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Question

HVR - A1J 1080i Manual

Feb 24, 2015 11:01AM PST

I am trying to find the operating manual for the Sony HDV 1080i camcorder model no. HVR - A1J. I have the 4 pin to usb firewire cable but my computer is not reading it. I am trying to transfer video footage from a mini cassette to a computer.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
PC problem?
Feb 24, 2015 5:28PM PST

Is the camera outputting a picture to your TV via the A/V out? If so two things to check on your PC.

The driver needs to be 1394 (legacy) before the PC will recognise the camera.
I had a problem with the 1394 cable plugs being just too short for my Canon HV20 camera. Replaced the 1394 cable with another make and this sorted the problem.

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Answer
The HVR-A1
Feb 24, 2015 10:39PM PST

is a miniDV tape based camcorder. The "J" designates the Japanese variant. The HVR-V1U is the NTSC variant. In a pinch you can use this manual:
http://pro.sony.com/bbsccms/assets/files/micro/hdv/manuals/HVRA1U_OM.pdf
(For completeness, the HVR-V1E is the PAL variant.)

As with 99% of miniDV tape based camcorders, the required connection for digital transfer of video from the digital tape to a computer is over firewire (also known as i.Link, IEEE1394 and DV).

USB-to-firewire cable/converter/adapter things will not work.

Your computer needs a firewire port. If your computer has a Thunderbolt port, then the Thunderbolt-to-firewire adapters work great.

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A little more information...
Feb 25, 2015 1:50AM PST

The USB port on the HVR-A1 is used to get still images from the memory card only.

If your computer has no firewire (or Thunderbolt) port and you are unwilling or unable to install one, then you can use an "analog/digital converter". The camcorder's AV-out connect to the A/D converter, the A/D converter connects to the computer - some of these converters connect to the computer using USB... like those from Black Magic Design (Intensity Shuttle) and Elgato - among many others.

The HVR-A1 can record high definition, HDV format, 1080i, video. When you use an A/D converter and the AV-out, the resulting video is down sampled to standard definition - widescreen aspect ratio - video. Therefore, video resolution is reduced and the best this resulting video file can provide is 480 horizontal lines of video resolution (standard definition).

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Answer
I have the 4 pin to usb firewire cable = rip off.
Feb 24, 2015 11:28PM PST

To date there has been no "I have the 4 pin to usb firewire cable" seen working. Yes folk sell them but it's a scam.

Get over it and install a Firewire card. Sorry to read this post.
Bob