New 14 year old with video camera

jaycijanae · Post by **jaycijanae** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 3:25 am

I have a video camera it is a samsung mini dv sc-d353 that i got for christmas and it came with 7.0 video blah blah usb stuff and all and i was hopin to you know, film videos, and be able to just hook it up, and think it would be all easy to get my video from my dv to the program. But obvisily that proved to be wrong. I have it hooked up, and it says usb streaming but i cant seem to figure out how to get the video that i have on there..onto the program..and i am very confused..help..please..

THoff · Post by **THoff** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 5:09 am

Don't even think about using USB to transfer DV video -- use a Firewire cable instead. Most camcorders only allow the transfer of still images or webcam resolution video using USB.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:32 am

To elucidate a bit on Torsten's reply, your camera is a mini-DV. As such, it will definitely have a DV port (probably in/out, except in Europe where there is a tax on the 'out' part, believe it or not!!!) To transfer high quality video from your camera to the computer, you must use the DV port, which is really the Firewire or IEEE1394 (or for Sony and possibly Samsung users, the i-Link) port. The problem is that few if any camera manufactuers include a Firewire cable in the bundle with the camera, but nearly always include a USB cable -- which causes the owner to think it is the USB cable which is used. Wrong!!

So you have to buy a Firewire cable, and make sure it is the right one -- usually it will have a small Firewire plug at one end for the computer (4 pin) and the bigger 6 pin one at the other end for the computer. Of course, this means you must have a Firewire card in your computer. But if you don't they are fairly cheap these days and usually come with a cable to boot!

jaycijanae · Post by **jaycijanae** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:19 pm

Alright. So then after i get the firewire thing or ieee thing, would it be a better set up and more or less tell me how to set it up? Cause i am really confused on all this

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:16 pm

hi jaycijanae,

first check out if you need to get a firewire card for your pc. Is it a desktop or a notebook/laptop? If you can find a firewire port (connection) on the computer, it shouldn't need a firewire card.

If you do need to buy a firewire card, as Ken said it will most likely come with a firewire cable. Whatever you do, don't buy a firewire cable on it's own from somewhere like Best Buy or Circuit City - they charge well over the top for cables, and make a significant proportion of their profits from them. (I'm assuming you're in the US, but in the UK, PC World are probably just as bad!)

You should be able to pick up a firewire card and cable for about $15 if you buy online, and you do sometimes see reasonable sale prices on them in the stores.

When you have all the bits you need, just post back to the forum for specific info if you have trouble. There's any number of folks who'll be only too happy to help you out.

If you do want to continue using the forum, you should fill in the "system" info in your profile, since that will save you time having to repeat stuff in your posts, and give us a better idea of what you need.

Good luck!

duffgnr · Post by **duffgnr** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 8:32 pm

this isnt a technical thing as such but as you are starting out in filmmaking i reckon you should check out the following,

http://www.exposure.co.uk/makers/minute.html[/url]

it's a 10 minute film school by Robert Rodriguez who makes cool films including desperado and from dusk til dawn.

it really is worth a look!

be yourself mate!

duffgnr

jaycijanae · Post by **jaycijanae** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 10:50 pm

So we got the port for it, the cable and all and then we ran into a problem, it needs a little power source thing..that has strings and like two connector things..and..well..we dont have that..and..so we are screwed

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Sun Feb 12, 2006 11:58 pm

From what I could gather at the SAMSUNG web site, your camcorder is a low budget device that records mpeg4 onto a memory stick and allows for USB streaming (VGA 30fps). Whilst it has an IEEE 1394 port it would need editing software that supports mpeg4.

Your best bet to view your video (forget about editing for the moment) would be to connect it to your TV via the A/V out port.

2Dogs · Post by **2Dogs** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:28 am

Heinz, I felt so embarrassed when I read your post that I went ahead and checked the spec on the D353. Although it can record MPEG4 to a memory stick, which can be output at VGA standard thru the USB port, it is actually a fully featured miniDV camcorder, recording to a miniDV cassette. So there's nothing there to impede jaycijanae's ambition - other than the apparent lack of this mysterious "power source thing".

