OT: HELP!!! Firewire port won't see cam?!?!

FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/2/2006, 2:37 PM
Hey I gots me a problem here, and I wanted to see what you folks thought before I start throwing money at the problem :P.

I have check the cam on my other machine, and it registers as being there, but when I a connect my DVX to this computer, the computer won't recognize that anything is hooked up. Any suggestions? windows itself won't see it, and I would like to get to work :P.

I may go pick up a firewire card, but I prefer for this 1 month old laptop to not be breaking.

Thanks,
Dave

Comments

fldave wrote on 10/2/2006, 2:42 PM
Is the firewire port enabled in Device Manager? Any exclamation points or red marks next to it?

I hate to say this, but 1 month old laptop, is there anything in the manual about enabling it?
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/2/2006, 3:24 PM
I've been through the device manager. I made sure everything is enabled, and I've used it on this laptop since I purchased it. I used it within the last week. I can't figure it out.

Dave
apit34356 wrote on 10/2/2006, 3:30 PM
Dave, check your network connections, see if a firewall is active on the firewire network. Also, in network connections, check system software assoc with firewire management.
Jayster wrote on 10/2/2006, 4:10 PM
I've read in firewall guides that the "network" connection created for your firewire port can be safely disabled in the "Network Connections" dialog. It serves no "networking" purpose, unless you are in fact planning to run a point-to-point network between two PCs with your firewire port.
fldave wrote on 10/2/2006, 4:26 PM
"firewire port can be safely disabled in the "Network Connections""

yes, mine are disabled in all my PCs for the past year without any problems.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/2/2006, 5:49 PM
I think the port must be busted, I have to say that I'm farily competent when it comes to PC's, and since this is a laptop (and it would seem they built the firewire right onto the board in this model) I think I'm going to have to send it in to the manufacturer, and or just buy the pcmcia firewire card and eat the fact that this manufacturer is 100% useless.

Dave

Edit: Anyone know if the port can be broken and the hardware device still think things are peachy?
apit34356 wrote on 10/2/2006, 6:09 PM
Dave, it could be a broken or loose pin in the socket, where it doesn't make a strong contact. Or the cable to the connector, but most laptops have their firewire connector directly solder to the board. A bad solder connection can easily be the problem.
apit34356 wrote on 10/2/2006, 6:13 PM
Dave, as a matter of habit, I carry with me two IEEE firewire pcmcia cards. One extra pcmcia with firewireb+usb2.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/2/2006, 7:47 PM
my inspiron 9100 had the firewire port built into the 2nd fan I believe (it's been a while since I had that off to clean) but this one is right on the board, and with all of 4-5 uses it's gone bad, I think that PCMCIA card is the way it's going to have to be from now on, I don't think it's very good design.

Dave
riredale wrote on 10/2/2006, 8:06 PM
It could be anything, but since it's only a month old I'd take it to the store where purchased and try to hook up a firewire drive to it just to verify that the firewire works at all. You didn't buy it from a store? Find a friend with a firewire-something. It could be a cable; I recently threw away a firewire cable that worked fine on the port of one computer but not on another.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/2/2006, 9:43 PM
Way ahead of ya :)

I tried several dif cables, on 2 dif. computers with 2 entirely dif. devices (one cam and one Ext. HD). Anyway, I just got the dreaded DELL (Power supply not recognized) msg. I'm sending this sucker in.

Dave
apit34356 wrote on 10/3/2006, 3:58 AM
Dave, I hope you have better results with Dell service than I have. When the Dell laptop works, they are really nice, but once they start to fail, its a slow painfull death.
I have used just about every laptop brand, Acer is good for features per dollar, Alienware for general powercomputing, but IBM laptops() travel the best.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/3/2006, 8:28 AM
my next laptop will be a lenovo

Dave
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/3/2006, 3:07 PM
I explained a large amount of the problems that DELL has made me suffer through, and the guy said that if I ship it back I can return the laptop even though it's not in the 21 day period, so i am and I ordered an HP 9000T with a core 2 duo 1.83 Ghz. 1 gig of ram a 100gig 7200rpm HD a 17" wide screen 1680x1050, and a 256 GeForce Go 7600. Anyway - hopefully this won't suffer the same motherboard problems that these dell's do. I've had it with Dell. I'm swearing off DELL laptops right here and now, never again. The only way I'll get one is if they stop manufacturing these defects with the system board right into the laptops, or it's given to me free.

