total newbie needs to know how to get video from dv camera

[naes]

hi, this is my first post, i am a total newbie and i need to know how to get video off my video camera and onto my harddrive. i have a p4 1.7 Ghz. 128 mb RDRAM and i have a 60 gb hd for progams and i am going to get a 120 gb hd for the videos, the camera we have has a port for a dv plug to fit in how do i get the video from the camera to HD and what programs do i use. i Just want to know exactly what is going to happen before i buy anything. i was told that the ADS Pyro Capture card is a good one to start with. i currently do not want to burn the video onto discs rather i only want to store them on HD.

thank you

[DivXExpert]

You need a Firewire card (Not a capture card). Anyone will do.
Use DVIO to transfer the DV video through the firewire card to your HD.http://www.carr-engineering.com/dvio.htm

Then if you are going to store the videos, you need to compress them. DV video takes up alot of space otherwise.

I use VirtualDub with the DivX http://www.divx.com compressor, or the XviD http://www.xvid.org compressor.
And MP3 for the audio on the videos.

When you do decide to burn the videos they will be playable on any DivX certified MPEG-4 player device.

[tonyp12]

You need a firewire card (1394)

$40 at bestbuy:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051384643521&skuId=5179889&type=product&pr...oryId=cat01077


$25 online (free shipping, just add something for a $1)

http://www.ecost.com/ecost/shop/detail.asp?dpno=138542

WindowsXP moviemaker does OK to import the DV media

[naes]

will any firewire card work? is the Pyro one better? what software do i use? someone mentioned Ulead Video Studio 7?

[hoyboy]

I think any firewire card should do the job ok- It might be worth looking around for one that has both firewire and usb2- for later on. Otherwise, see if anybody is offering something like a DV starter kit- with the card, cables and some software to use. I bought one and it had Ulead videostudio5 in it- an old version but it still worked ok.

[tonyp12]

You do get MovieMaker2 for free with WindowsXP, but if you do not like
it you could get this combo for $99


http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=1051384505547&skuId=4686799&type=product