- About DV
- Matching a DV Camcorder to Your Shooting Style
- Access to Controls
- Camcorder Resolution and Picture Quality
- What Are NTSC/PAL/SECAM Broadcast Formats?
- What Do You Need to Know About Scanning Modes?
- Do You Need Automatic Camcorder Controls?
- Optical vs. Digital Zoom
- Audio Options
- Getting DV into Your Computer
- Your Mission
Getting DV into Your Computer
The cables, connectors, and protocols by which you upload recordings from a DV camcorder into a PC are officially designated IEEE 1394. However, this high-speed data link usually goes by more familiar trademarks like Apple FireWire and Sony iLINK.
All DV camcorders have an IEEE 1394 connector for handling uploads, but the connection requires a FireWire or iLINK interface card on the computer side. For convenience in uploading to computers that don't have IEEE 1394 connections, some camcorders provide other types of high-speed connections like Fast Ethernet, USB2, and wireless LAN. A higher-bandwidth Fast FireWire is also available, and proprietary Sony video hardware supports a faster version of iLINK.
All of these high-speed connections—IEEE 1394, Fast Ethernet, or USB2—carry pictures and sound in a single data stream.