Apple discontinued the Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter which I've featured in all my past videos, which allowed you to use devices like camcorders with modern computers. With that adapter now difficult to find, here is a way you can use FireWire devices WITHOUT the adapter by finding an old computer with FireWire on board, or installing a PCIe card to add FireWire capabilities in a desktop PC. Below are timestamps, as well as links to the hardware and software you'll need.

Time Stamps:
0:00 Intro
0:08 What happened to the Thunderbolt to FireWire adapter?
0:22 Does that process still work?
0:34 People still need FireWire!
0:51 What you'll need now
1:17 Choosing a Mac
1:50 Choosing a PC
2:52 Choosing an operating system
3:24 Onboard ports
3:38 My camcorder needed replaced
4:24 Unboxing the PCIe FireWire card
5:05 Installing the PCIe FireWire Card
5:42 The software you'll need
6:19 Troubleshooting
6:43 Transferring the video to a newer computer
6:56 Wrap up
7:40 End

Links to the items mentioned in the video:

Laptops with FireWire:
https://amzn.to/3HCspr6

The PCIe card I showed in this video:
https://amzn.to/4bo5VI7

Other PCI, PCIe, ExpressCard, to FireWire:
https://amzn.to/3ueJN27

FireWire 400 to 400 Mini cable:
https://amzn.to/3vQvi5c

FireWire 800 to 400 Mini cable:
https://amzn.to/48Rca5o

FireWire 800 to 400 cable:
https://amzn.to/3UbK4xs

FireWire 400 mini to 400 mini cable:
https://amzn.to/47Sslyf

FireWire 400 mini to 400 full size adapter:
https://amzn.to/47W3OrU

Other items I recommend:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/scottschramm

(note the links above are affiliate links which helps support my channel. Your price stays the same but a small commission may come back to me if you decide to purchase anything using my links. It's a winwin for everyone!)

Software Mentioned:
WinDV: https://www.videohelp.com/software/WinDV
HDV Split: https://www.videohelp.com/software/HD...
Windows Live Essentials 2012: https://archive.org/details/wlsetupa...
KLite Codec Pack Basic: https://codecguide.com/download_klit...
ffdshow: https://sourceforge.net/projects/ffds...
Handbreak: https://handbrake.fr/

Other videos I've made about FireWire that may help you:
   • How to use FireWire in 2024