Video Capture : Firewire?

jondoe wrote on 8/17/2003, 4:32 PM
Hi guys, New to this, Need help!!!

Have Vegas 4 and I want to capture using my Samsung Camcorder with DV input/output port. Have a Laptop(Toshiba 1900-303) which has 2 PCMCIA slots and a firewire port, Windows XP.
Can I capture if I connect a dv-firewire converter cable(4-6/6-4 pin)?
Or will i really need a PCMCIA capture card?
Is Vegas compatible with Samsung models?

any ideas most appreciated??

Comments

riredale wrote on 8/17/2003, 5:06 PM
As far as I know, firewire is firewire. I think the magic words are whether your firewire port is "OHCI compliant." I can't imagine a laptop firewire port not being compliant, but you never know.
DGrob wrote on 8/17/2003, 5:39 PM
I have a Dell Inspiron 8200 with the same setup, a 4-pin internal port and 2 PCMCIA slots. My capture to C drive (or a firewired E drive later) were fine. I couldn't output (Print to Tape) through the internal 4-pin to save my (or Grazie's) soul. Wound up getting Belkin 2-port Firewire PCMCIA. I now handle my captures with the built-in 4-pin, but everything else runs through the Belkin card. One note, can't PTT in from the E drive and back out to the camera simultaneously. This forum thinks the total data transfer exceeds the card's ability. So I copy my renders from E to C, and then PTT as a seperate step. Good Luck. DGrob
Grazie wrote on 8/18/2003, 12:38 AM
. . . now where did I put my soul . . ? . .
ggp wrote on 8/18/2003, 11:20 PM
Be carefull here. Firewire is NOT firewire. Firewire is Apple stuff and IEEE 1394 is IEEE 1394 and they are not the same. Additionally, I have $30,000 dollars of video equipment loaded with Windows XP Pro that will not recognize a JVC dual deck. There's no driver in XP Pro. However, my laptop with XP Home will recognize it. The answer is, try it first and return the product if it doesn't auto detect. Don't wait for Bill Gates to come out with anything that works the same way twice!

A word to the wise...
Grazie wrote on 8/19/2003, 5:39 AM
Ggp is correct. This is the Tech Sheet informing Dell 8000 Inspiron Users of the machinations of what they call their "FireStar" adaptor . . makes for interesting reading . . .

Tech Sheet: SCI FireStar II IEEE-1394a Adapter
Qualified IEEE-1394 Devices • Quality Concerns


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Qualified IEEE-1394 Devices
Though several different devices support the IEEE-1394 standard, Dell Computer Corporation has qualified the SCI FireStar II adapter for use with digital video cameras only.

Installation and support of devices other than digital video cameras is on an individual manufacturer basis.

IEEE-1394 devices that are not externally powered are not supported on DELL system platforms.


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Quality Concerns
Video is transferred isochronously through the IEEE-1394 adapter to the PC. Using this transfer mode means that information not arriving in a timely manner will be discarded to allow for new content to arrive at its correct time. Several factors can potentially affect the quality of video content captured using the SCI FireStar II adapter. These factors are:


• Available system resources

• Operating system and application priorities

• Storage device capabilities and capacity

• Because of these factors, Dell Computer Corporation recommends the following to ensure the highest possible quality:

• When capturing video content to a PC, limit usage of the PC to capturing video only.

• Do not capture video to a removable storage device or an IEEE-1394 storage device directly.

• Ensure presence of adequate storage to capture video content.

• Do not perform stressful operations on storage devices while capturing video.

• Limit usage of exterior communication to limit priority interruptions by devices or applications.

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. . oh yes ggp, thanks for the heads-up on the JVC!

Here endeth the lesson!

Regards,

Grazie
TorS wrote on 8/19/2003, 5:50 AM
I think people prefer to call them firewire cards because it's a fabulous word, so much sexier than IEEE 1394. But it's true, Firewire is an Apple word - IEEE 1394 is a PC word. And iLink is Sony's word for that type of connection. The cards should be the same, I think most of them are, but the crucial test is if they are OCHI compliant.
Tor