i'm going to buy a panasonic dv-953. i just got vegas 4.0d. is it safe to buy any old firewire card and cable? are there any compatibility risks if i get the cheapest?
You need to make sure that your firewire card is supported by the TI chipset---I think tha many around these parts use the ADS Pyro card---its under 100 bucks--If you are going to go for something cheaper just makes sure it isn't using the lucent or some other chipset--You get what you pay for. I wouldn't worry about the cable itself--most cards come with a servicable cable.
I have a few cheap ones ($39 about 6 months ago) that work without a hitch. One of mine came with the cable (almost $20 otherwise). The only firewire card that does not work with GL2 is the one built-into Audigy (it works with the Sony, but is not quite compatable enough to work with my GL2).