Old DV to file on a modern computer with an average av card...

[Frood]

Anybody dealt with this before?

The software craps itself on modern machines (Videos made on DV tape about 13-15 years ago), and the USB/memory card connection only works for still images....not the fucking videos.

My newest rig in av card is simple since I never play games on it... the brochure the camcorder speaks of DV/firmware, but I can't upgrade at this point.

So I'm kind of stuck on this. It's not for me. It's my 84 year old father and mother in law who would like to see these tapes.....before they die.

Looked up patch cords but they seem to be bad in reviews....

Considered getting a vhs player or trying to search for an old Panasonic we might still have, but it would still require a connection of some kind.


Also considered buying one of those cassette in cassette units but the problem might be how to port it into my computer so as to record.... and even if I could do it with AV/USB, what software could I get without having to pay a fortune for 3 single 60 minute tapes.


Any ideas? Anybody had to deal with Reel to Reel video cassettes to digital format before?

 

[Kitty Zhang]

 

[Kitty Zhang]

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[Frood]

Thanks but they're those mini DV camcorder cassettes used up to 2010-2011....

 

[RANCIDMILKO ™ ®©]

It should be pretty straightforward once you get the camera connected to the PC

I digitized some VHS years ago with a Pinnacle capture device

I do remember having problems with Windows 7 and I had to install XP to get the drivers working properly

 

[Frood]

It should be pretty straightforward once you get the camera connected to the PC

I digitized some VHS years ago with a Pinnacle capture device

I do remember having problems with Windows 7 and I had to install XP to get the drivers working properly

I might have to drag out my son's old xp gaming tower and run the cd-rom on it, then work out the cords to get it onto an usb drive or cd-rw external drive.

Then scan the fuck out of the outcome.... we buried that tower in a closet because it was so festy....

 

[Joe]

Are you trying to convert these old DV tapes into HD format @Harry McKnackers?

Why don't you get one of those dual VHS DVD writers? I think you can get them in pawn shops since they're an older item. Go on eBay & get an idea what they might be selling for? Craigslist?

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And if the tapes are too small or don't fit into the VHS compartment, then get an adapter so they'll fit.

I think the idea of those old machines was so you could write to DVD or possibly go the other way?

I think my brother has a setup like that at his house. Was gonna ask him how he does it since I might try it myself.

Or else if you can find an older computer maxed with RAM and an analog to digital card. I forgot which company had those. AVID? Sonnet? 1990s to turn of the century technology.

 

[Joe]

Or maybe more like this?




Any event you probably have to fish around for older hardware and video conversion utilities, cards and software.

 

[Frood]

Or maybe more like this?




Any event you probably have to fish around for older hardware and video conversion utilities, cards and software.

Thanks, but those suggestions don't help me. I already hinted at them earlier.

To get a cheap mechanical converter requires a vhs machine.... I need to get these tapes onto digital and I've got the camcorder and power supply/battery for it. I even have the software disc... but it bombs when trying to load it.

I'm probably just going to use my son's old 2007-2008 gamer pc.

It's on xp.... then I'll fuck around on usb to get it off...

 

[Oerdin]

Go to good will and pick up a $10 VHS player. As you said, you know the rest.

 

[Joe]

Here's another method using Mac or PC @Harry McKnackers:




...you also might try an Old Apple Computer if you can borrow or buy one. The old G4/G5 computers were really good. They may not be fast by today's standards, but they are stable & get the job done.

Since it's an old camera might work with an old Mac too.

 

[Joe]

Another producted that might work, @Harry McKnackers :

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...writes directly from a JVC Everio to an external burner

Not sure if it'll work with your model or not or if there was another device like it.

 

[Joe]

Still another solution which seems to make the most sense for a Windows PC User:




I think you need an intermediary device like a Pinnacle Box to capture video from DV tape into your Windows computer.

Pinnacle has been around for years so there's likely an older model kicking around which would be compatible with that camera and an older laptop or Windows PC.

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[Joe]

Guy uses a Pinnacle Dazzler device @Harry McKnackers:

 

[Joe]

Here's another solution for your DV situtation @Harry McKnackers :




This guy proposes a solution using Firewire.

so if there's a port in the camera and a way to connect it to your computer, it might work.

I think just about every video I've seen has suggested that Firewire, not USB is the solution to this problem. If you use USB, it won't work.

I think I also ran into this problem on my Mac.

I was trying to hook up an old Firewire device to my computer.

But I was told that a cable with USB to Firewire conversion doesn't work.

It has to be Firewire to Firewire.

so I had to get a special cord to convert Firewire 400 to Firewire 800.

 

[Frood]

I don't have firewire on my pc, Joe. The camera has it. Don't want to upgrade my comp though.

 

[Joe]

I don't have firewire on my pc, Joe. The camera has it. Don't want to upgrade my comp though.

