New to Premiere Pro, refuses to import DV footage from Vixia HV30

[richardsullivan]

"Wrong Input Format, Try Changing Camera Format or Capture Settings."

iMovie has no problem importing footage from this camera on my MacBook Pro. Does anyone have a solution? Much appreciated.

[Jim_Simon]

First thing that comes to mind is you'll need to connect the camera to a Firewire port on the edit system, which you likely don't have.  Going through adapters often doesn't work.

[richardsullivan]

Thanks for your response. My MacBook Pro doesn't have firewire - it has thunderbolt and the videocam is connected to that. As an aside, iMovie is free and has no problem importing footage; Premiere costs a fortune and wants us to jump thru hoops for something so absolutely basic.

[Jim_Simon]

FireWire ports were a LOT more common back when people were using tape-based cameras.  No one does any more, so the port just kind of disappeared.

[jmshrrsn]

With respect, many people have hundreds of tapes from the days of DV, DVCAM and HDV. I get a bit tired people suggesting otherwise.  The one reason to connect an older format tape machine is to digitise the material using a computer!  Until Catalina/Big Sur I was able to use a FireWire adapter into my MacPro and capture archive material no problem; now it seems I need to buy another interface to have any hope of digitising valuable archive tape.

[Ann Bens]

Dont blame Adobe, blame Apple.

On windows you can still capture tape with the latest build (15.1 48)

[Meg The Dog · Accepted solution]

In your project, go to File > Project Settings > General and see what format of video Premiere is expecting to find on the connected device:

If this is not the format of video you shot on your camera, then change it.

If it is the format of video you shot on your camera, then make sure your camera is not down-converting the video (Down-converting HDV to DV, for example) at the firewire (iLink) port. There is an internal menu setting in the camera to turn this downconversion on or off.

If Premiere is expecting an HDV tape, and the camera is set up to down covert to DV, then Premiere will see an incorrect source.

MtD

[richardsullivan]

Thank you!!

[Juan Muratalla]

Mine only shows HDV, my camcorder is old DV camera, Quicktimes and iMovie detect it but not Premier, I have acutally tried them and they work except that they have a problem with time drops and it creates a whole bunch of little clips and Quciktime has a lipsync issue.

[LiselotteB82C]

I have the same exact problem. I am trying to import DVCam tapes that were shot in 4:3 aspect ratio and Premier is telling me its the wrong format. I have gone to the capture format section as above but clicking on it simply gives me the same option as is already presented as in "DV". So effectively I have a choice of DV or DV. Not very helpful. I have searched for 16:9/4:3 switch but can find nothing. I'm new to this edit system and find it very frustrating. You tube is a great knowledge base but constantly switching back to youtube isn't helping.

[Averdahl]

I have the same exact problem. I am trying to import DVCam tapes that were shot in 4:3 aspect ratio and Premier is telling me its the wrong format.

By @LiselotteB82C

It´s not the format as in 4:3/16:9 Premiere Pro complains about. The format Premiere Pro complains about is if you for example try to feed Premiere Pro with a HDV stream while Premiere Pro expects a DV stream or vice versa. 

Go to Edit > Preferences > Device Control and click on Options and make sure that it matches what you are trying to capture. For example, if it is set to NTSC while you are trying to capture PAL you have a mismatch you need to correct.

Or, download a free copy of ScenalyzerLive and experience trouble free capturing. Premiere Pro is not the best capturing tool as you just have noticed. I used ScenalyzerLive for years and noticed that it is free now.

[Jeff Bellune]

I am capturing all of my old DV tapes right now on a 2019 MacBook Pro running Big Sur 11.4.

I use several tools, some free with macOS and some not.

I can use 2 different connections to the MBP.

Free tools:

• QuickTime Player
• iMovie

Not free tools:

• Final Cut Pro X
• LifeFlix

If you want, I can talk about the benefits/limitations of each and go more in-depth to my connections. The good part is, once the video is captured to .mov files, Pr will import and edit them very well.

[Ann Bens]

Premiere needs firewire to capture from the hv30.

I recently capture hdv with a hv20 and had no issues: Premiere 2018 on W10.

[richardsullivan]

Thanks!!

[videethis as well]

For some reason I can only choose HDV. I'm using build 14.1.0

Any help would be much appreciated. 

[Ann Bens]

You are most likely on catalina. Feature has been removed.

[rorydcs]

So is it now impossible to conver on catalina?

[Ann Bens]

That is correct.

Only way to fix this is revert to previous OS.

[Andy 1968]

The correct answer is actualy an incorrect answer. I can opt to select my Intensity Shuttle in project setting and still use a DV converter. The capture utility of Premiere Pro will let you select different hardware on the fly. The options in the capture panel must be set correct. The video below might be helpful although the Mac Mini in the video does not have the latest version of OS X.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vATw63nn3OQ