Please help.

I just bought an XH A1 on Bay. Looks great, everything works except the charger. I bought an off brand charger which charges the batteries. It does not have an AC power option and the original won't work for that or charge.

When I connect the camera to the computer via firewire nothing happens. No "ding." No listing in the Device Manager. No nothing. Premiere CS3 doesn't recognize it. Nothing happens. Using a TI OHCI compliant driver on a working firewire port (my Panasonic camera connects just fine).

I was using VISTA and had heard it had some firewire problems so I even wiped my HD and installed XP, and still nothing.

I have looked through every forum and googled every possible combination and I have found no solution.

If anyone has a suggestion, please let me know. And could comeone please tell me if they can hook up their XH-A1 to firewire using battery power only, or is that my problem?

I hate to retunrn the camera, but I have only a few more days to figure it out.

I know I could shoot SD and capture with my Panasonic. But what's the use of having a $3000 HD camera if I can't get the footage into the computer.

Brian, You should be able to capture from the A1 using batteries. Make sure that the camera is set up correctly for capture to your computer. Review the manual and make sure that the setting is set for HDV rather than Auto. I and others have had problems with the Auto setting. Vista shouldn't matter as many have captured successfully with that OS.

I would strongly recommend either getting a real Canon battery charger or (even better) an HV 20/30 to capture your footage. It will save wear-and-tear on your expensive A1.

Setting is set for HD rather than Auto. I guess there is something wrong with the Firwire port on the camera then. I mean if my Panasonic works and I have tried both Visat and XP (which I have heard work for most people).

Essentially I turn the dial to VCR/PLAY, menu is set to HD, no down covert (though I have tried both). Working firewire cable is plugged securely into the back of the camera and into the computer.

Man that's a shame because I love the camera.