My problem is with a JVC GR-DVL 505 camcorder. I plug the cable that came with the camcorder into the "headphone jack looking" port called "(Digital Photo) PC" on the camcorder and then a 9-prong (not sure what it's called)into the back of my pc.
I turn my computer off and turn the camcorder onto "play" mode, however when I turn the computer back on it does not seem to recognize the camcorder being hooked up.
I've gone to JVC's website and tried downloading some drivers but still no luck.
I'll bet that the "9-prong" plug is a serial connection, plugging into the COM1 or COM2 port of your PC. It may be called "JLIP", a proprietary JVC interface which I have played with once or twice but never used seriously.
If your objective is to transfer video into your computer, forget about this serial connection and get a firewire card/cable/software package. Always ensure that your camcorder is turned off when inserting a firewire cable.
I know what a firewire looks like, but will the firewire cable be able to plug into the "PC" outlet on my camera that looks like a headphone jack?
I might want to do some editing on my notebook, how do I know if it has a firewire card? Do these normally come with pc's or do you usually have to buy them seperately? Is it possible to install a firewire card on a notebook?
I don't know your exact maodel of camcorder, but if a firewire cable with a small connector will easily fit into the socket, then the answer is yes. The socket should be basically rectangular, with a small piece of metal on one side to form a key so that the cable can't be inserted the wrong way round. Normally, this port will be labelled "DV".
If your notebook has a firewire port, it will likely be the same size and be labelled "DV", "IEEE 1394", "Firewire" or "i-Link". If there is no such port, you can easily buy and fit a PCMCIA card.