Jaycijanae, do you mean the ac adaptor for the camcorder? Although you should normally run the camcorder from the ac adaptor when capturing video, there's nothing to stop you capturing shorter segments powering the camcorder from it's own battery, so long as it has enough charge. If you got the camcorder for Christmas, in a box, you should have all the usual accessories that came with it.

jaycijanae · Post by **jaycijanae** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 12:50 am

heinz-oz wrote:From what I could gather at the SAMSUNG web site, your camcorder is a low budget device that records mpeg4 onto a memory stick and allows for USB streaming (VGA 30fps). Whilst it has an IEEE 1394 port it would need editing software that supports mpeg4.

Your best bet to view your video (forget about editing for the moment) would be to connect it to your TV via the A/V out port.

-is lost and confused now-

maddrummer3301 · Post by **maddrummer3301** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 1:28 am

>>there's nothing to stop you capturing shorter segments powering the >>camcorder from it's own battery, so long as it has enough charge

You know SOME camcorders are required to be powered via the AC adapter for the firewire port to be active.
JVC does that on some units. Go figure that one. Maybe something to do with the charging and powering circuit.

The poster here is having a connection problem. Most likely with the firewire port on his machine.
Someone is telling him he must power the IEEE1394 port externally.
Depends on the interface.
I can't understand why the port need to be powered. The power connections end up NOT USED in a 4 pin connector into the camcorder.

Large Firewire Connector = 6 Pins is for "Data & Power" 4 pins for signal and 2 pins for power = 6 pins.
Small Firewire Connector = 4 Pins and is "Data Only" (2 signal paths, 2 pair per signal, each signal has it's own ground). So on a 4 pin
Firewire connector 2 pins are for data and 2 are grounded). That is the standard DV Firewire small 4pin connector on DV camcorders.
Almost all camcorders are 4 pin / Data Only.
The 4 Pin to 6 Pin Firewire cables are for mechanical compatibility only.

If you do use a powered IEEE1394 port it's useless on a 4 pin / 6 pin cable. The power connections aren't physically connected (not used).
Could be his output interface circuitry needs to be powered.
Don't know, that doesn't make sense.

Sounds like he must change settings in the camcorders "Setup" menu.

Also, NEVER connect the USB Cable & the Firewire cable at the same time to the computer.

MD

heinz-oz · Post by **heinz-oz** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:10 am

2Dogs wrote:Heinz, I felt so embarrassed when I read your post that I went ahead and checked the spec on the D353. Although it can record MPEG4 to a memory stick, which can be output at VGA standard thru the USB port, it is actually a fully featured miniDV camcorder, recording to a miniDV cassette. So there's nothing there to impede jaycijanae's ambition - other than the apparent lack of this mysterious "power source thing".

Jaycijanae, do you mean the ac adaptor for the camcorder? Although you should normally run the camcorder from the ac adaptor when capturing video, there's nothing to stop you capturing shorter segments powering the camcorder from it's own battery, so long as it has enough charge. If you got the camcorder for Christmas, in a box, you should have all the usual accessories that came with it.

Sorry about that 2Dogs, totally unintentional.

Well, I checked the web site and could not find anything on a mini DV cassette. Sorry if I caused some more confusion here

I guess, with all our technical input here, we have collectively confused the OP even more, judging by the last post.

I honestly don't know how anyone could offer any more help on the "power supply thing with strings and connectors" and the "7.0 video blah blah usb stuff", sorry. Unless we can all settle for a common language base.... hmmm??

Don't let me stop anyone from trying though

Over and out from me.

rwindeyer · Post by **rwindeyer** » Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:44 am

jaycijanae wrote:So we got the port for it, the cable and all and then we ran into a problem, it needs a little power source thing..that has strings and like two connector things..and..well..we dont have that..and..so we are screwed

Hey there..

Take a deep breath! You're probably feeling a bit overwhelmed right now. Hang in there; it's not really that difficult.

For clarification: do you have a desktop PC, or a laptop?

If a desktop: it may not have a firewire card. It's a matter of buying a firewire card, opening the computer case and slotting the card into one of the available slots. When you boot the computer up next time it will recognise the new hardware, and Bob's your uncle so to speak. The cable you will need is indeed a firewire cable; one end (to the PC) is a 6-pin, the other end (to the camera) is a 4-pin.

If a laptop: it will usually have a firewire port. Get a firewire cable, 4-pin each end.

Hope that helps a bit.