Can someone recommend some serious gadget or widget so that I can accept audio and video input to my laptop. Other threads are from 2002 and 2003. Hasn't someone solved this by now?

I'm most interested in camera and mixer type sources rather than TV or cable sources.

My laptop lacks any audio input other than a mic jack.
There is a firewire port available, too.

~~~ 0;-D

Many if not most cameras can produce a dv stream via firewire which you can then capture using dvgrab. That's the best way, IMO.

If that is not possible, then you may have to get a capture card (probably USB ?):
http://www.linuxtv.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page

My laptop has mic input. It also has firewire (1394) and USB. Other that that, I have no way to connect RCA stereo (Red + White) input or RCA composite (Red + White + Yellow) video or RCA component (Green + Blue + Yellow + Red + White) video or S-Video (DIN + Red + White) input. You can also forget DVI or HDMI input.

For output, there is firewire and USB and the pitiful 3.5mm stereo headset jack. You can forget HDMI or DVI video output, too. There is a X/E/VGA output.

I would hope to find "a small box" that accepts various connections for input and output and then uses firewire (preferred) or USB to the laptop. I prefer firewire because my cameras all use that sort of cable.

~~~ 0;-/

So, basically, what I was saying was:

I have a Sony camera, it has a firewire port on it to allow DV output. I have a firewire port on my computer, and if I hook up the camera to it I can use it to stream video to the computer, no need for any adapter.

Agreed. I can do the same. Now I have this audio that I recorded along with that video that is recorded on DV media.
The player lacks firewire but has composite and component and s-video output. How do I connect THAT to my laptop's
firewire port?

Oh, just use the camera and forget the player. Well, the cameras are in use gathering video at an event. Videographers drop off tapes that get sucked into a computer. I'm tired of lugging a Mac or tower and want to use my laptop instead. My laptop runs Ubuntu Hardy. I'm looking for a known, working linux solution. Does an answer exist out there or must I continue posting more justification for why I'm asking these questions?

Yes, I'm a little testy...
~~~ 0;-/

Well for anything other than that camera, you'll just need to get a capture card. See the link I posted before for ones that are known to work. Since you only have a USB port look at the USB section. Or, does the laptop support a Cardbus / PCMCIA card ?

See here for more that are supported:
http://bttv-gallery.de/

I understand about a "capture card" but I'm using a LAPTOP.
Thus I need some external box-widget and I'm not finding anything that is Linux friendly.

~~~ 0;-/

I understand that it is a LAPTOP. You should look through here:
http://bttv-gallery.de/
as well as the other link I posted.

Many of them are indeed PCI card "capture cards" which are NOT compatible with LAPTOPS. BUT, there are some USB and PCMCIA / CARDBUS options that are for LAPTOPS.

These options are indeed harder to find, simply because laptops are not generally used for capturing video, or encoding video, mostly because they tend to be underpowered compared to desktops and are restricted to using PCMCIA / CARDBUS and USB.

Good luck.

NOTICE -- As the original poster, I'm back to wake this thread. I have yet to find a satisfactory linux-friendly solution to my situation.

Since I'm working with a Laptop:

Is there a USB connected box, that will take audio from the computer and deliver it to any of several outputs?

• Some outputs might be RCA-stereo.
• Some outputs might be 1/4-inch "guitar" or "band" mono
• Some outputs might be 3-wire "sound system" leads to the house sound board
• Some outputs might be 3.5mm or similar "line out" to recorders or similar
• Some outputs might be 3/5mm or similar "headphone" jacks

Thanks in advance,
~~~ 0;-Dan