The Sony Handycam DCR-HC36 works beautifully with old Macs. For modern Macs (macOS Ventura/Sonoma):
You will likely need a PCIe FireWire card for a desktop or a series of adapters (Thunderbolt to FireWire) for a Mac. 3. How to Transfer Video Without the Original Disc Sony Handycam Dcr Hc36 Software Download
| Software | OS | Notes | |----------|----|-------| | (free) | Windows 10/11 | Tiny, reliable, captures raw DV AVI. No install needed. | | ScenalyzerLive (free/paid) | Windows | Advanced capture with scene detection. | | OBS Studio | Windows/Mac/Linux | Can capture via FireWire with DV input plugin. | | iMovie (pre-2019 versions) | macOS Mojave or earlier | Native DV capture. | | QuickTime 7 (Windows/Mac) | Legacy OS | Can capture DV via FireWire. | | Kdenlive / Shotcut | Linux/Win/Mac | Supports DV capture on Linux easily; Windows less so. | The Sony Handycam DCR-HC36 works beautifully with old Macs
If you must use USB, you may need to search for "Legacy Sony USB Driver" archives, though success is rare on 64-bit systems. i.LINK (FireWire/IEEE 1394) How to Transfer Video Without the Original Disc
One of the biggest points of confusion for DCR-HC36 owners is which cable to use for the software download to work. USB Streaming Driver
Because it records to tape, video transfer to a PC requires and a proper FireWire connection. The original Sony software suite was designed for Windows XP/Vista.