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I have some old family videos on miniDV tapes. Since it's a digital format, it should be possible to get a 1:1 copy of the bits on the tapes. I'm trying to find a hardware/software combo to achieve that. Equipment available to me: • Camcorder the miniDVs were recorded on, with 4-pin FireWire DV output. • Custom-built PC running Ubuntu 23.10 • MacBook Air M1 running macOS 14.0 Sonoma • Power Mac G5 with 6-pin and 8-pin FireWire ports, running Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard What's my best option for capturing a 1:1 copy of the bits on the tape?? • Modern PC with OBS (needs FireWire —> USB cable) • Modern PC with dvgrab (needs FireWire —> USB cable) • MacBook Air M1 with OBS (needs FireWire —> Thunderbolt cable) • Power Mac G5 with Final Cut/iMovie (FireWire native)

I'm trying to plan out a project for a portable pc setup that needs to as compact and light as possible, has an external pcie riser (only needs to support 1 lane), and likely needs to be x86, (so no raspberry pi). The purpose is to replace the uncommon and overpriced firewire recorders such as the SONY HVR-MRC1, or Data Video DN60, which are used to make old MiniDV and Digital8 Camcorders functional without using tapes, and retaining the original quality that they're capable of. They work by taking the signal out of the camera via firewire and writing the same data to an internal drive as the camera would to a miniDV tape. They're especially useful to skaters who have a cultural attachment to using specific period cameras and other people like me who just want to shoot using old cameras for the fun of it. But the tape drives of minidv cameras are prone to failure and the skaters have been buying up any remaining stock so prices on new tapes are getting unreasonable for 25 year old technology. Other Firewire equipment is plentiful but these recorders are a PIA to get ahold of, so I started imagining how to build one, or a rude imitation of one. I've done a bunch of googling and scouring and my current leading ideas are, in order of complexity, find an old tablet or single board pc that has a firewire port AND still works. I've tried looking around for one but looking up old HP model numbers and looking for signs of a 1394 port got old, and at this point you might as well have an old MacBook hanging off the side of the camera. And if this was a good enough solution for the skaters there would just be a run on all the remaining units like has been happening to tapes and to the recorders. I'm only considering this as an option incase I come across something randomly in a thrift store, and even then who knows how long it would continue to work for, its just not future proof enough. get a minipc with either a pci slot or an m.2 slot and an extender to slot a firewire card into, and rig up some battery setup to power the pc and probably the pci riser too, a little screen, just enough i/o to start a capture program like winDV, maybe I could even set up scripts so that it can capture as soon as its plugged in and you don't have to even have a screen and i/o. That seems like a good backup plan if this next one isn't possible, and I'll make a new thread for it if that's the case, The next one is almost the same but its seems difficult, and its the idea that I titled the thread after: 3. a really mini Stick PC, none of which to my knowledge have exposed access to pcie, and performing a procedure like this (link) on the usb or wifi chip in order to get a riser coming out of it like in the 2nd idea. That article is for a Pi, which you can get a real exposed PCIe bus for now, but Jeff Geerling couldnt get a firewire card working on a PI so I really doubt my own abilities to. So I'm not considering ARM SBCs, and I don't have any experience capturing DV on linux so even if it would be more reliable in the long run I'm envisioning doing it in windows since win10 still has native, driverless DV capture that has worked well enough for me. The lack of USB port or Wifi functionality may not matter cause the device only needs to be used for such a specific purpose, (starting and stopping captures) I wish that they just had clones of the sony mrc1 on AliExpress, but the fact that firewire's firewire probably means that it was too locked down, documentation nonexistent, and demand too little for those to be created. If someone way more knowledgeable than me wanted to, would it be possible for a regular person to recreate the internals and print pcbs on something like PCBway, and harvest controllers from firewire devices to make your own bootleg device in the 2020's, lol I wish there was a scene for that. Do any of you know that the usb controller would likely be PCIE under the hood on a stick pc? or that theres actually a stick pc out there with m.2? or that m.2 to full size pcie wouldnt work for these reasons? Sorry if this doesnt make any sense. I'm already out of my depth especially with anything relating to actually making this portable and making a battery rig, but I'll deal with that after I've learned that the idea is even possible. I'm very willing to hear anyone's knowledge that contradicts any part of my thinking, so that I can get on the right track. edit: also if anyone knows of a more specialized forum on the web that this would make sense to ask in, please let me know!

