Handycam video to PC, via USB...

[Apip99]

Moring all.

I’m having probs with getting video from my handycam DCR-HC20 on to PC.

I did it once thru the USB cable and the quality was fine. No issues at all. That was a short while back when my daughter was born. I’ve spent the past few days trying to get more footage onto the PC, but no success. Its just really bad quality.

Software I’m using is the windows movie maker. Not the best I know, but it suites my needs.

Any one know what I’m doing wrong, but did right first time around? Or a step by step, Handycam to PC via USB.

Oh and I Cant get a fire wire card as the Dell PC I have is one of the office compact ones. Can’t fit anything ‘new’ in, or upgrade cards etc!

Thanks in advance,

Frustrated Phil

[redsox_mark]

Phil,

The only way to copy DV video in full, altered digital quality, is with a Firewire connection. Your camcorder does have a “USB streaming function” which can transmit video to the PC from DV tape over USB, but this is at a much lower quality than the original DV source.

So I don’t think you are doing anything wrong. It is going to be “bad”.

Why did it seem to work before? I don’t know… some possibilities:

- When you did this before, the lighting was better, or there was little movement – so the quality drop wasn’t so noticeable.
- You viewed the video on a small screen, again where the difference in quality would not be so noticeable.

Your Dell – I assume the slot is one of the “ExpressCard” ones. You need one of these to add Firewire. Unfortunately it doesn’t seem to have been released in the UK yet

http://catalog.belkin.com/IWCatProdu...duct_Id=281292

Though they are for sale in the US

http://www.geeks.com/details.asp?inv...505-DT&cpc=SCH

[Apip99]

Thanks a million for all the detailed info and fro taking the time.

Looks like I need to get me a mini card.

Regards,

Phil