Hi,
I am trying to copy some films from an old Sony Digital Camcorder. The protocol is a firewire cable but I now have a Windows 11 desktop and no firewire port.
What can you recommend? Needs to be simple to install and use.
Andy
Hello @AndyKHayward and thank you for your interest in our Community.
If your Windows 11 desktop has an available PCI Express slot, I would recommend our PEX1394B3. It supports Windows 11 and provides one 6-pin FireWire 400 port, suitable for connecting DV camcorders.
Most Sony Digital and MiniDV camcorders use a 4-pin FireWire port, so you may also need a 4-pin-to-6-pin FireWire cable (often included with your camcorder).
Please note that you will also need a Windows 11-compatible video-capture software. Depending on the camcorder and Windows configuration, installation of Microsoft’s legacy FireWire driver may also be required.
I hope this helps. Have a great day!
Emmanuel B.
StarTech.com Support
Hi Emmanuel,
I have purchased and installed (with some help) a StarTech PCI card as recommended.
This seems to work but the input kept stopping and so I was advised by a friend to buy an extra power connector (StarTech 12in SATA to LP4 Power Adapter Cable) which is also connected.
I am able to see the videos on the camcorder and start importing/recording. I have tried using VLC software and WinDV. I want the video to be split so WinDV seems to do this better.
Anyway, while this works - the recording seems to run and then stop. This was happening and we thought the power cable might help but it’s still happening.
The camcorder is still playing so its not the input device.
Any ideas on what to try or how to troubleshoot?
Andy
Hello @AndyKHayward,
I am sorry to hear about the issue. To confirm, the additional power connection on the card is intended for bus-powered FireWire devices and would not normally be required for a Sony camcorder using a 4-pin FireWire connection.
A few things I would recommend testing:
- Try a different FireWire cable, if available, and ensure the camcorder is powered using its AC adapter rather than its battery.
- Try capturing a different tape or section of the recording. If capturing consistently stops at the same point, there may be a blank section or interruption in the tape’s timecode.
- Check whether WinDV actually stops capturing or simply creates a new video file. WinDV can automatically split recordings when it detects scene changes.
- Try saving the recording directly to a local drive, rather than an external or network drive.
Could you also confirm the exact Sony camcorder model, whether the capture stops at approximately the same point each time, and whether the same behavior occurs with both VLC and WinDV?
We look forward to hearing back from you. Have an excellent day!
Emmanuel B.
StarTech.com Support
Hi Emmanuel,
I have tried again tonight and still no joy.
I changed the tape and WinDV started working OK. I thought I’d pause to test and it was recording the sound and video properly (which was great). Unfortunately, I then couldn’t get is started again. WinDV doesnt seem to recognise the camcorder reliably after the initial work. I tried rebooting with no success.
I then tried VLC and it gave a similar message (using VLC terms) as WinDV. Basically cant find the input.
I am trying to save to my PC so local drive not external driver. WinDV just stops working and isn’t creating a new video (stops displaying the input).
Unfortunately, I dont have a different firewire cable to try. The camcorder is being powered by the AC adapter.
And it is a Sony Digital Video Camera Recorder, model DCR-TRV9E.
regards,
Andy
Hello @AndyKHayward,
Thank you for the additional information!
Since you are able to get audio and video for some time (until detection fails), I suspect this may be related to the FireWire connection or how Windows is recognizing the device.
A few additional things I would recommend verifying:
-
Restart the camcorder: Close WinDV and VLC, turn the camcorder off, then turn it back on in VTR (Playback) mode. Check whether WinDV can recognize it again. If not, try shutting down both devices and reconnecting the FireWire cable before restarting them.
-
Check Windows Device Manager: With the camcorder connected and powered on, open Device Manager and verify that the FireWire controller appears under “IEEE 1394 Bus Host Controllers”. Also check whether Windows detects the Sony camcorder. Ideally, check this both when it works and after the connection fails.
-
Try the legacy FireWire driver: If you haven’t already, you could try installing the Microsoft 1394 OHCI (Legacy) driver using our installation guide. This can sometimes resolve compatibility or detection issues with older FireWire devices.
-
Try on a different computer: If possible, of course, but testing on a different computer could also help eliminate the possibility of a computer-specific issue or software conflict.
Could you also confirm whether you paused the recording within WinDV or paused playback directly on the camcorder?
If possible, please let us know what appears in Device Manager, particularly when the camcorder is no longer recognized.
Have an excellent day!
Emmanuel B.
StarTech.com Support
Hi Emmanuel,
I have tried the above and still struggling.
It was working today and I was able to save some AVI files. However, after about 15 mins it stopped. I checked and Windows sometimes recognises the camera (message comes up asking me what I want to do with the files - Autoplay). However, not always. My guess is that when Windows doesnt recognise it then the WinDV or VCL dont recognise it too.
Windows device manager is setup. I downloaded the legacy driver and got excited as this seemed to work better than the previous one but it then also stopped.
I dont have another computer with the PCI card in - sorry.
When I get my problem - the camera is still playing but the PC (whether windv, windows, VCL stops recording and doesnt appear to recognise the camera). The Device Manager is still showing the drive and says this is working properly.
Andy
Hello @AndyKHayward,
Thank you for the update!
Since both WinDV and VLC stop recognizing the camcorder while the FireWire controller remains operational, I suspect an intermittent communication issue between the camcorder and the computer.
A few additional things I would recommend verifying:
- Verify camcorder detection: In Device Manager, look for a separate device such as “Microsoft DV Camera and VCR” while the camcorder is working. When the capture stops, does that device disappears?
- Try another FireWire cable: (If possible) I understand you may not have one at hands, but I would strongly suggest finding a different cable to test, even if only temporarily borrowed from someone else. It would be important to eliminate the cable as a potential cause.
- Check PCIe power management: In Windows Power Options > Advanced settings > PCI Express, try temporarily setting “Link State Power Management” to “Off” (if available) and test again.
If the issue persists, I would recommend contacting our Technical Support team for more detailed troubleshooting assistance. Our team can work with you directly to investigate the issue further.
Thank you again for your patience, and have an excellent day!
Emmanuel B.
StarTech.com Support
Thanks Emmanuel,
I appreciate your time on this for me.
This appears to be working now. I am 40mins through a recording with no interruptions.
I believe it was the PCI power management setting - I feel this was timing out and going to sleep and now that has been changed it is happy recording. I also changed the PC setting for Power so it doesnt go to sleep either.
Much appreciated.
Andy