USB 2.0 is actually faster than Firewire, and there are quite a few USB2 video capture solutions on the market right now. I have a Dazzle DVC USB (good for quick capture) that hooks up really easy, and converts to MPEG-1 realtime, as well as a Pinnacle Systems Studio DC10 that sits in a PCI slot. Since you're running a laptop, you'll need an external video capture solution. For something simple, you might want to look into the Pinnacle Systems' PCTV USB (can get them for well under $100), or one of the Dazzle USB systems. Dazzle's stuff is relatively low-end in comparison to what else is on the market, but it's easy to use, turns out relatively good results, and is extremely solid. I love mine- it's not too configurable, but it works well. I doubt that you have USB2 on your laptop, so stick to something that converts the video to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 before it streams into your computer.