hi8 to dvd

[gedbrogan]

This is a question somewhat off topic in that it involves moving pictures!
I have a bunch of hi-8 tapes that I want to convert to DVD, I would ideally like
to do the conversion and be able to edit the films myself, they are family videos and hence have a lot of editing to be done on them. They were mainly shot in the US using US stock hi 8 tape

Does anyone know the optimum way to do this?

Thanks, Gerard

[David Kilpatrick]

I have a very old Mac - beige G3 type with video and sound in/out built on to the motherboard - I keep for this. It has S-VHS video in, and although slow, can digitise from the tape playback. It cost me $100 and you can't buy a card to do this for much less. There are various freeware programs floating around which can capture the video. Before that, I had a Mac Quadra 660 AV which had similar functions wayback in the early 1990s. It's difficult now to get anything with plain old S-VHS in. There are usually some 'old Mac' dealers or collector-seller nuts around in any district, who can find one of these. The files are not so easy to transfer to PC, as the machine has no DVD (many don't even have CD writing!) or USB or Firewire - and the system which works best on them doesn't even support some of this. I managed to install a reasonable CD-RW drive in mine and find a Mac system late enough to drive that, and earlier enough to use some other useful old software I still have.

Maybe there are PCs from the same late 1990s date with S-VHS inputs, I don't know about that but someone may.

David

[Javelin]

I picked up one of these about a year ago. I had a video on 8mm from about 10 years ago of a machine I built that I needed to show a new customer I was in a panic to get it done. it worked really well but I haven't really used it since.

http://www.pinnaclesys.com/PublicSite/u ... +Stick.htm

[Dr. Harout]

All you need is a videocard with S-VHS in, a sound in plug and a software (I use InterVideo WinDVD Creator).

[Howard]

The last generation of Sony Digital 8 camcorders could read analogue Hi8 tapes and play them out as digital signals via a Firewire cable. So if you can get your hands on something like a Sony TRV480E (the model I have) you won't have to go through a PC videocard (where they may be some loss of quality). It is also possible (with a suitable DVD Recorder) to dub direct from camera to DVD.

[Dr. Harout]

Yes, but he is using tapes not digital.

[gedbrogan]

Thanks as usual for all the advice. I read elsewhere that some sony digital camera will play the old analog tapes. I might go in that direction.

Gerard

[pakodominguez]

you probalby will love this:
DVDirect® MC5 Multi-Function DVD Recorder
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/sto ... &langId=-1
if you need a deck, just get a hi8 camcorder on ebay for cheap

regards

[gedbrogan]

Thanks for that last link PAKO... Great idea. Gerard

[David Kilpatrick]

Tesco Extra stores have got the Sony DVD recorders with video camera input on offer at the moment, they also have HDMI interfaces - £199.50 I think.

David

[bfitzgerald]

Most graphics cards won't have a video in..just the outputs. You can get them, but it is probably more logical to just buy a USB dongle with various inputs on it.

You can of course get capture cards, though this is really for fairly serious video users, not ideal for a few transfers here and there, you just won't be using it that much. I would hunt out a USB based input myself, there are plenty around. Software wise, lots of packages, from low to high end. Have to say the Sony Vegas suite is very good, but you won't need to top dog, the entry level one is priced well, and has a good no. of features for most users.

Wow, I said something good about sony

OT to DK, no sign of your print turning up yet, though I had a letter delayed for over a week and it turned up friday, so maybe the PO over here is a bit off the boil at the moment, I will let you know if and when it turns up!