do all camcorders allow this "pass through" function? I have an old sony trv-310 with both s-video and firewire connections.

I hook the camera up to the computer via firewire and I can see the video from the editing program displayed on the camera lcd when I first turn everything on.

but when I hook up the s-video cable from the camera to the external monitor, the camera monitor goes solid blue and the video from the computer doesn't pass thru.

and after that, I only see blue on the cam monitor.

but if I play a video on the camera, I can see it on the external monitor. (?)

I'm thinking the camera thinks the s-video is an input signal too and gives it priority over the firewire?

any thoughts?

I don't know about that model, but some of the other Sony cameras have a menu item named something like AV/DV IN. If you set it to allow video input then it would probably behave as you describe. Check you manual and menu options.

Thanks for the reply. I checked my camera's manual and it doesn't mention any special a/v mode.

I even tried putting a tape in the camera on "record pause" mode - but still no "pass thru".

This camera is about 6 years old, so maybe it wasn't designed to work in this way. (?)

DV IN should appear on the lcd screen when you plug in the firewire cable and have your NLE software running.

There is the possibility your firewire card does not support it for some reason. My new laptop's firewire port will not let pass though happen on my TRV900, it goes to blue screen on the camera LCD and, if I remember correctly, black on the broadcast monitor. I bought a expresscard firewire card (the new bus that is replaceing the pccard slot) and it works as it should.

I was not a happy camper with this situation though, more stuff to buy, carry, stick out of my laptop, etc.

Duane

It's a new computer.

Since a camera can be used to convert from analog to digital, maybe the camera sees the analog connection (s-video) as the "input" and the firewire is the "output"?

Well that was my point, on my Sony cameras the s-video port can be either and input or an output, depending on the menu setting. Can you try using the camera on a different computer to see what happens?

Not all cams allow this.

No menu setting that I can find.

the s-video connection out to the monitor works on it's own, and the firewire in connection from the computer works alone, too.

but when they're both attached, nothing. so I'm thinking there's no pass through function.

I need to get an inexpensive miniDV cam to use as a deck anyway, so I might as well get one with s-vid pass thru, too.

It (suddenly) occured to me to hook up my panasonic to see if it would work as a pass-though device - and it works fine.

so I guess it's just the sony that doesn't.