I bought the the baby MG133 camcorder which is, apparently, MPEG2/AC3 and produces .MOD files that are buried deep inside the folder structure of it's little HDD.

I could go a number of routes to solve this, by using VLC and some trickery or by searching these pages for "MPEG2" software but I decided to try this instead. It's a real one-trick-pony of an application but;

1. It can immediately see the files on the MG133.
2. It can effortlessly copy them to my Mac.
3. It can play and convert them into a few simple formats (QT, DV [NTSC|PAL], iM8, iPod, iPhone (no cellular option) & AppleTV).
4. It can save and export them.

and it does these few things quite well. The developer has an cataloguing tool (iDive) that I do not recommend [sorry guys] - search instead MovieGallery from Bitfield.se

I know there are other MPEG2 solutions, but none access the camcorder so effortlessly and most require purchase of the QT/MPEG2 Component from Apple but this one works fine for me. It needed to add ffmpeg at the outset, then needed an advanced version to handle AC3 audio. However the developer had thought all of this through and the links to the necessary code were all there and all worked.

As for later/better versions JVC's that use the different file format iMovie8 will accept them straight off the bat (apparently), try this <a href="http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=316036&highlight=JVC">Macrumors thread</a> for further info and links to tutorial assistance.