minicar: I got a sony handi-cam and I'd like to convert the mini-dv video to an media file or perhaps put it on a dvd. I have no clue how to go about that. There seems to be no chords where I can hook the camera directly up to my computer...How do you turn mini-dv cassettes into another format?If it's a MiniDV camcorder there should be a firewire connection somewhere, maybe behind a plastic cover. If you haven't already got one you'll need a firewire card in your PC - they're readily available, cheap and easy to install. Assuming you're going to put your videos on DVD you'll need a video editor that includes DVD authoring. Most of them do, but I'd recommend Sony's Vegas Movie Studio - in terms of bang for the buck I don't think it can be beaten. I'd start by playing with Windows Movie Maker though. It's not a great editor, and it can't make DVDs, but it's free and it'll give you a relatively gentle introduction to video editing. At least you'll have some idea what you're looking for when you go out and start spending money on a commercial editor. I'd avoid Pinnacle Studio - it can be very buggy and unstable.How do you turn mini-dv cassettes into another format?The usual way is to use the IEEE 1394 Firewire port on your camera. You also need a computer with this type of port, and need to get a Firewire cable (fairly expensive). Then you use one of those "movie maker" programs (like Windows Movie Maker if you have Vista). If the camera does not have a Firewire port, you can connect the A/V port to a DVD recorder. The camera usually comes with a A/V cable - if not, they are really inexpensive.How do you turn mini-dv cassettes into another format?You will find a read of this article very useful and informative :- http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/viewtopic.p鈥?/a> The software being used is Ulead VideoStudio - you can download a free trial to see if it works for you from :- http://www.ulead.com/vs/runme.htm or http://www.ulead.co.uk/vs/runme.htm ~