HV20 supplied software

[Jake Ironshirt]

With the supplied software that comes with the HV20, what you you consider necessary to load and use? Still waiting for the HV20 price to lower a bit.
Thanks

[Lunchbox]

I never bothered to open the disc. I think it is for photo management.

[24Peter]

I never bothered to open the disc. I think it is for photo management.

Me either. I think Taky's right.

[Jake Ironshirt]

Thank you I appreciate that.

[SenorKaffee]

No idea, I never needed something from the disc either.

[Terfyn]

I loaded the disk (DV solution disk 24.0) with its programs for the still photographs.
I had a problem with downloading video into Studio 10 but after loading the disk, the problem disappeared! Does the disk also hold video drivers? i refer you to threads where there are problems downloading video into NLEs.

[tireman]

I found nothing from Canon that would allow me to download the video.

Will admit to being a newbee at HD video and not a lot of experience with movie editing in general but I am very disapointed in Cannon for not making to VERY clear that after droping a grand on their camera I would need to spend more for up to date Firewire card & cable then have to search the internet and various Video Help forums to find the two programs I needed to download the videos as Canon couldn't be bothered even providing web links to the software.
Now having finally downloaded the video I find I have to spend more $$ to get software that can edit.
I have Adobe Elements V2 - it doesn't see the camera and doesn't recognise the video files.
MS Movey Maker V5.1 doesn't work either.
Ulead V7 also doesn't work.

Only program I have so far that will even show the videos is an older copy of Nero V4.

Not a happy camper at all.

I suggest that unless you are VERY experienced with Video editing and have an extra $200 or more to even start trying to work with this camera you might want to look elseware.

[Lunchbox]

I have never seen any consumer camcorder will bundle a firewire cable. This is a consumer camera and many people just shot video and view them on TV using composite or component video.

I supposed HDV is still kind of new to the consumer market. If Canon has to jack up the price to include a basic video editing software that I will never use, I would rather pay cheaper without the bundle software.

Unlike USB ports, firewire ports are not equipted to many desktop computers. If Canon will bundle a firewire cable, someone else will complain they have to spend extra money to buy a firewire card too.

But I might just be another bitchy customer. I am not happy why my printer doesn't come with a USB cable. :)

[tireman]

I got the firewire hardware and connection.
According to Canon all I need to do is to "start the video editing software" but obviously they have no interest in helping their customers as they
1. give no indication that many programs will not work with their camera.
2. Have no interest in providing the names of programs that will work.

Makes me wonder if they even bothered to test their camera with consumers.


Yes I have searched numerous web sites and am slowly accumulating the various programs needed to make this camera useful. I think I am at 4 or 5 different programs so far.

Canon has shown no interest in answering any of my questions.

I think the camera is good and might be great. It's just too bad Canon isn't interested in making customers happy once they make their purchase.:hv20-smilie51:

[white_2kgt]

Only program I have so far that will even show the videos is an older copy of Nero V4.

Download VLC Media Player (http://www.videolan.org/vlc/), it will play ANYTHING, anyone even 1/2 serious about video on a PC should have that installed.

Did you ever own a HI8 camera? Or any other camera before the HV20? Did it come with editing software? Did your old analog camera come with an edit deck? No, it didn't. Why start now, it would only increase the price of the camera, and probably suck? There's no good free movie editor out there. I think the Vista version of Movie Maker supports HDV, but I don't have vista. You should take a look at the latest crop of NLEs and decided where it's best to spend your $$.

[Lunchbox]

Totally agree! I rather not have to pay for some crappy bundled editing software that I will never use.

[SenorKaffee]

I think they could have added a software like HDVSplit or 30-day trials of NLE software that supports the camera. That´s what they do with consumer photo cameras, I think Adobe would love it when every user gets a trial of Premiere Elements 3 with the HV20.

As I already said I never had a look at what is on the CD, because I played around with HDV sample files before I purchased the cam. I don´t expect a consumer to do that, though.

[Numbox]

Will admit to being a newbee at HD video and not a lot of experience with movie editing in general but I am very disapointed in Cannon for not making to VERY clear that after droping a grand on their camera I would need to spend more for up to date Firewire card & cable then have to search the internet and various Video Help forums to find the two programs I needed to download the videos as Canon couldn't be bothered even providing web links to the software.

Sorry, but you don't have to be told that. Why do people always assume they'll get everything in the box? I expected a camera and camera's what i got. I for one did hell of a lot of reading before i shelled out the money for the cam. If you can spend a 1000$ on a product without actually finding out what you get with it and what else you need to operate it, than it's nobody's fault but your own.

[Lunchbox]

If it bundled some PC trial software, then the Mac people will complain. If they include some Mac trial software, Linux people will complain.

It doesn't come with a firewire cable. yeah, should Canon bundle a 4pin-4pin cable or 4pin-6pin cable? Or they have to include both?

If it comes with the firewire cable, someone will complain they need to pay extra to buy a firewire card. Should Canon also include a firewire card? Should it be a PC firewire card or Mac? Would laptop users complain too?

[SenorKaffee]

It´s just a matter of what is common in the industry.

Motherboards for example come with many cables although I might only need a few of them and could buy them before I assemble the PC. Most scanners come with a USB cable, most printers don´t.

Consumer camcorders don´t come with firewire cables. Maybe it won´t cost much to add a cable and an adapter for the smaller connector, but it´s just not common.

Linux users always complain by the way. ^^

[Terfyn]

First of all the Canon software is not NLE, it is designed for snapshots only. I read in a FAQ on the Canon website that a specific driver is not required (I thought it was) and that the HV20 is plug and play. (I can't prove this as I haddownloaded the CD anyway.) The Canon software is for both PC and Mac.
My multi media machine had a FireWire connection as standard.
I guess that theFirewire cable is not provided as the camera will be used by many who have no interest in editing the video. A composite cable is provided so a DVD copy is possible using a DVD recorder and the USB cable is there for archiving snapshots. What more could anyone want??!!

I append an answer regarding drivers from the Canon FAQ (You probably all knew this already):-
The driver for downloading digital video data from the camera must support the interface card, not the camera. As long as the card supports IEEE-1394 (firewire) data transfer, the computer will be able to download data from the Canon digital video camera using the driver for the card. Models equipped with the separate USB port come with the Canon Digital Video Solution Disk, which contains USB drivers and image editing software for still images only.

Last modified date: 19-Jun-07
So Canon don't supply drivers to download video from their camcorders!

[white_2kgt]

Last modified date: 19-Jun-07 [/I]
So Canon don't supply drivers to download video from their camcorders!

No, Microsoft had already done that for us in the form of Windows XP Service Pack 2, which you have to have to view HDV video anyway. OH you wanted Mac, Linux, Solaris, etc, etc Drivers? See the problem? Canon sold a Video camera, not an editing suite.