http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ Videomaker Community Forums » Tag: 8mm - Recent Posts en Wed, 15 Feb 2012 08:03:41 +0000 http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/analog-video-users-today#post-74512 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:12:17 +0000 constantinos 74512@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>You should not forget old "loves". I use it sometimes.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/analog-video-users-today#post-74505 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:32:33 +0000 Jennifer O'Rourke 74505@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Interesting question, Pete, I'd be curious to know the answer, too. I was just telling a co-worker about a recent trip to San Francisco where I saw two women at a tourist event shooting video. </p> <p>One was using an iPad - very awkward but what a viewfinder! The other was using an old Hi8 camcorder with a long eyepeice and no viewfinder [in my opinion, eyepeices are much better than the LCD flip-outs for fine-tune focusing.]  </p> <p>It was interesting to see both of them shooting on technology that was decades different from each other, and both seemed content with how they captured their footage. </p> <p>Most likely the Videomaker readers are going to be using more current technology, due to their desire to learn about the latest, but it doesn't mean they don't have or use these old formats at some time or another. </p> <p>Like "Composite 1" noted above, we keep one of each format here at the office in case we have a need to convert old footage. I was at a press event recently where Sony announced they are no longer going to manufacture any tape-based cameras anymore, even though some might still be popular.</p> <p>Retail sellers of video tape tell us that tape is still selling well, but sales have dwindled at bit. VHS tape can still be found in drugstores and some electronics stores.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/analog-video-users-today#post-74483 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:43:11 +0000 composite1 74483@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I've still got a digital high-8 camera mainly for playback of archived tapes. I haven't shot anything with it since 2002. Other than that all my rigs are digital tape or use flash media.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/analog-video-users-today#post-74477 Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:28:08 +0000 Peter Rose 74477@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>With about 90,000 members to Videomaker, I am very curious as to how many of us are still using analog camcorders (VHS, VHS-C, S-VHS-C, 8mm, Hi-8, etc.).  I find it hard to believe that all of the Videomaker members are ALL into digital only.  I would like to have feedback from some analog members who still enjoy using this format vs digital (or maybe use both).  If everyone was shooting digital only, then there would be no market for analog tapes.  However, there are many outlets selling lots of analog tapes, including some of the camcorder manufacturers themselves.</p> <p>Any comments ad feedback, please? Thanks folks.  </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-54041 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:05:41 +0000 trobi19 54041@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Well, I'm pleased to say that capturing on to the C drive worked perfectly. I didn't drop any frames,and captured at highest possible quality. I'll probably go this route until I look into purchasing a new camera.</p> <p>Thanks</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-54040 Wed, 13 Jan 2010 15:39:21 +0000 SafetyMan 54040@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I don't know what quality or price range you are considering, so I will tell you my preferences.</p> <p>My favorite consumer cameras are Canon.  The one that I use for home use is several years old and is an Optura 40 (When I bought it it was considered a High End consumer camera).  It has a hotshoe and mic jack and analog inputs.  I will often use it as a second camera in 2 camera shoots that I do at the kid's school, and I have been very pleased with it even though it is only an SD camera.  Great camera for capturing family moments.</p> <p>I assist a small organization with small video shoots as well and we purchased a Hi Def Sony HVRA1U which technically is a professional camera, but very low end at about $2000.  It was bought primarially because of the XLR microphone inputs and some of the features that it has.  I have used this for a variety of different events and I like it, but it is a bit heavy if you are going to be using it for a while without a tripod, after about 30 minutes, my hand starts going numb.</p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-54016 Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:44:02 +0000 trobi19 54016@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Yep. My capturing device is through USB and my computer is sending the video back to my external Hard drive through USB. My external only has the USB option, so for now I can drive capturing to my C drive, then putting captured video onto my external after. </p> <p>I'm also considering buying a MiniDV camcorder with great quality, mic jack, and analog input so I can digitize my analog video that way also...any suggestions?</p> <p>Also, my system should be fairly capable Intel Dual Core processor 1.8ghz. 2MB ram</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53920 Sun, 10 Jan 2010 06:17:45 +0000 SafetyMan 53920@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>If your external drive is USB that is probably the issue as you are capturing over USB, processing that, and then sending a video stream back over USB.  