Panasonic PV-GS85 HELP!!! can't use it on my comp.?

Question

It didn't come with a CD-Rom. Panasonic doesn't have that model's drive ( i guess) and I plugged it on to my computer and it said it is installed. BUT, it is under the "disk drives", and it's not letting me use it as a camcorder. HELP! what do I do?

I am using the USB connection. Please help me, this is very stressful.

Answer 1

The Panasonic PV-GS85 is a miniDV tape based camcorder.

ALL miniDV tape based camcorders transfer DV from the tape to a computer using firewire... Your computer needs a firewire400 port. Firewire, IEEE1394a and i.Link are all the same thing. You will also need a firewire cable.

http://shop1.frys.com/search?search_type...

http://shop1.frys.com/product/4338375?si...

As you have found, USB does not work. A USB to firewire converter will not work, either.

You don't need the CD ROM that cam in the box with the camcorder because you don't need the USB device-specific drivers - and even if you had them, chances are REALLY good they would not work for capturing DV from the tape.

Answer 2

I don't understand what your trying to do. But with that model, I'm pretty sure you can only use the USB cable to send still pictures onto the computer.

If you are trying to send video onto the computer, you have to use a firewire cable.