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Connecting a Sony Cam using firewire i-Link to a Laptop's USB port??

post #1 of 6
3/30/12 at 6:10am
Thread Starter 
I used to transfer videos from Sony DCR-HC32 cam-corder to laptop using the firewire interface, but my new laptop HP dv7 do not have firewire port. I found a cable with firewire in one end and USB in the other end but I don't thing that will work. Even worst, this laptop does not have PCMCIA slot so the adapters from firewire for laptops using PCMCIA do not help me. Do you know if the cable will work or it will just fry my laptop and/or camera?
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post #2 of 6
3/31/12 at 2:28pm
It's a problem for many Sony owners (including me). I ended up buying a used, older laptop to be able to continue using my Sony HC9. It was far cheaper than buying a newer camcorder.
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post #3 of 6
3/31/12 at 7:24pm
I wouldn't bother with a Firewire to USB cable. The quality of the video transfer will not match what you would get if you only used a Firewire cable.

Do you have spare desktop PC? If so, you can install a PCI card which has a Firewire connection. You can order them from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/FireWire-IEEE-...3246894&sr=8-1
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post #4 of 6
4/3/12 at 11:15am
Thread Starter 
Thank you for your posts. I reached to a Lenovo R500 that has firewire. I used it only to "download" the video into an external disk and the processed it on my new hp. byw the Windows Live Movie Maker worked fast and easy also to upload to youtube. (Providing you don't want to do any fancy editing) so the Pineacle Studio 9 that came with my Sony stayed in the box.
Sabatical: So if you use one of those cables, can you actually transfer videos? even at low quality? I thought their electronics were totally different.
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post #5 of 6
4/3/12 at 4:11pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FranciscoR View Post

Sabatical: So if you use one of those cables, can you actually transfer videos? even at low quality? I thought their electronics were totally different.

I've never used one myself...
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post #6 of 6
4/4/12 at 3:42pm
Don't waste your money on a "Firewire to USB" cable.

Firewire will never talk to USB. They are completely different protocols. It is nothing to do with quality. The data stream is either understood or it isn't.

The cables are for camcorders that can tell what you have connected it to. They can transmit Firewire data or pretend to be a USB device. This is a feature of the camcorder. The camcorder effectively turns its Firewire port into a USB port and the PC is happy.

If your camcorder is outputting Firewire data on its Firewire port the only place it can be read is via a Firewire port.

If it doesn't mention this in your user guide you are wasting your time. I bought one of those cables on the basis it was cheap and "worth the risk". I realised a few seconds after connecting it to my camcorder and laptop that I just lost £3!

It's now in my box of "spare" cables.
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