cgott42
02-07-08, 04:04 PM
I have a Canon H20 camcorder and find that my desktop computer with a firewire card built in is not fast enough to capture the High def HDV (btw: what specs should I need?)
I have a suped up IBM T60 laptop which I'm assuming is fast enough, but doesn't have firewire.
My options are : PCMCI firewire card
or I foudn a USB to firewire converter:
e.g ebay item # : 230219133596 (I have no connection to listing, and there are others of it's type- ironically all in australian dollars and shipped from Hong Kong
both are around the same price.
Which should I use for HDV transfer- is the PCMCI port fast enough?
jsirbak
02-08-08, 01:26 PM
It's hard to believe that anyone is running a computer that is incapable of capturing HDV via a firewire port. I've since upgraded, but my 2001 computer with a 512MB RAM and a 1.7gHz processor was EASILY capturing whole tapes at a time via firewire from my HV20. Playback and especially editing were of course a bear, but simply capturing was a piece of cake.
If you're using a high-end editing program to capture, that might be eating up too many resources. Alternatively, you could try turning off the real-time preview during capture. I recommend going with HDVSplit - an excellent (and free!!!) program for capturing HDV footage that many HV20 owners are using.
If you really must capture using your laptop, I'd trust the laptop firewire option vs. a firewire-to-usb converter, although I don't have any experience with either.
cgott42
02-08-08, 01:42 PM
I tried HDVSplit and same issue.
When watching the captured video whenever there is movement it seems as if I'm watching through venetian blinds (as the image which moves gets stratified).
I tried watching the captured video on a fast computer (which has no problem viewing high def) and the same thing- so it seems to be a problem in the capture.
or I foudn a USB to firewire converter:
e.g ebay item # : 230219133596 (I have no connection to listing, and there are others of it's type- ironically all in australian dollars and shipped from Hong Kong
That is just a cable with ends slapped on it. It wouldn't work. Get the card, it will be fine, HDV is only 25Mb/s.