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aeronca65t

aeronca65t

Great Pumpkin
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I have a new desktop PC.

I would like to input digital video to the PC from my in-car, mini-DV camcorder (these are racing vids).
Since the PC did not come with a Firewire PCI card, I need to install one.

So far, no big deal.

Except that the PC is running Windows Vista, which, as I am finding out, is sort of a pain.
There are plenty of PCI Firewire cards compliant with Win-XP, Win2000, etc. But nothing under $160 that will work with Vista. I could do this with my Win-XP laptop, but I'd rather use the desktop unit.

I see a cable that is supposed to be a "Firewire to USB" convertor, but that looks sort of bogus.

Any suggestions on a Firewire card that will work with Vista? (or patch/drivers to make a cheap Win-XP card work?)
TIA.
 
aeronca65t said:
Except that the PC is running Windows Vista, which, as I am finding out, is sort of a pain.
Click to expand...

You are now in the "beta testing" herd with the rest of the Vista users, Nial. I suggest lurking thru some of the tech forums for a possible "patch". If the card manufacturer was not an MS Partner they didn't get the last release of the Vista kernel. No way to taylor drivers for the stuff they made. Really a poopy way to "run a railroad", IMO.

SCREEN SAVER: "Microsoft ERROR 666: Insufficient Monies Spent. Insert $100 bill in drive D."
 
NewEgg has a SIIG IEEE1394b PCI card for $36 + Shipping ( https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815150136 )that has Windows Vista Drivers available on the manufacturer website.... assuming you get "hardware version 1".

NewEgg also has this "Koutech" PFU331 ($25+shipping) that says it's Vista Compliant (on the manufacture website): https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815104236
However, their drivers page doesn't mention Vista (it's very possible the drivers for it are already in Vista). Manufacturer product page: https://www.koutech.com/proddetail.asp?linenumber=163

Hope that helps some...
 
aeronca65t said:
I have a new desktop PC.
Click to expand...

You have a new PC and it doesn't have firewire built in? I have a 3 year old laptop that has a built in firewire port. What kind of PC is it?
 
Ja Dac...I'm surely part of the Beta herd for Vista.

Nunyas: Thanks! I looked quickly at NewEgg and missed the SIIG card. I saw a Koutech Card (I think on NewEgg) but the user reviews didn't look to good. I may just give that SIIG card a shot.

Rich: I have a new Dell Inspiron 531. These days almost everyone is moving to the USB 2.0 interface and many manufacturers have deleted the Firewire interface (since it seems to be fading away...not a lot of new hardware actually requires it).
 
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