Computer Related > Mini DV recorder to laptop.	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Bobby	Replies: 35

New Sun 9 Sep 18 19:54   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Cleared out some of the loft today and came across my old mini DV recorder and a load of tapes. Surprisingly for me I also found all the cables for it. I have a USB out cable for it. How would I go about copying these tapes to the hard drive of my laptop? In simple instructions please! I have VLC player installed on laptop if relevant! Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 9 Sep 18 20:26   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

>> I have VLC player installed on laptop if relevant! Its not. You will either need to buy a USB video in dongle, or find the drivers that came with the DV camera and the utility to decode the digital format of the files Its unlikely that win 10 will support it. If you are very very very lucky, plug in the USB and power on the camera, Windows will make the "ping pong" noise, and it will appear as a drive or will offer to import the files. If you are even luckier, they will be in a format that VLC will recognise. Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 9 Sep 18 20:50   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Cheers. I will report back... Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 9 Sep 18 21:37   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

If it also support Firewire (IEEE1394) out it's more likely to be compatible with apps using that than USB. I have had two DV cameras and using Firewire with a Mac it had full control over it. Not so flexible over USB. Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 10 Sep 18 22:33   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

>>I have a USB out cable for it. OK I lied - I glanced and thought I saw it was USB at one end but it isn't. The side that plugs into the camera is like a small rectangle but the bottom side raises up a bit in the middle. The other end of the cable is sort of rectangular but jutts out like an arrow at one end! I can't seem to find an image on the net to link to it! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 10 Sep 18 22:48   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

this is it www.reichelt.com/gb/en/index.html?ACTION=446&LA=3&q=82578 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 10 Sep 18 22:56   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - No FM2R

That link doesn't work for me. Is that cable the only one you have got? And what's on the other end of it? Does it have any sockets for RCA, or S-Video or anything? Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 10 Sep 18 23:17   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

Link did not work for me either but I searched that website for part of the URL: 82578 And that shows Firewire A 6pin to 4pin, i.e. full size Firewire IEEE1394a for the PC end and the smaller 4pin for the camera end. As soon as you said Mini DV I thought it would be easier using Firewire. Assuming of course you have a Firewire IEEE1394 socket on a PC or laptop or an adapter for it. Most apps capable of importing video from a Firewire attached camera will be able to do play, rewind, fast forward, stop etc. You mention laptop so it won't have a Firewire port and even Macs that had them had the newer IEEE1394b which needed an adapter. Last edited by: rtj70 on Mon 10 Sep 18 at 23:20 Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 10 Sep 18 23:32   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

yeah thats it , 6 pin to 4 pin but of course no firewire socket on my laptop! Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 01:21   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

The camera may support USB - mine did. But that was limited. There will be IEEE1394 to USB adapters for sure. Does the laptop have any Thunderbolt ports? Because an adapter for that might be better. Not many Windows PCs/laptops had Thunderbolt but newer laptops will. And of course USB-C is even better and you'd just need a USB-C to IEEE1394a adapter. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 08:09   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

You are going to need something like this www.amazon.co.uk/DIGITNOW-Capture-Transfers-Digital-Windows/dp/B078H54QDR The camera should have come with video out (composite or RGB) RCA sockets, you'll need to use those. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 09:09   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

If you use video out you will be getting a PAL 576i version of the video. Using Firewire you can get the digital version which will be better quality and not interlaced. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 09:15   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

He's not going to get firewire working, he hasn't got a port for a start. And the original footage is not going to be that good from a machine of that vintage and may well be interlaced at recording source. In bobby's case its capture or nowt. he has nothing to lose Last edited by: Zero on Tue 11 Sep 18 at 09:15 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 14:10   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

It would be handy knowing what DV recorder it is. My Sony one for example can output via the USB port but it is much easier using the Firewire connection. Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 17:18   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

If he knows anyone with a Mac then it's either got Firewire (albeit the smaller 6 pin connector) or Thunderbolt. There is a Thunderbolt adapter for Firewire - I know because I have one. Trouble with transferring the footage as digital (or analogue) is it takes as long as the tape needs to play and takes up lots of room. I know because I've got a fair bit on lots of tapes but never transferred all of it. When you do have it in digital format, worth using something to convert to MPEG-4 or better H.264 to save space. Not too compressed to lose quality. Last edited by: rtj70 on Tue 11 Sep 18 at 17:20 Reply to this message | Report message

New Tue 11 Sep 18 22:07   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

It’s a Canon MV450. Now going through my bin bag of cables again..... Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 09:01   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

Well you are lucky sunshine, go to the Canon web site and you will see that this is still supported and even has windows 10 drivers. Getting the Canon software to accept a USB/Firewire dongle might be hit and miss tho. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 09:57   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

