My friend got a new laptop that only has USB ports, no firewire or even PCMCIA slots. How can he get video from his camcorder with a firewire connection on to that computer? I haven’t been able to find any firewire - usb adaptor, and given what I know of the two formats it seems unlikely that there is such a thing. Is there maybe a DVD burner that you can plug a firewire camcorder directly into or something like that? I know some DVD recorders will take a firewire input but that just gives you a DVD you can watch on your TV, not a digital file that you can edit with Movie Maker, right? Any help appreciated.
No such animal as a USB-firewire adapter.
Are you sure there’s not even an ExpressCard(smaller than PCMCIA) adapter on the notebook - you can get firewire cards for those.
Don’t think so, here are the specs of the laptop. Seems like a pretty nice laptop, I’m floored by the lack of ports. (Warning: pdf)
Any other ideas?
Yes there is: http://www.pixela.co.jp/en/products/tv_capture/pix_uvcd_u1w/spec.html
I don’t know how well it works.
This notebook is thebottom of the line in that series. IO is limited to the basics.
Does the camera use removable media cards of any kind?
No, MiniDV. Actually I think I just talked him into buying a new camcorder.
That’s a DV to USB port
DV is not the same thing as firewire.
Yes it is.
Darnit, he’s right.
That cable is probably exactly what you’re looking for - if the camcorder has the same plug.
That website looks 5 years old, and I don’t see any way to buy it.
Seems like it would be problematic anyway. USB can’t guarantee the transfer rate.