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On Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:39:41 -0800, John Navas wrote:

> The reason for the non-standard connector is that many digital cameras
> (not just this one) use a tiny 8 pin connector that combines USB with
> video and audio out. If standard Mini-USB or Micro-USB were used (which
> themselves are different), another cable would be needed for AV

Hi John,
This is a great post of yours that provides wonderful new relevant
information!

What you're informing us is that there is no way Casio could have made a
single port handle the USB and AV functions if they used the mini-usb or
micro-usb standards. This is extremely useful information. Thank you.

This makes sense.

What this then means is that any camera with a combined AV/USB port, by the
very definition, MUST be using a proprietary connector!

Together, we're now starting to understand the problem (better than the
major reviewers did, anyway).

It would be interesting to figure out whether Casio is the only camera
manufacturer using a combined AV/USB port.

Does anyone out there have a camera with a combined AV/USB port?

Pat Cheney wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:39:41 -0800, John Navas wrote:
>
>> The reason for the non-standard connector is that many digital
>> cameras (not just this one) use a tiny 8 pin connector that
>> combines
>> USB with video and audio out. If standard Mini-USB or Micro-USB
>> were used (which themselves are different), another cable would be
>> needed for AV
>
> Hi John,
> This is a great post of yours that provides wonderful new relevant
> information!
>
> What you're informing us is that there is no way Casio could have
> made a single port handle the USB and AV functions if they used the
> mini-usb or micro-usb standards. This is extremely useful
> information. Thank you.
>
> This makes sense.
>
> What this then means is that any camera with a combined AV/USB port,
> by the very definition, MUST be using a proprietary connector!
>
> Together, we're now starting to understand the problem (better than
> the major reviewers did, anyway).
>
> It would be interesting to figure out whether Casio is the only
> camera
> manufacturer using a combined AV/USB port.
>
> Does anyone out there have a camera with a combined AV/USB port?

I have a Nikon with a proprieatary USB port and a Panasonic with the
combined.

--
--
--John
to email, dial "usenet" and validate
(was jclarke at eye bee em dot net)

Pat Cheney wrote:

> What this then means is that any camera with a combined AV/USB port, by the
> very definition, MUST be using a proprietary connector!

No, it would be quite possible to design a custom connector that could
accept both standard mini or micro USB plugs, or a custom A/V plug. They
would put the contacts for the AV connections further back on the
connector. It's been quite common to use dual purpose, dual level
sockets on ultra-small Japanese notebook computers. Other variations
have been a USB connector with a small hole to the side of it so an
external, higher power-consumption, USB interface drive could be plugged
only into that USB port (and that USB port being able to supply more
than 500mA).

There's all sorts of creative ways that they could have handled this,
but it was cheaper to use an off-the-shelf connector, and order custom
cables. How many sales do you think they lost because of this custom
connector? Probably zero.