Firewire card query

[monty0703]

I'm about to buy a firewire card but am baffled by the choice. How many ports do I need? Are more expensive cards better or will a cheaper one do? Also, can I use the same card to upload VHS as well as DV or do I need a different card? Many thanks.

[MusicDave]

Firewire cards are all based on the IEEE 1394 standards so they will all be pretty much the same. The number of ports depends on how many devices you want to attach at the same time. If you are running a Firewire based external hard drive and want to connect a DV camcorder, you'll only need the 2, if you have more devices, you'll need one for each that you want to connect at the same time.

A firewire port will only allow you to connect firewire devices to it, unless you have a DV port on your VHS, it wont work. To do that you'll need to get a video input card (sometimes they are included in the graphics card on your system, the ATI all-in-wonders do) as it needs to decode the video in into a format understandable by the OS. Otherwise, you might be able to pass the signal through your camcorder if it has the right ports on it, or you may even be able to record it on your camcorder and then send it through the firewire port as you would do when uploading from normal camcorder footage.

Hope that helps,

Dave

[monty0703]

Thanks Dave. This has clarified things. Cheers!

[fo3nix]

also take note: there is firewire 400 and firewire 800. may be called fw 1 or fw 2 in some places. or if just fw, it'll be 400.

if all you have are fw400 things, and you won't be getting or needing anything that would make good use of fw800, then get the much cheaper 400 stuff.

all it is is the speed of the fw system; 800 being twice that of the 400. 400 should suit you fine.