How do you get videos from a Sony handycam video camera onto your computer?

Answer 1

There are a couple of ways to do it. If the camera is a DV camera, it will have a firewire connector as its digital video output. Older cameras will normally just have an analog video and audio output. First, the computer needs a firewire interface (also known as a 1394 interface) or a video capture card. Many new computers have firewire already installed but few will have an analog video capture card. Both interfaces can be bought as add ons. Once the interface is installed, video capture software is needed to ingest the video signal. Depending on the software package, it will be imported as AVI, for uncompressed storage that is good for editing or MPEG, for archiving with smaller file sizes. Other programs will allow the video to be written direct to a DVD.

Answer 2

You will need a firewire cable (not included with camera) to plug into your computer. Your computer will also need a firewire port, or else you need to buy a USB to firewire cable.

There's too many variables to know how to answer this question, but basically the steps look like this:

1. Figure out what ports the camera has to get video out

2. Figure out what ports you computer has to get video in

3. Figure out what software you have or need to record video

4. Buy the necessary adapters and hardware

5. With cable connections made, play the video in the video player

6. With your video computer software, record the incoming video stream.

EXAMPLE 1: I have the camera that created the video

1. I have a Canon Digital8 camcorder with a firewire port.

2. I have a Macintosh with a firewire port

3. I have iMovie

4. I have a Firewire cable

5. I hit the play button on the camcorder

6. I hit the import button in iMovie.

EXAMPLE 2: I don't have the camera that created the video

1. I have a Canon Digital8 camcorder with a firewire port and analog video in port.

2. I have a VHS player with composite video out, and a Macintosh with a firewire port

3. I have iMovie

4. I have a Firewire cable and a composite RCA to 1/8" video/Audio l/r cable

5. I hit the play button on the VHS player, and send the video through the Digital8 player to convert the analog signal to a digital signal

6. I hit the import button in iMovie.

Answer 3

Usually (video) cameras come with a USB connector that connects it to the computer and does not need a software. If it does need a software, it should have come with a software. After connecting it, depending on what type of Operating System you have, but generally it should appear as an "external hard drive" on your "My Computer" window. Look for names such as Removable Disk K: or the Camera's brand name. If it does not appear, then you probably need a software and this depends on your camera.

Alternatively, there are SD/xD/MicroSD etc... readers that you can just plug the memory into and the computer'll read it. After seeing camera/memory appear on the My Computer screen, double click it's icon, continue to double click (depending on the camera, it may take more than one "double clicks"). Find the video clips you want, right-click on the icon, Copy, find the folder where you want to drop it, right-click>Paste. To select more than one, hold mouse on empty area and drag over all the clips you want. Then right click on any of the icons, copy, paste.

Answer 4

All digital cameras and video cameras come with a cord; this cord, when plugged in to the camera on one side and to the computer on the other side, enables you to upload the pictures from camera to computer. (If this seems confusing or you want more information, look at you camera owners' manual.)

Answer 5

Importing video from video cameras is simple with an external frame grabber like VGA2USB that provides high frame rates. Connect it to the camera's output and to your PC and start recording captured video.

Answer 6

You can import the video from your Sony handy-cam using Windows Photo Gallery or any other video editing software application.

To import using Windows Photo Gallery:

> Click on the Windows Photo Gallery program in your Start Menu

> Click on File and choose: Import from Scanner or Camera

The media will be transferred to Windows Photo Gallery (under the date imported unless designated otherwise).

Answer 7

Most cameras have a playback function and AV ports available.
You will need a video capture device that accepts AV cables in and a connection to your computer, usually via USB.
When you buy the video capture device they generally come with software bundled with it, which will enable you to capture and edit the video on your computer.
'Pinnacle' is such a company that supplies such devices as 'dazzle', which will do the job.

Answer 8

If you don't have a Digital8 camera that can convert the signal to digital, you can mail the video to Film Rescue.