Adding firewire to my computer

Firewire add in cards are cheap and very easy to put in.

USB can be used for any type of data.

 

Firewire>USB in terms of quality of the picture. I'd definitely get a Fireward card that fits into an empty PCI slot. If you go Firewire->USB->Computer the quality will be down.

 

The product you are purchasing has connectors for both firewire and USB. The retail box comes with both types of cables.

I haven't found out if the device supports the high-speed USB 2.0 spec or the older USB 1.0 spec...

You can still use its USB port to transfer the video though.

I'd recommend getting a firewire card if the device only supports USB 1.0...transfers will be much faster over firewire.

 

I just installed a firewire card in my computer last weekend. It has 4 firewire ports. I paid $44.00 for the card at Best Buy and it took less than 10 minutes to install. The firewire cable cost for my camera cost $38.00. So all in all, $82.00 installed and I was shooting video and transfering it to my computer in 10 minutes.

Easy as cake....piece of pie

 

as noted - easy as cake to install. I know the 4600's all too well.

I'll send you a PM about the firewire card.

 

lol Best Buy makes more off printer/usb cables than they do off selling an entire computer. These cables are literally under a dollar on the wholesale level. Somehow they figured out people are willing to pay 40x what it actually costs vs buying on ebay or newegg.

 

What are you talking about? It's all digital. You'll get the same quality image regardless of how you hook it up.

Installing an expansion card is usually quite easy, although some computer brands have rather cluttered innards. For most though, you can just unscrew/pop off the side panel and stick the card in one of the open white slots.

 

you put the panel back on.

watch out on some generic cards. at times, you get what you pay for. although, some cards while they appear to be off brand, they just aren't stamped with name brand stickers. I'd say, just spend a few bucks and get a decent one. that doesn't mean >50 bucks though.

 

If you are talking about the panel that covers the slot that the firewire card will occupy, you do not put it back on - you keep it off.

 

ditto.

If I had a working digital cam, I'd take some shots to display. the panel is just a dust cover.

 

I use firewire w/ several devices. Be aware there are different firewire connector ends. Double check before you buy a discount part. USB 2 (not 1) is comparable to firewire speed wise so they say.

 

^Okay. Okay....Let me clear things up here.

Go to your local retailer...like Bestbuy, Compusa, Fry's, or even Walmart, and get a Firewire card. For video editing, you will need this. USB doesn't cut it...quality is very poor. Also, get a Firewire cable to connect your camcorder to the card on the back of your computer.

 

Quality is NOT affected by how you transfer the file. It is still the same digital file with the same video information on it. There is NO difference.

The difference is only in how quickly (or slowly) the file transfers to the computer. But the quality will be the same in both cases. You will be viewing exactly the same file and exactly the same quality video each time, whether you transfer using USB or Firewire or any other interface.

 

^Im sorry, but I have to strongly (for the sake of our friend here) disagree with you.....

As a video producer using a non-linear video editing production format/corresponding format, the quality of using USB with a consumer video camera will result in decreased quality of picture.

A USB cable is a medium for transferring data, therefore, the data transfer needed, called bandwith, is not possible with a USB port and cable. A Firewire card and cable is needed for this.

This is similiar to the difference between dialup modem bandwith vs. a DSL/T1/cable Internet connection. The dialup modem simply cannot support the data transfer rate as supposed to the latter.

 

Even *I* put in a firewire card with no trouble. If I can do it it has to be E-Z!

 

This feels like the beginning of a high rev/torque thread...where's Mitch??!!!!

I am sorry, but you are wrong. When you transfer a file, you get the whole file. This happens whether you use floppy disk, CD-ROM, ethernet, firewire, USB1, USB2, serial cable, or 1200 baud modem. The only difference the different media make are the speed of the transfer, and if it's a storage medium such as a flash disk, then your file sizes are restricted to the maximum capacities of the different storage media.

The bandwidth you refer to is indeed a limiting capacity. But it refers to how much data can be transferred in a certain period of time. The lower the bandwidth, the longer it will take the cable to transfer the WHOLE amount of the data. But you will still get the WHOLE amount of data, which is the complete video file in its original resolution. It just might take longer with USB. This complete amount of video information, which is what your video consists of, is stored on your camera as digital information recorded onto magnetic tape (in very expensive cameras, it is stored on hard disks or flash memory). When you use cable to transfer it, ALL of this digital information is transferred. You do not lose resolution or detail during the transfer, unless you are doing an analog data transfer (which you are not).

