I searched, I demo'd, I sought out! LOL! Gentlemen, I have searched a wide array of threads, forums, and tested an arsenal of software, only to become completely bewildered and lost.

I recently purchased my Sony HDR-FX1, and am connecting to my 3ghz system, 1gi8g memory, 512meg video card, via firewire etc.

I was pretty excited about shooting in HDV, until, I have fallen pray to not knowing which software to use.

If i may...

Not only can I not connect in HDV mode (unless I HDV > DV), and all attempts to load the Sony D-VHS driver have failed, as there is no listing for that hardware under the device manager when I try to locate on for the AV/C Subunit. Problem 1 right there.

Any advice on that would be GREATLY appreciated, and yes, I DID search all over the place, boy did I ever.

Then, which PC based software to use? I could really use a pointed on this. I shoot a lot of video for my church. So I would like an awesome look, maybe some pointers? I tested out the Cine24 and almost got motion sick, LOL!

I understand many of you are veteran members, and these questions from us young guns is more then likely taxing on you as you have heard it repeatedly. But, thanks to those that take the time to answer.

Bottom line? I would like a nice all in one software package to importing the video and edit it, then output to DVD.

First though, I need to be able to download to the PC? Windows XP Pro with SP2 already.

Thanks for any replies.

I cut this from the CineForm knowledge base for setting up a FX1 (that is causing trouble.)

Settings to Record HDV footage to tape:

HDV cameras can also be used as DV cameras. Consult your manual to be sure you are recording in HDV, rather than DV. The LCD screens will also show what recording mode is being used while recording.

For Sony HDR-FX1 and HVR-Z1

In the LCD menu, there are two settings that must be set

1) The 'VCR HDV/DV' setting must be set to 'HDV'

2) The 'A/V->DV Out' setting must be set to 'Off'

Once you have these settings correct, Windows should recognize the camera. If it doesn't this workaround should help you.

1) Place a tape with HD footage into the camera.

2) Unplug any firewire cable from the camera and turn it OFF.

3) Turn the camera back ON in the 'Play' or 'VCR' mode.

4) Press the 'Play' button.

5) Connect the firewire cable to the camera.

6) Check your Windows XP 'Device Manager. Under 'Sound Video and Game Controllers' you should see a device called 'AV/C Tape Device'. If this device is present, please reread the required camera settings and double check that it is set up correctly. If you have tried this unsuccessfully mutliple times, you may have a hardware malfunction. Try a different firewire port, a different firewire cable, and maybe a different HDV or DVHS device.

Bottom line? I would like a nice all in one software package to importing the video and edit it, then output to DVD.

First though, I need to be able to download to the PC? Windows XP Pro with SP2 already.

Thanks for any replies.

The closest "easy to get a handle on", "all in one" package for doing what you hope, is Vegas 6 with DVD Architect 3.

Something amiss with your camera connection... If you have SP2 installed, the camera should be automatically recognised by the system - without needing to go into 'Device Manager' and/or loading any other driver.

Perhaps if you un-install SP2, set your cam up for HDV i-Link connection without DV downconversion... and then re-install SP2 you may find that things come good.

If all works as it should, get a hold of the AspectHD/ConnectHD demo if you haven't already, and use the HD Link utility to capture the m2t files. If all is right, the utility will connect to the cam and you'll see that the camera is operating.

AGH!!!!!!!!!

Over 50 attempts, I still can NOT transfer HDV. I set all the settings a million ways (it seems), and nothing. All I get is an Unknown AV/C Subunit when I plug it in.

There is NO Sony DVHS driver under Sony or Sony Corp or Imaging devices when I search for a driver. That does not exist. No where.

My IEEE / 1394 Ports appear to work fine, I can transfer DV, but Windows XP SP2 does not recognize my FX1 in HDV mode.

Everyone says to get the Sony DVHS driver. But where?!? I searched, scanned, the system, nothing, nada.

I have been to so many website, its unreal. I mean, I can find video no problem at all.

