DV Capture

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 6:52 AM

Using a Sony Handycam to capture some old footage from DV tapes.
Done this many, many times before.
This time VidCap in both Vegas 10 and 11 fails to recognize the camera, a DCR-TRV25, that I've been using for years.
Must be overlooking something obvious.

Thanks,

Dan

Comments

Chienworks wrote on 11/7/2011, 7:06 AM

Firewire cable going bad? Maybe loose; reseat the plugs.

Do you have multiple ports? Sometimes my computer will suddenly "forget" about one of the ports so i move the cable to a different port and all is well. The "forgotten port" will eventually start working again.

With the cable connected, try turning the camcorder off for a few seconds and then back on again.

PeterDuke wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:13 AM

Can you capture with the free WinDV?

http://windv.mourek.cz

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:18 AM

Steve over on Cows suggested WinDV.
Same result, no device detected. Tried a different cable and other suggestions from Kelly but still nothing.
Funny, huh?

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:19 AM

Could be the recepticle's been used so much its no longer physically connecting.
I'll get it checked out.

Former user wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:25 AM

If you are using Windows 7, check to make sure the firewire driver did not update itself. I have to revert it to legacy drivers for all of my firewire devices.

Dave T2

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:28 AM

My new computer does have Windows 7 installed.
What is a legacy driver. Sorry.

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 8:41 AM

Installed legacy driver, but still no go.

Arthur.S wrote on 11/7/2011, 2:59 PM

Sounds like a hardware problem. Does the PC recognise the cam when you connect it? Have you tried applying gentle pressure left/right to the connectors? Have you tried scenalyzer? (If it's still out there somewhere!)

Does the cam need switching DV in/out on in the menu?

diverG wrote on 11/7/2011, 4:08 PM

Is it possible to check the camcorder & cable on a second pc?
It might just show were the problem lies.

Take great care jiggling connectors. There is a 30v line on pin 1 of the 6 pin firewire. The adjacent pin is part of a data pair. My wife wrote of 3 firewire devices last week. Similar sounding problem to yours on a camera/pc setup that had work faultlessly for 5 years.

New PCI card with 4 pin firewire now fitted and working. The onboard firewire port now filled with araldite & disabled in bios

Geoff

Dan Sherman wrote on 11/7/2011, 4:37 PM

Getting that muted Windows 7 beep beep when I plug in the firewire to the camera, so I think the cable's OK.
Computer seems to be seeing it, but no VidCap.
WinDV doesn see it either.
I'll search around for the other capture software.

Chienworks wrote on 11/7/2011, 5:10 PM

When was your last reboot?

Rainer wrote on 11/7/2011, 5:35 PM

Diver G has good advice. Fit new PCI card and fill onboard firewire port with araldite.

Former user wrote on 11/7/2011, 5:59 PM

If the legacy driver didn't do it, try one of the other drivers. Mine shows 4 I think.

Dave T2

PeterDuke wrote on 11/7/2011, 7:40 PM

"fill onboard firewire port with araldite"

:)

Rainer wrote on 11/7/2011, 9:52 PM

Just to elaborate, a few of us are guessing you are using o/b firewire. You actually may be able to get this working with Windows 7 and the right driver, but it's really easier and more reliable to pick up a pci firewire card, which will cost under $10 and solve all your problems.