Hey people, ok..i have the jvc hdd everio GZ-MG505AG camcorder which is fine but..i am trying to download my films to my pc. my pc is a sony laptop. i know i need to use an ilink cable to down load but heres the problem: the camcorder dident come with a cable, the port on the camcorder is not the same as the port on the pc. i have an ilink cable but its the same on both ends and that only fits in the pc. anyone know what cable i need as im soo lost of my options.

[acapaulco]

Hi there

I hope the following helps but i must say i will be driving in the dark a little without the model number as i just have heard details about the 2007 range of Everio cameras that come with a docking station that has a Firewire connection but here goes....

If you have either a GZ-MG20/30/50/70 or GZ-MG21/26/36/46/77/505 the following applies to you.

The Everio HDD cameras use their own file format called .MOD which, in the first instance can only be used by the supplied software. The way the cameras connect to computer is via a USB2 connection.

When the camera is connected to a computer the computer will only see an extra hard disk drive or "Removable Disk" just in the same way as it would if you connect a USB memory stick etc. This is the cameras built in hard disk drive and you can copy and paste from that drive to your computer. For the video files you need to look in the folders on your new "Removable Disk" (or "Everio HDD...." if you have the 21/26/36 etc 2006 range) called SD Video. Inside the SD Video folder you are looking for folders starting with "PRG" and depending on how much video you have taken you may have a few (PRG001, PRG002 and so on).

To save time i would highlight the whole PRG folders, right and click on the folders and copy them to a new folder on your PC. Make sure to give the new folder a memorable name and remember where it is.

Then, with the supplied software, if you want to do some video editing you start the hopfully installed Cyberlink PowerDirector. This program will open in the edit mode. You then click on "FILE" at the top of the screen, drag you mouse down to "IMPORT" and drag your mouse slightly to the right to "Media Folder".

You then need to find the new folder you made with the copied "PRG" folders from your camera, select "OPEN" once you have found your folder and it will import the videos from that folder into the PowerDirector program. You can then drag the images to the timeline in that program to playback or edit.

The other program supplied with the Everio cameras is Cyberlink PowerProducer. This program is for burning DVDs of the video files. The principles are the same where once you have set up the type of movie you want to produce (DVD, VideoCD etc) you can then import the .MOD files directly into the program and burn DVD that will play on normal DVD players.

I hope some of this helps

Oh hi, thanks for the reply, ive adjusted the detials with the model number. does this help? or make any diff from what u said? thanks

[acapaulco]

hello again

The instructions are the same for the GZ-MG505. I know they don't seem easy but once get used to importing into the Cyberlink programs the easier it will be.

[st-clares]

I have the GZ-MG21 and find it to be easy to use, the files download to PC quickly and the Cyberlink software provided is easy to master.

[senu]

I connected a Friends JVC Everio (JVC GZ MG20EK) to my laptop only this afternoon with a "normal" USB cable ( came with my Canon Digital camera) with a miniUSB connector on the camcorder end and standard one to the Laptop.

Windows XP immediately saw it as a mass storage device and I was able to copy the mod files ( drag and drop) directly to my HDD from one of its folders

I immediately fired up Avid Liquid 7 and imported the files in for a bit of tidying up and output to DVD: All within 15 min for a 10 min footage.

My observation is that that

1) Everio did not need any drivers to be recognised by Windows
2) Used a "Normal" mini USB cable
3) Didnt need any of the Cyberlink software to be Recognised and edited ( at variance with acapaulcos that the files need special software)
Otherwise his detailed post seems accurate in every other way

In fact ,prior to firing up Avid , the mod files played in Windows Media player 11 without any renaming or modification