My experience using a netbook as a DTE

Jason Robinson · August 20th, 2009, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny Singh

Nevermind, Eee pc's don't have Firewire. I really wish netbooks came equipped with Firewire...

any pcmcia card? might be able to get a cardbus 1394 card.....

Jim Snow · August 29th, 2009, 12:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunny Singh

Nevermind, Eee pc's don't have Firewire. I really wish netbooks came equipped with Firewire...

There is one that allows a way to add a firewire port. It has a PC express card slot so you can add a firewire express card.

Lenovo - Introducing IdeaPad S10e netbook

David Trayers · September 8th, 2009, 01:41 PM

See here:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tapeless...tbook-dte.html

Jason Robinson · September 8th, 2009, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim Snow

Is there any software that supports monitoring HDV while capturing?

You could capture with Sony Vegas and still monitor the footage live (including audio preview).

Bill Koehler · September 8th, 2009, 03:03 PM

Given the nature of HDV, that is it is made up of GOP's of roughly half second duration, you are going to have a minimum half second lag between what your camera is shooting and what you see on your laptop.

Also keep in mind that monitoring HDV on the laptop dramatically increases the compute horsepower your laptop better have.

As an example, I use my laptop, an old 3.0 Ghz Pentium IV based machine, with HDVSplit to capture direct to disk. And it works flawlessly with very low CPU overhead according to TaskManager. But I don't use it to monitor - if I do things fall apart in a hurry.

Jim Snow · September 8th, 2009, 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jason Robinson

You could capture with Sony Vegas and still monitor the footage live (including audio preview).

Even when you undock the capture window and drag it to full screen size, the actual preview area is relatively small. Is there a way to increase the actual video's size in the capture window?

Blair Christensen · September 8th, 2010, 06:30 AM

Thanks in part to this topic, I went ahead and purchased a netbook and firewire expresscard.

Now capture is going perfectly... until I plug the power into the netbook. I've tried several capture utilities and they all have similar results (don't recognise the camera is connected, and in the case of WMM; crash). Now, completely by mistake, I discovered that if my external HDD is connected to the other firewire port (external HDD doesn't even need to be switched on), everything works fine again. This is really confusing! Does anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this, and/or possible solutions? The main reason I bought this set-up was for portability, so I'm not too keen to have to carry around my external HDD everywhere I go!

Jim Snow · September 9th, 2010, 10:45 AM

What brand / model netbooks are currently available in the market? Are there any HDMI in Express cards available?

Sam Houchins II · September 22nd, 2010, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David Trayers

I hit a little snag with my setup. I was in a place where I could setup a full size notebook computer with a built in Firewire. I used the same setup as with my Netbook: using the built in capture application with Vista.

What happened was that whenever I plugged the laptop into the mains power using its power brick I got a terrible audio static when monitoring the audio on the camera. When the computer was on batteries it was fine, but plugged into 120V main power I got the static. The camera was on main power as well.

I tried a power strip and also tried another outlet from the camera (but I think it was on the same breaker) with no luck. Fortunately, I had an extended battery for the computer and with the LCD display off I can easily get 8 hours, so it really wasn't an issue, but I couldn't figure out what was causing the static. It was like a ground loop, but only when the camera was plugged into the firewire port and only when the computer was on mains power. And it didn't sound like the typical 60Hz hum of a ground loop. It was a lot "scratchier".

I'm going to test a bit more. Any suggestions?

I have the same "interference" problem @ church. Camera into laptop, no problem, but if I join hands with the main sound board/mixer (board line output to camera line input), it's as if i hear every access/write/search action of my laptop's hard drive. I've bought a ground loop isolator to see if it solves this, but have not had a chance to try it yet. That's my thought, maybe you'll get to try it before I do. I already tried plugging my equipment into the same and into different power sources, but no difference there.

Steve Olds · November 30th, 2010, 08:42 PM

I just bought a new laptop and now no firewire port. My old HP had a firewire port. Now how do I get video from my GL2 back on my hard drive?? Some new kind of interface cable on the market to make this work?

Jason Robinson · November 30th, 2010, 08:58 PM

You will probably have to use a pc card expansion (if your laptop has that expansion slot).

Like this.

Note: I have not tested that card / brand.

Steve Olds · December 1st, 2010, 12:26 PM

No card slot/bay or anyway to add a firewire port.

November 30th, 2010, 08:42 PM	#25
Steve Olds Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rolla, Mo Posts: 116	GL 2 to laptop I just bought a new laptop and now no firewire port. My old HP had a firewire port. Now how do I get video from my GL2 back on my hard drive?? Some new kind of interface cable on the market to make this work?

November 30th, 2010, 08:58 PM	#26
Jason Robinson Trustee Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Boise, Idaho Posts: 1,997	laptop expansions card You will probably have to use a pc card expansion (if your laptop has that expansion slot). Like this. Note: I have not tested that card / brand.

September 8th, 2009, 01:41 PM	#18
David Trayers Regular Crew Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Hastings, MN Posts: 51	See here: http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/tapeless...tbook-dte.html

September 8th, 2009, 03:03 PM	#20
Bill Koehler Major Player Join Date: May 2007 Location: Alpharetta, Georgia, USA Posts: 760	Given the nature of HDV, that is it is made up of GOP's of roughly half second duration, you are going to have a minimum half second lag between what your camera is shooting and what you see on your laptop. Also keep in mind that monitoring HDV on the laptop dramatically increases the compute horsepower your laptop better have. As an example, I use my laptop, an old 3.0 Ghz Pentium IV based machine, with HDVSplit to capture direct to disk. And it works flawlessly with very low CPU overhead according to TaskManager. But I don't use it to monitor - if I do things fall apart in a hurry.

September 8th, 2010, 06:30 AM	#22
Blair Christensen Tourist Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: New Zealand Posts: 1	Thanks in part to this topic, I went ahead and purchased a netbook and firewire expresscard. Now capture is going perfectly... until I plug the power into the netbook. I've tried several capture utilities and they all have similar results (don't recognise the camera is connected, and in the case of WMM; crash). Now, completely by mistake, I discovered that if my external HDD is connected to the other firewire port (external HDD doesn't even need to be switched on), everything works fine again. This is really confusing! Does anyone have any ideas on what could be causing this, and/or possible solutions? The main reason I bought this set-up was for portability, so I'm not too keen to have to carry around my external HDD everywhere I go!

September 9th, 2010, 10:45 AM	#23
Jim Snow Trustee Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Santa Clara, CA Posts: 1,104	What brand / model netbooks are currently available in the market? Are there any HDMI in Express cards available?

December 1st, 2010, 12:26 PM	#27
Steve Olds Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Rolla, Mo Posts: 116	No card slot/bay or anyway to add a firewire port.