VIXIA HV20 How to connect to a USB port

[Howardthompson]

I recently bought the item listed above on Ebay but my computer only has USB ports, not Firewire. Is there a cord that runs from the camera to a USB port - or some kind of adaptor - and, if so, could someone name the exact thing I should be looking for, please? Thank you.

[shadowsports]

Greetings,

Is your computer a laptop or a desktop?

Have a look at page 75

D120_NTSC_E.book

[normadel]

 That's the way it was done back then. If you want to download videos from  digital video camera old enough to have Firewire to a computer, Firewire is the only way. 

That's the way it was done back then. The cameras had USB ports, only good for transferring still photos.

So you need a Firewire-equipped computer and software. Software is hard to find. Windows XP had it built-in. After that, Microsoft offered a package called Windows Essentials 2012. It had a movie maker app. I still have it.

Macs have other options.

[Howardthompson]

it's an Apple desktop, 27", 2017

[shadowsports]

Normadel thanks for jumping in.  @Howardthompson,  Firewire is the way to transfer DV footage. I don't think there is a practical way to add this to your MAC.  Cards can be added to desktops, PC or MAC, but not to iMAC Retina systems.  

Also mentioned was the limited software options.  I believe Premiere has dropped DV import.  Davinci Resolve still supports DV and converted files to .MOV.  There may be others, but what's available is limited.  

This is going to get complicated quickly.  Have you considered something more modern from a hardware standpoint?

[Howardthompson]

thank you so much for your time and effort. I'm a total philistine when it comes to all things technical so this may be beyond my abilities. I appreciate your help, and will probably have to fire up my old computer with the firewire ports that's sitting in the basement. Hopefully that'll work!

[kvbarkley]

Do you have a thunderbolt port, there are FW to TB adapters.

[normadel]

What operating system does the old computer have?

[Howardthompson]

not entirely sure. It's a hassle getting that set up to find out but it was bought around 2011, I think. Sorry for being so vague

[Howardthompson]

yes, it does. Could you recommend a model that would work, pls?