Hello! I am looking to get a new/used camera setup, my main problem is - I am not sure on what to get. I’ve been going back and forth between DSLR’s something like a Canon 70d (definetely heard its overkill for something simple I want to do) or a Canon GL2 (although I’ve read you need to use tapes for video and it’d be easier to make it tapeless) but I don’t want to go through that hassle. I want something simple not too crazy expensive (400-900 budget), 1080p60fps, a changeable lens as I would like to buy a fisheye for it and that would record video to a SD card. So PLEASE if you know a suitable camera/body, share your knowledge as I can’t decide.

Hi All, I'm trying to digitise my Dad's old Video8/Hi8 video tapes and am running into a few problems installing the Legacy IEEE 1394 drivers onto my Dell XPS 15 9550, running Windows 10 Home 22H2. I'm using a Sony DCR-TRV238E Digital8 camcorder with a Firewire DV port (Sony iLink), connected to my laptop, first via an Apple Thunderbolt 3 to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, then to an Apple Thunderbolt 2 to Firewire 800 adapter, then finally with a RhinoCables Firewire 800 to Firewire DV (iLink) cable. I have downloaded the Legacy driver and unpacked it, then installed the x64 driver from the .inf file. Unfortunately, whilst a dialog box appears claiming that "The process has been completed successfully", I cannot find any reference to the IEEE 1394 driver in Device Manager, nor will Adobe Premiere recognise the DV device when I open the Capture utility. Could anyone offer any advice, what might I be doing wrong? Many thanks!

Hi, I have an old Mini DV Camcorder of mine, with many many videos of friends and family. I want to "digitalize" them and store them as mp4`s on my computer. So i bought a Firewire PCI-E card and tried capturing the videos through Firewire. However Windows Device Manager and Premiere Pro will not recognize my Camcorder. In Premiere it just says "Capture Device Offline". Even regardless of the DV or HDV setting. I know there are a lot of problems and solutions out there regarding Firwire and capturing video thorugh it. But nothing worked for me so far. I updated the Standard Driver to the 2013 Legancy one. I tried different Firwire Cables (800 to 800 and 800 to 400) and I tried restarting my PC and reslotting my PCI-E card several times. But so far nothing worked for me. There isnt even a "ding" sound when plugging the cable into my PC I made sure the Camcorder is in VTR mode and the Tape is playing back inside the Camcorder just fine. I have no idea what could be causing this and my only guess right now would be that the Firewire Port on my Camcorder is dead (Which is very unlikely given that the Camcorder is in great shape and the port was protected by a flap) So if there is anything i could have missed, or if you guys know any solution, i would really appreciate it The Tapes really mean a lot to me. Greetings, David Sorry for my bad grammar and so forth, just trying

I was rummaging around and found an older casio exilim little camcorder and was wondering if it beats my phone camera. obviously the 10 megapixel doesn't mean much compared to an htc one m9 20M.P. when you consider sensor quality and size, and with app settings I can do crazy things with my phone so feature wise my phone might win out but I'm wondering if straight quality or video quality my older camera might win out note the older camera can't adjust much of anything other than some color options, can't do exposure length, no timelapse built in, no accessory lenses, it's a very basic digital camera that I don't even think does 1080 video I think it's 720@30 the ultimate question being should I keep it for that once in a great while I need a really nice picture? or should I either upgrade to a new one or just hire a cheap photographer once in awhile?

