How do I get footage from a mini dv tape onto my PC?

Question

How do I get footage from a mini dv tape onto my PC?

Answer 1

Depending on the features available in your camcorder model, here are a few things that you can do to achieve your objective:

1 -- If you have firewire port in your camcorder, get a firewire card installed in your PC and then using the s/w provided with the camcorder, transfer the video onto the pc.

2 -- If your camcorder supports USB streaming, then you can you the USB port on your PC to get the video transfered onto your PC.

3 -- If your PC has a TV tuner card, give the digital o/p of your camcorder to this tuner card and then get the video transfered onto your PC try going into imovie if you have a mac or windows media player for windows Your camera should have a firewire plug, and so should your computer. If your computer is less than 3 years old, you should definitely already have audio/video interfaces on your computer. A FireWire cable is called an IEEE cable. I think IEEE-1394 is the current standard. If your camera didn't come with that cable, you can buy one at any Radio Shack or any computer and electronics store. You can easily recognize it by its ends, they're these small "D" shaped plugs, much smaller than a USB plug. Look on your camera and lift some lids on its side to reveal the plugs. The small 1/8" plug is your firewire interface.

Hope that helped.

Answer 2

Well you need the camera and a firewire connection. If you don't have the camera, then you need some kind of converter. Both are pricey.

If you have a mini dv (cassette) camcorder….

Your dv camcorder needs a firewire connection (ieee 1394) in order to download video, your PC probably did not come with a firewire port, so you will have to buy one and install it, since most computers (except possibly brand new) don't come with a firewire port, your camcorder did not come with a firewire cord so you have to purchase a cord too. Your camcorder did come with a USB cord and that is used for downloading stills from your camcorder.

Answer 3

you need your camera, or if you only have the tape, youll have to get some kind of minidv tape player/reader thingy.

if you have the camera, use a usb connection, or firewire if its high quality stuff, but make sure your computer has a firwire port first. look in teh back of your computer for a socket with a number like 1394 or sumthing like that.