Transfer MiniDV to PC Windows 10
FloSmith
15 Dec 2023 15:56
Hello there, I'm new to Pond5 & I'm just finding my way with the video tech having worked in stills more recently. I'm sure this has probably all been asked before.
Does anyone know what cable/converter/kit I would need to transfer MiniDV to my PC, I realise it's old tech with new tech & a Firewire to USB doesn't work!
Also, I've downloaded WinDV, is that good for video capture? & could anyone reccomend any free or cheap editing software that would enable me to do basic edits and export in the right codec and format for here?
I'd appreciate any help with all of this as I'd love to get my footage on here.
Many thanks,
Flo
Does anyone know what cable/converter/kit I would need to transfer MiniDV to my PC, I realise it's old tech with new tech & a Firewire to USB doesn't work!
Also, I've downloaded WinDV, is that good for video capture? & could anyone reccomend any free or cheap editing software that would enable me to do basic edits and export in the right codec and format for here?
I'd appreciate any help with all of this as I'd love to get my footage on here.
Many thanks,
Flo
ODesigns
15 Dec 2023 16:43
Unless your goal is to convert old home movies to Youtube, I'd skip it. But if you choose to pursue this, for best results, you need an actual old-school Firewire card. Preferably a Firewire 400 card.
But, even if you can locate one, and if Windows 10 still supports Firewire drivers, it probably wouldn't be worth it if your DV tapes are SD. If they're HDV, maybe it might be worth it, but frankly, unless you have some rare historic shots, it probably wouldn't be worth your time for stock. Some agencies might not even accept SD clips anymore, and even HDV footage might not be acceptable since the quality wouldn't be as good as what cheaper cameras can produce these days.
Finding software that still supports DV acquisition might be problematic, too. There probably are some free DV programs out there, but I don't know of any off hand. Premiere Pro used to natively support the ingestion of DV, but I don't know if that has been phased-out in the current versions.
There are some USB kits, but those would probably use the RCA cables from the camera, and that wouldn’t be optimal. Firewire is still the preferred method.
I actually kept an old iMac on an old OS with an old copy of Premiere Pro just for this purpose (and for DVD creation). That might be a good option if you can find a workable old iMac on eBay and use iMovie. The old ones (from about 2001 - 2012 or so) have Firewire ports out of the box.
But, even if you can locate one, and if Windows 10 still supports Firewire drivers, it probably wouldn't be worth it if your DV tapes are SD. If they're HDV, maybe it might be worth it, but frankly, unless you have some rare historic shots, it probably wouldn't be worth your time for stock. Some agencies might not even accept SD clips anymore, and even HDV footage might not be acceptable since the quality wouldn't be as good as what cheaper cameras can produce these days.
Finding software that still supports DV acquisition might be problematic, too. There probably are some free DV programs out there, but I don't know of any off hand. Premiere Pro used to natively support the ingestion of DV, but I don't know if that has been phased-out in the current versions.
There are some USB kits, but those would probably use the RCA cables from the camera, and that wouldn’t be optimal. Firewire is still the preferred method.
I actually kept an old iMac on an old OS with an old copy of Premiere Pro just for this purpose (and for DVD creation). That might be a good option if you can find a workable old iMac on eBay and use iMovie. The old ones (from about 2001 - 2012 or so) have Firewire ports out of the box.