Mounting DV camcorder

Sparkfist · 10-01-2016, 08:25 PM

Hello everyone!

I pulled my old MiniDV camcorder out planning to get the videos off the tapes and save them digitally on a newer format. However I can't get my computer to see it via USB. The computer has no Firewire ports so that is out of the question.

I have been able to get the computer to see that the camera is there, but it will not mount it and as such I am unable to use dvgrab or similar programs. Using the gui tool Disk, see screenshot attached, you can see that it is visible to the computer. But no options to mount, just remove it.

I am running a laptop with Mint 18.0
The camcorder is a Panasonic PV-GS320
Currently have Openshot installed and dvgrab

If anyone has any knowledge on how I can get this fixed so I can import those videos, much appreciated.

Thanks.

frankbell · 10-01-2016, 08:38 PM

With the camcorder connected, try running dmesg. That command produces a lot of output, so you may want to pipe it into a text file that you can examine in a text editor.

Code:

dmesg > somefile.txt

Find any references to the device in the dmesg output and post them here, being sure to surround it with "Code" tags which become available when you click the "Go Advanced" button at the bottom of the "compose post" window.

You might also run fdisk -l to learn how Linux is seeing the file system on that device.

Since you are using Mint, you may have to preface the commands with sudo to get the desired results.

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 08:50 PM

Anything interesting reported by dmesg when you connect the camera?

Code:

dmesg --follow

or perhaps

Code:

sudo journalctl -f

How is the device reported?

Code:

/sbin/fdisk -l

If you try mounting it with udisksctl, does that work? If not, what is reported? For example, assuming it is /dev/sdb....

Code:

udisksctl mount -b /dev/sdb

Sparkfist · 10-01-2016, 09:01 PM

frankbell,

I ran the code you suggested. This is what I was able to find via "DVC"
The big trouble I'm having fully trying to see if if the computer is just looking for the SD Card slot, which is empty, no media.
Does it look like I can could pull DV video to my computer.

Thanks.

Code:

SerialNumber=3
[  847.265392] usb 1-1: Product: DVC
[  847.265399] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Panasonic
[  847.265405] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 00001191588e
[  847.268807] usb-storage 1-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[  847.283447] scsi host3: usb-storage 1-1:1.0
[  848.289639] scsi 3:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Matshita DVC              1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS

Code:

SerialNumber=3
[ 1408.354130] usb 3-1: Product: DVC
[ 1408.354136] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: Panasonic
[ 1408.354142] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: 00001191588e
[ 1408.370894] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device DVC (04da:231e)
[ 1408.381608] input: DVC as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:12.0/usb3/3-1/3-1:1.0/input/input16
[ 1523.145557] usb 3-1: USB disconnect, device number 4
[ 1523.486283] usb 1-1: new high-speed USB device number 6 using ehci-pci
[ 1523.621638] usb 1-1: New USB device found, idVendor=04da, idProduct=2316
[ 1523.621656] usb 1-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=3
[ 1523.621663] usb 1-1: Product: DVC
[ 1523.621670] usb 1-1: Manufacturer: Panasonic
[ 1523.621676] usb 1-1: SerialNumber: 00001191588e
[ 1523.623448] usb-storage 1-1:1.0: USB Mass Storage device detected
[ 1523.623997] scsi host4: usb-storage 1-1:1.0
[ 1524.631740] scsi 4:0:0:0: Direct-Access     Matshita DVC              1.00 PQ: 0 ANSI: 0 CCS

Sparkfist · 10-01-2016, 09:05 PM

ferrari,

I couldn't get any of the commands you suggested running, their not installed and I wasn't able to find where I can install them. But I was able to run the last command, udisksctl. The output is below.

Code:

Object /org/freedesktop/UDisks2/block_devices/sdb is not a mountable filesystem.

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 09:17 PM

Not sure why the dmesg command didn't work for you, unless Mint 18 is using an older version of the utility for some reason. The journalctl command will only work if using systemd (which I thought Mint 18 was). Anyway, the output that you captured is all that was required.

The last command wasn't meant to be taken literally with respect to the block device node. You need to determine what that is first, then run the command with the appropriate /dev/sd* (representing the device).

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 09:23 PM

It is interesting that the device is recognised as a DV camera. This means that you may be able to use dvgrab to capture the video stream as an alternative to trying to mount as a storage device.

