Sony DCR-PC5E

[happyhotspur]

I have an old DCR-PC5E handycam and lots of DV tapes however I also have a laptop without a Firewire port or an audio output plugs. I also have the original Firewire cable but no way to convert the tapes onto my laptop hard drive. I think the only way I can now save these tapes is to obtain an original memory stick as my original has been destroyed.

I think I can download the original minidisk onto the memory stick and then use the laptops card reader to save the memory stick contents onto the hard drive. but cannot find anywhere that now stocks them can you advice if there is an alternative or where I can purchase a memory stick?

Or does anybody have any idea how i can convert the mini disks onto my laptop and then burn them to DVD's

Any help or advice would really be appreciated as I cannot find any other solution
Thank you

[Pascale_F]

Hi happyhotspur, 

Welcome to the community.

It's best to contact the Sony spare parts dealer about getting a new memory stick. Please have a look here. 

Thanks,

Pascale_F

[Blencogo · Accepted solution]

Hi happyhotspur and welcome.

If you have a HDD/DVD recorder in your TV setup, check if this has an iLink input or an AV (Y/R/W) input. You may find that you can import your video onto the hard disc and burn to DVD.

To import to your PC without an iLink you will need the AV output cable from your camera and you will need to buy a USB video capture device - something like this:-

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aplic-External-Converter-3-5-15-67-compatible-Black/dp/B06XFQ9YXW

There are dozens of similar products on Amazon - make sure it is compatible with your PC's operating system.

[happyhotspur]

Thanks for your help the video grabber works perfectly Its just the camera I ahve the issue with now. for some reason whenever I try to view a video when I press play the tape just fast forwards and none of the buttons seem to work as per the handbook. I might have changed a setting without realising it but can find no reference to sorting this issue out. In fact sometimes when I have the player in the rewind mode it actually fast forwards and I cannot stop this happening.

Is the camera u/s or have I changed a setting as it worked ok when I first had the video grabber

[nevillestyke]

It sounds like the common touchscreen fault, on the PC5E. Either  fit a replacement touch screen or, with a remote control, use the video control buttons to play etc. (RMT-812 is the one supplied with the camcorder, but many other Sony remotes will work).