Dummy Question - How do I capture video from my mini DV tapes?

[Edditt]

OK, new to this so here goes!

I've an old Panasonic camcorder (NV-GS230GC) and some mini DV tapes that we recorded years ago. I want to transfer the recordings to my PC and then edit them so we can play them back to a TV screen. Simple!!

What I have done so far:

Installed a StarTech 1394 PCIe Firewire card on my PC.
Connected the card to the "DV" (FireWire?) port on my camcorder, with a cable
A download of the "Filmora scrn" software on my PC. This has a capture option that brings up a little window showing my PC screen, which will record what's on my PC's screen.
I've tried starting this app with the record button and starting the camcorder's playback. All I get is a recording of what's on my screen (The Filmora app!) and no video footage.
Ok so I'm not getting this right, am I? What should I be doing? Can I capture the video from my tapes without it running on screen? How can I get the video to run on my PC's screen? Is software like Filmora scrn the right software?

If you can help then don't feel that you can describe things in too simple terms for me! You can't!

I have Windows 10 Home 64 bit on my PC.

Hoping to hear from you.

[oln]

Filmora scrn is a screen recorder. (Also the people filmora are scummy spammers and violate open source licenses, I highly suggest avoiding their products.)

What you want is e.g WinDV.

[Edditt]

Thanks for your reply oln. I've also found something called Stoik Capturer?

[_Al_]

Wording miniDV capture does not mean screen capture as it might imply, it is "capture" of original DV stream that is on tape. Programs like winDV or Scenalyzer are used together with firewire card to copy video that is on tape to computer.

edit: that stoik capture might work or not, not sure if it gets raw stream, but scenalyzer seamed to never failed, it can also be used as a "DV video quick viewer", where navigating into a directory it shows DV videos and its filmstrips, so you know what kind of video it is if searching for something

[Edditt]

I've downloaded Stoik Capturer and it will allow me to run the tape in the camera and transfer it, via my FireWire card to the PC hard drive (which I guess WinDV will as well).

So far so good but the next issue seems to be that I can't run this process for the whole tape. The recording gets stopped and an error message comes up saying "cannot work with this video device" I have a series of individual files on the PC hard drive that run for a few minutes!

Got the point about screen recorders so thanks to folks for explaining the difference.

Any ideas?

[LMotlow]

MiniDV is already digital, and it is a lossy format. It should never be "captured". Use WinDV to make a 100% true copy via Firewire, the way it's supposed to be done.

If not, you're just degrading your source videos.

Stoik Capture is cheap garbage.

[Edditt]

Thanks for your post. OK so my data on my tapes will degrade (just like JPGs?). I've downloaded WinDV 1.2.3 which appears to be the latest version? When I click "capture" I get a brief message "initialising" and the "error" and no video appears in the black box. What might I be doing wrong?

[dellsam34]

Make sure you are using the Type-2 AVI.

[aedipuss]

err. some people shouldn't try answering questions they know nothing about. if you are using win8.1 or win10, winDV has to be installed in a folder other than any of the "program" folders on c:. make a new folder anywhere else and install it there. then right click on the winDV .exe file and go to properties/compatibility and put a tick mark in the "run this program as administrator". should be ok after.

[Edditt]

Thanks for all the posts.

I've created a new folder away from "programme" files and extracted the files. A right-click on the .exe file gives me the "run as administrator" option and this will open the software window. I've made sure "Type-2 AVI" is selected.

Unfortunately, an error message comes up "no video device found" so I get no video playing in the app. Any thoughts?

(I may still head to a pro company to do this but I would be great to crack it myself!)

[Edditt]

MiniDV is already digital, and it is a lossy format. It should never be "captured". Use WinDV to make a 100% true copy via Firewire, the way it's supposed to be done.

If not, you're just degrading your source videos.

Stoik Capture is cheap garbage.

Can someone give me a little more to explain this issue, please? What's the difference between "capture" and "copy"? Does WinDV "copy" without degrading the data on my tapes?

[dellsam34]

Did windows detected your camcorder? Some Startech chipsets don't work with newer windows OS, Others do but they require legacy drivers, There are threads about this subject here just dig them up.

DV is transferred without loss of quality, It's just raw data files, But can only be streamed in real time via firewire (iLink) port.

[Edditt]

Thanks for your reply. The StarTech techies say the card I have is OK with Windows 10 and there is no requirement for other drivers. I can see my FireWire card in device manager. I can't see my camcorder in Explorer.

