Trying to transfer video using JVC GR-D70 camcorder

[matt]

Hi,
I have a seemingly simple question that has possibly been answered, so
please bear with me. I just bought a minDV JVC GRD70 camcorder and
would like to transfer video to my PC for editing. I am using
WindowsXP. My camcorder provides a USB link and a "DV
Input/Output(i.Link, IEEE 1394 compliant)." I get the USB part, but I
have no idea what the i.Link is about. I do not have a firewire card
on my computer. Do I need one to transfer video? Is the i.Link the
same as firewire? Can I just transfer video via USB? I tried doing
this with no luck...I suppose I need a particular software package.

Please excuse my lack of knowledge. Any help would be most
appreciated!!

matt-

 

[Dick]

IEEE1394 and iLink are terms for a FireWire connection. I have not
proven it yet, but I have read here that FireWire is required for full
definition video transfer. Microsoft's Movie Maker 2 (free) is a good
program for transferring to your PC. You would need another program
to get from there to copying on a DVD as Movie Maker does not save in
MPEG2 format. You can buy a FireWire card for $20 to $50 dollars.
You also need a FireWire cable. I bought one from Staples for $50
that had both the card and cable, and they work just fine. You will
find that the special cables are often more expensive than the cards.
That's why I bought the combo.

Dick