Heck, even made problably the funniest video of my four month old "cooing" that you will see caught on film (17 megs) -> http://www.rishel.ws/videos/ get the one titled "Happy Baby". Thats just a DV cut that I dumbed way down.

This is really depressing. I want to use ConnectHD, or CAPDVHS, but nothing? The computer is not faulty, the FireWire ports work fine, but the driver is just not there.

Anyone help with this?

Anyone? How do I get this Sony DVHS driver? Its not listed as an option to select.

Download the free trial of Cineform Aspect HD. Try using HDLink (comes with it) to capture.

Going to test it now Steve, will post outcome.

Ummm, I dont use Premiere?

If you use Sony Vegas, try Connect HD.

Ok, I made 6 very lightweight screenshots of what I see. I can download DV not HDV, Subunit keeps popping up. Loading drivers reveals no DVHS Sony Tape anything. Its not even an option.

If I could find this Sony D-VHS somewhere that might fix it? Connect HD finds nothing. I gotta tell you, this is the most frustrating thing I have ever encountered.

Take a look at the screenshots in this folder:

http://www.rishel.ws/fx1/

Did you try the proceedure I listed above (2nd post)?

I posted a screenshot of ConnectHD not being able to find a single camera or capture device. All this computer does is allow DV transfer or gives me this AV/Subunit device found when I connect it in HDV mode.

I can not find a driver for this subunit
People say to select Sony D-VHS from Sound, Game etc. Its not there, I do not have this option
I downloaded ConnectHD, cant find camera
I tried CapDVHS, cant find camera

Nothing, find this camera when its in HDV mode, all it finds is a dang AV/Subunit. Just take a look at the above screenshots, and you will see exactly what I see.

I tried the method from the second post, 20 times, nothing.

Yes, none of the software will find the camera if the drivers aren't installed. The reason I suggested the 2nd post work-flow, is that when it works, it requires not advanced PC knowledge, no manually searching for drivers. I wondering if too much knownledge isn't hurting you. You should try a different PC, see how in works under a normal situation and see if you can mimic that.

But as you know device manager, here is the location of the Sony DVHS device.
www.cineform.com/downloads/SonyDrivers.png

There are no drivers there that match that. I searched the Sony drivers, just like your screenshot, there is no D-VHS driver.

If someone, anyone, could upload the d-vhs driver, or tell me where to get it, this would all be over, but no one will tell me how or where to get it. As it stands, I bought a $3500 camera that is worthless.

But make no mistake, I know how and where to look for the driver to make the subunit work, but that driver is not one of the available options to select, in fact, its just not even listed.

Does anyone have it? Can anyone upload it somewhere? Can anyone tell me how to pull it off the windows xp cd?

4 computers, no Sony DVHS driver. Where is this mystery driver? It appearently doesnt come with 3 different styles of OEM Windows XP, it is not on any laptops I know of either.

Even my friends are looking on ALL their various computers and laptops, umm... no such Sony D-VHS driver.

Did that driver come with a piece of software that many of you loaded? Maybe thats its origin and you dont remember?

Can someone merely zip up this Sony DVHS driver so that I can download it from somewhere?

I have tried every suggestion, 20 times, every trick, variation, combination, everything but burnt offerings (which is coming DANGEROUSLY close to happening) to get this to work. Amazing how people finally get it working, but yet, some of us cant?

Odd indeed.

Well, for anyone that wants to know. I ran out of options, and had to quit trying. I tried anything and everything. Just was not able to figure it out after 4 days.

Well, for anyone that wants to know. I ran out of options, and had to quit trying. I tried anything and everything. Just was not able to figure it out after 4 days.

It seems you're expecting this to work in a way that it actually doesn't.

If you have SP2 - not plain XP Pro with SP1 (especially not home edition!!), then there is no need to load anything extra - as a matter of fact that'll make it worse in most cases - as Windows XP Service Pack 2 came with an "AV/C Tape Device" universal driver.

That's what should be showing in your XP Pro Device Manager... not "Sony HDV" anything...

The Microsoft universal "AV/C Tape Device" driver is found within one of the SP2 *.cab archive files, and as such is a little difficult to isolate.