[aedipuss]

run windv. plug your cam into the firewire port. turn it on and hit play. if nothing shows up in windv either the firewire cable or card is bad. make sure you are using a firewire cable not usb. it should look like this.


[Attachment 51999 - Click to enlarge]

[Edditt]

Thanks for the replies.

I followed the sequence set out by aedipuss carefully but got no video in WinDV unfortunately, just the usual error message "no video device found". There's a little checkbox in WinDV and I tried it ticked and unticked but it made no difference.

The "video source" shown in WinDV is "Microsoft DV camera and VCR" (which it isn't, it's a Panasonic) but there are no others listed to chose, just a little menu box to the right which seems to do nothing.

I've had the StarTech techies poke around it with a remote connection and they found the card listed in the device manager list and said that showed it was OK. They suggested swapping the cable, which I will do once I order one!

The cable I'm using is https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07JDVG3D1/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 which I think should do the job? My FireWire card has 6 and 9 pin connectors on it. I'm using the 6 pin connection at the moment. Would using the 9 pin make any difference?

I may be running out of options here? Is it the software and is there a good alternative to try? Any thoughts would be welcome!

[Brad]

Have you searched previous topics as dellsam34 suggested? Here is one.

https://forum.videohelp.com/threads/388634-DV-capture-with-Windows-10?p=2519533&viewfu...=1#post2519533

You can forget about trying WinDV or any other software if Windows doesn't detect your camcorder in the first place. In this YouTube video, the guy's camera shows up in Device Manager: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1B0msn9xcI

[aedipuss]

4 pin to 6 pin is the correct cable and port.

[Cornucopia]

The first iteration of firewire (400), which is the one you want to use, only supports 2 kinds of cables: 4pin mini and 6pin full. The difference is that 6pin supports supplying power, 4 doesn't. But you shouldn't try to supply power to a cam anyway, just use its existing power supply. 4pin <-> 4pin, 4pin <-> 6pin, 6pin <-> 4pin, 6pin <-> 6pin are all OK.

If you have something that is 9pin (firewire800?), almost certainly NOT gonna work.

Regardless of the brand/model of your dv device, you want to use the MS driver.

Sounds like you could have a bunch of other factors confounding your setup. Best to go with lean, mean, clean stock install of os, fw drivers (should be automatic), and a known good capping app (see many previous threads).

Then you'll be off to the right start.

Scott

[blazer666_uk]

Bit old but replying as found a solution.

I had some issues with windows 10 and capturing from my Mini DVHD camera. Found out that it was the firewire driver installed with windows 10.

I removed this driver and installed the legacy firewire driver which works fine, although windows 10 keeps reinstalling the newer 1394 driver, so I have to re-install the legacy 1394 Driver.

Solution:


1. Download the Microsoft Firewire 1394 Legacy Driver Installer
https://download.microsoft.com/download/6/c/d/6cdafba0-054a-44fa-b627-bc1f1e1c6772/139...gacydriver.msi

2. Double-click to run the 1394_OHCI_LegacyDriver.msi file. This will extract the drivers to: C:\Program Files (x86)\1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy)\

3. Open the folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy)\X64_driver\

4. Right-click on Legacy1394.inf and choose Install to install the drivers

5. Right click start menu and select device manager

6. In Device Manager, expand IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controllers

7. Right-click on 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller

8. Click Update Driver Software

9. Click Browse my computer for driver software

10. Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers on my computer

11. Click 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller (Legacy) - note the legacy part as this is important

12. Click Next
(When Windows has finished installing the driver) click Close

As I mentioned I sometimes find that the newer 1394 driver has reinstalled itself so just repeat the process from step 5 above

Hop this helps anyone who finds this issue in the future

[Edditt]

Didn't expect any more replies so many thanks for yours. It did beat me so I will work through your methodology. I would love to crack it!

[Alwyn]

Blazer, thanks for that!

if you are using win8.1 or win10, winDV has to be installed in a folder other than any of the "program" folders on c:. make a new folder anywhere else and install it there. then right click on the winDV .exe file and go to properties/compatibility and put a tick mark in the "run this program as administrator". should be ok after.

Confusing. WinDV doesn't "install", it simply runs.

[lollo]

WinDV doesn't "install", it simply runs.

You do not "install". He meant to place WinDV in a folder and run it with administrator rights.

[Alwyn]

I thought I'd point that out for any newbys who come across this quite helpful thread; I can imagine someone new to the game trying to get it to install when it doesn't.

[lollo]

Sorry, I have misunderstood your reply. I thought you were confising and needed clarifications, but it was not the case