How do i know if i could install Firewire PCI card on my laptop?

[Saad]

Hey everyone i have this HP Laptop and i really need firewire port to transfer my video tapes from camcorder to my laptop. How can i know if i could install firewire card on my laptop or not?

Thx
Here are the specs:

[Calum]

You can't install a PCI card into any laptop, but you can usually install an Expresscard Firewire adapter.  However, your laptop lacks any expansion ports at all from what I can see.  You could possibly get a USB to Firewire adapter, but from the little I know of them they can be a little hit and miss.

[camerongray]

As Calum said you cannot install a PCI card into a laptop.  Your laptop model also lacks the "expresscard" slot used by laptop firewire cards.

While you can get adapters for Firewire to USB, you have to be very careful as they rely on the firewire device to be "USB Aware" so it can output USB data through its firewire port.  Not many devices can actually do this so you would need to contact the manufacturer of the firewire device to see if it is "USB Aware".

Failing that, the only option is to replace the firewire device with something USB capable or use it on a different machine that has a firewire port.

[patio]

Does the camcorder not have any video out ports ? ?

[Saad]

You can't install a PCI card into any laptop, but you can usually install an Expresscard Firewire adapter.  However, your laptop lacks any expansion ports at all from what I can see.  You could possibly get a USB to Firewire adapter, but from the little I know of them they can be a little hit and miss.

So you are saying i cannot install a " Expresscard Firewire adapter" because my laptop doesnt have an expansion slot? I'll try to buy a USB to firewire adapter. when you say hit and miss do you mean they would affect the quality or wouldnt work at all?

[Saad]

As Calum said you cannot install a PCI card into a laptop.  Your laptop model also lacks the "expresscard" slot used by laptop firewire cards.

While you can get adapters for Firewire to USB, you have to be very careful as they rely on the firewire device to be "USB Aware" so it can output USB data through its firewire port.  Not many devices can actually do this so you would need to contact the manufacturer of the firewire device to see if it is "USB Aware".

Failing that, the only option is to replace the firewire device with something USB capable or use it on a different machine that has a firewire port.

thx for replying so you are saying that when i am buying a firewire to usb adapter it needs to be "USB Aware"?

[Saad]

Does the camcorder not have any video out ports ? ?

it has firwwire, s-video, and composite A/V

[Calum]

So you are saying i cannot install a " Expresscard Firewire adapter" because my laptop doesnt have an expansion slot?

Correct.

I'll try to buy a USB to firewire adapter. when you say hit and miss do you mean they would affect the quality or wouldnt work at all?

Camerongray has explained it better than me, basically if the camera isn't USB aware it won't work with the adapter, if it is USB aware then it should work fine.

[Saad]

Correct.

Camerongray has explained it better than me, basically if the camera isn't USB aware it won't work with the adapter, if it is USB aware then it should work fine.

what abt memory card slot? my laptop has the slot to put memory cards like for cameras.. so isnt same as express slot?

[Geek-9pm]

For general referee. Many, if not most, laptops have a slot for a PC Card. It was once called a PCMCIA, but later the name was changed. The slot provides a 32 bit interface and DMA. But it is no longer just a memory card. There are many different kinds of external devices that can connect to the right PC Card via the PC Card slot on the side of the laptop.

There is such a thing as a PCI adapter for the PC Card slot. Fire wire adapters for the PC Card slot have been around for awhile.

But as for PCI, only a few laptops weer made with a mini PCI slot. Never got popular.

When shopping for laptop, make sure it has a PC Card slot if you ever want to use various external devices.
Remember, it is now called PC Card
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Card

[Calum]

what abt memory card slot? my laptop has the slot to put memory cards like for cameras.. so isnt same as express slot?

No, it's not the same thing.

For general referee. Many, if not most, laptops have a slot for a PC Card. It was once called a PCMCIA, but later the name was changed. The slot provides a 32 bit interface and DMA. But it is no longer just a memory card. There are many different kinds of external devices that can connect to the right PC Card via the PC Card slot on the side of the laptop.

The standards are different, not the same thing with different names.

But as for PCI, only a few laptops weer made with a mini PCI slot. Never got popular.

Mini PCI and mini PCIe were/are quite popular.

When shopping for laptop, make sure it has a PC Card slot if you ever want to use various external devices.
Remember, it is now called PC Card
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PC_Card

You'll struggle to find a modern laptop with a PC Card slot.  It was replaced by Expresscard 10 years ago.

[Geek-9pm]

Calum, Thank you for the corrections. There is confusion about the card slot on laptops. The information on Wikipedia is conflicting with other references.

Now did the op really mean PCI, or did he mean Expresscard ?
This article seems to be more correct. But lacks critical details.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-expresscard.htm

The question is; how does one knew which card a laptop will take? Where are the specs.? Looking over current laptops they give meager details about the card slot.

[Calum]

Modern laptops have Expresscard, or nothing.  You can't add a Firewire miniPCI or mini PCI-E card, because they're internal.
Basically, unless you're dealing with laptops over, say, 6-7 years old, assume it either has Expresscard or nothing.  There are two form factors, Expresscard/34 and /54 - they denote the width of the slot.  /54 slots are compatible with both kinds, /34 slots are obviously too narrow to take a /54 card although the connector is the same.