Can anyone find or know of a camera that can record 4k for under 300usd? I don't care if it is used or refurbished, but it can't be a action cam or point and shoot(kind've only camcorder,dslr, or mirrorless). edit: at least on par with the Sony AX33 or Panasonic G7 edit 2: just scored a Panasonic G7 for 250$!!

Looking for a camcorder that will do good 720p in bad lighting (fluorescent against a black/white background). Preferably ~$300 CAD, willing to look at options up to ~$500 CAD. The option of 1080p would be nice to have, but not necessary. The use case is recording of church services, so the less config required for the volunteers the better, point and shoot essentially. Currently we run component video to a recorder box, so a camera with the same I/O capability in that regard would be great. I know little to nothing about cameras but here are a few that I was looking at, any other suggestions are welcome. http://www.shopgentec.ca/p/cx405-handycam-with-exmor-r-cmos-sensor http://estore.canon.ca/shop/en-CA/catalog/camcorders/consumer-camcorders/VIXIA-HF-R700-Bundle-with-Case-and-Memory-Card-Bundle#.WHQ0LRsrKUk?pubID=61525&avad=80321_cd7aa903&al_affid=61525

Soo i have a little Media club set up in my School in which i mainly Handle Videography, But me along with a group of people were the ones to start the club so we had no gear initially. Covering events in College by video have been quite simplistic, I have used my Phones camera to film 1080p videos and then stabilize,but now A small camcorder and tripod was donated, and even though it was much better than a phone, it has its problems, So the Tripod would never pan smoothly and any little torque applied would cause the stand to raise off the ground , so i struggled a lot, and only recently i realised that different fuild heads are used for videography , without friction things on the axis, but aside that they also have some other things, but i am wondering if any of you know what i should look for when buying a good one for videography, like i know good fluid head is good and good stability, but what exactly, cause i see bowl, width ,which i am not sure what that is, and weight it can with stand which should be too much a problem, its cam corder after all and uk , if anyone knows , comment below, btw the friction things on the tripod i already have i sbad, it makes a bunch of noise and causes the pan to stutter, so its not great.

I'm going on a trip next January, and I want to find a good camcorder for recording the trip. My budget is $200ish and would like to be 1080p, 30fps is fine. Does anyone have any suggestions?

I want to buy a new camera or camcorder for my GF. She has been doing photography for about 6 years with her sony a330 (parents bought it for her back in HS). She is close to finishing up her undergraduate degree and will be taking a videography class but her sony a330 does not support film. So in anticipation of her needing a a camera/camcorder for her last few classes and use after graduation, I would like to buy her one. Some of what I have been looking at: Mirror less dslr: Panasonic Gh4 Panasonic gx85 Panasonic g85 Panasonic g7 Panasonic gx8 Sony alpha a6300 Sony alpha a6500 Sony alpha a7 Sony alpha a7 II Camcorders: Canon Xf100 Sony Ax100 Canon g30 Canon XA30 Canon XC10 Canon - VIXIA HF G40 Sony HDR CX900 Sony AX53 Sony AX33 Canon - VIXIA HF G20 Panasonic - HC-VX870K 4K So I am not really trying to pick a specific device NOW ( but if you have a recommendation please share , will be buying in the next month or so), my main question is: Since her camera is so old would one of the mirror-less dslrs that I listed be drastically better (or slightly better) at stills? If so, then it would make sense to buy one with recording function and forget about camcorders? Or should she stick with the sony A330 and get a camcorder? I will be getting an aftermarket audio solution for either option Thanks to anyone reading this!!

I made the stupid mistake of accidentally deleting some MTS files off of my Panasonic Camcorder SD Card, those were some important video files. For clarification, I deleted them CAM_SD\PRIVATE\AVCHD\BDMV\STREAM. I tried to use Recuva and other recover tools, but they replaced the file with the wrong video. Then when I put the SD card back in my Camcorder it says the videos are there but they can't be played. Any help would be appreciated.

