Help with JVC mini dv tape camcorder

Doug2006 · Post by **Doug2006** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 6:54 am

I have a JVC Grd72u camcorder and am having trouble capturing. I bought this camcorder used and it appeared in like new condition. Hardly ever used still in original box, etc. When I went to take the video off the camera at first I could not get it to actually capture anything. The capture software, windv, moviemaker, correl x2, or what ever recognize the camera and the software turns the camera on and off through the firewire connection.

What makes this frustrating is that I discovered a setting in the camcorder menu that turns on the fire wire port. At first it was off so I turned it on and then I did capture 30 minutes of video. When I went back to get more, no dice, I can not capture anything and have turn the port off and on to no avail. I can not understand how I could be so close and not get anything. I have wiggled the fire wire and played with every setting I can think of and still cannot get anything more out of it. Is there any special software that can check the connection or test the camera output. Doug

Post by **Ron P.** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 8:04 am

I would start looking first at the firewire cable. If you have access to another try it. If still no change, then hopefully you have a firewire card in your PC, where that could be easily replaced, if it is faulty. The next two possible options are the ports on the camcorder and your PC. If the one on the camcorder is bad, then it would take a technician to repair or replace it. In order to test both, you need another camcorder that uses firewire, and another PC. Alternate using a different camcorder with your PC, and your camcorder with a different PC.

Since you have managed to capture some with it, that rules out any of the software being faulty. I will also ask if the system specs you have on file here are current?

I'm not aware of any special software to test the connections. A general test is if your OS is seeing and recognizing the camcorder when it is plugged into your PC, and turned on. If not then it is most likely a hardware problem..

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 1:56 pm

Also, have you tried different combinations of how things are turned on, such as turning on the camcorder first, then opening VS, and vice versa?

Doug2006 · Post by **Doug2006** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 2:59 pm

Thanks for the replies, Yes I have tried every combination of turning things on and off I could think of. I reset the camcorder to the factory defaults and rebooted computer and tried every possible combination. I do have another camera, a sony that I have been using the fire wire with and have not had a problem. I will try it again although I used it just a day ago with no trouble. I have two sony's but they both are the larger digital 8 mm so I can not just put the mini tape in another camera which would probably be the best bet. I think it is something with the camera. It has a setting in the menu to turn the fire wire port and the s video port on and off. That is the first clue as possibly a bad design, as why would I care about turning the port on and off. The sony's don't have anything like that. I will try disconnecting it from any power source and see if that reboots it. I will check my specs on the forum later and see if they are current. Probably not! Doug

Black Lab · Post by **Black Lab** » Thu Dec 24, 2009 3:23 pm

I will try disconnecting it from any power source and see if that reboots it.

That brings up another point. Some cams will transfer only when on battery power, others only when plugged in. Something else to try...

aa7dj · Post by **aa7dj** » Sat Dec 26, 2009 12:29 am

I have the same camcorder. When I bought it five years ago I had the similar problem. It was a FireWire card fault. Somewhere I discovered that this camcorder like a Texas Instruments chipset card. First one has a different chipset and didn't work at all. I returned it back to the local store. Second one was ordered online. But they still shipped wrong chipset and I returned it back. Actually I got a good working TI chipset card only after third attempt. Unlucky in few months that card was crashed and now I use a fourth one.

So far no problem.