Importing Sony miniDV videos to macOS Catalina 10.15

https://discussions.apple.com/docs/DOC-250008282

If you can't import digital video from your MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder in digital form – because you're running Tahoe or because you can't find the discontinued Apple Thunderbolt to FireWire 800 adapter, there is an alternative.

Just about all MiniDV and Digital8 camcorders have analog output: composite video + sound, on occasion, S-Video too. You may need a breakout cable (supplied with the camcorder) to get this onto regular RCA and/or S-Video connectors – but once you do, you can feed it into a USB video capture card and capture software, like that meant for capturing video from VHS videotape recorders.

Having to export the video from the camcorder in analog form, and then redigitize with the USB video capture card, may cause some loss of quality. But if the alternative is not being able to get your old videos onto your computer, the quality loss may be acceptable.

In some places, there may also be businesses which can transfer the video on MiniDV tapes for you. I do not know how much they usually charge for that service.

Please tell us some details;

• The exact model Mac laptop you are using. Go to  > About This Mac to find the model name.
• The exact version of macOS Catalina
• Are you using the Apple Thunderbolt to Firewire adapter? If not, what adapter is it?
• What cable are you using from the camera to your Thunderbolt/Firewire adapter?

What version of macOS is on your wife's new Macbook Air?

For £10 you can buy a VHS capture card like this as suggested by Servant of Cats.

Analogue Capture Card

It plugs into a normal USB socket.

It won't give you DV quality . . . it will be slightly lower, like VHS but when viewed on small screens like mobile phones it will look really good.

I don't think your grandchildren will be bothered by not getting the highest possible resolution.

Follow the instructions in the article that @Keith Barkley linked earlier.

In particular, on the MBAir running Sequoia you probably need to do the procedure called "Restore legacy video device support, also linked in Keith's article.

Firewire cameras can be used to capture video with all versions of macOS up to and including Ventura. For Sonoma & Sequoia it is usually necessary to do the "Restore legacy video device support" procedure. That's where it ends ... Firewire is not supported at all in Tahoe.

Regarding your wife's "brand new MacBook Air" ... if it is running macOS Tahoe there is no way to capture miniDV video on it via Firewire because Tahoe does not support Firewire.

I am sorry, I can't understand this issue. Getting DV from a camera to the Mac does not involve the network at all.