We have checked everything haven't we? You are connecting the cam via i-Link (firewire IEEE-1394) to your PC? You do have Win XP-Pro with Service Pack 2 installed? You do have the camcorder setting correct in the menu for HDV; no-downconvert output? The blue HDV logo is lit on the camcorder?

It's bound to be something really banal - and when you realise what it is... you'll want to keep it to yourself.

I know you probably think that we're all lying - given your current circumstance - about how easy it was for the rest of us with loading and capturing HDV, but it does work!!

Yes to every single one of your points. HDV light on, correct cable, all settings set exactly as I was told.

Windows Professional with Service Pack 2.

Every time i connect it with the HDV mode, it detects an AV/C Subunit, and then I try to find the drivers for it, but to no avail.

The weirdest part, is at times I can connect and the HDV Light is lit, and in windows media I try to capture, and I can control the play, rewind, feature, but not see any capture, black screen. No capture, and yet it controls the FX1 from windows, odd.

My computer stats in very light screenshot mode: http://www.rishel.ws/fx1/Computer.png

Yes to every single one of your points. HDV light on, correct cable, all settings set exactly as I was told.

Windows Professional with Service Pack 2.

Every time i connect it with the HDV mode, it detects an AV/C Subunit, and then I try to find the drivers for it, but to no avail.

The weirdest part, is at times I can connect and the HDV Light is lit, and in windows media I try to capture, and I can control the play, rewind, feature, but not see any capture, black screen. No capture, and yet it controls the FX1 from windows, odd.

My computer stats in very light screenshot mode: http://www.rishel.ws/fx1/Computer.png

Once Windows detects an AV/C Subunit, you shouldn't need to find anything further, as Windows itself will then find the correct one from the SP2 supported device update .cab archive.

What you should then see in Device Manager; listed under your Sound, Video and Game Controller devices is the "AV/C Subunit" - if you right click the listing, the properties display should show a "SonyHDV&DV tape device" as the supported unit.

If one's got that showing; then go to ConnectHD's program flyout and open the HD Link utility app... Everything from there should work as per posts elsewhere in the forum - namely preference options, capture modes and conversion options.

It may seem odd that Windows can control certain functions of the camera, but as one part of the install process (the AV/C subunit part) has been carried out, meaning the basic playback capabilites shared by all AV/C subunits will be accessible... the remaining specific SonyHDV&DV tape device part hasn't.

That was why I originally recommended going back to a pre-SP2 OS state, so a SP2 re-install and device detection could be done without interuption... which would, at the very least help pinpoint the true cause if it still failed, and at the best would solve the problem altogether.

Roger that. I follow you. But, the camera shows an AV/C Subunit under unknown devices. And it wants to load a driver.

This is exactly what I see ---> http://www.rishel.ws/fx1/Screenshot.png when I plug in this FX1.

Roger that. I follow you. But, the camera shows an AV/C Subunit under unknown devices. And it wants to load a driver.

This is exactly what I see ---> http://www.rishel.ws/fx1/Screenshot.png when I plug in this FX1.

Yep...

That's right...

Until the driver is actually loaded from the SP2 .cab archive, the system only knows that the signal detected on a new connection comes from an unknown device.

Once the correct connection is made, the "Unknown Device" yellow question mark icon listing in device manager is replaced by the "AV/C Tape device" listing.

Also be aware that you won't see the listing in device manager with the camera turned off!! When the camera is off - there's no listing at all, and any attempts to then load a replacement device driver in the hope it will appear will just break a correct installation.

You know, another great solution for the PC is Avid Liquid. I am an Avid Xpress Pro HD editor myself, but with Avid's recent acquisition of Pinnacle, I've been checking out what's under the hood with the new products.

Liquid version 7 had some great new features you might find interesting.

Also, there is the interview Tim Wilson did for Videoguys. If you haven't checked it out yet, you should. I think it sums things up nicely, including Avid's commitment to the product..

http://www.videoguys.com/videoguy_liquid.html

Cre8tive