Not photography?

[PopsPhotos]

Well, maybe.

I just picked up a Sharp VL-E630U camcorder for next to nothing. The recording media 8mm cassette tape. It came with the cable for plugging it into a TV or video tape recorder. I bought it for a very specific purpose and it will be used very seldom.

I will occasionally need to record bits of the captured video to my computer(s), none of which have firewire. Does anyone have any advice on what extra hardware and software needed for this?

Thanks.

Pops

[Shadowman]

Well, maybe.

I just picked up a Sharp VL-E630U camcorder for next to nothing. The recording media 8mm cassette tape. It came with the cable for plugging it into a TV or video tape recorder. I bought it for a very specific purpose and it will be used very seldom.

I will occasionally need to record bits of the captured video to my computer(s), none of which have firewire. Does anyone have any advice on what extra hardware and software needed for this?

Thanks.

Pops

Pops,

PowerDVD by Cyberlink has a capture function that will save the file as a bitmap. The resolution isn't that good but it works for still figures. If the character is moving swiftly, then the focus can be a little offsetting. I am sure there are other programs that will provide similar functions. Just wondering what type of format the camcorder uses, mpeg, Divx. etc.

[PopsPhotos]

I haven't found a manual for it, yet, so I don't yet know. However, it has video output cables with it which are supposed to connect to a VHS tape recorder/player. I would suspect that, at that level, it will no longer matter what the native recording method is. The reviews I've seen on the device claim it is analog.

I will not need to strip anything off the tapes unless the tape is needed by law or civil enforcement as evidence. At that time, I will want to copy what I have documented off the tape and save it for my records before releasing the tape.

Pops

[Shadowman]

http://www.ehow.com/how_6767201_copy...ettes-dvd.html

Pops,

Check out the above link which may allow you to preserve the quality of the media.

[revi]

Or try and get a firewire card for one of the computers...
Firewire allows you to transfer the original DV digital format w/o degradation and/or modification (which might be important if the data is to be used as evidence).
At least for linux there are several free programs that allow downloading (and often subsequent editing...) of the data from the camera, taking care of starting and stopping the taper, and cuttting the data stream in managable chunks (digital video ca be a HUGE amount of data)

[PopsPhotos]

Thank you, John. A couple of those I had not found on my own.

Remco, only the original tape cassette can be used as evidence, to minimise selective editing by the presenter. What I will be transferring is a copy for my own records. Thus quality, while desirable, is not the prime consideration.

Pops