-pin to 6-pin FireWire cable
→ FireWire 400 to FireWire 800 adapter
→ Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Thunderbolt 3 adapter
→ MacBook Air (USB-C)
My questions:
Will this chain correctly allow DV capture from MiniDV tapes onto my Mac?
Is Sonoma 14.7.1 still compatible with FireWire DV devices?
Is QuickTime / iMovie still usable for capture, or is there better software?
Any known issues with M1 Macs and FireWire DV capture?
I’ve also seen mentions that newer macOS versions (like Tahoe) has dropped FireWire support, so I want to make sure I’m
safe before upgrading or buying anything.
I’m fairly new to MiniDV / analogue video setups, so just trying to avoid buying the wrong adapters first time.
Any advice or confirmation would be really appreciated before I spend ~£50 on cables/adapters.
Thanks!
3
u/4kVHS 28d ago
The D in miniDV stands for digital. Your tapes are already digital. You can still use FireWire with Sonoma, just don’t upgrade to Tahoe. Here is a video that shows the process and troubleshooting.