Handycam TRV33 and streaming video

[tyesai]

I recently bought a Sony DCR TRV33 Handycam with an Ikelite housing for less than $200. The problem seems to be getting the video from the camcorder to the computer. It uses the mini tapes, it has a card as well but the card will only hold approx 60 seconds of video, and it is poor quality. Windows won't recognize the camera and there seems to be no available drivers to download. I've checked the Sony tech support and the Windows tech support pages.

I found out that Windows 7 and Vista are unable to stream the video using a USB port. Supposedly I would be able to do it using a firewire connection wich I don't have. I only have a couple of USB ports and a eSATA connection, they are laptops so adding the port isn't feasible like it would be on a desktop.

So I'm trying to figure out my options. I think I could ditch Windows 7 and install XP, I'm not a computer guy and the last time I tried a stunt like that it took a week to get my stuff running well again.

I could buy a new computer with a firewire connection, but if I wanted to spend that kind of money I would have bought a new camera and a new $800 housing.

A USB Analog Converter looks like an option, but I've read that people have mixed success with them and that the video looks like crap. Anyone have experience?

I could take the video I suppose, send it off somewhere to be put on DVD and then edit the video video and reburn it to another DVD. Does Wal-Mart or some other chain store do this without charging an arm and a leg? I haven't been home to the States in quite some time.

Is there an easy solution to this and if not what is my best bet. I've spent a few days trying to figure this out on the net, but I'm getting squadoosh, and some of the technical aspects go over my head. I didn't even know what a firewire was till yesterday, and messing with drivers without specific instructions with a specific reason makes me a little nervous.

I ask here because I know some people are pretty handy with this stuff and can explain it laymens terms. I also know at least one or two people have used that particular camera but have upgraded as I read some of their stuff in other post so if anyone can help, I say THANKS! in advance.

 

[diversteve]

The card in your camera is really only (mostly) for capturing stills from the video. Or stills taken and stored on it for transfer to your computer. The throughput rate on a standard card isn't fast enough for clean video transfer except at low mpeg rates.

It doesn't look like Sony's updated their driver since XP/2004. But if you can locate an updated driver the process would be to play the tape using USB Streaming and start video capture in a NLE - Non-Linear Editing - program simultaneously to capture the USB stream and import it into a digital format. Then you could save it, edit it, burn to DVD or other formats as desired. You might try contacting tech support directly to see if a Vista/W7 driver even exists - the Sony e-support website search leaves a lot to be desired. http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/contact-land.pl

A Dazzle video capture device (Dazzle Video Creator Plus) is another option. They've been doing analog capture for decades. They were bought by Pinnacle and it now comes bundled with their Studio editing software. Dazzle Video Creator Plus makes DVD burning and DVD recording simple and easy B&H has it for $74 - they ship internationally. http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/681391-REG/Pinnacle_82303000201_Dazzle_Video_Creator_Plus.html

It has composite inputs - your camera outputs a composite signal through the A/V connecting cable.

Same process as described above - start playback on the camera and import the footage into the editing software.

Your footage would be captured in SD not HD as that's all your camera can output.

 

[tyesai]

Thanks!

Another question, if I can't find a driver for the camera for the computer to recognize it, which I can't, will the computer recognize the camera if I use the Dazzle Video Creator program? I'd assume that it works as a middleman and there is a driver for the video capture device and the computer doesn't need to recognize the camera itself, is this correct?

Edited to Add.

I know it isn't HD, but I've read that sometimes the quality is horrible on a TV and that it is only suitable for youtube and small computer screen images, is that true? If I could get video that looks like an old VHS tape I'd be fine with that. I only want it for some home movies of the kids and to play with underwater to see if it is something I enjoy doing.

 

[diversteve]

The Dazzle doesn't need the Sony driver. It does all the processing internally and outputs a USB signal that Studio HD can import. It will show up as a USB video device on your system. Actually I don't think your camera will show up at all - you'd need iLink (firewire) connectivity for that - which would also allow you to drive the camera with the software during import/editing etc.

I watch plenty of quality u/w SD video on my HDTV. They look fine to me. Granted they don't have the richness of HD video. And the native 4:3 mode means you'll have black bars on the sides of your HDTV.

Do you have a VGA output on your PC? For a $10 cable you can output video to the PC input on your HDTV. Then play/download an SD video and see how it looks to you. Here's some samples: Lisa Edwards Dive Video, HD Underwater Videos of South Florida Scuba Diving - they're only HD if you go to the Vimeo site and turn it on. Granted they're a little better than your results will be because downconverted HD still looks better. Several of my favorite videos to watch are SD - shot a few years ago.

Technically your HDTV is just a big laptop screen. Lousy Youtube video still looks lousy. But quality SD video doesn't lose much. Save your video at the highest non-HD resolution the s/w supports. A good 640x480 .wmv or .avi video looks fine on my 40" HDTV.

 

[tyesai]

Just wanted to say thanks for the help. I received the dazzle the other day, so far it has been fairly easy to set up. A few hitches, but mostly my own computer / AV ignorance, like trying to figure out why I have no sound through an SVideo cable but I'm learning.

It only took an hour so of messing around with before I got it going. It did cause my computer to shut down one time unexpectedly, but I was clicking away like a madman, I think I had to much going on for the computer to handle. No problems since.

The program is fairly easy to use, I found after I watched a few of the online help video's it made things much much easier ( imagine that ). I have yet to burn to a DVD, maybe in a few days, after I get some more video to play around with.

I like it much better than windows movie maker, I think it is far more comprehensive and easier to use.

Now I just need to get some more practice using the camera and diving and then putting them both together.

Thanks Diversteve!