Question about Apple Thunderbolt-to-Firewire adapter - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: Ben321
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 03:26:43 am
content: I have a Windows 11 laptop with Thunderbolt-3 ports, and an old Sony camcorder who's only digital output is Firewire (output uses the DV video codec). So I did what a lot of people on various forums recommend for this situation. I bought the Firewire-800 to Thunderbolt-2 adapter as well as the Thunderbolt-2 to Thunderbolt-3 adapter (both from Apple), and of course also a Firewire-800 to Firewire-400 adapter (the Firewire cable for my camcorder has a Firewire-400 port on the PC end of the cable). Chaining these adapters together, I get a way to connect my old Sony camcorder to my Windows 11 laptop.Unfortunately Windows doesn't recognize that any device is connected at all. It doesn't even pop up a message saying that the device doesn't have a proper driver installed. It seems that as far as Windows is concerned, nothing is even connected to the computer. I'm trying to figure out if the electronics in one of the adapters are not working, or if Windows 11 just doesn't have a suitable driver for the Thunderbolt-2 to Thunderbolt-3 adapter (that's the only one that would directly require a driver as it's the adapter directly connected to the computer, and thus would have a thunderbolt interface chip that Windows would need to detect and have a compatible driver for). Maybe Apple insisted that Microsoft stop including a driver designed to make Windows ineroperable with Apple manufactured hardware, and threatened to sue MS for including the drivers needed for Windows to work with this Apple manufactured Thunderbolt-2 to Thunderbolt-3 adapter?I hope someone here can provide some insight into what is going on here, and maybe tell me if there's some kind of work around for the adapters I'm trying to use? Maybe some kind of 3rd party driver could be found for this?

author: Someone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 04:34:40 am
content: Quote from: Ben321 on August 19, 2024, 03:26:43 amIncorrect, the thunderbolt <> firewire adaptor is the most likely to need drivers/firmware.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 05:02:11 am
content: Generally speaking, I wouldn't expect Apple adapters to work with anything other than Apple devices. If they do, then it's a bonus.If you're looking to capture DV using a modern Windows machine, you're better off buying a PCI Express Firewire card. They probably cost less than an adapter from Apple.StarTech are a decent enough brand for this kind of stuff:https://www.startech.com/en-au/cards-adapters/firewire

author: magic
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2024, 05:25:36 am
content: PCIe cards won't fit into a loptop, thoughThat's exactly the problem TB is meant to solve, by providing PCIe connection over external cables.Dunno why it doesn't work, I haven't used Windows in ages. Are you sure the TB port is enabled and has drivers installed? Do any other TB devices work?

author: Haenk
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2024, 12:26:38 pm
content: Tricky task.Did you try: