PCIe to GoPro?

[kmd1984]

I'm still puzzled. You want to use a GoPro as the camera but you also want a 'small' portable recording system to go with it - non-PC based to keep the size down?

Nope.

Let's start from the beginning. I make it short:

A camcorder like the Sony VX1000, that records onto tape, used to be connected to a VCR through RCA or S-Video cables to transfer footage onto a VHS tape. Later, with the advent of PCs, Firewire became the preferred method for connecting the camcorder to the computer. Firewire facilitated the easy transfer of data, allowing users to transfer footage from the camcorder to the PC seamlessly.

The Sony VX1000 is highly regarded as a great camera, and its Firewire OUT port opens up the possibility of using devices like the Sony HVR-MRC1 memory recorder to record directly onto a memory card instead of using tape. Unfortunately, these recorders have not been in production for over two decades, and although they can still be found, they come with a hefty price tag of $400 due to their outdated status.

To address this issue, an alternative idea was to connect a Firewire card to a GoPro camera. The plan was to solder the Firewire cable to the GoPro's motherboard, enabling the GoPro to record the incoming signal directly. However, it turns out that this process is not as straightforward as initially anticipated and requires more complex steps than originally thought.

Thanks.

EDIT: The idea is to "build" something like the HVR-MRC1...

 

[kellys_eye]

The Sony VX1000 is highly regarded as a great camera

Seriously? 1/3" CCD and 410k pixels (less than 800x600). It might have been a decent camera in its day but that 'day' was nearly 30 years ago now. We have much better resolution, much better sensitivity, much better functionality in fact 'much better everything'......

If you want to do this for nostalgia reasons then float your boat but - seriously?

A 4k camcorder would 'kick its arse', for around $150. Even you admit to wanting to use a GoPro (except for it's lack of firewire - though I don't know why you're so adamant to keep using that old technology either - why firewire?

As I said, the GoPro uses an SD card and you can get SD card with memory AND wifi built-in (see previous post) so no wires at all.

Puzzled.....

 

[kmd1984]

Seriously?

Yes. : )

1/3" CCD and 410k pixels (less than 800x600). It might have been a decent camera in its day but that 'day' was nearly 30 years ago now. We have much better resolution, much better sensitivity, much better functionality in fact 'much better everything'......

I agree, but it is not just about the specs. It's about the "style" and the look of the footage. Kinda like Polaroid Instant Cameras became popular again. Just look at old cars or bikes. It's the nostalgia "effect".

If you want to do this for nostalgia reasons then float your boat but - seriously?

Sorry, was replying before reading your whole post. Yes, that is it.

A 4k camcorder would 'kick its arse', for around $150.

Agreed, but who says I don't have those already, ha ha.

Even you admit to wanting to use a GoPro

Wait. I was going to use the GoPro to record the footage coming from the VX1000, and not thought the GoPro's lens. That way you keep the look of the VX1000 but you don't have to use tapes.

(except for it's lack of firewire - though I don't know why you're so adamant to keep using that old technology either - why firewire?

You could use RCA [out] or S-Video [out] as well, but firewire will give you the best quality. (Some people will argue that but let's not get into that). I actually recorded straight to SD card using the RCA cable and a "video grabber". Quality was not bad at all. But again, firewire is supposed to be better, because firewire just transfers the data from the tape to the pc.
Having said that, the VX1000 has a firewire out port and that it why I would like to use it for recording straight to sd card.

Thanks.

 

[Harald Kapp]

I'm afraid you still don't get it straight: Firewire is not a video signal. It is a digital serial data stream which can be used to encode video - among many other types of data.
Therefore there is no way to directly record video over firewire directly onto an SD card. What you need is the hardware and software to decode the firewire's data stream, then encode the video to a standard video format (e.g. MP4), then other software to write that video data to the SD card.
Using a Raspberry Pi as you mentioned in post #11 should be a viable option. The Rasbery Pi supplies the hardware, some community tools supply the software.
Or use the video grabber you mentioned in post #23. With a short high quality RCA cable the quality is probbaly not noticeably worsre than with a complex setup using firewire and multiple decoding/encoding software tools. Especially not with that low resolution.

Agreed, but who says I don't have those already, ha ha.

You could also use the high quality camcorder (or the GoPro) to record the video, then use software (e.g. ffmpeg) to scale the video down, add some blur and noise, even change the color a bit to give the footage that vintage look.

 

[kellys_eye]

That way you keep the look of the VX1000 but you don't have to use tapes.

If it's 'looks' you want then unscrew the VX1000 lens and put the GoPro behind it.......

Well........ maybe

There's two issues here (1) nostalgia - which seems to mean keeping the Firewire interface, sourcing 'unknown' hardware and commissioning unwritten (as yet) software..... or (2) using a GoPro with SD/Wifi and readily-available hardware (mobile phone) and software (Apps).

