Sony HDR-SR 11 video import issue on iMac with macOS Ventura

If this was a MiniDV or Digital8 camcorder, I would expect it to have a FireWire (IEEE 1394, iLink) interface and for any USB port to be only for still photos or short, low-quality videos. But it's not one of those. It's a newer type of camcorder that represented an intermediate step between MiniDV/Digital8 and pure flash-memory-based models.

Sony Support – HDR-SR11 High Definition Hard Disk Drive Handycam® camcorder

Looks like it records MPEG-4 AVCHD movies to a built-in hard drive, or to one of Sony's proprietary Memory Stick PRO Duo / Memory Stick PRO-HG Duo memory cards. There's a USB port, but the iSony's directions for using the camcorder with a computer refer to some Windows application that only runs on Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

I would suggest getting a multi-format USB memory card reader that is compatible with the memory cards which this camcorder uses, and seeing if you can take AVCHD files directly off memory cards. Take the question of how nicely this thing plays with other devices, over a USB port, out of the equation, if you can.

elizabeth7777 wrote:

Thank you S of Cats. The content is all on hd of the video camera itself.

The camcorder can copy video from its internal hard drive to one of the compatible types of Memory Sticks. See Page 52 of the online user manual.

So a two-stage operation:

• Use the camcorder to copy video from its internal hard drive to its proprietary type of memory card
• Use a Mac with a multi-format card reader to copy the video from the memory card to the Mac

might be an option, if you have, or can get, the right type of card, and a reader with a slot for it.

Maybe your reply applies even if contents are on video camera hd (and not sd cards)

Your camcorder is not compatible with those cards. It requires other cards. Again, see the manual.

I found this: Sony Support – How to import movies with the Apple iMovie software

It sounds like early versions of iMovie could not import AVCHD files recorded in 60p (progressive) formats, but that the version of iMovie in Ventura is recent enough to be able to handle them.

I could not find your camcorder in the list here: iMovie for macOS supported cameras - Apple Support . From what I can see, the list includes many other Sony hard-disk-based camcorders that store video in AVCHD format, just not your particular model.