There is such a cable as 4 pin Firewire to USB but they are mostly useless. Some camcorders did support this type of cable, switching the output from the 4 pin Firewire port from IEEE1394 to USB. But most did not. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 21:27   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

when i check on the canon website it says there are no drivers or downloads available? www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/camcorders/digital/mv_series/mv450.aspx?type=firmware Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 21:35   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

It did that for me - but assumed it was because it detected I was using macOS High Sierra. I'd be confident with a Firewire 6pin to 4-pin cable I'd get that working to capture video on a Mac without any drivers. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 21:47   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

well thats ruddy weird, I found them this morning, from my mac, now I cant. I hate Canon Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 21:50   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

try this www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/camcorders/digital/mvx_series/mvx450.aspx?type=download&language=&os=WINDOWS%2010%20(64-bit) Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 23:45   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Thats a slightly different model zero, mvx450 instead of mv450? If I ever get it connected I can give it a try I suppose? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 22:19   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - No FM2R

That Camera has an s-video out. So you'll need an S-Video cable and one of these [or similar] www.amazon.co.uk/External-USB-Video-Capture-Card/dp/B008F0SARC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1536787103&sr=8-1&keywords=Diamond+VC500 You then play the tape on your camera and the device and software captures it. Not quick, but it works. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 22:40   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

Hopefully Bobby has the cable already because the camera came with it. As for: >> You then play the tape on your camera and the device and software captures it. Not quick, but it works. It's no quicker transferring the digital video via Firewire/IEEE1394.... you still need to play the tape at normal speed. Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 23:05   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - No FM2R

Inevitably I guess, with an analogue recording. What is the advantage of Firewire? Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 23:34   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

on one of the FAQ on the Canon page it stated that it wasnt compatible with USB and it needed to be a firewire? www.canon.co.uk/support/consumer_products/products/camcorders/digital/mv_series/mv450.aspx?type=faq&search=1&searchurl=/support/consumer_products/content/faq/?itemid=tcm:14-522358 Q. Can I use the USB connection to download video to my computer instead of Firewire? A. The speed of the USB standard is not sufficient for video transfer. Solution The USB interface allows the transfer to a computer, of STILL images from the Digital Video (DV) camcorder (models with the still image feature). Video cannot be downloaded via the USB interface, as the speed of the USB standard is not sufficient for video transfer. Downloading video to the PC requires the use of a Firewire interface (also known as an IEEE1394 interface). Reply to this message | Report message

New Wed 12 Sep 18 23:42   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

so on the basis of the above FAQ, what cable do I need now if USB ain't going to work? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 01:20   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - No FM2R

Did you see my post above? An S-video cable and a widget from Amazon. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 13:49   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Yeah I did but that connects through USB ?? Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 14:04   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - No FM2R

Not directly, no. S-Video from the camera, just as if it was playing out to a TV. S-Video is the video & audio out. [You can use RCA (Red / White / Yellow) if they are available and you prefer]. S-Video into the widget Widget USB into the laptop. So the camera is not connected directly to the PC by a USB cable, but is passed through the widget. I just did a whole bunch for my children's school with a very similar looking camera. Perhaps actually the same but it's gone back to the school now so I can't check. It is a bit of a pain as it transfers to the PC at the same speed as it plays. It produces a video file on the computer. The quality is pretty good. About the same as it looks on the screen. Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 23:41   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Cheers for that explanation. Makes sense now! Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 23:50   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

Shame you don't live near me. I could lend you something (an iMac) with cables. You'd need to use an external drive for obvious reason of you need to keep the files but also it's only got a 350GB HD and DV video projects in iMovie are big. But the quality of Mini DV was not 1080P standard so the USB dongle option might be easier. iMovie would recognise when the different recorded segment and partition it. Just looked at some imported video from my Sony (most is still on tape and I should do something) but on a 25" 2560x1440 display they're not great full screen :-) Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 13 Sep 18 at 23:54 Reply to this message | Report message

New Thu 13 Sep 18 01:27   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - rtj70

>>>> Inevitably I guess, with an analogue recording. It's a digital recording.... hence Digital Video (DV). Trouble is it's on a tape and the only way to transfer it is to play it. >> What is the advantage of Firewire? It allows you to transfer the digital data from the DV tapes to then process. And also control the camera in terms of play, pause, FFW, rewind, etc. On a Mac with iMovie you can capture the video as a digital file with ease. Huge iMovie projects but then you can export to a more efficient format like MPEG4, H.264 or even H.265. Last edited by: rtj70 on Thu 13 Sep 18 at 01:27 Reply to this message | Report message

New Sun 30 Sep 18 23:28   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Bobby

Finally received a suitable cable of the type mentioned earlier in thread, will try and get time this week to play about with it. Cheers for advice so far, there may be more questions forthcoming! Reply to this message | Report message

New Mon 1 Oct 18 13:49   Mini DV recorder to laptop. - Zero

seen in my local lidl today www.lidl.co.uk/en/MiddleofLidl.htm?articleId=16598 Reply to this message | Report message