8 part series
By Lorraine Grula
Internet Video Gal

PART 8
CAMCORDER BASICS – DIGITAL VIDEO CABLES

If I were a songwriter,  no doubt I’d have written one by now called, “I Got The Tangled Cord Blues…”

Video production requires lots of cables and I’ve tripped over more than one in my long career.  I tend to view cables as a necessary evil.  Wireless is great, but sometimes lacks reliability.  Besides, not everything can be wireless. 

Video data transfer is one of those things.  

To transfer data from a digital camera to a computer, you need a cable unless the camera operates on a memory card or DVD disc which can be physically placed into the computer.

There are two types of digital cables used in digital video production.

Firewire and USB-2 Cables 
Firewire and USB-2 cables  are both high-speed data transfer cables that make digital video possible.  A standard co-ax cable or S-video cable simply can’t handle enough data to make transferring huge video files feasible.  If it were not for firewire, digital editing would still be science fiction. 

(You don’t want to know how excited video engineers got when firewire was invented.  God loves nerds and so do I.) When you connect your camcorder to your computer, you use either a fire wire cable or a USB-2 cable.  The two look and act a lot alike.  The way to tell the difference is to look closely at the actual connection.  The connection on a firewire is slightly curved on one side whereas a USB is straight on all sides.

These cables are, in a sense, idiot proof.  (Good thing!)

By that, I mean if the camera requires a 6 pin firewire, a larger one will not fit.  Never try to force a firewire or USB.  If it doesn’t fit, you’ve got the wrong cable.   BE GENTLE!  They break easily. 

Another hint is to always have your camera turned OFF when you connect it.  You don’t want a sudden electric jolt hitting either your computer or camera.  So always go slow.  Plug it in, then turn it on and open your program. 

Usually, if you try to plug a camera into an edit program while the program is already open, it’ll have a hard time “recognizing”  the camera. One of the biggest pains in digital video editing! 

Both firewire and USB-2 cable are capable of quickly transferring large amounts of data, which is essential for huge video files.   Both are extremely common on brand new equipment.  Most computers and camera have both.  Higher quality models have multiples of both. 

Firewire was originally a Mac-only thing, but today it’s common on PCs and most digital cameras. 

Firewire is also referred to as IEEE1394.

Be aware that USB-2 and USB-1 are not the same.  All new computers should have USB-2, but older ones have USB 1.0 which is too slow to transfer video.

If you do not have fire wire or USB 2.0, don’t panic.  You can buy an inexpensive USB 2.0 or firewire card and install it on your computer.   The card will include the jack, so make sure it matches with the rest of your equipment.

Happy editing!

Related posts:

1. VIDEO CAMCORDER BASICS Part 1
2. VIDEO CAMCORDER BASICS Part 5
3. VIDEO CAMCORDER BASICS Part 6
4. VIDEO CAMCORDER BASICS Part 7
5. VIDEO CAMCORDER BASICS Part 3