Hello

My father has purchased a Sony DCR-HC14E Handycam and has taken a series of
'films' of the family on holiday. Obviously he wants them put onto a CD or
preferrably a DVD to play on a standalone player for other relatives. Now,
after finally realising that the USB of the camera was disabled and having
the guy at Curry's enable it I am trying to get the footage onto my computer
and then onto disc. Why not put it straight onto disc you say. Well, I have
tried but the instructions in the booklet are so vague that you really need
to know how to do it before you read the instructions.

So, I have got it onto my computer, but there is a load of corny music and
the film itself is fading in and out and jumping all around from one scene
to the next. Nothing the actual order of the original. I have removed the
music and the settings for all the fancy stuff like the fadeing business.
Now, I do it all again and it took just under 50 minutes to copy the movie
to the PC and 5+ hours to analyzed it! I gave up at 5 hours. Why does it
have to take so long when there is no music or special effects being
applied?

My computer has 97Gb free on the drive I am using for storing the film as
well as the temp and I have 1 GB RAM.

Can some kind soul please help.

Many thanks

Nig

"Borrox" wrote in message
...
Hello

My father has purchased a Sony DCR-HC14E Handycam and has taken a series
of
'films' of the family on holiday. Obviously he wants them put onto a CD or
preferrably a DVD to play on a standalone player for other relatives. Now,
after finally realising that the USB of the camera was disabled and having
the guy at Curry's enable it I am trying to get the footage onto my
computer
and then onto disc. Why not put it straight onto disc you say. Well, I
have
tried but the instructions in the booklet are so vague that you really
need
to know how to do it before you read the instructions.

My computer has 97Gb free on the drive I am using for storing the film as
well as the temp and I have 1 GB RAM.

Can some kind soul please help.
Many thanks
Nig

USB is normally used for transferring still images, FireWire for video.
Isn't there a FireWire connection on the camera? If so, get yourself a
FireWire card for your computer and suitable software. (there's normally a
basic version of Ulead VideoStudio for free download.) Enable DMA on your
computer's HDD, and you should be able to capture your video with no
trouble. (You'll need a suitable cable - probably 6 pin at PC end and 4 pin
at camera end.)
If you still have trouble install a dedicated fast HDD for the video.

Lots of useful info at
www.simplydv.co.uk website and forums.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm

"Malcolm Stewart" wrote in
message ...
"Borrox" wrote in message
...
Hello

My father has purchased a Sony DCR-HC14E Handycam and has taken a series
of
'films' of the family on holiday. Obviously he wants them put onto a CD
or
preferrably a DVD to play on a standalone player for other relatives.
Now,
after finally realising that the USB of the camera was disabled and
having
the guy at Curry's enable it I am trying to get the footage onto my
computer
and then onto disc. Why not put it straight onto disc you say. Well, I
have
tried but the instructions in the booklet are so vague that you really
need
to know how to do it before you read the instructions.

My computer has 97Gb free on the drive I am using for storing the film as
well as the temp and I have 1 GB RAM.

Can some kind soul please help.
Many thanks
Nig

USB is normally used for transferring still images, FireWire for video.
Isn't there a FireWire connection on the camera? If so, get yourself a
FireWire card for your computer and suitable software. (there's normally a
basic version of Ulead VideoStudio for free download.) Enable DMA on your
computer's HDD, and you should be able to capture your video with no
trouble. (You'll need a suitable cable - probably 6 pin at PC end and 4
pin
at camera end.)
If you still have trouble install a dedicated fast HDD for the video.

Lots of useful info at
www.simplydv.co.uk website and forums.

--
M Stewart
Milton Keynes, UK
http://www.megalith.freeserve.co.uk/oddimage.htm


But will USB not work properly. As I said I can get it to the computer, sort
of. Why would it be quicker though using all the extra crap like music and
fadeing than without any of that?

I have looked at some firewire cards and see that they are fairly cheap
(£20-30) but I am not sure about the USB 1 and 2 thing. Will USB 1 work with
2 and vice versa?

In message , Borrox
writes
Hello

My father has purchased a Sony DCR-HC14E Handycam and has taken a series of
'films' of the family on holiday. Obviously he wants them put onto a CD or
preferrably a DVD to play on a standalone player for other relatives. Now,
after finally realising that the USB of the camera was disabled and having
the guy at Curry's enable it I am trying to get the footage onto my computer
and then onto disc. Why not put it straight onto disc you say. Well, I have
tried but the instructions in the booklet are so vague that you really need
to know how to do it before you read the instructions.

So, I have got it onto my computer, but there is a load of corny music and
the film itself is fading in and out and jumping all around from one scene
to the next. Nothing the actual order of the original. I have removed the
music and the settings for all the fancy stuff like the fadeing business.
Now, I do it all again and it took just under 50 minutes to copy the movie
to the PC and 5+ hours to analyzed it! I gave up at 5 hours. Why does it
have to take so long when there is no music or special effects being
applied?

My computer has 97Gb free on the drive I am using for storing the film as
well as the temp and I have 1 GB RAM.

Can some kind soul please help.

The first thing to do is read the manual.

Try reading the table on page 199. The column with 'DV Interface' tells
you in the next column you must connect using the ILINK cable, and
because it says "Optional" that means that you must go out and buy one.
The next column tells you that you must connect to a computer's DV port
(aka Firewire, aka IEEE 1394) , and that you must use "Editing software"
in your computer. The next column tells you that page 238 tells you
about it. You will need a firewire cable with 4-pins at one end (the
camcorder) and 6-pins at the other end (the Firewire card in your
computer).

