friend's video footage shot on sony mini-dvd, huh?

so a friend wanted me to edit some clips of family footage.

it is not a gig but a favor for a family (mom's!) friend.

the footage was shot on a sony camcorder that shot to a mini-dvd.

i don't have access to the camera.

does anyone know:

what video format is probably this footage?

will mac superdrive's read a mini-dvd? i know stand alone dvd players will read.

i'm just trying to figure out a way to extract the footage so i can edit in imovie or final cut pro.

any and all thoughts are appreciated.

be well

rob

It's probably regular DVD format. As long as it's not a slot-loading drive, your Mac should read it like a regular DVD. Use Handbrake to rip and convert the DVD into something more edit friendly.

You can also use MPEG Streamclip. It's free and will convert to whatever you want to use, just about.

Squared 5 - MPEG Streamclip video converter for Mac OS X (http://www.squared5.com/svideo/mpeg-streamclip-mac.html)

edward/mark-

thanks for the quick reply.

good news that the mac pro should read the mini-dvd.

embarrassingly i must admit, i have never used handbrake or streamclip.

any tips on the dl, set-up, preferences and use of either software?

again, thanks in advance for sharing your insights and obvious experience.

be well

rob

Streamclip is very self-explanatory. All you have to do is download it and choose the file format you want.

I used one of these once (the mini-dvd) and Sony Vegas had an option to "Capture from DVD Cam corder) - or some such wording. I would assume your NLE should have the same.