Your camera's recording mechanism is a sensitive panel called a charge coupled device, or CCD. This has a bandwidth limitation as well. The higher its bandwidth, the more information (colors, details, etc.) it can record. Next it has a recording bandwidth limitation, which is how quickly it can transfer all of the information gathered/generated by the CCD onto the magnetic tape. The higher this bandwidth, the more detail (per frame) it can store for you. You cannot change these capabilities of the camera without fiddling with the camera's internals. To all extents and purposes, once you buy a camera, you are married to its recording capabilities (ie. the best quality of filming it can do). Switching from USB to Firewire will not change how well the camera records, or how much of what the camera has recorded will be transferred. It will only change the speed of the transfer.

You can do a simple test. Transfer a video clip using USB. Check the file size. Now transfer the same clip using Firewire. Check the file size again. They will be identical. This is because both files contain the exact same information.

Think of it as using pipes to transfer a certain amount of water. The bigger the pipe, the quicker the transfer will be. But even if you use a straw, you will transfer the entire amount--eventually.

 

^You're wrong sir. USB can not be used for video footage, if you're concerned about quality, that is...

You're not uploading a "file" from the camcorder to the computer via Firewire or USB cables....You are streaming video, yes STREAMING video, from the camcorder....therefore, you need a digitial medium needed to transfer the same amount of data that is stored on the video tape (simultaneously).

I completly understand what you are saying about uploading a file...but that doesn't apply to capturing video from a camcorder...Capturing video is a whole another game...therefore Firewire must be used to capture video from a camcorder.

You are correct if the video was being transferredm not captured from another device..but that's not what we're talking about here...

So, get the Firewire card and cable and let's all be Happy!

 

Actually you're wrong in this case because we're CAPTURING video from the camcorder, not transferring a formatted file....

Trust me on this...Im a video producer with experience in non-linear video editing systems to know this....I deal with this all the time.

I commend you for your enthusiasm though.

 

[Originally posted by tvrfreak]: "If you're capturing video, you use a video capture card. You put the camcorder into playback or "VCR mode", and pipe the video signal to your PC. The video signal goes into your PC through a video cable, which can be RCA or DVI or whatever, depending on your camcorder's video output cable.

It is not a Firewire or USB issue then.

You use Firewire or USB cables to transfer the data digitally from your camcorder. And you will end up with the same file each time, but it might take a different amount of time."


I hope we haven't scared away our friend here...

No, you're partially right. Video can be captured, either digitally or by analog method throught a Firewire cable (digitally) or by analog transfer (vcr/8mm/RCA type connections to a video capture card).

To transfer a video file is to actually relocate an actual "file" that has been fully encoded into a reconginable format for use by a computer application (a video editor in this case). Yes, a USB can be used to transfer that file, from either a non-proprietary device like a external hard drive, etc...

Firewire must be used to capture the video from the camcorder in order to maintain the quality of video...the data trans. rate in this case. You cannot regulate tape playing speed in order to satisfy the data trans rate...it's just not possible.

OK?

 

Sorry, thought we were transferring digital video files. Original poster had mentioned using a hard drive, and I do have an external 250 GB hard drive with both Firewire and USB ports (and they both transfer the same data...). Jermdude15, you can't use such a hard drive and "trick" your camcorder into putting the data out over the USB and then putting it into the PC using the Firewire--if that's what you were asking.

Capturing with USB would indeed lose quality--I think we both agree on that. You need Firewire for good video capture.

What software are you going to use to edit the video? cdallen2004, what would you recommend?

 

I recommend for amateur users Microsoft Movie Maker 2. It's a simple, highly intuitive video editing program that will spice up your home movies.

As in my case, if you're looking for professional results, I recommend Adobe Premiere Pro....it's complex indeed at first, but allows you countless video editing features...however, it's pricey ($700). And once you have that you definitely have to get Adobe After Effects and Aobe Audtion....great plugins for the Premiere Pro.

Visit Adobe's website site at: http://www.adobe.com and look up their products. If you really want to get into video editing, go to http://www.creativecow.net, and do some reading there....it's an awesome site!

I have anjoyed this debate..lol. Tvrfreak, I have enjoyed this conversation...thanks man!