Making Your Own Video for the Archive: Getting Connected

• Using DV and the IEEE 1394 interface
• Using Analog and the IEEE 1394 interface
• Using Analog and a composite interface

Using DV and the IEEE 1394 interface

This couldn't be much easier (which is why I truly recommend using DV). Anyway, all you have to do is get the appropriate FireWire cable (available from your helpful local computer supply store). What you'll need depends on your player. Most DV cameras and players have a 4-pin connector, while the computer generally has a 6-pin connector. So you want a cable with a 4-pin on one end, and a 6-pin on the other.

The 6-pin end looks like this:
The 4-pin end looks like this:

Seriously, it's not as complicated as it sounds. If you let your computer supplier know what you need, they can get it for you.

Once you have the cable, hook the small end into your DV player or camera. You should be able to find the DV output jack on the camera. It looks like a small silver-outlined rectangle with a notch in one long side, like this:

Take the other end and plug it into the IEEE 1394 input jack in the back of your computer. If it's a Mac, you'll see the little FireWire symbol next to it. It looks like a thin rectangle, tapered at one end.

That's it. Now you're ready to capture.

Using Analog and the IEEE 1394 interface

One way to do this is to convert your analog video to DV format. If you have a DV recorder/player, this isn't a real hassle. What you'll need is an RCA composite cable of some type. The RCA composite cable is a cable that has multiple plugs on either end, usually colored. If there are two plugs, generally one is red and the other is white. If there are three plugs, the third plug is yellow. You'll want a composite cable with three plugs on one end, like this:

This will be for your analog player (VCR or VHS camcorder).

Now the other end depends upon your DV equipment. Check your DV player/recorder. If your video/audio input jack is a single jack that looks similar to a headphone jack in a portable cassette/CD player, then you'll need a composite cable with a plug on one end like those you use for those headphones. If, on the other hand, you have set of jacks for video/audio input, get a composite cable with the correct number of RCA plugs to match.

Plug the red plug into the Video output jack on your VCR. Plug the yellow plug into the Audio L output jack on your VCR. Plug the white plug into the Audio R output jack on your VCR. Incidentally, it doesn't really matter which color goes where, as long as you match them up on the input jacks on the DV recorder, so if your VCR has color coded jacks, go with their colors, if it's easier.

Now if your DV recorder has three plugs, it's very simple. Plug the matching plugs into the corresponding input jacks on your recorder. If you put the red plug into the Video output jack on the VCR, put the red plug into the Video input jack on the DV recorder. If your DV recorder has one plug, it's also very simple. Just plug the single headphone-like plug into the A/V jack on your recorder.

Now push play on your VCR, and record on your DV recorder, and wait. Once the dubbing is done, you can then hook up your DV player to your computer using IEEE 1394 ( see above ).

As for the go-between method, the easiest way that I've found is to acquire a media converter, such as the Sony DVMC-DA2 media converter. This unit has RCA input jacks, that are used just as outlined above, and an IEEE 1394 output, which can be used just as described above in Using DV and the IEEE 1394 interface .

Using Analog and a composite interface

If you've got a video card that accepts a composite interface, just plug the VCR into the computer, just as described above for plugging a VCR into a DV recorder. You eliminate the middle man.