New laptops-no firewire- how to transfer HDV footage?

[Wilmot]

I've, successfully (for 4 years) edited on a PC laptop inputting HDV through a firewire. However I notice that few new laptops offer firewire. Furthermore, they also dont have PCMIA or Express card slots which would have allowed a firewire adapter to be inserted. I've been told by a Dell rep that I could easily obtain a firewire to USB lead but were unable to guarantee that this would work.

Has anyone any experience of using such a conversion lead for HD footage? I've read differing opinions on the web but always from people who talk about the theory of potential transfer rates but not from practical experience.

[col lamb]

I'd forget the adapter as generally they are unreliable, whilst some may work OK on a specific Laptop they cannot be guaranteed to work on them all.

I did some research for a mate who had ignored my advice and bought a laptop without any form of input except USB, I did find one but advised him to buy it conditionally on it working. His Nephew advised him differently on a cheap adaptor and guess what.....it did not work.

Some laptops such as certain Sony VAIO models have Firewire inputs.

The only other option is to capture to a regular PC and copy the files onto the laptop.

[Michael Slowe]

My MacBook has 2 firewire inputs and at least 2 USB as well as a card slot. Macs of all types are the computer of choice for editors in my humble opinion.

[Chrisbitz]

My MacBook has 2 firewire inputs and at least 2 USB as well as a card slot. Macs of all types are the computer of choice for editors in my humble opinion.

Technically speaking, they're not the computer of choice for anyone, having less than 5% market share
Sorry, I couldn't resist.

in our club, we have one mac user, about 3 casablanca users, and over 60 PC users. In the amateur film making world, in my experience, Macs have an even lower market share, simply because they're generally at least double the price of a comparable PC.

And yet still prize winning films are being made, so I'd like to re-emphasise that it's more about the filmmaker than the Mac Vs PC agrument..

[Wilmot]

I'm guessing with the speed of the new USB3, and many new laptops being fitted with ESATA sockets, that somewhere there should a method. As I don't posess a desktop, using that to download is not an option.

I think I'd probably risk a few quid to buy a lead to test on my current laptop before considering a new one.

I'd agree with CHRISBITZ that the PC is the option for most.

[col lamb]

Michael, you are oh so wrong.

PC's most definately rule and especially with the contempt and total disregard for customers that Apple show in releasing their latest editing software that has universally been condemned.

At least with a PC you have a choice.

Back on topic..............USB 3 will not be much use unless the Camcorder has a USB 3 output, more likely it is USB 1 and hence slow, camcorders do not have e-sata sockets these are for adding additional external hard drives.

[TimStannard]

If you have USB3 and the camera has HDMI out you could use one of these:
http://www.blackmagic-design.com/products/intensity/

[Dave Watterson]

Col:

USB 3 will not be much use unless the Camcorder has a USB 3 output, more likely it is USB 1 and hence slow, camcorders do not have e-sata sockets these are for adding additional external hard drives.

The original question concerned "conversion leads" with Firewire at one end and USB at the other - or adaptors with a USB plug and Firewire socket.

There are a lot of those on the market - e.g. at Amazon. Has anyone tried one?

Michael: Didn't Apple drop Firewire in 2008?

Dave

[Wilmot]

I was suggesting perhaps that with firewire becoming a legacy format, that someone may come up with an interface to USB3 or ESATA which both have the capability of appropriate transfer speed, however the market for such a product would be tiny and therefore uneconomical to produce.

[col lamb]

Tim
Black Magic produce some very good products, I have just looked at the cost which from Creative Video is £135 so it is not just an adaptor lead

Dave
Yes there are products but most are cheap and inconsistant, you cannot be sure that they will actually work on a specific laptop and a USB 1 interface is pretty slow but just because a lead says it is USB 3 it does not mean that it will operate at USB 3 speeds

Wilmot
There are such products for the PC such as the Grass Valley Storm, but new technology is solid state recording from AVCHD and not archaic tape;-)

[TimStannard]

Tim
Black Magic produce some very good products, I have just looked at the cost which from Creative Video is £135 so it is not just an adaptor lead

Indeed (I have the Intensity Pro internal card) I was just posting this as a possible solution as there is justified concensus here that a firewire to USB "lead" does not exist or certainly could not do the job.

[Michael Slowe]

Col, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' but I do seem to have attracted much violence in my support of the Mac computer. Firstly, the MacPro multiple core computer with the latest Intel chips is lightning fast, and most importantly for me, will run software that PC's can't run, notably the BitVice DVD encoder (and downscaler from HD). All graphics departments in ad agencies and the like run nothing else. They only use PC's for the accounting etc. All the editors (professional mostly) who post on The Cow editing forums use Macs (my favorite editing software, Media 100, was only originally designed for Macs). The uproar over Apple's new FCP system is music to my ears because all the pros who left Media 100 for FCP are returning in droves. Apple are abandoning professional editors. This has nothing to do with their wonderful computers. BUT as has been written, it's the quality of the finished film that counts - how we get there is irrelevant. Sorry to have upset everyone!

[Chrisbitz]

I'm surprised you think you had violence in response to your Mac declaration! I thought it was informed discussion!

Q. How do you spot a Mac user at a dinner party?

A. No need to worry, they'll always make themselves known.

[col lamb]

I agree with you Mike, Media 100 was the best piece of editing software around for quite a few years.

Today CS5.5 and Edius 6 are the leaders with Vegas hot on their heals, the latest generation of Apple's own is getting some very bad press and people leaving in droves to other platforms.

With the right PC AVCHD editing is very fast and as complex as you want it to be, no having to convert the footage into an AVI/AIC format to edit it.

I have tried my mates MAC and simply just do not like the interface.

I have played with iPads but prefer the Android platform as they are so much easier to use.

I went to Edius because I did not have the PC man enough for CS5, I now have the PC and also CS5.5 which is amazing a far cry from the old 4.2 I started off with

At the end you make your choice and pays your money.

[col lamb]

Back on topic

As far as I can ascertain there are very few USB video capture devices, probable the best known is the Pinnacle Studio Movie Box HD.

This is not an endorsement from me for Pinnacle as personally I do not like the firm (echoes back to what they did with the DC30 when they took over Miro)

So if you are still interested in getting one for a laptop, I'd suggest more research and a trial.