Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

C

ChelseaWoodall

New member
Good Afternoon Everyone!

I just purchased a Panasonic AG-DVX100A for work. My problem: my laptop (Dell Latitude D600) cannot detect the camera. I am using a FireWire card (Startech IEEE 1394 2 Port and it is definitely OHCI Compliant) with a 6pin FireWire cable. I have research the Internet extensively and cannot find anyone who has had this problem! In addition, I cannot find anything on the 'Net or in the manual that addresses this problem. I firmly believe that it is the camera's fault because I have tried hooking the camera up to my home laptop (a Dell Inspiron 8200) and the camera failed to be detected through that laptop as well.

I have also tried using 3 separate software capture programs (Adobe Premiere 1.5, Ulead Video Studio and Windows Movie Maker) and each time I click the menu to capture the film, none of these programs detects the camera (I get similarly worded messages from each of these programs. Adobe Premiere 1.5 says "Capture Device is Offline," Ulead's message says: "Either no video capture device is installed in this system or no device is connected." Windows Movie Maker says: "A video capture device was not detected. Verify that a device is turned on and connected properly, and then try again."

Just a few other things I've checked out:
The FireWire card does appear in the Device Manager although the camera does NOT (I have installed both the FireWire card and the camera into two separate laptops to eliminate them from suspicion). No driver nor any software came with the camera - yet, I don't think this camera requires a driver...does it?

Please, please, please contact me should you have any suggestions, ideas or info. I will be tremendously, eternally and deliciously grateful!

Thanks!

Chelsea
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Hi Chelsea,

With DVX100 cameras it is very important the way you connect the camera to a PC. If you do it with both devices on, most likely you will fry the firewire chip inside the camera. Thsi is a common fault we've seen in the past. The correct way to do it is to hook them up when they are off and THEN turn on power on both camera and PC. Have the camera checked by an authorised service centre.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

PanasonicNZ,
Thanks for the quick reply. Although I don't discount your explanation at all (I will certainly contact a service center for this may very well be the problem), but I was meticulous about following the directions of the device manual and the connection instructions. This problem occurred immediately upon turning the camera on - could it be possible that this problem is related to something else? What settings must I have the camera on in order to transfer footage or does it matter? The DVX100A is greatly lacking in any instructions concerning the transfer/capture of footage to laptop.

Does anyone else have or heard of this problem?
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Hey Pookie:

Thanks for the suggestion...I did try another cable (both of which are new....) keep those suggestions coming!

Thanks for you time and advice,

Chelsea
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Whick OS is on your laptop?
and,

have you tried plugging another firewire device into the card, it could be the card
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

My OS is Windows XP Professional. (I have also tried using the camera on my home laptop which is Window XP Home Edition).

No, I have not tried another FireWire device...that's a great suggestion. Let me ask you this: even though the card shows up in the device manager and says it's working properly, it still could be funky? (the FirWire card is new).

I can try and get a hold of another FW device, but it may be easier just to go out a buy another FW Card...
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Yes, it could be bad on the firewire "in" end, and still show up in the device manager as working.

I'd try another firewire device, XP doesn't need other drivers installed....

Let me know how it goes.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Fantastic! Thanks, Pookie. I think I can snag a friend's digital camera (possibly) tomorrow - I will definitely let you know how it goes. Thanks for all of your help...

Chelsea
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Good luck Chelsea - Hope it's the card and not the Camera.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

With DVX100 cameras it is very important the way you connect the camera to a PC. If you do it with both devices on, most likely you will fry the firewire chip inside the camera. Thsi is a common fault we've seen in the past. The correct way to do it is to hook them up when they are off and THEN turn on power on both camera and PC.
Click to expand...

Oooh No!! Now I am now afraid. I have been hooking up before powering up but I have been yanking my firewire from the DVX after getting it setup with DVRack when I need to move away from the laptop. No problem with doing this yet, but I will at least be shutting down the laptop first from now on. Of course shutting the cam off would cause me to loose some setup values.

Any reports of fried chips when disconneting while powered up?
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Any reports of fried chips when disconneting while powered up?
Click to expand...

Far more likely to happen when you connect the camera to a PC and both are on. I don't remember seeing it happen the other way.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

I''ve been capturing into a computer via firewire for years, and this is the first time that I"ve ever heard you could fry anything. power on, power off - I'm maybe 1000 connections to my system - 0 overloads as panasonicnz is saying?
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Nick,
Was this all done on the DVX?
Yes, you are supposed to be able to hot plug/swap firewire devices, but I'm thinking this issue may be particular to DVX.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

The Firewire fry is no myth. I can attest to that unfortunately. And to make matters worse it is not covered under the warranty as it is deemed misuse.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Chelsea,

There is a menu on the DVX under the VTR controls to enable the 1394. Did you select that? The camera comes with this set to off. Turn it on, that may make the difference.

Hope that is it.

Best,

Jan
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

HALLELUJAH!!!

Pookie was absolutely correct! It was the Firewire Card that was bad (even though it appeared in the device manager, it's connection was shot). I tried a friend's Sony video camera this morning and it did not work in my Firewire and then we installed MY Firewire card into his laptop and tried his camera again and still it did not work. So, I booked it down to CompUSA and bought an Adaptec Firewire Card and BOING!!!! it worked!!

Pookie you're my hero - thank you for everything!! And thanks to everyone else as well for the good luck wishes. I am so happy that I didn't fry this new and beautiful camera.

Chelsea
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Gloat, gloat......

Glad you got things working ;)






try not to listen to the stories of imminant disaster if anyone plugs in the camera to a computer that's turned on.......i've got some swampland for sale cheap....... ;)
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

try not to listen to the stories of imminant disaster if anyone plugs in the camera to a computer that's turned on.......
Click to expand...

Pookie, beleive me it happens more often than you think. I just said that it's safer to connect the camera when it's turned off and then turn it on, it might save you a great deal of trouble. This doesn't mean of course that it is going to happen every time you do it the other way but it might... If you are still keen to try rememer that this kind of fault is not covered by warranty.
 
Re: Camera Detection/Transfer of Footage to Laptop

Just out of curiosity, how many DVX100's have you personally killed in this manner?
 
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