Which sd memory card based camera can be controlled via a PC?

I used to use dvrack and pinnacle studio to control a camcorder via a PC, but it seems like most of the newer camcorders I have looked at do NOT have firewire and thus cannnot be controlled this way?

AFAIK, none of the SS memory based cameras (HDD/Memory card/Flash memory) allow for control via PC. All just use USB for file transfers (in effect they are just another mass storage device).

Control via firewire allowed for automated transport control during transfers - the remote control capability and the ability to record a "live" stream was a "bonus". Now you'll need to find a camera with a LANC interface and an appropriate controller for "remote" control, and I believe that most are using the HDMI for "live" feed.

I just can't think of any reason why you would need to control a camera via PC the way you did in the old days using firewire. With tape-based cameras you had to ff/rew the tape, or go to a specific timecode... with solid state camcorders all you have now is a "computer file", not video on tape. Gone are the "capture tape" days... now it's simply file transfer.

What exactly are you trying to achieve that the USB interface won't let you do?