Please SAVE my camcorder !!!

[SeVen50]

Having no luck in getting my win2k pc (see profile) to recognise my Panasonic NV-DS28 cam. I am using the firewire port on my mboard. In device mgr I can see the 1394 host controller supposedly correctly configured. I have tried everything I can think of including -

- Replacing the TI driver with the MS 1394 driver
- Screaming
- Turning on DV out in the cam settings menu
- Two different cables
- Alcohol
- Uninstalling drivers / rebooting / with cam on / off / upside down / back to front
- I refuse to cry. Period.
- Calling Panasonic Australia who told me they only support DV if I buy a Pyro kit. Yer - thanks guys.

As of last night I have a new cable, new drivers and my pc does not recognise any new device being connected to it.

Can anyone help or is my cam going to get it ?

[Roundabout]

On Panasonic's Australian website, there are free downloads for DV Studio and MPEG4 Movie Messenger System, have you tried any of those to see if it would allow you to import the video? Click here:
http://www.panasonic.com.au/catalogue/list.cfm?cat=2_1

[Roundabout]

You also might check Microsoft's database for updates, there are several. Take a look at this link and look at others on there:
http://search.microsoft.com/search/results.aspx?st=b&na=83&qu=dv+update&View=en-us
Since I don't know what version of Windows you have, I can't be more specific about the update, but you can look there yourself and find them.

[SeVen50]

Tkx Roundabout my OS (win2k sp4) is in my profile.

My problem is with my OS not recognising my cam, not with the capture software I'm using so what I am looking for is how other people have fixed this first step...I'm wondering if maybe I need to upgrade to XP (even tho there's no guarantee this will fix the problem !)

Surely someone out there has a similar panasonic cam and is using win2k ???

47hrs...

[Roundabout]

Sorry, I noticed that you have the profile of your PC posted. I did find one update for Panasonic cameras on Microsoft's website, but it pertains to WinXP. Take a look: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=5b669b2c-213d-46b6-b67b-b3f37...DisplayLang=en
Since both Win2K and WinXP are NT, perhaps this would fix the problem in yours? No way of knowing. Look around the MS website, maybe you'll find more driver updates than I did on a cursory check.

[Roundabout]

One more idea for you, Seven - try posting your problem on this website:
http://www.dvboard.com - ESPECIALLY the FAQ's here: http://www.dvboard.com/faq.html - these guys specialize in the types of problems you are having, if someone there can't help you, I don't know who can! Hope that helps you out a little...

[troyvcd1]

Your operating system recognizing your cam? why do you need this? Are you able to capture video with your cam? I used ulead videostudio to capture from my cam with no problem but I dont see how your system will recognize your cam.

[SeVen50]

Will try the dvboard... in the meantime if anyone has any suggestions...

troyvcd1 - unless the cam is recognised by the OS (ie the drivers are correctly working) you cannot capture.... apparently this is the bane of a multitude of would-be capturers.


It's only a matter of time before my cam gets a drop kick thru the window.

[Roundabout]

SeVen50, I found another link while I was wandering around on the web today, that also seems to have a lot of information about problems similar to yours. Try this: http://f24.parsimony.net/forum61358/

[SeVen50]

hmm cant access this site from work will try tonight at home tks man !

much frigging around last and still no progress - there have been almost 200 views of this - surely someone has a similar panasonic camcorder and can post whether they are using win2k or XP and what success/failures they have had ???

[Roundabout]

And from another post on this forum, there was this:

>>There is a chance (very slim, but nonetheless present) that you will get a universal host controller interface (UHCI)-type FireWire card with many of the closeouts and bargains going on all over, brick&mortar and online. This type of FireWire card is OK for connecting such things as external HDDs, but NOT for a digital camcorder. For that you WANT an open-host interface controller (OHCI)-type FireWire card, preferably with drivers for your OS.<<

and this:

>>One more thing to check is that the firewire port on the camera is switched on. My Panasonic camera came defaulted with the firewire port switched off, easly resolved thru the camera's menu settings.<<

Some others are having the same problem as you, and this seems to be not at all uncommon for DV/Firewire ports in Windows PC's. Makes me worry about buying any DV camera to use with my PC, if there are so many problems with capturing to a firewire card with it. Of course, I suppose you could get the DataVideo DAC-100 and use that to interface with the PC>Camcorder. It has it's own drivers and should work properly. It has the added advantage of having the Composite Video/Analog audio input to capture from VCR's, etc.
Or, you could avoid all the problems and get one of these babies:
http://www.adstech.com/products/USBAV_703/intro/usb703intro.asp?pid=USBAV703