Do I need Firewire for DVD Cams?

[ezeevivek]

Hi,

Just wanted to know: do I need a firewire card to capture video from a DVD Camcorder or USB DVD import will work fine?

Thanks,

[jagabo]

For the most part you need a firewire port. The USB port on most DV camcorders is only for still pictures and low resolution video. That said, there are a few camcorders with USB 2.0 ports that can transfer the full resolution DV stream.

[Abond]

I think you can copy the DVD to HD using dvd drive.

[jagabo]

Oh sorry, you're talking about camcorders that record on DVD media. I know they record in MPEG format so they might be able to use USB 1.1.

And I think Abond is right, you can usually just put the DVD in a computer's DVD drive and copy the data off it.

[Cornucopia]

I think you mean DV cams, not DVD cams. Give us the model#, so we know for sure.

For DV, should use Firewire to capture.
For DVD, should just rip files to HD, putting disc in PC drive.

Scott

[iant]

Some of the DVD cams do use USB2, notably the Hitachi ones. For these, USB2 is the only way to get the video streams off their DVD Ram disks if your other drives can't read a DVD Ram. They simply don't have firewire.

Note that if this is the case with your cam it MUST be USB2. USB1 will not work.

Tripped over this the hard way when I've had to help customers set up their Hitachi DVD Cams.

Have fun,
Ian