Your USB buss is simply overloaded.  As an experiment if you want to try the realtime encoding, try capturing to your "C:" drive (even though it contradicts my advice above) or other internal drive.  If you don't drop frames then find a different way to connect that external hard drive, either firewire or eSATA.</p> <p>By way of comparison, my machine is a 2.8GHz, single core w/ 3.5G ram.  I use my DV camera to digitize analog video and send it into my computer via firewire.  I use an external hard drive dock  (<a href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153071&amp;cm_re=thermaltake-_-17-153-071-_-Product">http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153071&amp;cm_re=thermaltake-_-17-153-071-_-Product</a> ) connected via eSATA to save and edit my video.  This setup captures HD 1080i 30fps content without dropping frames.  On the same rig, if I try to capture via USB or save to an external USB drive I will drop 3-5 frames every 10 minutes.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53819 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:13:15 +0000 trobi19 53819@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Thanks for the advice. I'll try that</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53808 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 09:40:54 +0000 XTR-91 53808@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Cyberlink PowerDirector has a "non-realtime" capture option, which gives it the ability to capture video meticulously without dropping frames. Your software might offer this feature, which will probably take longer, but would be fully automatic. That's one reason I've never purchased a DV camcorder, due to its nature of streaming video, which I doubt even my 1.66 GHz dual core is capable of handling.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53805 Thu, 07 Jan 2010 08:25:08 +0000 trobi19 53805@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I'm using an external hardware device that pinnacle provided thats basically a box that takes traditional analog,(yellow video, red/white audio), an S-video, and a firewire input...and then the output is through a usb cable into the computer. So i assume the box is only converting from composite to USB.</p> <p>The captured video is being saved to an external hard drive, rather than my OS drive, and my computer is in pretty good shape as far as handling video.</p> <p>I like the idea of having an external box that will convert analog to digital then send through firewire...just not sure where to look for that.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53791 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 21:14:36 +0000 SafetyMan 53791@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> How are you capturing your video into your computer?  Are you using USB or Firewire?  Is the camera digitizing the video or are you using an external box to convert your composite video from the camera to Firewire or USB.</p> <p>In my experience, USB simply does not have enough bandwidth to capture video without dropping frames.  The reason is that the USB buss is shared, so everytime you touch the keyboard, or move the mouse you are taking just a little bit of bandwith away from your video stream.  I had a similar issue and ultimately just started importing my video using Firewire and the issue went away.  Anytime I now need to digitize a VHS or Hi-8 tape, I connect the source to my DV camera, let the DV camera digitize and send to my computer via firewire.  If you don't have  DV camera, there are several external boxes that will convert analog video to digital and send it to your computer via firewire.</p> <p>Another thing to look out for is to save your video to a hard drive that you use only for data.  Encoding the video and saving it on the drive that your operating system is on can cause issues as your drive may not be able to read data to operate the software you are using and write to the hard drive at the same time.</p> <p>The last and final thing is to make sure that your computer is capable of handling the video source.  For best results, you should be operating well above the minimum system requirements of Pinnacle 12</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/dropping-frames-with-hi8-camera#post-53785 Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:30:54 +0000 trobi19 53785@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>For years, I have come across the problem of dropping frames when trying to capture video in a good quality from my Hi8 Camcorder. I'm aware that it isn't unusual for that to happen with 8mm/Hi8 capturing, but are there any possible tricks or other free capturing softwares that could help me with this problem? This is by far the most frustrating experience for me when I do my editing. I am currently using Pinnacle Studio 12 ultimate. Thanks.</p> <p> </p> <p> </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/videomaker-forums-faq#post-48088 Fri, 19 Jun 2009 08:03:53 +0000 cfulton 48088@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> <strong>How do I read the forums?</strong></p> <p>In English, from left to right. (Just kidding.) Everything is broken into categories, that is what comes up first when you access the forums.</p> <p>Scroll down a bit and you'll see the most current posts from all of the forums. You can read anything that looks interesting by clicking on it.</p> <p>You can also search the forums. There is a search box on the right-hand side of the window.</p> <p><strong>Why would I need an account?</strong><br /> You need an account if you want to create new posts or respond to existing posts.</p> <p><strong>But I just wanted to ask what kind of camcorder to get.