Getting digital video onto PC

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dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

I recently found my video camera that has a few tapes with videos of the grandchildren, weddings and the like that we would like to transfer them to the PC. There are no Firewire ports on my laptop and also none on my PC. I bought a Firewire card and, although I should have checked before, when I undid the PC there is bugger all in it. Just the mother board and and an HDD drive. There are no expansion slots or anywhere apparent to plug anything in.

The Firewire card was only a tenner and it can go back to Amazon but I am perplexed on how to get these videos off tape and held digitally. I really do not want to spend a load on such a few videos can anyone point me in the right direction on how to do this please.

My PC is an HP Slimline desktop 411-a000na. It is just the office machine and does its job.

Thanks

DWD
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Someone-Else
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Someone-Else »

You need an input socket on your PC (as you said fire wire will work) but if you have no expansion slot........... :cb

It may be cheaper for you to send / take it to a place that transfer them for you.

I used to use fire wire, but now I have sd cards, and just take those out and out them directly into the pc
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Dave54
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Dave54 »

What's the video cam, and what are it's output options?
Is it Mini DV?
or is it one of the older analogue types.
dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

Thanks for the replies chaps. Dave, it is a Sony Digital Handycam DCR-TRV-14SE PAL. the outputs are S video out, A/V out and Firewire.

We connected the red, white and yellow plugs into the TV and were able to view the videos but no way to copy them. the quality is very good, I guess these were as good as they got before the video capability on phones overtook them.

DWD
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Dave54 »

Just an idea. Any way of recording the output onto a memory stick via the TV, or a PVR?
Be worth at least seeing what the quality is like.
Or a Firewire to USB converter.
Something like this?
https://amzn.to/2Vwzi4C
dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

Yes, I saw those but I was not sure if my PC can decode it and I read that the conversion from Firewire to USB buggered the data stream. I had a look at the back of the Sky box, not that that would help as we can view them. I will ask around if anyone has a PC with firewire capability who can help. Trouble is It is old hat now.

Thanks

DWD
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Dave54 »

Composite to HDMI adapter?
Can you record on the PC off the HDMI socket?
Some TVs can apparently output from HDMI as well.

Hang on to the Firewire card, and see if you can get somebody with a PC with a spare expansion slot to fit it and transfer the vid?
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Bob225
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Bob225 »

A USB capture device will be your best bet, your desktop is really a thin client and IMHO it will struggle to render video

Be Perplexed no longer all your doing is turning an analogue signal in to ones and zeros, if its only a few videos it may pay to have them converted
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Bob225 »

Dave54 wrote: Wed Oct 09, 2019 6:09 pm Composite to HDMI adapter?
Can you record on the PC off the HDMI socket?
Some TVs can apparently output from HDMI as well.

Hang on to the Firewire card, and see if you can get somebody with a PC with a spare expansion slot to fit it and transfer the vid?
Hdmi is a digital signal and sometimes uses encryption, to get composite to/from hdmi correctly you have to use a digital converter or scaler

another issue with firewire is the camera software is rarely supported on windows 7/8/10
dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

I can see this turning into a bit of a nightmare. I am thinking we will be better off playing through the camera to TV when we want to see them. I do not want to throw any more money at it and to be fair the videos have been nice to see but we have seen them now and repeating is not something we would do often.

Thanks for all the suggestions,

DWD
sammy.se
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by sammy.se »

Hi DWD,

Keeping things simple, this device should work for you: https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGITNOW-Captu ... B078H54QDR
Just check the reviews and Q&As.

You don't need FireWire anymore - USB standards have improved.

Regards,
S
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Dave54
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by Dave54 »

Speaking of USB.
I wonder . . .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/High-Grade-Cam ... B004KEWOOC

I haven't done any research to see if it will work though, it was just a thought.

As Bob says there might be a problem just going from composite (analogue) to HDMI (digital) with a simple adapter. The one Sammy links to should do it, but as the video on the tapes is digital, it'd be better to get it in the original form if possible.
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dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

Thanks Sammy and Dave, a couple of options there I will have a look into them.

Cheers

DWD
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by camallison »

sammy.se wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2019 10:00 am Hi DWD,

Keeping things simple, this device should work for you: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGITNOW-Captu ... B078H54QDR" class="skimlinks-unlinked" data-skimwords-word="https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2FDIGITNOW-Capture-Transfers-Digital-Windows%2Fdp%2FB078H54QDR" data-skim-creative="500005" title="" style="">https://www.amazon.co.uk/DIGITNOW-Captu ... 8H54QDR</a>
Just check the reviews and Q&As.

You don't need FireWire anymore - USB standards have improved.

Regards,
S
I use one of these for my video camera that has firewire that is no longer supported on PCs. It works extremely well.

Colin
dewaltdisney
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Getting digital video onto PC

Post by dewaltdisney »

Cheers Colin, I was looking on Amazon and I think that is the way to go.

Thanks

DWD
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