Firewire question

[dolfan]

I have a Samsung Mini DV camcorder that I bought in 2003 as soon as I found out my wife was expecting. I know, crazy. But, anyway, I don't have a firewire connection on any computer I own. I've got all these tapes, though, with my daughter on them, Christmases, etc. I want them on DVD.

Now: I want to use our Toshiba Satellite L455 laptop to burn to DVD. It has no Firewire connection as I said. I saw something where you can buy "express cards" with the firewire port on them, but I'm not sure where I'd connect the thing into my laptop (it doesn't look like it would fit anywhere on there and doesn't go into the USB port).

After you're through laughing at my ignorance tell me what I need and how to do it. Pretty, pretty please!

[Billy n NC]

Dofan, I think you are out of luck using firewire. I looked at the spec sheet on your laptop and there is neither a cardbus or expesscard slot. that is the easiest way to add firewire to a laptop. I am surprised that it does not have a 1394/firewire port on it with the absence of the expansion slots.

However all is not lost. Do you have a desktop pc. a firewire PCI card can be had for 20-30 bucks dump the video to the desktop and then copy over to laptop to burn to dvd.

Or this might work using USB port

http://www.compusa.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4276658&Sku=S262-7177

That is one of about 20 different video to usb converters that Compusa has.

[dolfan]

I have a DVD recorder that is a cheap-o and is a little unreliable. I have recorded from camcorder to it, though. I just wanted to bypass that because it is kind of bothersome. I may do that and just invest later in a new digital camcorder for straight to hard drive.

[MacUser]

Firewire was great.. but now it's lapsed and even Apple has let it go.

On buying a harddrive based video camera.. think about this. I shot so much footage on my 8mm and I could easily store it away. Since I've had my HD AVCHD Sony it's been terrible to use. You can't just store the tapes away for some future conversion or edit.. you have to download them and edit them or burn them immediately. This can take HOURS and HOURS.

I've went back to my 8mm tapes recently for events that I know I want to store for future review.. yet don't have to immediately address it.

Look at the ones the burn to CD or DVD.. as time today is the enemy of HD based video cameras. Worth a thought...

[dolfan]

Good advice. I'll avoid the HDD ones. I'm just concerned about the long-term for the life of the tapes. I store them okay, but one day that camera will go kaput and then I won't have any way to watch them.

I can run my camcorder straight to the DVD recorder I have with the A/V adapter that came with the camera. But, the DVDs don't always play on any DVD player. I guess there'll always be at least some demand for conversion as formats change. "We'll convert your old home movies to VHS." "We'll convert your old VHS to DVD." "We'll convert your old DVD to ....", and so on. Come to think of it, my wedding is on a VHS and I don't even have a VCR anymore!!