USB Capture

[TonyP]

I'm trying to help a friend. He has a Canon zr45mc camcorder (miniDV tape) and an HP Pavilion dv7 laptop running Windows 7.

He would like to transfer many of his tapes to his laptop, edit them, and then burn to a DVD. He does not want to transfer the tapes directly to a DVD without editing.

The problem is getting the video into the laptop. The laptop has USB, HDMI, and Ethernet ports. There is no firewire port. The camera has S-video and dv (Special 4-pin connector based on IEEE1394) output.

I have a Canopus ADVC110 converter which I use with my desktop via firewire. However, it won't work with his laptop because there is no firewire input.

My friend is willing to purchase a capture device, software, and even a new camcorder so he can capture the video to his laptop. He does not want to try adding a firewire port to the laptop.

I've seen several devices that claim to capture video and which have USB outputs. However, the user experience with all of them seems to be very poor.

I think what's needed is the ability to take the S-video output from the camera and transfer it to the laptop through a USB port.

Any suggestions as to how to proceed?

[Bobby]

IEEE 1394 is Firewire. It sounds like a cable or connector issue now.

EDIT: I am sorry - I misread that you thought there was no firewire port on the cam.

[TonyP]

Yes, the camera has a 4-pin firewire output. However, there's no firewire input on the laptop. If there was, things would be fine. Is there a firewire to USB cable?

[Peru]

I don't know if it will work , but I stumbled upon this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-USB-Firewire-iE ... 2a0a6e6ec0

[Chuck Engels]

It isn't very expensive to add Firewire to the laptop and with that camcorder it is worth having.
The last 4 laptops I've used have all had Firewire ports, is he sure that his laptop doesn't have one?

[TonyP]

I've suggested he do that, but so far he wants an "external" solution. I'm sure the laptop doesn't have a firewire input (neither does mine which is a similar HP).

What's the procedure for adding firewire to a laptop (just in case I can convince him its the best approach)? I may want to do that to mine.

[Chuck Engels]

Here is one option
http://www.amazon.com/Startech-Card-IEE ... B0000512GH

[Barb O]

Here is one option
http://www.amazon.com/Startech-Card-IEE ... B0000512GH

That link says that it is a "3 Port PCMCIA IEEE 1394 FireWire 400 Laptop Adapter Card"

Chuck, I understand your intent -
but I thought that many newer laptops do not have a PCMCIA card slot.

TonyP,
I suggest that you post -- what does your friend's and your laptop have for a possible expansion - perhaps some type of Express Card ?

[TonyP]

I do not have any slots for a PCMCIA or Express cards. I'm not sure about my friend's dv7. I looked on the HP forums and saw comments about newer models having no expansion slots. They seemed to have been abandoned in favor of a USB/eSata port.

If my friend has an expansion slot, then I understand that he can use a PCMCIA or Express card with a firewire input. That seems like a good solution.

If not, then he's in the same situation I am — no expansion slots.

Is it possible to go from firewire to eSATA?

Or is there an external device that will accept firewire and output USB?

My ports (from the manual) are:
2 External Monitor port Connects an external VGA monitor or projector.
3 RJ-45 (network) jack Connects a network cable.
4 HDMI port Connects an optional video or audio device, such as a highdefinition
television, or any compatible digital or audio component.
5 eSATA/USB port (select models only) Connects an optional high-performance eSATA component, such
as an eSATA external hard drive, or connects an optional USB
device.
NOTE: Depending on the computer model, the computer might
include only a USB port.
6 USB port Connects an optional USB device.
7 Audio-in (microphone) jack Connects an optional computer headset microphone, stereo array
microphone, monaural microphone.
8 Audio-out (headphone) jack Produces sound when connected to optional powered stereo
speakers, headphones, ear buds, a headset, or television audio.
9 SD card reader Reads SD cards that are inserted into the reader.

I do seem have the eSATA/USB combo port.

[mark hansen]

The latest DELL I got also doesn't have a firewire port or a PCMCIA slot. I guess that's the norm????

[Dave McElderry]

The latest DELL I got also doesn't have a firewire port or a PCMCIA slot. I guess that's the norm????

My guess would be that for most people firewire was only an alternative to USB as an interface for external drives. To the average user firewire was no longer needed when eSATA came along, Firewire as a video interface just doesn't occur to most people. FWIW, my Dell Studio 1558 laptop purchased earlier this year does have a firewire port.

[Chuck Engels]

I would think that firewire would still be important to all the millions of people that own MiniDV camcorders.

[Dave McElderry]

I would think that firewire would still be important to all the millions of people that own MiniDV camcorders.

No doubt. But how many use a laptop for that purpose? I would think that most people would capture on the same machine that they intend to use for editing. I've done editng on both, but pretty well gave up laptop editing because it's too hard on these old eyes, and more difficult in general to get the precision I often want. As a percentage of users I would think laptop capture/editing would be pretty small. But maybe I'm mistaken.

[Chuck Engels]

I bet the Mac Books all have a firewire port

[Jayell]

I use firewire to connect my two external drives .. but they also would connect thru USB. Is either one better for that purpose?