camcorder to laptop help needed

Hi gang need some help I have a growing collection of holiday films on MiniDV tapes
and want to get them onto my laptop, I'll then store them and convert some to DVD.
I have a Sony DCR-HC51 handycam and a Samsung Laptop with windows 7. Unfortunately the
laptop hasn't got a firewire card like my old pc had. I got an EasyCap off ebay but the free to download software isn't very good so I need to know the following
1. Best way to hookup my handycam
2. Best software to use to transfere
3. If the transfer software doesn't do it best software to convert to dvd discs

Thanks in advance
Andy

 

Try the camcorder forum at VideoHelp.

http://forum.videohelp.com/forums/39-Camcorders-(DV-HDV-AVCHD)

 

Thanks for the replies ddp unfortunately no PCMCIA slot on my laptop and yes will check that site attar

 

Get an old desktop, with XP, and a firewire port, and use that. It will probably be better than your laptop, anyway.

 

Thanks for your advice I might have to try and repair my old desktop to do my
video editing on