My school is letting us start a video class, but we don't really know what we are doing lol. Just looking for some suggestions. We need just about everything (Camera/Camcorder, Bag, SD Cards, Tripod, Mics, editing software, lighting, anything else we might need that we wouldn't know about). We will be using it to make short movies, advertisements for the school, a weekly school update, and anything else we feel like making. Below I will show the list that I showed to my superintendent today as a start for what we will need. He wants to make sure that it will be used for this class later down the line. The only thing i could think of was getting a camera with detachable lens to change that out in the future. Please suggest away!!!!!!!!! Canon - XA30 HD Flash Memory Camcorder - Black http://www.bestbuy.com/site/canon-xa30-hd-flash-memory-camcorder-black/4882200.p?skuId=4882200 $1,599.99 Was $1,799.99 Digipower - Lithium-Ion Replacement Battery for Canon XA10 - Black $69.99 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/digipower-lithium-ion-replacement-battery-for-canon-xa10-black/5809129.p?skuId=5809129 Canon - Camera Bag - Black $59.99 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/canon-camera-bag-black/6813362.p?skuId=6813362 SanDisk - Extreme PLUS 64GB SDXC UHS-I Memory Card - Black/Gold $44.99 x3 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/sandisk-extreme-plus-64gb-sdxc-uhs-i-memory-card-black-gold/4807118.p?skuId=4807118 Manfrotto MVKBFR-LIVEUS lightweight, travel friendly Be Free Fluid Video Kit, Black $237.58 https://www.amazon.com/Manfrotto-MVKBFR-LIVEUS-lightweight-travel-friendly/dp/B01MCU1IDZ/ref=sr_1_21?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1501609907&sr=1-21&keywords=manfrotto Update: Ideal price between $3,000-$7,000

I need a new camcorder, I use it for home videos, recording my life, and I also have a YouTube channel that I like to post things on sometimes. I will also be using it to create content for my Wife's business soon. I am currently using an old JVC enviro that I got refurbished for $100. I want a camcorder style camera. I have a DSLR, and an action cam already. My question is, are all 1080p camcorders the same? Will a $200 1080p camera be the same video qualitywise vs a $800 1080p camcorder? I think the answer is no, but I can't find anywhere where I can find the difference. My 4 year old camcorder does 1080p, but it isn't very crisp or sharp. I want a clear picture. Adjustable framerate would be awesome too. options like 24,30,60 and maybe even 120. More expensive cameras offer options like WIFI and all these special features which I don't really care about. I just want a crisp picture, bright colors, and just a good picture. I run external audio so that isn't a big factor for me. How can I tell which camcorder has a crisp image vs one that doesn't? I want to stay around $500. So nothing $800+

An original post on May 7, 2014 "Connecting Blue Yeti to camcorder??" led the OP to believe that such an arrangement isn't possible. On January 22, 2016, EpicReviewGuys posted a video on YouTube that showed making such a connection could be made to work. See:

Hey forum. I'm looking for a cheap camcorder with an HDMI out for capture via a capture card for facecam footage. It only really needs to output 720p, and I'm totally down for searching on the used market. I'd love to know if you have any recommendations. Thank you so much!

Hi, I am currently looking for video camera recommendations for several different things. Main uses: 1. Drum covers/ music covers (most likely a still location, or maybe minimal movement) 2. Traveling, nature, vlogging 3. Family gatherings & events 4. Live-streaming at home (Not sure if there is one that would be decent for all 4, but #1 & #2 would be important to me) Location: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Budget: Around $1,500CAD (with gear) (not sure if I need to spend more or not) Possible Specs: 4K 60FPS or 30FPS Decent zoom Decent battery life I don't care about weight, brand, or size. I do own an assortment of XLR mics that could be used for alongside with the video camera if possible or I might need to invest in a lapel microphone or an appropriate attachment. I currently own a Sony A6000 (mirrorless camera) which I think does the job in the picture-taking department, now I am just looking for something that would cover the video portion. (I think it only shoots in 720P 30fps) If there is other information needed or there are any questions, let me know!