Code:

SerialNumber=3
[ 1408.354130] usb 3-1: Product: DVC
[ 1408.354136] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: Panasonic
[ 1408.354142] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: 00001191588e
[ 1408.370894] uvcvideo: Found UVC 1.00 device DVC (04da:231e)
[ 1408.381608] input: DVC as /devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:12.0/usb3/3-1/3-1:1.0/input/input16

If you still want to try mounting as a storage device, it would still be useful to know the particular device node concerned

Code:

sudo /sbin/fdisk -l

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 09:31 PM

If /dev/sdb is the correct device node, then it may be that the DV camera is using exFAT.

You could check that using

Code:

sudo blkid

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 09:36 PM

If it is using exFAT, then these may be helpful to you

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcvPkmXwBI8
https://community.linuxmint.com/soft...iew/exfat-fuse

Sparkfist · 10-01-2016, 09:41 PM

ferrari,

blkid only came up with my hard drive, though the camera is connected to the computer, and is in PC Connection Mode

Code:

/dev/sda1: UUID="d0ecdf30-446a-400b-a6c8-3b8a5bac54da" TYPE="ext4" 
/dev/sda5: UUID="34a29d1a-1b36-44ab-bd27-61e891a7ae13" TYPE="swap"

I ran sudo /sbin/fdisk -l
But like I said it doesn't seem to be recognized beyond that what is listed in the screenshot. It's attacked to /dev/sdb

Code:

Disk /dev/sda: 250.1 GB, 250059350016 bytes
255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 30401 cylinders, total 488397168 sectors
Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
Disk identifier: 0x000dad79

   Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
/dev/sda1   *        2048   480575487   240286720   83  Linux
/dev/sda2       480577534   488396799     3909633    5  Extended
/dev/sda5       480577536   488396799     3909632   82  Linux swap / Solaris

Well if I can get it to work as a DV camera, that is my end goal. I guess you can say I don't understand how this camera is to be setup to the computer. As of right now, when I run the command dvgrab is

Code:

Error: no camera exists

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 10:01 PM

Quote:

blkid only came up with my hard drive, though the camera is connected to the computer, and is in PC Connection Mode

Code:

/dev/sda1: UUID="d0ecdf30-446a-400b-a6c8-3b8a5bac54da" TYPE="ext4"
/dev/sda5: UUID="34a29d1a-1b36-44ab-bd27-61e891a7ae13" TYPE="swap"

That's strange since the image you attached in your opening post does in fact show /dev/sdb, so not clear to me why it is now not present.

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Well if I can get it to work as a DV camera, that is my end goal. I guess you can say I don't understand how this camera is to be setup to the computer. As of right now, when I run the command dvgrab is

Code:

Error: no camera exists

Referring to the Operating Instructions manual, it might be that this is only applicable when the camera is configured as a Web camera device perhaps. So, strat over by turning the camera off then on again and see if you can get /dev/sdb shown again.

Sparkfist · 10-01-2016, 10:09 PM

ferrari,

Do you think there might be a driver, plugin or module I might be missing?

When getting this started I was under the assumption that it should be mounted as a USB camera or DV input device. I know that this was capable, at least 6 or more years ago.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ferrari

Referring to the Operating Instructions manual, it might be that this is only applicable when the camera is configured as a Web camera device perhaps. So, strat over by turning the camera off then on again and see if you can get /dev/sdb shown again.

I went in and set it to webcam mode
Turned it off
Plugged it back in and turned it on
See the attached screenshot for more info, but it is the same.

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 10:33 PM

Quote:

I went in and set it to webcam mode
Turned it off
Plugged it back in and turned it on
See the attached screenshot for more info, but it is the same.

No, webcam mode is not for downloading content from the device. It is for live streaming of video AFAIU. Your only real option is to use 'PC Connection' so that you can access the content as a storage device.

ferrari · 10-01-2016, 10:53 PM

When I read the operating manual for this model, I note that the SD/SDHC memory cards seem only to be used for still images. Is that right? If so, then trying to access the DV tape video content with the device appearing as a storage device is not possible.

I see these as the only realistic options...
1) Get a firewire device (USB - firewire) and capture the video that way
2) Get a Linux compatible video (S-video) capture device and get the content from the camera that way.
3) Use a professional service to capture the content for you