dvgrab APP

A containerized web-based UI for capturing DV video from your favorite FireWire-connected camcorders straight from the glory 90ies using dvgrab.

Features

• Web-based control - Start/stop capture from any browser
• Multiple formats - DV2 (AVI), DV1, RAW, QuickTime MOV
• Autosplit - Automatic scene detection and file splitting
• File management - Download and delete captured files via web UI
• Live status - Real-time capture status updates
• Device detection - Auto-detects connected camcorder with vendor/model info
• PWA support - Install as a standalone app on your device
• Headless-friendly - Perfect for servers without displays
• Retro CRT-style UI - Nostalgic interface with scanlines and LCD aesthetics

Screenshot

Requirements

• Linux system with FireWire (IEEE 1394) port
• DV camcorder with FireWire connection
• Docker and Docker Compose
• FireWire kernel modules loaded (firewire_ohci, firewire_core)

Hardware Compatibility

Works with any OHCI-compliant FireWire controller. Virtually all FireWire cards follow the OHCI (Open Host Controller Interface) standard, so you don't need to worry about specific card compatibility.

• The Linux kernel automatically detects and supports any OHCI-compliant FireWire card
• Common chipsets (TI, VIA, NEC, Agere, etc.) all work out of the box
• The /dev/fw0 device is created automatically regardless of card manufacturer

Multiple FireWire devices: If you have multiple FireWire cards or devices, you may see /dev/fw0, /dev/fw1, etc. Adjust the device path in docker-compose.yml if needed.

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/henniiiing/dvgrab-WebUI.git
cd dvgrab-WebUI

2. Build and run with Docker Compose

docker compose up -d --build

3. Access the web UI

Open your browser and navigate to:

http://<your-server-ip>:5151

Usage

1. Connect your DV camcorder via FireWire cable
2. Set camcorder to Play/Edit mode (or Camera mode for live capture)
3. Open the web UI at http://<your-ip>:5151
4. Enter a filename prefix (e.g., vacation-2024-)
5. Select output format (DV2/AVI recommended)
6. Enable Autosplit if you want automatic scene detection
7. Click Start Capture
8. Click Stop Capture when done
9. Download your files from the file list

Configuration

Port

Change the port in docker-compose.yml:

ports:
  - "5151:5000"  # Change 5151 to your preferred port

Capture output directory

Files are saved to /captures inside the container. To change the host directory:

volumes:
  - /path/to/your/captures:/captures

FireWire device

If you have multiple FireWire devices, change the device path in docker-compose.yml:

devices:
  - /dev/fw1:/dev/fw0  # Use fw1 instead of fw0

Check which device your camcorder is connected to:

ls -la /dev/fw*

File Formats

Format	Extension	Description
DV2	.avi	DV Type 2 AVI (recommended)
DV1	.avi	DV Type 1 AVI
RAW	.dv	Raw DV stream
MOV	.mov	QuickTime format

API Endpoints

Endpoint	Method	Description
/	GET	Web UI
/api/start	POST	Start capture
/api/stop	POST	Stop capture
/api/status	GET	Get capture status
/api/device	GET	Get camcorder connection status
/api/files	GET	List captured files
/api/download/<filename>	GET	Download a file
/api/delete/<filename>	DELETE	Delete a file

API Examples

Start capture:

curl -X POST http://localhost:5151/api/start \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prefix": "myvideo-", "format": "dv2", "autosplit": true}'

Stop capture:

curl -X POST http://localhost:5151/api/stop

Get status:

curl http://localhost:5151/api/status

Get device info:

curl http://localhost:5151/api/device

Troubleshooting

No camera detected

1. Verify FireWire device is present:

   ls -la /dev/fw*

2. Check kernel modules:

   lsmod | grep firewire

3. Ensure camcorder is powered on and in Play/Edit mode

Permission denied on /dev/fw0

The container runs in privileged mode. If you still have issues:

sudo chmod 666 /dev/fw0

Container won't start

Check logs:

docker compose logs -f

Tech Stack

• Python 3.11 - Runtime
• Flask - Web framework
• dvgrab - DV capture tool (bundled in container)
• Docker - Containerization

Acknowledgments

This project uses dvgrab, licensed under GPL-2.0, for DV video capture over FireWire.

License

MIT License