transferring mini DV tape to computer without firewire

[johncassavetes]

I have a Panasonic mini DV camcorder and a Dell Laptop with USB ports ONLY. I am trying to figure out the best way to transfer the tapes to my computer for preservation and to edit on my Adobe Premiere.

Is a capture device like Dazzle the best way to go or is there a better option?

[JackWolcott]

Take a look at this Videomaker thread — https://www.videomaker.com/forum/topic/how-to-capture-video-from-dv-through-usb — for an interesting discussion regarding your question.

I wouldn’t spend money on Dazzle, which has had a pretty lousy track record regarding image quality transfer.

Your best bet would be to see if you can put a firewire card in your laptop.

[Rocky]

Using a laptop to copy a DV tape without a video capture card presents problems. This You Tube Video explains one method how to solve your problem. Good Luck

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=BthebohwsDkheck

[Trevor]

I wouldn’t go with a Dazzle, they’re pieces of garbage. Nor would I go with a video game capture card like the Happauge HD PVR 2, as they capture to AVCHD MP4.

If you are not able to get a Firewire port in you laptop, I would use something like the Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle that connects by USB 3.0 , but allows you to hook up a camcorder by S-Video. You would loose some quality dropping to analog, but with the shuttle you would be able to pick your compression to capture in.

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