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Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

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Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby UKPal » Fri Feb 06, 2015 7:35 am

Hey All

I have a bunch of Mini-DV tapes (like 60!), but no longer have a PC with a Firewire port. I still have the mini-DV cam but am unsure how I might now get the footage from the tapes to edit!

Any gadgets I can buy?

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Re: Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby Steve Grisetti » Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:27 am

Although there are USB devices that will capture video, there's really no substitute for a Firewire connection with it comes to capturing DV.

If you've got a desktop, FireWire cards are dirt cheap on Amazon and very easy to install. If you've got a laptop, you can try using a PCMIA card with FireWire ports.

Here are some other solutions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BthebohwsDk
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Re: Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby sidd finch » Fri Feb 06, 2015 11:32 am

I have installed a firewire card on my desktop and used the PCMA card with great success. It seemed to be just as fast as the firewire port connection. Some of the new laptops are not even putting PCMA slots on anymore...

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Re: Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby Chuck Engels » Fri Feb 06, 2015 1:05 pm

I spent a lot of time trying to find another solution, there really isn't one. As Steve and Sidd have mentioned above, adding a firewire card to a desktop is very easy and only costs about $20 US. Adding one to a laptop can be a little more difficult these days. Some of the Lenovo Thinkpads still come with Firewire ports :)
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Re: Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby UKPal » Sat Feb 07, 2015 4:11 am

Thanks guys for the tips! Hugely appreciated.

(And I only just realised I posted in the audio forum - Doh!!!) :roll:
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Re: Mini DV Tapes but no PC with Firewire

Postby Chuck Engels » Sat Feb 07, 2015 10:54 pm

:hyst: I never realized that until you mentioned it
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