Q&A: How can I set up my Sony Handycam as a webcam?

by Finn Perez

I have a Sony Handycam DCR-SR30E and I want to use it as a webcam to make a stop motion animation (if this makes any difference). I have no thought how to do this. I’ve connected it to my computer via USB, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten.

Answer by Dead End
You need to download and bed in some stop-motion software, so that will recognize the video feed from your camcorder and you can then use the program to grab images and turn it into a video.

To really frame-grab and compile the movie, I’d suggest by Monkeyjam if you’re on a PC. It’s free.

http://www.giantscreamingrobotmonkeys.com/monkeyjam/

AnimatorDV: Simple+ became freeware.

http://www.animatordv.com/download7

If you’re on a Mac, you could try Framethief or FramebyFrame.

http://www.framethief.com/

http://web.mac.com/philipp.brendel/Software/FrameByFrame.html

You can also check out this website for other stop motion animation programs; some free, some retail. I haven’t used any of them (other than Stop Motion Pro) so I couldn’t tell you if the rest of their features were any excellent or not, but at least it gives you other options.

http://www.stopmotionworks.com/stopmosoftwr.htm

If the software you download doesn’t recognize your camcorder, you may just need to bring up to date its drivers. If that doesn’t work (Sony products often don’t play nice with third party programs) then you might need to go out and just buy a real webcam to use. Which isn’t too terrible, because a cheap one can be bought for $ 20-30 and it should be fine for stop motion videos.

If you need any more help or info, let me know.

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Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV HandyCam


Image by inju
ETC needed a new video camera as UB faculty are dabbling in video more than ever. For its feature set and price point, I had Stacy order the Sony DCR-HC46 MiniDV HandyCam. It’s less vital than what I expected, does both 4:3 and 16:9, captures video through an advanced HAD CCD imager, 12X optical zoom, Carl Zeiss lens, 2.7" wide swivel touchscreen LCD and take photos on a Memory Stick Duo. Here’s an in-depth review of Sony’s DCR-HC46.

I have a sony handycam dcr-trv270e, and I am trying to record things from my TV. When I connect the camcorder to the television, the television shows what the camcorder is playing. How can I reverse this, so I can record TV shows and videogames?

Answer by TP_123
TV tuner card on your computer

Answer by caro
your tv should have a video out or monitor out. if it doesn’t have that, you would need to connect the camcorder directly to the video source (like your cable box or vcr). then simultaneously press rec and the button on it’s right (the button with no lable) to start recording

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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