I've seen a lot of messages here at CamcorderInfo as well as on usenet and other web sites with people having FireWire/IEEE1394/i.Link transfer problems with their PC's. At first glance it would appear that very few people are able to successfully transfer video from their camcorder to their computer. So here is your chance to answer a poll and perhaps help someone with your comments or give others an idea of how much of a problem it has or has not been.

Rich

You do know that your answers aren't mutually exclusive, right? I could check "had problem and figured it out" and "cable problem". Lots of other combinations are valid, too.

Dennis

Yes, I considered that. I didn't want to (and could not) make it a massive threaded poll which would put people to sleep before completed. Yep, it's not perfect.

Rich

I bought IEEE 1394 4P/4P (FIRE WIRE) L=1M cable. From "dCables"
I hooked the Camcorder JVC GR DV800U to COMPAQ Presario.
Started Ulead Video Studio 8 and tried to capture.
Message:Either no device video capture driver is installed or device not connected
Tried with WIN MoovieEditor - Message: No Device is connected.

I checked the device manager: IEEE 1394 Controler working properly
The computer doesnt recognise in any way that the camcorder is connected to the coputer. Unlike when the Camcorder is connected to the PC via USB.
Do you think that something is wrong with the cable or I need any special drivers for comunication betwen the Camcorder and the computer.
Can you help me?

Usually PC's have "6 pin" sockets and laptops have "4 pin" sockets. You said you used 4P/4P cable. Are you sure you have the correct cable?

Normally you plug your camcorder in and it will be detected when you turn your camcorder on.

If you are using Windows XP (SP1 and SP2) there are no additional IEEE-1394 drivers needed.

The USB and FireWire connections are not really related, you can have one recognized and the other not recognized.

Check to see if you have a "1394 Net Adapter enabled" by going into "Control Panel", double click on "System", then "Hardware", then "Device Manager" you may have a "Network Adapters" icon with several items listed. On I have "1394 Net Adapter" disabled.

You can try WinDV or DVIO but so far I don't think that will work.
Easy Capture Program

You could have a bad cable.

If possible try the camcorder on another computer which has a known working firewire.

Rich

Actualy It's a Laptop and I think I have choosen the correct cable 4P/4P .
If it is working properly. I checked the device mannager for
1394 Net Adapter enabled I did not see it.
I think there is a problem with My Texas Instruments OHCI 1394 Host Controller And especialy with the driver. Does somebody know were I could get a driver?

I was able to use FW right away, as long as it was plugged into the ports on the back of my computer. I had bought a panel that extends audio, midi/joystick, USB, and FW to the front of the case. when using the FW ports on this, the connection worked, but I had about 20-30% dropped frame rate. this is obviously unacceptable, and I now only use the rear ports. I posted about this on here quite some time ago as well.

I am using a Canon ZR40, a SIIG 1394 card and cable, and Premiere 6.5


-Cambo

Finally I have the drivers installed correctly.
But when I connect the camera with the computer still nothing.
Ocassionaly I hit the reccord button on the camcorder JVC GRDV800U.
I heard sound and DV.IN lighted on the camcorders LCD i did not know that I have to hit record to start the connection. But the software still says capture driver missing or no device connected. When i remove the cable from either the camcorder or the computer thi DV.IN lights off. so the camcorder finds out some how that the computer is connected but the computer doesnt recognises the camera.
Have you encountered such a problem.
What should I do?

I am not familiar with your camera at all, but I do have a theory. If the camera is displaying a "DV IN" message, then it might be set to only input video to it from the computer. Check to see if there is a setting for "DV IN/OUT". Also, the camera should be in playback mode, not record/camera mode in order to transfer it to the computer.

-Cambo

Do not underestimate the problems a bad Firewire cable can cause. Just last week I was transferring some video from my Panasonic DV953 to my PC. When I plugged it in and powered up the cam, the PC froze. No mouse. No key input. I powered down the cam and the PC returned to normal. Repeat. And repeat. Same. Same. Argh.

I picked up the cam to check the cable was in all the way to the FW port and the mouse worked fine. OK, problem solved, I thought. I set the cam back down and the PC froze. Pick up the cam and the PC unfroze. Repeat. And repeat. Finally I held the cam for the transfer since I only had 4 minutes of video to capture.

This cable just won't seat properly when the cam is at a certain angle. You could spend hours trying to trouble shoot a problem like this. It was just dumb luck that I picked it up when I did.

Good luck.

Dennis

After weeks of trying to figure out why I couldn't transfer/capture my DV video to the PC I've finally figured it out. The computer would recognize the camcorder and I could control it (play, rw, ff, stop, etc..) but the preview window would be blank and would not transfer using a number of different software.

The basic problem is the IEEE1394 port on the JVC miniDV camcorders are designed to work with the TI chipset built into the IEEE1394 PCI capture cards. Once I installed one of these cards the problem was solved.

Add me to the list of those who are having problems. I don't know whether it is firewire, camera, cable or computer! My DCR-TRV22 will connect to the computer, but after a couple of seconds, it disconnects.

Hi Ron,

That is where DV Capture 1.0 shines. see my previous thread. People on consumer cameras should have their confusion abstracted. They do not get the luxury of having systems tested from a non linear reseller. Unfortunately, the prices these products go for means there is relatively no support whatsoever and no testing of the system as a whole. I have had people come to my shop with Macs on FCP having similar issues or worse issues of drop frames,so the issue is pretty wide spread.

People assume DV to be a trouble free technology. DV is affordable and acceptable, fun and sexy, but it is hardly problem free, especially when you consider how many things can be added to the workflow (i.e within the computer or outside the box). There are a lot of choices combinations and permutuations of work flow and connectivity, drivers etc. The more items in the chain means a greater list of potential items you will have to trouble shoot.

For anyone on a PC, I totally recommemed Win XP or XP Pro as really the only choice. Having firewire on the motherboard is also a good way to assure more compliance.

Texas instrument has had a long history of not being totally OHCI compliant. Matrox had a huge problem with TI chipsets back in the early days of DV, when the only thing that was truly doing DV was FAST DV Master which used a SONY proprietary chip.

My parents really like DV Capture 1.0. They say now they can capture without a manual. These are people who think manuals are written in hyroglyphics.

jerry
www.jetstreamer.com

Hi Jerry:

I can't even get to the point where the software recognizes the camera! I have tried Pinnacle, Windows Movie Maker and InterVideo. When I go to Control Panel "Scanners & Cameras" , my camcorder is not shown.

Thanks,
Ron

Ron,

I have had problems with both those applications and I am a Pinnacle reseller as well.

What operating systems are you on?
What Firewire card do you have?
Download DV Capture 1.0 .
This URL will allow you to download without having to register.

http://www.moogear.com/downloads/DVCapture_10_08_04.zip

best of luck
jerry
www.jetstreamer.com