When asking about a camcorder you should give us the make and model you are asking about. As far as I know, with my Sony's, just playing the tape (can be seen on the LCD and heard on it's speaker) is enough to turn on the firewire output.
Are you sure that you have selected the DV-IN input when setting up your DVD recorder to record?
Dave
Are you sure that you have selected the DV-IN input when setting up your DVD recorder to record?
Dave