Firewire Connection

[Guest]

I have a Dell Dim 4500 with no port to accept a firewire connection. How
does one go about having one installed? Is it a do it yourself project?
Where do I look for help, at Dell, or Microsoft. or Sony, where I
purchasted the camera...

Camera is a DCR=TRV?480 Handycam. It came with a USB cable but WMM 2
suggests using IEEE 1394 cable

 

[Burgy]

Your Dell probably has some vacant PCI slots. You can get a PCI card with
IEEE 1394 ports and put it in one of those. They also come with both IEEE
1394 ports and usb2 ports on the same card. If your Dell has usb1, I would
advise a card that has both.

However, if your camera has no firewire port, you won't be able to use it.
But if the usb on the camera is usb2, you may still need the card. They are
not very expensive and yes , you should be able to install it yourself. I
got mine offline for about $20 plus s&h. You can get them cheaper, just do a
Google search for 'Firewire card'. Or shop at a store near you.

 

[Guest]

I have a TRV-460 which I got last year and ordered a Belkin 3 port firewire
card from amazon which came with a firewire cable. Paid about $30.
Installation is snap, literally, with a dell. I got the 3 port card so that
I can use it with External Hard Drive or External Burner which I purchased,
as well as the camera and I don't have to mess around back of the PC each
time I want to use one or the other.

The only thing I use the USB cable for on the 460 is when I use it as a
webcam (with AIM). Other than that, its firewire for all imported video.

 

[Graham Hughes]

I wouldn't recommend the combined firewire / usb cards, I've had too many
people asking me for help when using one, only to find it created it's own
problems.
Just get a firewire only card.

--
Graham Hughes
MVP Digital Media
www.myvideoproblems.co.uk
www.dvds2treasure.com
www.simplydv.com