Can not capture DV Camcorder with USB cable - why?

Melbee wrote on 5/19/2014, 5:03 PM

Hi Folks,

I've been trying to find answers to this question and can't. I have a Panasonic NV-GS230 (tape) camcorder which came with a USB cable. I have used this to capture video from my camcorder with no problem using Movie Maker to my laptop.

I just downloaded Magix Movie Edit 14 Plus to try and I really like the program but to my dismay I cannot capture video from my Camcorder. The message comes up saying Device can not be found or something like that. When I research this I find this software wants me to use a FireWire cable!! I don't have such a cable and my laptop does not have a FireWire connection. I find it crazy that Music Maker that is free will happily capture video from my camcorder but Movie Edit doesn't.

Am I missing something? Do I need to download something? Please help.

I have tried all the different options to see if any would work but none will find my camcorder. It is such a shame and I'm stunned. The only solution I have found so far is to buy hardware to add a FireWire connection to my laptop and I will definitely not do that.

Any help appreciated,

Thanks Mel

Comments

browj2 wrote on 5/19/2014, 9:51 PM

Hi,

This is a little confusing. You say at first that you can capture video from your camcorder using MovieMaker (a Microsoft product) and then later you say that you can capture with Music Maker, a Magix product. Is this a mistake? Which is the correct product?

You say that you downloaded and installed Movie Edit Pro 14; do you mean 2014 or 14?

If you can capture with MovieMaker then you don't need MEP to capture the video. Just use MovieMaker. I used a program that came with my DV camera to get all of my videos onto my computer. If you want to use MEP, it should be able to read the captured files.

You said that you tried all of the options. Specifically, which options in MEP did you try? Record from DV should work.

johnebaker wrote on 5/20/2014, 1:07 AM

. . . .This is a little confusing. . . .

I agree with John C B .

. . . . The only solution I have found so far is to buy hardware to add a FireWire connection to my laptop and I will definitely not do that. . . .

AFAICS that is the only solution.

Looking at the camera manual video capture from the camera is only possible via DV (Firewire) cable or using the composite video out and a suitable video digital converter. This is common with most DV tape cameras.

Still image from the memory card via USB is possible.

John

Scenestealer wrote on 5/20/2014, 4:25 AM

I agree with the John's although I did read a link from MS Moviemaker to the microsoft help files that did say you could capture from a DV camera via a USB cable. Never seen it done though!

Further more MS Moviemaker says you can even capture as individual files of takes from a DV camera!!

Anyway as you can record via Moviemaker you can do this for the capture then access the files on your computer via Magix as browj2 has said. It is not really much more work than capturing via Firewire to Magix.

browj2 wrote on 5/20/2014, 10:31 AM

Hi again,

It has been quite a while since I used my DV camera and recorded everything onto the computer. I looked it up and the connection was a firewire. I also looked up in the MEP2014 manual under DV and the connection is supposed to be firewire. You have an anomaly, thus continue using MovieMaker since you say it works or use whatever proprietory software came with your camera assuming that it works with USB. My imported files were all saved as avi during import. I presume that yours are too.

Good luck.

Melbee wrote on 5/20/2014, 1:33 PM

Thanks for your responses everyone.

It is a real shame that Movie Edit Pro 2014 Plus will not capture my DV Camcorder Video from my USB cable because I was very impressed with it until I discovered that hiccup.

My Panasonic Camcorder Operating Insturctions for PC Connection states clearly that I can transfer DV Video to my PC via a Mini USB to USB cable. The FireWire cable and connection is also possible but optional.

I got MotionDV software with my Camcorder and that worked fine for video capture with my USB cable but it doesn't work on my new Windows 8.1 laptop. I can Capture video with my USB cable with MovieMaker and Cyberlink PowerDirector 12 without any problems. So the USB cable connection for video capture is not an anomaly.

PowerDirector 12.0 is the latest version and connects to my Camcorder without any problems. Hence my confusion as to why Magix Movie Edit cannot connect to my Camcorder, it really makes no sense to me.

As has been suggested, I could capture in MovieMaker and edit in Magix Movie Edit but if I'm paying for a program I want it to work on all fronts, good quality Capture, good Editing workspace plus good quality and choice of Render options for export.

Magix Movie Edit Pro 2014 Plus wins for Editing workspace and Rendering options but totally fails on the Capture and costs €100. If it would capture my Camcorder Video I would just buy it but now I'm put off.

Cyberlink PowerDirector 12 wins on Capture but has less supple Editing workspace and Rendering options but is cheaper at €70.

I was hoping I was missing something in the program that I had to activate or download that would solve the problem. I'm going to have to think about it, money is tight and it's my hobby not my job.

Cheers Mel

johnebaker wrote on 5/20/2014, 1:44 PM

. . . . You have an anomaly, . . . .

@ John C B - not quite to quote Microsoft :-

. . . . If you have a DV camera that supports streaming over USB (also called a USB Video Class [UVC] camera) . . .

The camera must support this to be able to play the video through the USB. The manual for the Panasonic NV-GS230 does not give any indication that the camera supports UVC, however, as I have found with my Sony, there may be 'undocumented' features and / or compatibilities.

MEP however, as JohnCB correctly states, does expect DV over Firewire.

HTH

John

Melbee wrote on 5/20/2014, 3:16 PM

Hi John,

Oh! then I got lucky when I bought this camcorder because I didn't realise it was special.

I found a sticker on the side that says USB 2.0 DV data streaming.

I checked the Specifications of MEP and saw that it needs Firewire to connect to DV Camcorders so I'm out of luck on that score. PowerDirector does support USB connections so there's my answer.

I will go back to testing out the Editing workflows and Export qualities then reassess my choice.

Cheers Mel

james22taylor wrote on 8/15/2015, 10:59 AM

Hello Everyone

I have a similar problem. I have recently purchased Movie Edit Pro 2015 Plus and I can not capture DV from my Sony HDR-FX1E semi-Pro camera, even with a firewire lead. I have used 2 firewire cards which totals 6 firewire socket in all that I have tried. Only one of the sockets got anywhere near connecting the device. Only once did I manage to stream some video to the capture screen but it was horribly distorted. I have never been able to repeat the process. When I shutdown after trying to capture, I get a BSOD

I am currently awaiting a response from Magix support but any other ideas would be very welcome.

Thanks

Jim

johnebaker wrote on 8/15/2015, 11:45 AM

@ Jim

First it is bad etiquette to:

1. hijack someone elses question

2. Revive an old question which has already been answered and solved.

- your problem is different from Mels and should be a seperate question.

To answer your question - I suspect you need 64bit drivers for the firewire cards, MP 2015 is a 64 bit program.

HTH

John EB