Dave

BTW: The lenovo wasn't able to get me what I wanted/needed. So the hp got me what I wanted at a decent price.
winrockpost wrote on 10/3/2006, 3:48 PM
did you ever get that freebie laptop ? Least i think that was you, if not nevermind .
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/3/2006, 4:25 PM
it was I, but I was disqualified for having too many emails with the same address, so it was given to someone else. Poor sap :P

Dave
apit34356 wrote on 10/3/2006, 6:04 PM
Dave, too bad about the email issue. HP is good, but if you have time, check out the ACER line on pricing. Buy it in Canada, and ship to the USA. New models are available in Canada a little sooner than in the USA, and are a lot cheaper.
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/3/2006, 9:16 PM
I had looked at acers stuff, but was never able to find a good solution to the things I wanted.

This new laptop is as follows:

* – Intel(R) Core(TM) 2 Duo processor T5600 (1.83 GHz)
* – 17.0" WSXGA+ BrightView Widescreen (1680x1050)
* – 256MB NVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) Go 7600
* – HP IMPRINT Finish + Microphone + webcam
* – 1.0GB DDR2 SDRAM (2x512MB)
* – 100 GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive
* – FREE Upgrade - LightScribe DVD+/-RW w/Double Layer
* – Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 3945ABG Network w/Bluetooth

I don't know if Acer has that possibility (and really I wouldn't have minded a 1920x1200 screen).

Anyway, from what I have heard the Core 2 Duo's make a substantial dif. in regards to editing and rendering in Vegas.

and that graphics card won't be half bad for what gaming I do end up playing when I have some time to relax.

as far as the laptop I would have won, I'm certainly not sorry to have not gotten it, because that stupid "adapter not recognized" error is about a $400-$500 fix and I would have had to continually had to increase my warranty just to keep getting it fixed. Would have been more of a burden than a help.

Dave
MH_Stevens wrote on 10/4/2006, 12:35 PM
When you turn on the camera, does windows go "ding-dong"? Mine does that with my FX1 with HDV and nothing more, but windows via the same card DOES see DV from a DIFFERENT camera. I feel I have a non-compliant OHCI card in my Compaq Presario as I have covered all other bases just like you.

Michael
FrigidNDEditing wrote on 10/4/2006, 3:43 PM
the same cam worked in the slot not 2 days before it quit. It's the Motherboard. And appearently HP suffers from the same Poor soldering connection. I think that it could be poor intel boards that aren't doing a solid solder, but I don't know if HP and Dell handle some of these things.
winrockpost wrote on 10/4/2006, 4:03 PM
Fridge, pain in the butt for sure,, i wonder about firewire in general,, in 5 years i have burnt up a sony dvmac-2 converter ( I think thats it)
a cheap sony cam, and just the other day a cheap canon cam, and a not so cheap blue flame pro, all thanks to a bad firewire card or cable not sure which,, laptop problem sucks but long live your cams and converters :)
MH_Stevens wrote on 10/5/2006, 3:51 AM
See my new post "Firewire Cable is Critical for HDV"
Steve Mann wrote on 10/5/2006, 4:57 PM
I had a similar problem with my new deck. The computer and Vegas had no problem seeing it as a DV deck, but when I inserted an HDV tape, the PC ding-donged but Vegas couldn't see the deck.

Sound familiar?

Here's what my net research turned up, and it fixed my problem right away:

The PC wants drivers for a "AV/C Subunit" device that doesn't seem to exist.

The solution is to install the Sony D-VHS Tape device - and it took me a few minutes to figure out how.

After you've plugged in the camera/deck cancel out of the "installing 'AV/C Subunit' drivers".
Go to Computer Management/Device Manager where you'll see a device named "AV/C Subunit" with a yellow exclamation point.
Right-click on the yellow exclamation point.
Select UPDATE DRIVER.
Select INSTALL FROM A LIST OR SPECIFIC LOCATION, click NEXT.
Select DON'T SEARCH, click NEXT
Select the "SOUND, VIDEO AND GAME CONTROLLER" category, click NEXT.
Scroll down to the SONY brand name, then select the "Sony D-VHS Device".

After installing this the deck works perfectly!