iMovie 6 & iDVD: The Missing Manual

Starting Up and Importing

Trouble getting going? Here’s some advice.

iMovie Fails to Connect to Camera

Connection problems usually involve FireWire issues, discussed in Chapter 4.

When your FireWire connection doesn’t appear to be the problem, try adjusting your Mac’s audio settings. (That sounds weird, but it sometimes helps.) For example:

• Open GarageBand and play a few notes, or

• Open the Audio MIDI Setup application (in your Applications/Utilities folder). Change the Format settings to 44100Hz (CD Quality) or to 48000Hz.

iMovie Fails to Launch on Intel Mac, or Fails To Save Imported Video.

If you have an Intel-based Macintosh and you used Migration Assistant or Setup Assistant to move data from your old Mac to your new one, a danger lurks: your FontCollections folder. (That’s inside your Home → Library folder.) If iMovie is misbehaving after such a transfer, throw away this folder. (It doesn’t actually delete any fonts.)

iMovie will create a new FontCollections folder containing the files it needs.

“Camera not connected”

If you get this message in the Monitor window when you click the Camera button, it probably means one of these things:

• Your camcorder isn’t plugged into the Mac with a FireWire cable.

• The camcorder isn’t turned on.

• You’re using a camcorder whose FireWire circuitry isn’t completely compatible with the Macintosh. (Some older JVC camcorders—circa 1999–2000—fall into this category.)

If you get the “Camera not connected” message the very first time you try to connect a new camcorder ...