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  1. Hi, tried Googling around, didn't help so I'm here. Very odd Firewire issue.

    I'm trying to move old Mini DV videos using crappy Samsung Mini DV Camcorder with FW-out port on it to my Laptop.

    Somehow the quality the camcorder outputs to Firewire is crappy. Even audio.

    Laptop is top notch i7, SSD etc... using DeLock Firewire A ExpressCard.

    It seems as it would drop frames but not any program detect any dropped frames, even the audio cuts, video seems speeded up (because of missing frames???). Even when I do the import I can hear the audio loud and clear on camcorder speaker but even the preview on PC cuts the audio.

    I know that Firewire it self should not affect anyhow here but is it possible that Camcorder somehow fails to output full stream?
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  2. Member DB83's Avatar
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    What program are you using to 'capture' the stream to your laptop ?

    A possible issue, even with a SSD, if you have only one drive is that other software, including the OS, is trying to access the drive at the same time as the capture. DV is a high bitrate and any disruption to the drive will cause dropped frames etc.
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  3. aBigMeanie aedipuss's Avatar
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    the answer to your only question is maybe, the camcorder might have dirty heads causing loss of signal so the first thing i'd try is a head cleaning tape.

    or db83's thought may be valid.
    --
    "a lot of people are better dead" - prisoner KSC2-303
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  4. Member vhelp's Avatar
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    i've read similar problems like this here which usually lead to the fact that a usb cable was used and not an actual firewire cable. post the a picture of the camcorder connections and which one you are using.
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  5. Hi guys! Thanks for suggestions. DIdn't mention there were few earlier tires with multiple SW and on much older PC as well..same results.

    SW from Movie maker to Sony Vegas, MAgic and Pinnacle and few others in between. Same results. DOnt beliewe its hw/sw on PC side...

    Propably a bit dirty but still: the audio on camera side nice and clean but on the other side of the cable, cracling and cutting. So propably not dirtyness either.

    vhelp - usb cable? how could it even fit there? On CAM there is small FW connector (maybe 6way?) and on FW card larger and the cable I'm using is from (came with) the FW extension card.

    I'm starting to consider possibility that the CAM is not just putting full stream to the FW port, firmware issue maybe, I dont know...
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  6. Member DB83's Avatar
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    1. Try another cable
    2. Try a simple DV transfer program rather than capture software. So try WinDV
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  7. Member turk690's Avatar
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    Originally Posted by hhlaine View Post
    Laptop is top notch i7, SSD etc... using DeLock Firewire A ExpressCard....
    Your DeLock seems to have a TI chipset so the problem is likely not there. But, I bet you your top-notch laughtop has only one hard drive (which means that is where the OS is and where the captured DV-AVI files also go to.) Epic fail. Apart from the OS hard drive, you have to have a separate, non-USB hard drive to direct the captured files to. I have discussed this in detail in several older posts, with the subject being the absolute desire to use a laptop to capture video with, yet not prepared to acknowledge why at least two physically separate, single-controller'd (SATA, eSATA) HDDs are mandatory. Not optional, not USB3, not another partition, not remote via wi-fi....
    For the nth time, with the possible exception of certain Intel processors, I don't have/ever owned anything whose name starts with "i".
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