How do I get the Canon XL1S working with Windows XP Media Center Edition?

Question

When I plug in my camcorder, Windows (on my Dell DV 5000) doesn't recognize it at all. I tried another camera, and it didn't work. The camcorder says "DV IN", so the camcorder recognizes it for sure.Is media center known for having DV problems? Is the XL1S known for having problems like this?

Answer 1

The only thing I can say is that with such a good camera is why are you using MovieMaker?

The Xl1s cameras I used over the years have never had problems with any varieties of XP at all. Just check that your Firewire port is working and has no issues, turn the camera to VCR mode on the dial and it should find it...ping pong.

I would certainly recommend looking at better software as MovieMaker is notoriously unstable. With the XL1s you can get potentially broadcast quality video so make the most of it. Try Adobe Premiere Pro or Vegas etc. They will do justice to the camera. Get a demo version and check all is well with your camera connection anyway.

Best of luck.

Answer 2

As Little Dog mentioned, connect XLS to pc via firewire cable, but try to do another option...

capture video thru windows movie maker bundled w/XP

Answer 3

Use Firewire... Not USB.

The Canon XL family are all miniDV tape based camcorders. ALL miniDV tape based camcorders use firewire (IEEE1394a, i.LINK, DV) to connect the camcorder's DV port (not USB) to the firewire port of the computer.

If you are using firewire, try using WindDV to import the video. The camcorder needs to be in "Play" or "VCR" mode and plugged into AC power, too.