I have just bought a JVC GRD-53 which comes with both USB (USB2 I think) and Firewire ports. My PC has USB2 but not Firewire. Should I get a Firewire port put on my PC and are there any good or bad ones? They all seem pretty cheap and some come with a lead and software but do you get what you pay for as it were???

I really just want to do some basic editing and saving of my clips (not huge films!) onto Video CD at the moment as the software comes with the camera and I have a CD re-writer. My first effort with a Video CD was not very good - could this be down to the USB or is the quality that bad anyway?

I might add a DVD re-writer later but thought Video CD would be okay for short clips, but the picture is very poor.

Any advice to a complete beginner very gratefully recieved


Thanks

Barrie.

[PhilipH]

You should find that only the firewire port can be used to transfer DV (Digital Video) to a PC for editing ... the USB port on digital camcorders is usually for using the camera as a webcam or downloading stills from the stills camera facility.

Phil

[Daverey2]

Hi Barrie

I'm new to all this too, so don't want to give you incorrect advice or anything (if I do I'm sure someone will say so).

I recently bought a PC that didnt have a firewire port, and on the advice of this forum I decided to buy one. I had a look around, and the best place seems tobe ebay - I think I paid the princely sum of £2.54 (including delivery) for a card and it also came with a cable.

I then searched for software, and for less than a fiver delivered I managed to pick up a copy of Pinnacle Studio 9 SE - which I believe does not have all the fnctions of the full retail software.

I am in the process of converting my first camcorder video into a DVD - no idea how it will turn out yet, bt it looks like it will be fantastic.

Basically, I would think its well worth you making the very small investment to get the right stuff - like I said, for less than a tenner I've got the card, cable and software.

Dave

[MarkE19]

Well as you may have already gathered from previous posts you can only get the full quality video captured to your PC via firewire. As already mentioned as well you can add firewire to the PC for very little money, although I think Daverey2 getting card & cable for only £2.54 including postage was pure luck. You are more likely to be paying around £10 for them, but that is still fairly cheap IMO.
As for software, well if your PC is running Windows XP then you alread have editing software installed. XP comes complete with Movie Maker and if you have all the latest upgrades this will also have been upgraded to version 2 which is a lot better. This will do all you need to create your VCDs.
The picture quality of a VCD is going to be fairly low, but the origional footage you have got is capable of being far better. I think that once you get going you will quickly want to upgrade to a DVD burner. With these available for under £100 including all the authoring software required this will also not cost the earth.

Mark.

[laser]

You should be able to get a firewire card, cable, software and DVD writer for less than £100. A lot less if you buy from ebay.

Software such as Pinnacle Studio 9 or Ulead DVD Movie Maker will make the process very easy and will allow you to capture, edit and make a DVD with moving menus in one package. You will be impressed with the results.

Have a look at companies such as www.dabs.com.

Some software is packaged with a firewire card and is even cheaper.

[Skiddins]

The 'SE' versions of software are usually bundled with an item (CD drive or similar) and always loose some of the functionality of the full software.

Skiddins

[Daverey2]

Just as a follow up to Skiddins post..

I used Pinnacle Studio 9 SE for the first time last night to create a DVD of my first camcorder footage (holiday to Iceland).

I'm no expert and this was my first attempt, and I have to say it was excellent. I knwo the SE software loses some functionality, but it still did more than I could have imagined or used, and at £3 instead of £50, then for the beginner its spot on.

Dave