While you are here on page 199, you might like to read the same table
row about "Tape image/live from your camcorder" and "USB Jack". 'Image"
in this context is a still photo that you have recorded to tape (The
HC14 doesn't allow you to use a Memory Stick like better models in the
range, so still photos must be recorded on the tape, alongside your
video). You will also notice that the last column points you to the
Manual page where the process is described.

Now all you have to do is read what the table points you to

1. Page 238 for transferring video.

2. Pages 203 - 216, and for streaming video (like a webcam)

3. Page 217 - 226 still photographs that you have recorded on your
tape.

Pages 206 and 207 tell you how to install the Imagemixer software and
drivers, but READ THE "NOTES" BEFORE YOU START !!!

The illustration at the bottom of page 238 shows you how to connect the
iLINK socket on your camcorder to the Firewire (IEEE1394) card This is
the right-hand side of the drawing.

Then you'll need some video editing software to "Capture" digital video
from your camcorder's miniDV tape onto your hard drive, to edit it, to
create either VCD, SVCD or DVD, and to burn onto CD or DVD.

I'd suggest that you also have a read through:
http://www.camcord.info/basics that will help you get your head around
the basics of what you are doing.

There are a lot more video editors available now (in addition to the
ones mentioned on camcord.info). Some a very good and very expensive,
some are quick and dirty, and others are in between.

It is quite confusing - and I'd be the first to agree that manuals from
most manufacturers leave a lot to be desired when you're first starting.
But it is all there :-) The manual that came with my first digital
camcorder is very dog-eared now through much use.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info

"Tony Morgan" wrote in message
news
In message , Borrox
writes
Hello

My father has purchased a Sony DCR-HC14E Handycam and has taken a series
of
'films' of the family on holiday. Obviously he wants them put onto a CD or
preferrably a DVD to play on a standalone player for other relatives. Now,
after finally realising that the USB of the camera was disabled and having
the guy at Curry's enable it I am trying to get the footage onto my
computer
and then onto disc. Why not put it straight onto disc you say. Well, I
have
tried but the instructions in the booklet are so vague that you really
need
to know how to do it before you read the instructions.

So, I have got it onto my computer, but there is a load of corny music and
the film itself is fading in and out and jumping all around from one scene
to the next. Nothing the actual order of the original. I have removed the
music and the settings for all the fancy stuff like the fadeing business.
Now, I do it all again and it took just under 50 minutes to copy the
movie
to the PC and 5+ hours to analyzed it! I gave up at 5 hours. Why does it
have to take so long when there is no music or special effects being
applied?

My computer has 97Gb free on the drive I am using for storing the film as
well as the temp and I have 1 GB RAM.

Can some kind soul please help.

The first thing to do is read the manual.

Try reading the table on page 199. The column with 'DV Interface' tells
you in the next column you must connect using the ILINK cable, and
because it says "Optional" that means that you must go out and buy one.
The next column tells you that you must connect to a computer's DV port
(aka Firewire, aka IEEE 1394) , and that you must use "Editing software"
in your computer. The next column tells you that page 238 tells you about
it. You will need a firewire cable with 4-pins at one end (the camcorder)
and 6-pins at the other end (the Firewire card in your computer).

While you are here on page 199, you might like to read the same table row
about "Tape image/live from your camcorder" and "USB Jack". 'Image" in
this context is a still photo that you have recorded to tape (The HC14
doesn't allow you to use a Memory Stick like better models in the range,
so still photos must be recorded on the tape, alongside your video). You
will also notice that the last column points you to the Manual page where
the process is described.

Now all you have to do is read what the table points you to

1. Page 238 for transferring video.

2. Pages 203 - 216, and for streaming video (like a webcam)

3. Page 217 - 226 still photographs that you have recorded on your tape.

Pages 206 and 207 tell you how to install the Imagemixer software and
drivers, but READ THE "NOTES" BEFORE YOU START !!!

The illustration at the bottom of page 238 shows you how to connect the
iLINK socket on your camcorder to the Firewire (IEEE1394) card This is
the right-hand side of the drawing.

Then you'll need some video editing software to "Capture" digital video
from your camcorder's miniDV tape onto your hard drive, to edit it, to
create either VCD, SVCD or DVD, and to burn onto CD or DVD.

I'd suggest that you also have a read through:
http://www.camcord.info/basics that will help you get your head around the
basics of what you are doing.

There are a lot more video editors available now (in addition to the ones
mentioned on camcord.info). Some a very good and very expensive, some are
quick and dirty, and others are in between.

It is quite confusing - and I'd be the first to agree that manuals from
most manufacturers leave a lot to be desired when you're first starting.
But it is all there :-) The manual that came with my first digital
camcorder is very dog-eared now through much use.

--
Tony Morgan
http://www.camcord.info
Hi Tony
Thanks for all of that but my manual only has 194 pages. I think you have a
different model? I will however take a look at the website you mention.

On Tue, 2 Aug 2005 13:51:04 +0100, Borrox wrote:


But will USB not work properly. As I said I can get it to the computer,
sort
of. Why would it be quicker though using all the extra crap like music
and
fadeing than without any of that?


USB is often too slow for video (although theoretically USB2 can handle
it). Firewire is the way to go. Some software will allow you to transfer
video directly from the firewire port to DVD or CD - you don't have to
worry about any fancy editing if you don't need it.

Cheers.

James.