Just go on CraigsList? Or eBay Australia? Ask a friend?
Get a used PCI Firewire card?

Anyways Harry, that's what I was told about my computer/situation.

And I asked several Techies. And they said you can't convert Firewire to USB. or vice versa.

But I suppose that's what the Pinnacle Devices are for? They do that work for you, so you can hook a USB cable into to it and a Firewire cord out the other side into the camera?

Just guessing tho. Have to watch that Pinnacle DIY video again to see what they were talking about.

but doesn't seem you can't hook in one of those USB to firewire converter cables directly from your camera to your PC.

 

[Frood]

Ok....will look into the pinnacle device

 

[Joe]

Ok....will look into the pinnacle device

I noticed from those videos that while the Pinnacle solutions worked, they aren't necessarily cheap. The first one which has a fire wire port runs around $150+ on eBay. The 2nd one, the Dazzler, is $30 and up. So it's less expensive than the 1st option @Harry McKnackers.

However the main difference is one contains a fire wire port and the other does not. The Dazzler connects the camera to the computer via video and audio cables. So while the first one looks better & seems like a surer bet, the 2nd may still work tho it seems more problematic.

A 3rd party pci fire wire card and cable might be the cheapest option. However that involves taking your computer apart, installing the card & then hoping it will accept it via plug and play or the drivers will work. So you might have to muck around, change the computer settings etc. I've never found supposedly 'plug & play' cards on a Win PC to be totally seamless. There always seems to be a glitch & bit of adjustment needed. There's a possibility that it could screw up the other settings in the computer.

 

[Frood]

There's a stand alone unit with its own battery and lcd screen that allows transfer of any cassette style video onto an SD card or through to a connected computer. That makes more sense for me....

 

[Joe]

There's a stand alone unit with its own battery and lcd screen that allows transfer of any cassette style video onto an SD card or through to a connected computer. That makes more sense for me....

....like this @Harry McKnackers?




The Sony VRD MC5

But it's stI'll a pricey item going from $100 and up plus shipping

There seemed to be lower end less expensive models like this but all 2nd hand:

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Another issue is your brand is different from Sony. So is compatiblity a potential issue?

Better if you borrow these things from someone before spending a Lotta money on something before finding one which finally works.

I'D try to go from the cheapest solution first.

Don't you have any 2nd hand pawn shops in your area? Or folks in the larger cities usu have a wider selection.

 

[Frood]

Similar but new and you're able to watch on the unit and edit out unwanted footage on the fly..... about 200 bucks.

 

[Joe]

There's a stand alone unit with its own battery and lcd screen that allows transfer of any cassette style video onto an SD card or through to a connected computer. That makes more sense for me....

I gotta bnib firewire card I bought way back when and never used it. Still got the box the card the cord & the cd installer disk.

Do you want it?

Ya'D have to pay for the shipping and postage tho.

Ya need an empty pci slot & the drivers were made fer windows xp. So not sure if there any recent drivers for this product.

 

[The Prowler]

Donate it to a museum, @Joe.

 

[Joe]

Donate it to a museum, @Joe.

I never ended up using it @The Prowler because it wasn't compatible with this old Silicon Graphics computer I have.

The card had to be colored red.

And the box showed a red card.

But when I opened the box it was green.

So I never used it because according to the specs it was the wrong card. I eventually got the red fw card tho.

 

[The Prowler]

There's a stand alone unit with its own battery and lcd screen that allows transfer of any cassette style video onto an SD card or through to a connected computer. That makes more sense for me....

If it a decent unit that can transfer a variety of media without much effort, you could put the word out to friends and family that you have it and can do them a favour. A lot of people have old video that they would like digitized.

 

[The Prowler]

Donate it to a museum, @Joe.

I never ended up using it @The Prowler because it wasn't compatible with this old Silicon Graphics computer I have.

The card had to be colored red.

And the box showed a red card.

But when I opened the box it was green.

So I never used it because according to the specs it was the wrong card. I eventually got the red fw card tho.

Why does the colour of the card matter @Joe?

 

[Joe]

Donate it to a museum, @Joe.

I never ended up using it @The Prowler because it wasn't compatible with this old Silicon Graphics computer I have.

The card had to be colored red.

And the box showed a red card.

But when I opened the box it was green.

So I never used it because according to the specs it was the wrong card. I eventually got the red fw card tho.

Why does the colour of the card matter @Joe?

There was a very specific list of 3rd party peripherals and cards which worked with the SGI o2. Not very many did. And only 1 firewire card was known to work on it.

Other peripheral included hp, pioneer but not many others.

If I can find that list I'll post it.

 

[The Prowler]

@Joe Why did the card have to be red?

 

[Joe]

@Joe Why did the card have to be red?

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FireWire (IEEE-1394) Cards:

01. Adaptec FireConnect 4300B RED PCBs only!!!. [Take a look @ FAQ #5 down the list]