Video clips from the camera to the computer

[OkieVaulter813]

Does anyone know how i can come about taking clips from my video camera and put it on my comp?

[Lord of the Poles]

Well, as long as you have the cables that connect the camera to the computer you shouldn't have any problems at all... I'm assuming most cameras nowadays use a USB connector to connect to the computer (my digital camera using a COM1 port, but it's old) or your computer has a graphics card with TV jacks in it...

typically when you get a camera, if they have computer accessibilities they'll probably provide you with the software to do it with... because that software usually installs the camera onto the computer (well, just lets the computer know that there is a camera plugged in), so you can run your program to get the vid and it will recognize the camera plugged in....

[OkieVaulter813]

Thats the problem, the only thign my camera came with was the cable to connect into the tv or vcr, is there anywhere i can buy a cable?

[Lord of the Poles]

well, check to see if you have a port on your camera for it. If you don't have a port for that, then you pretty much have to buy a graphics card with TV capabilities

[vaultmd]

By video camera, we assume you are referring to MiniDV or Digital8 format cameras.

For VHS, Betamax, 8mm and Hi8, you will need a device to convert the analog signal to digital. Despair not, if this is the case, because those devices are pretty inexpensive now.

If both your camera and computer have Firewire (Firewire goes by other names, such as iLink, too) ports, importation should be fairly straightforward, and if you have a Macintosh, ridiculously easy . Same goes for USB 2 connectors. My understanding is that USB 1 connections are not fast enough to support video, but I could be wrong on that.

[Lord of the Poles]

They are not fast enough to support them, but that does not mean you cannot transfer the files directly over and then watch them, correct?

[vaultmd]

I think that is correct, if one finds a way to do a simple file transfer. I haven't done that before, but my understanding is that the only way to do direct file transfers is if the way the file wound up on tape in the first place was by copying the file from the computer, as if one were using the camcorder as a tape backup device. I could be wrong about that, though.

[Vaulterchick88]

If you have a memory card you can buy a connector for any memory card to connect to a USB port. Online it's super easy.