Vista Movie Maker and my Digital Video Camera

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I plugged in my Sony Digital Video Camera through the USB port and Movie
Maker refuses to acknokledge the hook up is there.

I followed the suggestions listed in the Help section, turning my camera on
and making sure it is in play mode etc.

Can anyone help?

As far as I know, MovieMaker doesn't work with USB cameras, only IEEE 1394
(FireWire) or composite video.

Movie Maker in XP and Vista is not really designed to work with USB or
analogue sources, so you were lucky to have it working in XP and it's not
really going to happen in Vista. Can't you use the app which came with you cam to capture?

have the same problem as Howard mentioned. I have a Sony TRV250E - which
records digitally to 8mm tape, rather than a memory stick or card. It used
to work fine under XP Home/MovieMaker on the USB connection, but now under
Vista it just doesn't recognise it.

I've been on to Sony's website, and there's no new drivers or software for
use with Vista, so I reloaded the drivers for XP into Vista. I can't speak
for how it was before, but I can see and use the video camera in Live
Messenger quite happily on USB, including playing from the video tape, but it
just doesn't want to accept the video stream in MovieMaker.

The annoying thing is that when you read the Help files in MM, it says "If
you have a DV camera that supports streaming over USB (also called a USB
Video Class [UVC] camera), you can connect the video camera to your computer
by using a USB 2.0 connection. To determine whether your DV camera supports
USB streaming over DV, check Windows Device Manager and determine if the
camera appears as a "USB Video Device," or check the documentation that came
with your DV camera or go to the manufacturer's Web site."

Neither option is of much help. The camera appears as an 'Imaging device'
along with my logitech webcam, and it also appears as a USB Audio device
under the 'Sound, Video and Game Controllers section'.

I also have the same issue only with an IEEE connection. I've gone so far as
to try 3 different video capture programs (including Adobe Premier) and none
of them will capture from my Sony DV. What is interesting is that I can
control the device (play/FF/rewind) but cannot import the video. In Movie
Maker I can semi-capture in the spacehog AVI format, but it then is an
unreadable file in any software (I learned this after a 1 hour capture). The
other offered formats rewind the tape and then I get an error called "N/A"
which I had not seen before. The device shows in control panel under system
devices, but not in Explorer. I've replaced the 4-pin to 4-pin cable thinking
that was the issue. I am now at wit's end.... I hope a solution comes out
which is why I am adding to this thread. Wish I could have offered the answer.

For what it's worth, issues controlling the camera and having it
perform correctly is fairly common... even with professional grade
software. In order to "capture" a video stream from ANY digital camera
and do so WITHOUT dropping frames or having the audio get out of sync
most devices must have a 100% compliant firewire interface. The sad
reality is many computers and some cameras do not work well together.
This is one of those why the heck don't they kind of questions. I've
seen the same kind of issue in many video forums get raised, so it
isn't limited to Movie Maker. Often the real issue isn't the camera's
fault, but the interface on the computer end.

I can't say for sure this is your problem, but the interface is often
the source of all kinds of weird issues.

For example I had a varation of this problem myself with a Canon
camera. The computer I was using had a build-in IEEE connector right
on the motherboard, so you would think that would be 100% compliant
and fully up to specs. It wasn't. I spend hours on the phone talking
to so-called "tech support" and we all know the typical run around and
lame information you typically get from that source unless you happen
to get lucky and finally get connected to sombody that actually knows
what they're talking about.

No matter what I did the interface only worked one way. It has been
years, so I forget which, but either the import or export didn't work
with it dropping frames like crazy making it useless but it worked
fine going the other way.

ONLY after I disabled the onboard IEEE (firewire) connector on the
motherboard and replaced with what I KNEW for sure was a good and
totally compliant firewire card that was 100% up to specs did the
problem go away. Such cards are typically cheap and in the $20-40
range. I've upgraded to a new computer, so I don't use that card
anymore and don't have it handy, probably discontinued by now anyway.
One known good maker of such cards is SIIG, that makes all kinds of
external boards for USB, Firewire, etc..

Don't recall if this is the exact model I had, but it looks very
similar. The key thing to look for is compliance with IEEE 1394-1995,
1394a-2000 and OHCI 1.1 standards. This card meets all of them.

I have the same problem using a JVC GR-D30U mini-dv camera. I can control
the camera within Moviemaker and the program will go through the motions of
captruing the video but at the end of the capture the captured file is empty.
I am running Vista Ultimate. Haven't found a solution yet and I had no such
problem when I was using XP professional.

Im sorry but it seems that windows Movie maker or Midea player wont work with
any Mpeg video Format...
and im not using USB ports... I use fire wire to upload from my HVR-A1U(and
yes it's in dv mode).. Same thing happens with Uploading it shuts down... I
have all the right drivers and everything

"

Make sure that you're drivers are install... If not go to the sony soppert
site to get one. If that dose not work then go and buy you're self some new
software. Vista is a good one with high quality

I don't have a solution to your problem. I too have a sony camera that hooks
to a USB port. Although the Windows XP version of Movie Maker used to detect
the camera, the newer Vista version does not. Sadly, my web camera which I
also used frequently to capture video using Movie Maker also does not work. I
am hopeful that Microsoft will realize this problem and will release a patch.
I have my fingers crossed.

i also have a sony DCR-P6E camrecorder and like you i also cannot get
my laptop to register that a dv cam is connected either by USB or S-video
although this did work on XP. i have checked the sony web site for vista
compatable drivers but none are avaible have sent them an e-mail with this
problem but have not heard back from them yet.

Have JVC GR-D93, PCI Firewire card. Worked fine with XP. Blank preview
windows in Vista. Can control camera, just not capture. Nice job Microsoft.

I understand your problem and I think I can help.

Well sometimes it can be really hard even impossible to collect videos
straight from your camera. I mean especially when you don't have one of the
latest computer with a C.P.U over 3 Ghz or when you do not have enough ram
but don't worry I got a solution for you.

FIRST : Collect your video camera using your USB wire ( you should be able
to see an icon on your control panel. )

SECOND : Go to the Video folder and now created a new file wich you can give
the tittle of your choice "Exp My 2 Weeks Vacation in Europe
!!! 2007" ;)
When it's done just minimize your page.

THIRD : Go back to the control panel and click on the icon of you camera.
"You should see all the available videos.
Just copy than go back to the file you just created and past.
I sure hope you got a big hard disk. . .maybe more than one or at least more
than one partition.
So I suggest you "if that is possible to you" not to put this file on the
partition C. This operation may takes a few minutes to complete but you will
find this much more easier to do whatever you want with your videos using
Windows Movie Maker.

I sure hope you got enough ram on your computer because both Windows Vista
and Movie Maker needs a lot of ram. . .I mean sometimes 1 GB is not enough. .
..hard to believe but I've made a test and now I got 2 GB and I never had so
much fun working with Movie Maker. I mean I can make a video in half the time
even with a lot of special effects and stuff.

I have a SONY DCR HC30 that connects to my SONY VAIO with a USB 2. I, too,
cannot upload video to Windows Movie Maker. The PC doesn't have a firewire
port, but came with the pre installed VISTA software the seems to require it.

Perhaps I'm naive, but this seems to be a blunder. Isn't VISTA all about
home video and music use? I'm not using anything obscure.

If someone hears of a patch, please let me know ...

I had no problems with XP. Only when I tried to use Vista I started getting
the problem!!

Do you reckon upgrading to Windows 7 will work?