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Canon mv950 camcorder to pc??

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  • 06-08-2009 9:32pm
    #1
    iggy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,003 ✭✭✭


    Hi

    Can anyone help me?

    My father has a canon mv950 cam and wants to put all the DV tapes onto his laptop which is a Compaq Presario CQ71.

    It doesnt have a firewire port.

    Can somebody tell me what I need to get?

    I need a IEEE 1394 cable and is there some sort of firewire adapter to usb or what do I need?

    Windows Movie Maker can be used as the software afaik.

    Thanks in advance


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    #2
    DDigital
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭DDigital


    I assume you mean the laptop doesn't have a firewire port. In that case you can buy an adapter that converts the firewire output to a usb input. Try the usual haunts of PC world and Peats.


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    #3
    iggy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,003 ✭✭✭iggy


    Can i do an adapter??
    PC World said i need to get a card which price at 70 euro


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    #4
    DDigital
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭DDigital


    iggy wrote: »
    Can i do an adapter??
    PC World said i need to get a card which price at 70 euro

    Its the same thing.


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    #5
    Federal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23 ✭Federal


    DDigital wrote: »
    Its the same thing.

    It is most definitely not the same thing. A firewire to USB adaptor will only capture the footage at USB speed, which is in fact faster than firewire, but only in bursts, this is bad for transferring video footage as it will give inconsistencies in the quality of the video, if the highest quality is of paramount importance, do not use this method. Installing a firewire card will involve opening your CPU tower(or laptop in your case) and installing the firewire card into a free PCI slot. This will give your laptop a firewire port which will allow you to transfer footage at a much faster, steadier rate, like it should be transferred at. With laptops compact dimensions, I doubt you will be able to install a firewire card, this is why a lot of laptops come with a firewire port installed, a lot more commonly than PC CPUs do, as they usually have several free PCI slots.

    Late reply I know.


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    #6
    DDigital
    Closed Accounts Posts: 190 ✭✭DDigital


    Federal wrote: »
    It is most definitely not the same thing. A firewire to USB adaptor will only capture the footage at USB speed, which is in fact faster than firewire, but only in bursts, this is bad for transferring video footage as it will give inconsistencies in the quality of the video, if the highest quality is of paramount importance, do not use this method. Installing a firewire card will involve opening your CPU tower(or laptop in your case) and installing the firewire card into a free PCI slot. This will give your laptop a firewire port which will allow you to transfer footage at a much faster, steadier rate, like it should be transferred at. With laptops compact dimensions, I doubt you will be able to install a firewire card, this is why a lot of laptops come with a firewire port installed, a lot more commonly than PC CPUs do, as they usually have several free PCI slots.

    Late reply I know.

    Just to clarify, as I have a very big dislike of people misrepresenting any advice I offer.
    Iggy asked about transfering footage to a laptop with no firewire port. (as a previous owner of a compac presario, it can't be installed with firewire capability) I suggested a firewire/USB adaptor. Iggy asked would an "adaptor" do and I replied its the same thing, meaning the FW/USB adaptor Id referred to. The reason I recommended the adaptor is because as you have pointed out (and Ive experienced in the past) most older laptops that do not already have a firewire port cannot have one installed. Iggys question was specifically about a laptop with no firewire capability. So in the circumstances I offered Iggy the only advice thats practical.


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    #7
    Amalgam
    Registered Users Posts: 6,026 ✭✭✭Amalgam


    Hello, I don't understand the urge to go through USB. If the laptop has some sort of card slot, like Express Card or PCMCIA, surely it would be best to keep it Firewire all the way.

    I find the adaptors quirky at best, not always working with certain applications.

    There's no need to use Windows Media Player to transfer footage, I would suggest using WinDV. Free and safe. You're basically dumping the footage onto your Hard Drive. Worry about what you want to convert it with, afterwards. I always find it safer and more prudent to separate the two tasks. Transfer and\then processing..

    http://windv.mourek.cz/

    ---

    An Express Card Firewire card should be in the region of 15-30 euro, at worst. You being told 70 euro is an insult.. An online purchase will be cheaper. Have a look at http://www.dabs.ie/ or http://elara.ie/ to get an idea of prices and availability.

    iggy, if you provide more detail about the type of data card you can plug into your laptop (it is hard to tell from the Compaq site, they list I/O ports only). a boards.ie member can better tailor an answer for you.


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    #8
    Payton
    Registered Users Posts: 1,682 ✭✭✭Payton


    If you have or can borrow a DVD recorder you can connect your camcorder to the DVD Recorder with the cables that came with your camcorder and record it to a DVD/RW, then install them on to his hard drive. Just my 2c worth.:)


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