Help! Can't get Sony HDV1080i to upload footage

I cannot get my Sony HDV 1080i/miniDV to upload video footage onto my computer!

I have tried with both my mac and my pc. With my mac, the camera icon pops up and only contains still photographs.
When I tried with my pc nothing showed up at all.

I am using a USB firewire cable that fits perfectly; I just don't understand how to access the footage on my computer!

Please help!--I have to make some short films for my college application by January. :eek:

are you using usb or firewire? they are two different cables and unfortunately to confuse the issue a mini usb port can look remarkably similar to a 4 pin firewire port and a 6 pin firewire port looks remarkably like a usb port. I have even seen one guy bend the metal on his port to make it fit. On the mac if you connect it to the firewire and open up i movie, then you should be able to capture the video, in fact if you have the camera connected correctly and switched on, i movie, or any other editing aplication you may have installed will auto run in exactly the same way i photo does if you connect a digital camera or even plug in a memory card to a card reader.

Which one am I supposed to use, a "USB" cable or a firewire cable? And 4 pin or 6 pin?

The one I have fits really well, so it seems like it should be the right one......it just doesn't do anything. :(

Thank you for your help, I really do appreciate it.

if you can see still pictures, you are most likely using the usb cable. to transfer video you need a firewire cable. the camera will have a firewire port on it. I believe sony also calls this connection an i-link on the camera it will most likely be 4 pin. your mac will have a firewire port, most likely 6 pin. your pc may or may not, not every pc has one. so you will have to get a 4pin to 6 pin firewire lead and then you should be in business. on the mac it will just start to work.

Thank you so so much!!!! It finally worked!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D