Is there a way I can import videos from an old sony handycam that has no USb port???????

Question

See, I have this camera that was made like seven or eight years ago but the quailty on its good and I make great vids on it. Problem is, the camera has no USB port for me to plug a cable into!!!!!!!!! Dosent that steam you up???? Is there a way I can get the vids I make on it onto a computer, or will I have to get a newer one??? Pwease help me! If you do, I wont pway the cangawoo song no more...

Answer 1

Even if it doesn't have a USB port it must have some form of output - so that you can watch the video on TV for instance

On your camcorder you may have some RCA outputs - usually a yellow one for the video and a white for the sound - if you camcorder has a stereo microphone you will also have a red one. First you need a lead which has the yellow/white/red RCA connectors on each end - then you plug them into your camcorder and use it just like a VCR.

Then there are quite a number of ways you can do it .


You could use an analogue capture card in your PC and connect the yellow/red/white RCA connections from your camcorder to it and capture direct as mpeg.


You could use an analogue to USB converter like this :-

http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/ad02a....

and connect it to your PC via USB although I have to say I have never found one of those that works very well.


You could use a digitiser - see here :-

http://www.simplydv.co.uk/reviews/av_dig...

and convert the output from the camcorder to digital and connect to your PC via firewire.


Or if you have a digital camcorder as well quite a few of them (Check the spec) can be used as a digitiser by connecting the VHS to the camera AV input and the firewire output to your PC


Which ever option you choose you will also need some sensible capture and editing software on your computer - I would suggest you go and have a look at :-

http://www.ulead.com/runme.htm

This will also allow you to burn DVDs which you can play on a standard player to a TV - or output a file in a format you could load to 'Youtube' etc.

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Answer 2

I have seen connectors that would help you capture. Name brands such as Pinnacle. The least you have to have is either the S-video connector -- a round plug like the old PS2 mouse connector -- or the AV-connector. The AV-connector looks like a stereo phono jack with three bands on the prong. The other end of the AV-connector has 3 RCA mini-jacks. That cable connects to the Pinnacle device and has USB. Then, it will be how fast your computer works. Digital Video (DV) can back up and collect skipped frames. Your setup will have to rely on a single pass. Wander down the video aisle at a computer/electronics store. There are other answers, such as DVD player/burners, but I think the AV-connector to the computer will offer the least expense and the fastest productivity.

Answer 3

Depending on the features available in your camcorder model, here are a few things that you can do:
1 -- If you have firewire port in your camcorder, get a firewire card installed in your PC and then using the s/w provided with the camcorder, transfer the video onto the pc.
2 -- If your PC has a TV tuner card, give the o/p of your camcorder to this tuner card and then get the video transfered onto your PC

Here is a helpful guide to transfer videos from camcorders to computers.
http://www.digitalvideoclub.com/basics/transfer.php

Answer 4

you may need an adaptor-connector!