Canon ZR Firewire - Dump XP for Linux?

**optimizer** · September 17th, 2005, 01:22 AM

Canon ZR Firewire desn't capture - Blank screen on capture.
Tried everything.

Does MS have a troubleshooter and fixer utility for Firewire (unbelievable if they don't yet)?

Does the 1394 trade association have a troubleshooter / fixer utility for Firewire on Windows (it would be even more unbelievable if they didn't, being so many problems with firewire on XP)?

Has anyone got a Canon ZR Firewire running on Linux? I've been looking at Linspire (as MS doesn't seem to be getting my expensive DV camcorder working), and it looks real nice and tech. Lots of free software. OpenOffice blows MS office out of the arena for value (free v's mega bucks). MS word 2000 and later is mega irritating now, and the openoffice word is just like you would have wanted an Word upgrade to look. Excel and Access replacements are neat too. FREE.

Does you what the best opensource freeware videoediting software is?

Thanks, Grumpy

**NooNoo** · September 17th, 2005, 05:19 AM

Yep, you need to install Linux and have done with it. You have already made up your mind that it's not going to work on Windows so there is little point in getting you to troubleshoot the problem.

**optimizer** · November 24th, 2005, 01:52 AM

Well, I'm still on Windows for the moment - probably use Win and Lin at some time.

For now, What is most likely the Canon ZR Video capture blank screen culprit?

I'm pretty sure it's some software thing that's stopping it. All the fingers were pointing at Microsoft. XP driver checker will not let you manually refresh the video drivers - it just say's "these are the latest, thank you" - no option to refresh...

What are your ideas?

**Bhotu** · November 24th, 2005, 02:18 AM

Optimizer,

Get XP home edition. It worked for me. Also try getting SP2. It is the latest SW and had some problems with 1394 which were fixed. SP2 being latest, Microsoft has more incetive to fix it than for SP1. BTW are you running SP1? Also FYI there is a fix for SP2 for 1394. Plain SP2 will not work.

Bhotu.

PS: Checkout my post from this afternoon.

**optimizer** · November 24th, 2005, 03:51 PM

Thanks Bhotu,
I read your posts.
All the other info I had read indicated stay at SP1, as SP2 gave the problem. But if they've fixed it, that's good.
I'd been staying at SP1 for older software, but I think we're getting to the point where most of it can be replaced by open source software, so I don't lose a lot of tools/$$$$'s now by a simple upgrade to a newer Microsoft operating system like I used to.
I'll have to give SP2 a shot.
Again, thanks.

**optimizer** · January 20th, 2006, 10:14 PM

SP2 was installed.
I took an Audio card out of the equation an tried it with bog standard Win XP sound. It worked (captured) fine.

So a Canon ZR works fine with SP2 (for anyone that needs to know).

So it is just sound card drivers / installation that is the problem.
Still fixing that.

Still haven't tried Linux yet, but I'm almost ready to.