There are a couple of reasons to connect your Sony HandyCam camcorder to your PC. First, you probably want to export your home movies to your computer and save them for editing or viewing later. The second reason, though, is you can record directly from the HandyCam to your PC using a special streaming driver included on the installation disc. After you install the USB streaming driver, you can use your Sony HandyCam to shoot video from the camcorder and record it directly, or even use the video camera as a webcam in your favorite video chat application.
Instructions
1. Power off your Sony HandyCam and remove the tape, flash card or other recordable media. Turn the camera back on and set the selector switch to "Camera" mode. Use the arrow keys or menu buttons to navigate to the "Settings," "Camera" then "USB Streaming" option on the onscreen menu.
2. Insert the installation disc for your Sony HandyCam into the optical drive of your computer. After the installation menu appears on the screen, click the "Install USB Driver" or "Install Streaming USB Driver" button. Follow the onscreen instructions to install the USB driver in Windows and restart your computer when prompted.
3. Connect the USB cable to the small mini-USB port on the Sony HandyCam, then connect the other end to an empty USB port on your computer. Wait a few seconds for Windows to detect and initialize your HandyCam as a video device on your PC.
4. Open Windows Movie Maker or your preferred video editing program. Click the "Import Video" or "Record Webcam" link on the toolbar. Click the "Record" button in the program to stream and record video from your HandyCam directly to your computer.
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