Article: These ports allow you to transfer data from the camcorder to the computer. Look at your two ports, and buy a cable that connects them.  If you have an SD slot on your computer, and your camera a uses an SD card, that is the simplest possible compatibility option. Most camcorders have ports for a FireWire and a USB 2.0. A FireWire, which was developed by Apple, is usually the best choice because it will transfer your video more quickly to the computer.  If you don’t have those ports, you will need to buy what is called a FireWire expansion card at a local computer store or a FireWire adapter for a Mac. They are not very expensive. But don't get too hung up on the names; the bottom line: You need to check the camera port, and computer port, and then find or buy a cord which has those specific ends or pin sets. If you have a USB cable instead, you can also use that cable to transfer movies/videos to your computer. The same is true whether you are transferring the movies to a PC or a MAC and for various types of camcorders. You could store your videos in a memory card that you insert into your camera or camcorder. Memory cards are small square disks that store your videos.  To transfer these videos to your computer, simply insert the memory card in the slot on your computer. Some older computers don't have slots for SD memory cards, but you can buy an external card reader that attaches into the USB port of your computer.  Go to your computer's settings, usually My Computer, and look for devices and drives. You should see the SD memory card pop up once you insert it. Click on the icon for the card, and you should see your videos (and photos) pop up on the computer. It's that simple. Move them to any file folder you want. You should figure out whether your computer has the ports needed to transfer movies from a camera.  Check and see whether the device has a port for a FireWire and/or USB cable as well as a SD memory slot. The SD memory card slot is a thinner slot the width of a small memory card. It's usually located on the front or side of your computer. To determine whether you have a FireWire port, click on Control Panel, and then Network Connections (or Network & Internet Connections). Look for an icon labeled 1394 Connection. A FireWire port is a narrower slit, whereas a USB port is thicker and resembles a square with a smaller square on top.  To determine whether there is a USB port, click on the start menu of your computer, select "Control Panel." Then choose "Performance and Maintenance" and "See basic information about your computer." You will be in a System Properties Window. Locate the "Hardware" tab at the screen's top, and click on it, and then "Device Manager." Locate "Universal Serial Bus controllers" on the list and click on the plus sign to open it. If you have a USB port, you should see the word "enhanced" as one of the titles. Be aware that Mac recently phased the FireWire ports out of its computers in favor of something called the Thunderbolt.  You can buy Thunderbolt to FireWire adapters pretty cheaply, though. The Macs use USB 3.0 connectors. The Thunderbolt technology allows for faster transfer speeds. You can often find the Thunderbolt ports on the back of the computer.  For example, on the back of the Mac pro, you will find six Thunderbolt ports, along with two USB 3.0 ports.
What is a summary of what this article is about?
Check the digital camcorder or camera for its ports. Use a removable disk. Check your PC's ports and compatibility. Check for ports on a Mac.