Very slow video import from camcorder to computer?

Question

I have always been able to very easily pull up video from my trusty old digital camera (Canon PowerShot SD500); just plug it in by USB and follow the directions. However, when I want the new Sony DCR-DVD308 Handycam video to export to the computer (HP w2408 with MS Vista), I hook the USB to the Handycam, the computer finds the USB okay (the USB insertion sound is made), and then the camera display (the camera is set up to display the movie already made) then says "connecting" "Do not unplug the USB cable. Do not turn off the power." Using the Sony Picture Utility, video transfers, but it takes FOREVER (a video clip that ended up being just 21 seconds long took over ½ hour to transfer). I have also tried Windows Movie Maker ("Import from Video camera") unsuccessfully. What am I doing wrong? Do I have to hook the camera up and go to bed and check on it in the morning?

Answer 1

why do you try using firewire to transfer the video. firewire is good than USB because it don't compressed the video like USB do.

Answer 2

The Camera Came With A Peice Of Software You Have To Install Called Picture Motion Browser U Have To Use That To Get The Video And You Have Finalize The DVD In Your Camcorder And Then Rip It To The Computer Using Picture Motion Browser I Have The DCR DVD 108 And They Work Almost Exactly Thwe Same

Answer 3

No matter what camcorder you have, your PC will import the file in 'real time'. Basically it depends on the amount of time you filmed. If you filmed an hour, the import will take an hour.

Answer 4

I understand exactly what you are going through! We just bought a Sony DCR-DVD610 and it comes with that same craptacular software. It works fine if you use it with Windows XP, but we switched to Vista and now it takes almost an hour to import a 10 minute clip. There's nothing you can do to speed up the process unless you want to go back to XP which is way faster for importing. So unless you feel like finalizing your discs you're just going to have to learn patience. I've looked....we're stuck with it the way it is!

Answer 5

I'm not sure what the camcorder's doing to make things so slow, but you don't need to transfer your video via USB.  Finalise the DVD in the camcorder, put it in your PC's DVD drive and rip it using DVDDecrypter.  A couple of things you need to be aware of - once you've finalised the DVD you can't record anything more on it unless it's a rewriteable, and Windows Movie Maker can't edit DVD files.  If you want to edit them you'll either have to convert them using something like Super or you'll need a better editor.