Alternate Ideas for Capturing MiniDV??

I have an old JVC GRD850 that I used to shoot a one-day "street video" for a local artist. I just realized that the firewire port on my camera is dead so I'm kind of screwed for capturing the tape. I know it's not my MBP that is failing because 1394 HDDs still work. Any ideas on how I can capture the tape without using my DVD player and a ripper (I've done it that way before and there's a major quality loss from the original)? Is there a way to use a PVR or something similar? I'm open to any ideas but try to keep it under/around $100.

Ask around any families or moviemakers you might know, there's bound to be someone in your circle of friends with an old miniDV camcorder around you could use for transferring it. Alternatively, any video conversion service in town will do it (Costco for example, Walgreen's etc) which shouldn't cost that much.

My miniDV camcorder has a AV out socket with a lead that will plug into the Red/Yellow/White inputs on some VCR/DVD recorders. Does yours have the same?

MightyGem said:

My miniDV camcorder has a AV out socket with a lead that will plug into the Red/Yellow/White inputs on some VCR/DVD recorders. Does yours have the same?

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Yes it does but when you capture to a DVD like that you lose close to 50% of the quality which is absolutely terrible since it was already shot in SD. If it was HDV I wouldn't mind to much but the ratio is already 640x360. I don't want to go any lower.

chas_m said:

Ask around any families or moviemakers you might know, there's bound to be someone in your circle of friends with an old miniDV camcorder around you could use for transferring it. Alternatively, any video conversion service in town will do it (Costco for example, Walgreen's etc) which shouldn't cost that much.

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Walgreens captures MiniDV tapes? Really? I'll check that out. Thanks.

The service isn't offered at EVERY Walgreen's but it's been offered at a number of them I've been to. YMMV, but there are other options like Wal-Mart, Costco, etc.