Nostalgia = mucho money
GoPro = ??

I'd keep the VX1000 as a 'shoulder accessory' - maybe get your partner to wield it instead of a handbag? - and use the GoPro for an actual, practical, workable solution.

Whatever way you choose I don't think this forum is going to help you create the solution. Offering ideas and alternatives looks to be as far as we can go. I wish you luck in getting what you want from this.

Cheers!

 

[kmd1984]

I'm afraid you still don't get it straight: Firewire is not a video signal. It is a digital serial data stream which can be used to encode video - among many other types of data.

I do get that. Maybe you think I don't, because I once in a while mention what I had initially planned, which was connecting a firewire cable directly to a GoPro's "circuit board".

Therefore there is no way to directly record video over firewire directly onto an SD card. What you need is the hardware and software to decode the firewire's data stream, then encode the video to a standard video format (e.g. MP4), then other software to write that video data to the SD card.

I know. : )

Using a Raspberry Pi as you mentioned in post #11 should be a viable option. The Rasbery Pi supplies the hardware, some community tools supply the software.

That is what I am going to try next.

Or use the video grabber you mentioned in post #23. With a short high quality RCA cable the quality is probbaly not noticeably worsre than with a complex setup using firewire and multiple decoding/encoding software tools. Especially not with that low resolution.

The problem is not the cable. But before I go and try to explain it, here is what someone on videohelp.com asked: Firewire vs USB vs RCA, and the replies were:

"if you want to transfer dv video from your cam to your pc, firewire is the ONLY way to do this. usb is not fast enough to transfer dv. the usb part of your camcorder is for transferring still images only to your pc. rca cables generally do not hook up to pc's, unless you have an analog capture card. in that case, you can use the rca's, but it is NOT worth it. what you are doing is converting the digital video on the tape to analog, then converting that back to digital in the pc. you will lose quality. firewire is straight digital to digital file transfer and is the way to go is you want to get the best out of the video"

And

"Firewire is a transfer, whereas RCA is analog to digital capture."

That said, the issue is also that the video grabber does not that great of a job capturing the footage. I forgot the exact numbers, but transferring the tape to PC is 12GB for 1h of video. On the grabber its more like 700mb, ha ha.

You could also use the high quality camcorder (or the GoPro) to record the video, then use software (e.g. ffmpeg) to scale the video down, add some blur and noise, even change the color a bit to give the footage that vintage look.

I could, but I would like to use the old cameras again, instead of having them lying around. They feel different and they are more "fun" to use. On top of that, I like to think outside the box. I once had a 3D Robotics drone called the 3DR Solo. As with most RTF (Ready To Fly) drones, it had proprietary batteries, which sucked because they were [imath]150 bucks a piece. A "regular" LiPo was around[/imath]30 bucks. So I decided to use my own batteries. It turns out that you cannot just connect any lipo to the drone as the drone will know it is not an original battery. So I had to crack one open, take the circuit board out and connect that to my lipo. It worked and I was the first person worldwide to have ever done that! YEAH! LOL. It wasn't a big deal because it had nothing to do with electronics. It was pure mechanical.

Anyhow.

Thanks.

 

[kmd1984]

If it's 'looks' you want then unscrew the VX1000 lens and put the GoPro behind it.......

Well........ maybe

I am not an expert (obviously) but it's the image processor that creates that look and not the lens. I think.

There's two issues here (1) nostalgia - which seems to mean keeping the Firewire interface, sourcing 'unknown' hardware and commissioning unwritten (as yet) software.....

Well, I have to start somewhere. I also need to break the process down into different pieces or projects of their own. So I start by taking an SBC and make it work with that. So Windows 7, mouse, keyboard and monitor. I can then go and make it a "new" project to replace the external monitor with a tiny on-screen monitor or display. There are going to be plenty of people out there who know how to do that.
The next thing would be to eliminate the mouse and keyboard. I have a tiny PC called the Viliv S5. It has an onscreen keyboard and a mouse "stick". I forgot what to call that. Anyhow. Maybe there is something like that for the Raspberry PI? I am hoping that someone will say, "Hey, you don't even have to run Windows. Just install a few buttons and run a script that starts the capture when you press button X." You know, something like this cant be too hard to make.

or (2) using a GoPro with SD/Wifi and readily-available hardware (mobile phone) and software (Apps).

Nope.

Nostalgia = mucho money

OK

I'd keep the VX1000 as a 'shoulder accessory' - maybe get your partner to wield it instead of a handbag? - and use the GoPro for an actual, practical, workable solution.

Nope.

Whatever way you choose I don't think this forum is going to help you create the solution. Offering ideas and alternatives looks to be as far as we can go. I wish you luck in getting what you want from this.

Cheers!

Yeah, I kind of realized it later on that this forum might be the "wrong" place for me. Anyhow, I appreciate the input.

Thanks.