Can I work with what I've got?

[generic_screenname]

I'm trying to get video I recorded on a miniDV onto my computer. It's an older camcorder, nearly 10 years old, and what's worse, I don't have my USB to DV in/out cord. But I do have one of those AV cables that has the three plugs on one end and the other end looks like a little power drill. I also have a Dazzle DV-Bridge, which I plugged the AV cable into, with the other end going into my camcorder (JVC GR-DVL505). Finally, the Dazzle is connected via firewire to my Powerbook G4, running iMovie 6.0.3 on OSX 10.4.11. Unfortunately, attempts to upload the video from the camera to the computer have only brought up a "No Device Control" screen.

To sum up, I have:

JVC GR-DVL505 camcorder
PowerBook G4 laptop
Mac OSX 10.4.11
iMovie HD 6.0.3
Firewire
A/V cable
Dazzle DV-Bridge

Will any combination of those things get my video from the tape to the laptop?

[minidv2dvd]

welcome to the forum here!

only 1 thing is needed. just use a firewire cable. that's it. plug it into the camera and the computer and transfer the tape that way. miniDV can only be captured that way.

[generic_screenname]

there's no firewire port on the camera though. Not that I can see, anyway. It has a spot for AV, DV IN/OUT, and S Video.

[MOVIEGEEK]

Your camcorder doesn't have a firewire port,the DV-Bridge should work but it sounds like you have a driver conflict.

[julitomg]

According to the manual, you do have a firewire port on your camcorder, it´s referred as the "DV port" (like Sony´s i.link) and you should find it right under the AV port and above the S-video one. The cable is not the same that goes into the USB port under the LCD screen, that´d be only adecuate for transfering stills, so don´t worry about the missing one that came with the cam, just get a regular 4 to 6 firewire cable.

http://www.retrevo.com/support/JVC-GR-DVL505U-Camcorders-manual/id/209dj898/t/2/

[stiltman]

there's no firewire port on the camera though. Not that I can see, anyway. It has a spot for AV, DV IN/OUT, and S Video.

DV in/out is the firewaire port
4 pin

http://www.fixya.com/support/p398483-jvc_gr_dvl505_mini_dv_digital_camcorder/manual-16844/page-44


Edit:
Little late

[generic_screenname]

According to the manual, you do have a firewire port on your camcorder, it´s referred as the "DV port" (like Sony´s i.link) and you should find it right under the AV port and above the S-video one. The cable is not the same that goes into the USB port under the LCD screen, that´d be only adecuate for transfering stills, so don´t worry about the missing one that came with the cam, just get a regular 4 to 6 firewire cable.

http://www.retrevo.com/support/JVC-GR-DVL505U-Camcorders-manual/id/209dj898/t/2/

That must be the one that's missing. Crud. I need to label this things. I'm working in cramped quarters, and the stuff I have now I found in a drawer full of cords, adapters and cables, many of which I can't remember where they came from.

I'm curious about the possibility of driver issues, since the bridge looks like it should work, but it isn't.