Getting Firewire to work on an old laptop fitted with a FireWire socke

AnnTH wrote on 3/21/2025, 6:48 PM

I am trying to help a frield who has 18 DV tapes to be got from analogue to digital. She recently ordered a new PC with Windows 11 and forgot to ask for a FIREWIRE port to be installed. It unfortunatelty cannot be added now. I have a 16 year old Toshiba laptop fitted with a FireWire socket. The laptop is working well and is running Windows 7. My husband was a Movie Edit Pro fanatic having bought 11 Plus, 15 Plus, Pro 17 and Pro 17 Plus. Movie Edit Pro 17 Plus was installed but we could not get past the page which asked to check which camera system we were using. Are there any other settings that should be turned on to get the system working ? I have removed Pro 17 Plus and was thinking of installing one of the earlier pograms. We are stuck. Can anyone help please.?

Comments

AAProds wrote on 3/21/2025, 9:43 PM

@AnnTH

To be brutally frank, I suggest you use WinDV or Scenalyzer to transfer your DV files from your camcorder to your laptop, then move them to your friend's new PC.

While Magix can/could transfer DV, it will bring a tape in in one big file, which isn't convenient, I find. I also found the overall transfer process clunky, but 17Plus should still work.

WinDV and Scenalyzer will allow you to transfer either each tape scene, or join scenes from a day, or whatever grouping you want.

I've written guides for WinDV and Scenalyzer.

The Magix process is:

Connect your camcorder and switch it on.

Click the Red button below the monitor, then click DV Camera:

The DV Recording dialogue box will pop up:

In DV device driver, you should have an entry for "Microsoft DV camera and VCR". That's your camcorder. Set the rest of the options to your liking and then hit Record.

BTW, what is the model of your camcorder?

AnnTH wrote on 3/22/2025, 10:42 AM

Thank you for your reply. My friends camera is a Sony DCR-HC30E. I have had a look at your notes on WinDV and Scenalyzer and screen grabbed quite a few pages in case she wants to try your suggestions but I am not sure if she could cope with another lot of large info to learn. I must tell you that I am 83 years of age and my friend is 82. My husband taught her everything about editing and videoing and she is very good because he was a good teacher. Although my husband died 4 years ago I still have his Canon MiniDV HDV 1080i video camera. Unfortunately the screen on her Sony has been damaged but was definately working sufficiently enough to be able to use FireWire on her old PC. I have another question to ask you and that is can her 18 video tapes be put in my Canon so she can see the film perfectly.? Is that another possibility if we can get FIREWIRE working on my old Toshiba laptop. I did remove Magix Movie Edit Pro 17 Plus but will reinstall it again. Thank you for your ongoing help.

johnebaker wrote on 3/22/2025, 4:15 PM

@AnnTH

I would like to add a cautionary warning:-

On Amazon and many other sites you will find many cables which claim to enable Firewire devices to be connected to a USB port.

These are not true converters, they are adapters and will not work because the communication methods for Firewire and USB are not compatible.

John EB
Forum Moderator

AnnTH wrote on 3/22/2025, 7:45 PM

Thank you John EB for your concern. I have no intention of buying any cables from Amazon. I hate Amazon and have even signed partitions against them as they have had a poor record of safety in Britain in some of their factories. If I do need anything, at 83 years of age I don’t need much these days I will always go somewhere else even if it is a bit more expensive. I personally have a real FireWire cable under each of my 2 PC’s but have no use for them now as I use a LUMIX DSLR and an excellent i-phone. All I am trying to do is help my 82 year old friend to get her 18 DV tapes into my ancient laptop which is still in a surprisingly good condition. I intend to reload Magix Movie Pro 17 Plus and use the FireWire leads that we have. I would still like an answer to my question please as above as to whether I can put her DV tapes in a Canon MiniDV HDV 1080i. Thank you in advance.

AAProds wrote on 3/22/2025, 9:25 PM

@AnnTH

whether I can put her DV tapes in a Canon MiniDV HDV 1080i.

Ann, assuming it's an HV20, 30 or 40, yes, you can play your tapes in it. It should automatically swap to "DV" mode when you hit Play. if it doesn't, dive into the PLAY/OUT SETUP menu and set the DV STANDARD to DV.

They were a brilliant camcorder at the time. I still have an HV20 that sadly has a dead flipout screen.

AnnTH wrote on 3/23/2025, 5:08 AM

Thank you AAProds for your reply. It may be a week or two before I can see my friend again. So hopefully if her tapes go in my camera it will be brilliant. So we are keeping our fingers crossed that we will be able to get going on converting her films. Thank you again.