Hii, am first time on forum so i dont know am i doing this right, but i have i question, can i use my old sony camcorder to make skype and viber calls? Model number is DCR-HC27E and i have i firewire cable and pci card and thats how i connect it to my pc. I couldnt find any driver on sony support site, but windows 10 automaticly installed some driver for pci card and sony camcorder and its recognizing it. Skype is also recognizing my sony camcorder but when i chose to use it as camera for calls nothing can be seen, just black screen. So am wandering is it posible to work like that at all??

Hi guys! I am looking for a friend of mine at a camcorder. The budget is up to 1000€ but the original was 500€ so I would like to make her spend the least but I want a good definition. Her needs would be a camcorder + a mic to record classical music (both within the price range). The camcorder has to perform in low light conditions (at least that what I suppose), since most of the time the concert halls are dark and only the stage is illuminated (pls correct me if I am wrong). She doe NOT need, in my opinion, a 4k camera since most of the screens are 1080p and the amount of data that would be stored and also because she does not have a pc good enough to process all the data and edit them. I was thinking about the Panasonic HC-V770 but I saw also the Panasonic HC-V800 that is close also as a price point, but I was not able to find a real comparison. Do any of you have a suggestion between those two or other better options? About the mic, I still have to research but I was thinking about a Rode as a brand but I do not know anything and it would be cool if you could help me. The most important thing about the mic is that it must NOT boost only 1 frequency, so a so called "flat curve" (?) it must be clear. Since she has to go around with it, would be good also a portable option! Thanks to everyone! p.s. dslr are out of questions cause she has to record for more than 30 mins at a time, and she does not want to hack it.

I'm hoping to create a livestream multicam rig using either the new ATEM Television Studio HD or a series of decklink recorders. Can someone recommend the best budget options for camcorders which can give Clean HDMI (or SDI) output while being plugged in to AC Power? If there are DSLR or Mirrorless (or even POS) cameras that will do this effectively, I'm willing to consider this, too. 4k unnecessary as most of our livestreams will be broadcast in 720p and our post-produced content will be 1080p. Thanks in advance.

I am looking for a camcorder that is at most 800 usd. I found these two and am trying to make sure I get the best bank for my buck. The use of this camcorder will be for Youtube videos (Vlogs) and a facecam for "Let's play" and livestreaming. It should be able to output 1080p30 via hdmi. Any help is appreciated.

Hi! I'd like to upgrade from my awful Aiptek PocketDV AHD Z700 to a real HD camcorder. It should have the following features: - good image quality even in dark places / indoors (highly important!) - high bit-rate so that it doesn't look pixelated - image stabilization - photos should also be possible Two camcorders have caught my attention: - Sony HDR-CX405 (€219, Full HD up to 50fps) - Sony FDR-AX33 (€749, 4K up to 25fps) Is 4K worth the additional 500 bucks? Is the 4K camcorder better than the HD camcorder even when filming in "only" Full HD? What do you think?

say that i want to do a Public TV Show, all i need is to make connection between the camcorder and the processing unit. (PC using Wirecast or smth else) And, i have 2 Old Camcorders with A/V Output, is there anything can i do other than buying a USB Converter? i've searched all online shop but none of them are contactable. #NoteThatImInIndonesia.

Hi I am a noob to the audio microphone world. Sorry. I am currently doing a budget film project. I am currently using a camcorder but soon I will be getting a DSLR Camera for recording. Which microphone do you recommend? I am really confused, Shotgun, Condenser, ...? I am mainly going to use it outside and inside to film nature and some dialogue of actual talking. My mic budget is 100-170$. Please help and information about the microphone would be appreciated. Also please teach me the basics. Thanks

Can you use an xbox 360 controller as a pan and zoom remote for a camcorder? If there is a way can anyone help, thanks.