Cannot Download from Sony Camcorder

[sheffield boy]

I recently purchased a new Acer Aspire 5 laptop that's running Windows 11 and installed my copy of Premiere Elements 11.  Now, when I try to import  recorded video from my SONY DCR-TRV720 camcorder to my PC via a USB 2.0 Male to IEEE firewire DV cable nothing happens (the same result occurs using a SONY iLink cable).  Prior to buying the new ACER laptop everything worked fine when I was using a Wndows 7 laptop.

Can anyone please explain how to fix this problem?

Thank you,

[Peru Bob]

You may need to use a legacy version of the Firewire driver.

[Steve Grisetti]

"My camcorder to my PC via a USB 2.0 Male to IEEE firewire DV cable"

USB and FireWire are two different cables. You can only import video from Digital8 to Premiere Elements 11 via FireWire, not USB. But you say you're having the same issue when you use an iLink cable, which is a FireWire cable.

Have you been able to ever import video via FireWire on this computer with this operating system? (What operating system are you using?)

Was the FireWire port factory-installed on your laptop? That's virtually unheard of with current laptops. 

[sheffield boy]

Hi Steve,

I don't think anyone who replied quite understood thr problem because non of their suggestions worked, so I'll try again with a simple question:-  Can Premiere Elements 11 run on a Windows 11 laptop?

PE11 software downloads and installs okay on the Windows 11 laptop but the software does not recognize my Sony DCR-TRV720 camcorder when either a DV firewire cable or an iLink cable is connected to the laptop.  However, if I connect the camcorder to my smart TV using the iLink cable's red, white and yellow RCA male plugs it connects perfectly, so that suggests to me that the camcorder is functioning correctly.

To answer your questions and comments:-

1) NO my Windows 11 PC does not have a firewire port.

2) YES I was able to import digital video from Hi8 tape to the laptop when I was running a Windows 7 laptop, but sadly that machine has been recycled!

3) Both firewire to USB and iLink cables worked perfectly when either was connected to the Windows 7 laptop.

Attached are images of both tyoe cable and the connection ports on the camcorder where you'll see that the firewire port has been well used!

Thanks for your help Steve.

[John T Smith]

http://helpx.adobe.com/premiere-pro/kb/cant-capture-dv-hdv-video.html
-Legacy driver http://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/Firewire-1.htm
--ALL versions of Windows from 7 through 10 (and 11 ?) need the legacy driver!

[sheffield boy]

Hi John,

I'm still trying to figure out why I'm unable to import video from my camcorder to Premiere Elements 2023 and I saw in your reply that I should ue the device manager and look for the IEE 1394 Bus Host.  I did that and don't see anything remotely like that - please look at the attached screen shot.  Can you please exlain why it isn't showing.  Thanks very much.   

[Ann Bens]

Your laptop does not have firewire: so you are not able to capture (not downloading) your footage into Elements.

[sheffield boy]

Attached is a screen shot of the IEEE1394 Legacy driver having nbeen installed in the App list and also a photo of the Firewire to USB cable that I've used in the past.

What's interesting (to me) is that even though the installed app list shows the driver has been installed, I still cannot get any video or audio to show up in Premiere Elements 2023.

Also and what's even more confusing to me is that if I connect the camcorder to a Samsung TV using RCA cables the video and audio play perfectly.

Can you offer any more suggestions.  Thank you very much.

[Ann Bens]

If you want to capture from the D8 camera you need a firewire connection on your laptop

Keep capturing with your old laptop and transfer footage to new laptop.

(Downloading means transferring data from one computer to another over a network.

Transferring date from camera to computer is called capturing).

[sheffield boy]

It seems that my ACER Aspire 5, Windows 11 laptop does not have a firewire driver, nor has ACER replied (yet) to my request for assistance.

I have attempted to install the Legacy driver identified in the replies but although it downloads it doesn't want to install.

In desperation I've ordered a Pinnacle "Dazzle" from Ebay, and when that arrives I'll see if it works and file a report here.

Thank you all for your assistance, I've very grateful. 

[Ann Bens]

No need to install driver if the Acer does not have a 1394-connection (firewire) on the laptop.

[sheffield boy]

Thank you for your reply Ann but I don't think you understood what I was requesting so I'll start again.

Unlike my old ACER Windows 7 laptop that apparently had a firewire driver, my new Windows 11 laptop does not have a driver for a firewire cable like the one shown in the attachment (which I have on-hand).  Nor does it have a firewire port and does not seem to want to install the Legacy driver that a responder sent me the link to.  Finally, ACER hasn't yet responded to my request for assistance.

Hopefully that clarifies the situation as of today.

However, what I'm hoping will fix this problem is the "Pinnacle Dazzle" device that I've ordered from Ebay which, when it arrives and its software's been installed, will let me report either 'success' or 'failure'.

Meanwhile, I hope that clears up the apparent confusion I've created for everyone who responded to my original post.  

[John T Smith]

>Nor does it have a firewire port

Since your computer does not have a firewire port I would be VERY surprised if it would let you install a driver

[Ann Bens]

Thank you for your reply Ann but I don't think you understood what I was requesting so I'll start again.

By @sheffield boy

I understand you perfectly. I have doing this for more than 20 years now.

If the laptop does not have a FireWire connection, you cannot install a FireWire driver.

It is the same as having an electric car and trying to fill it up with petrol.

Use your old laptop with the firewire connection to capture your footage and then transfer the footaget to your new laptop and ingest into Elements.

The Dazzle is not really a solution: it will capture in MPEG instead of DV AVI which you actually need.

[Steve Grisetti]

Ann and I often respectfully disagree on this. And A FireWire connection to a miniDV or Digital8 camcorder is certainly the idea way to capture video.

But short of that, the Dazzle will give you virtually the same quality of results as an MP4 (not MPEG) over a USB connection -- and you won't need to install new hardware to use it. It's simply plug and play.

But you be the judge. If you've got lots of digital or analog video to capture, it's well worth the couple of dollars investment to find out, IMHO.