Camcorder not recognized

[pepegota]

I usually download my DV tape from the Panasonic analog camcorder to my JVC DVD recorder. However, I wanted to try downloading from the cam to the PC. I connected the cam to the PC and started VS Pro X3. When I click on "source" I get the message: No video device driver installed or device is not connected. The device (cam) is connected and the 1394 port is wrong properly. Then the video driver is needed. Where do I get this from-do I need to reinstall VS?

[Ron P.]

This is not an uncommon problem. Since VS11, capturing analog tape, or from an analog source has been broken. Corel is very much aware of this bug, and I do know that they have been very actively working on a fix. I have no idea of when this may be released. In the meantime for transferring DV video via Firewire, you can do like some of us, including me, use a free program called WinDV. Once you get the video to your PC, just insert it into VS for editing.

[pepegota]

WinDV could not find the Panasonic camcorder.

[Ron P.]

You then have a system problem, what OS are you running? Does your PC have a Firewire card or is it integrated? If it is a card, you can try opening your PC and re-seating the card. Do you have access to another firewire cable? If so try another cable. If none of those work, it could, and hopefully not, be the firewire port on your camcorder is bad.

[Ken Berry]

I am also a little confused by this statement:

I usually download my DV tape from the Panasonic analog camcorder

Exactly what model Panasonic is it? As far as I was aware, DV was a format invented specifically for *digital* camcorders, not analogue ones... I wonder if Pepegota just means it is a standard definition camcorder...? But either way, if WinDV cannot work with it, then as Ron says, there is something more serious going on...

[pepegota]

It is a Panasonic 3CCD PV GS500, analog camcorder. I output DV from the fire wire port to the DVD recorder resulting in a DVD.
I used the term analog to indicate the product is not HD. The camera is digital. The OS is Windows XP SP3. The 1394 port is working properly , as I can download to the DVD recorder but, not the PC. It must be a driver problem-but how to fix? I uninstalled and reinstalled the 1394 drivers but, still no soap!

[Ken Berry]

What does Device Manager tell you about the 1394 driver? Is it Texas Instruments compliant or VIA? (I ask because I have trouble on one of my computers with a VIA compliant 1394 controller. It also cannot see a connected digital camcorder... I am going to try to change it to a Texas Instruments driver, but haven't quite gotten around to doing so... )

BTW, analogue is not digital (to state the obvious), and describing a digital camcorder -- whether standard or high definition -- as analogue is only going to cause confusion...

[pepegota]

I think I may have found the culprit. The cam's 1394 port is working-it tranfers data to the DVD recorder. The PC's 1394 port is working, so says device mgr. Therefore, unless for a registry problem or something else, the only other thing is the fire wire itself. I will get a new fire wire and see if that solves the problem. Thanks for your inputs.

[skier-hughes]

Device manager only tells you that the firewire port "sholud" be working techincally, not physically, ie no conflicts with drivers, driver installed etc, but it doesn't pick up a faulty firewire port.
Could you fill in your system specs so we can advicse in greater detail.
Over the last few years implementors of firewire have done so with little regard to the proper code, which is why panasonic call it dv, sony ilink etc.
If you are using windows 7 then reverting to a legacy driver may well help, if you are in a pal region and are using XP 2p2 onwards then reverting to an older firewire driver again my help.

Here are all the things I've found that might help.

http://www.myvideoproblems.com/ProblemP ... tureW7.htm
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/ProblemP ... ewire.html
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/ProblemP ... derSP2.htm
http://www.myvideoproblems.com/ProblemP ... apture.htm