Capture Magic SD. Record quality DV, DVCPro25 and DVCPro50 direct to disk from multiple cameras.

Frequently Asked Questions

As well as the information here, there is also information on our blog that you may find helpful.

Are cable lengths a problem for multiple cameras in a large place?

The official length for standard Firewire cables is 14.7 feet (about 4.5 meters). So this gives you enough space for an interview in a studio environment. However for outdoor events, concerts and churches, look for DistanceDV cables. DistanceDV is a brand of cables and they come in these sizes: 33ft (10m), 66ft (20m), and a massive 164ft (50m).

Why does my Sony HDV camera not work in DV mode?

It does, however you have to go into the menu on the camera and set the rec format or iLink mode to DV.

I want to shoot on location, but I need more Firewire ports

There are several things you can do with a laptop:

  • If you have a Firewire 400 and a Firewire 800 port, then you can get a Firewire 400 to Firewire 800 cable and that will give you two ports.
  • If you have an ExpressCard slot, you can get a SIIG Firewire Expresscard and this will add two more Firewire ports.
  • You can also look at getting a Firewire HUB (example: Belkin 6 port hub).