# Sony I-link to USB?



## anngwynne

Does anyone know if there is a way to use the Sony I-link cable from the Sony video camcorder with the Gateway SX 2851-41 which only has USB ports? I need to transfer Sony video tapes to DVD, preferably with the I-link. Any help would be appreciated.


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## Davis Goertzen

Hello there,

i.LINK is Sony's name for what is commonly known as Firewire, so you won't be able to use it with USB. You'll need to get a Firewire card. There is Firewire 400 and Firewire 800; a search on Wikipedia will show you images, so you know which one yours is. Then, go to www.newegg.com, search for "firewire card," and see if any of the results are what you're looking for.

Hope that helps you out. Best wishes.

Davis


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## anngwynne

Thank you Davis, not sure exactly how my I-link will work with the firewire card and do I need to take the case off to insert this card. Not sure if it is obvious how to remove the case, maybe you have that information. Does the firewire card take the place of the I-link cable and if so how would I attach the Sony camcorder. Sorry to have so many questions but I'm a retired guy with only intermediate computer skills, though I have replaced a DVD drive and added memory in my old Sony. I appreciate you taking the time to help. Thanks again.


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## Davis Goertzen

I was actually wrong in my first post, about the name. i.LINK is Sony's name, Firewire is the Apple name, and IEEE-1394 is how it is known generically. But the important thing is, it's just different names for the same interface.

Sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough about my advice the first time. What I meant is this:

It sounds like on your computer, you don't have a port to accept the i.LINK/FireWire cable. Right? So, the way to get an i.LINK/FireWire port on your computer is to get a card. This will not replace your i.LINK cable; rather, it is a device to add a port which will accept your cable.


Yes, you were quite correct: to insert this card, you will need to remove a side panel of the case. (I _think_ so, because an advertisement for this machine talked about an internally lit side panel. But I could be wrong.) At any rate, at the back of the case there should be some small screws (and possibly some slide latches) holding this side panel (or the whole case, it may be) together. I'm not quite sure, but since you were able to add memory to your Sony, I'm confident in your ability to figure this out.

When you have this off, you will be looking at the motherboard of the computer, with all its components attached to it. You should see a row of slots all together, some shorter, some longer. Which FireWire card you get, will determine which slot you put it in. There are people on this forum who can explain that to you better than I can. Anyway, above each slot, you'll notice an L-shaped metal (sometimes plastic) strip covering a slot; these little covers are often held in place by a screw. When you remove the cover, the face of your card will take its place. So, from the outside, you'll just see the face of the card, and the ports it has.

I hope I may have clarified a few things for you. If not, feel free to fire away with more questions.


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## anngwynne

You are right about the fact that I don't have a port for the I-link cable. From what you say the firewire 400 or 800 will have a port for my cable. Your instructions seem to cover everything so I will go ahead and find the card, hopefully, at newegg.com and maybe add more memory at the same time. Thanks again for your help, Regards, Anngwynne


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## Davis Goertzen

No problem. If you have more questions, feel free to post back here. If I don't see your post, someone else will.

Best wishes.

Davis


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## anngwynne

Hi Davis, I have had no success in finding the right PCI express card, and no help from Gateway. Newegg doesn't help in compatability and phone calls to Gateway were a waste of time. It seems there are lots of PCI express cards and Gateway's specs state I need a PCI express card 2.0 x16 low profile. Does anyone have a Gateway SX-2851-41 who has had the same problem finding the right card? I did purchase one but it did not fit.


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## Davis Goertzen

When you say the card did not fit, do you mean that it did not fit in the slot on your computer's motherboard? Or was it only that the metal bracket on the end was too long?
Because if the metal bracket is too long, you can often detach it from the card and file/grind it down to shape. (I did this myself once, with a modem card.)


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## anngwynne

I think I actually bought the wrong one, a PCI firewire card, when it should have been a PCI express 2.0 x16 or x1 firewire. The pins on the one I got were over three inches and the slot I have was only 2 3/4, so it just would not work. I thought that the pins had to match the socket. Mine has 72 pins, an 1/8" cap and then 11 pins, but the Gateway tech guy said it doesn't matter about the number of pins as long as it is the PCI express x16 or x1 firewire, so I will order the Manhattan one I saw online and hope it fits. I'll keep in mind what you said about the bracket and shortening its length if necessary. Thanks for all your help and I'll let you know if it works out okay. Regards


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