</strong><br /> Please read <a href="http://www.videomaker.com/article/14222/"><em>10 Points to Consider when Purchasing a New Camcorder</em></a> first. It may answer all of your questions before you need to ask that question here.</p> <p><strong>How do I post?</strong><br /> To create a post, find the topic list. There will be an "Add New &gt;&gt;" button. Give your post a title and type the body of your post. You may also post images and add videos to your posts. Pick ONE section for the post to appear in, and then click Send Post. Be patient in waiting for a reply.</p> <p>If you need some guidelines for posting questions, we recommend the document <em><a href="http://catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html">How to Ask Questions the Smart Way</a></em>.</p> <p><strong>How do I reply to an existing post?</strong><br /> When you are reading an existing post, a reply box will appear under the last reply to the post (or the post itself, if it has no replies yet.) Type in your reply and click Send Post.</p> <p><strong>What are things that will not earn happy points with the moderators?</strong><br /> Everyone around here is generally pretty easygoing, and we'd prefer to keep it an easygoing place that is encouraging and helpful to all participants. And remember the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.</p> <p>If you've got an axe to grind with someone, take it somewhere else. No one else wants to hear it. If the only thing you intend to do here is cause grief, don't expect to be welcome here for long.</p> <p>There is no need to cross-post. If you've got a question that could possibly be addressed in several forums, post it to the one that is most relevant in your opinion. The reason we don't like cross-posts is because responders to one thread may not see ideas posted in other threads (and it also buries other's posts unnecessarily.)</p> <p>Do not type in ALL CAPS. Like most other places on the internet, it's interpreted as shouting and as such is considered rude.</p> <p>As the forums are pretty easygoing (and because a sizeable portion of forum participants are probably writing, shooting, editing, authoring discs, setting up encoding jobs, taking care of kids, cooking, or sleeping at any given time that they're not on the forum), this has historically been considered a slow forum. So be patient. Don't come back in three hours to complain that no one loves you--it might make you seem like an ingrate. If you haven't seen an answer to your question in three days or so, try elaborating a bit on your question--that might give someone who might have the answer you need the missing piece of information they needed. If you're posting because you're having trouble with something, keep trying different things, and tell us what you've tried and what the results were. See the above-referenced <em><a href="http://catb.org/esr/faqs/smart-questions.html">How to Ask Questions the Smart Way</a></em> document.</p> <p>In general, we recommend sticking to the Netiquette guidelines as specified in <a href="http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc1855.txt?number=1855">RFC 1855</a>. (This is an historically interesting document that is partially outdated. Chapter 3 is most relevant here, but do have a gander at the entire document.)</p> <p>Generally speaking, if a thread has been inactive for longer than three months, adding a new post to the thread is frowned upon.</p> <p><strong>What will get me blocked outright?</strong><br /> We have no patience for spam or astroturf (i.e. product guides planted by product manufacturers or their affiliates). You will be blocked immediately upon discovery of such posts. We are accumulating IP addresses, and you may find yourself blocked as a result of participating in this type of activity.</p> <p><strong>What about contacting someone off the forums?</strong><br /> You can if you'd like; however, if you have a relevant question, it is best left to the forums, so everyone can benefit. Your problem may be the same problem someone else is having, so that discussion may help them as well.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/problem-importing-hi-8-tape-with-digital-8-camcorder#post-43761 Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:17:22 +0000 glmccready 43761@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I remember having this problem years ago.  I was using my Sony Digital 8 to import analog 8 into my computer.  The rendered DVD were all "jerky".  I finally found  out that analog was Upper field first and Digital 8 was lower field first.  I was able to set it to render correctly in Sony Vegas Movie Studio  by keeping that in mind.  I just did an import of an analog tape from another camcorder (8mm) and it was fine with the lower field first....no clue why?</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-38533 Sat, 19 Jul 2008 17:26:48 +0000 BarefootMedia 38533@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> There is nothing special about the yellow cable.  You can use any RCA to RCA cable to connect the camcorder.  The question is, what are you planning on connecting to?  Computers are unable to use analogue video.  You have to have some device that converts analogue signals into digital signals, an analogue to digital converter a.k.a. as a digitizer.  There are DVD players that let you capture analogue video &amp; put it on a DVD.  But they are a bit expensive and not very common.  Select Sony Digital8 camcorders can play an 8mm or Hi8 recording and send the signal to your computer via Firewire (also known as ILink or the IEEE 1394 port.)  But I'd guess you don't already have the port since the majority of computers don't include it.  Before we can do more for you, we'll need to know about this kind of stuff.</p> <p>As have as the tape goes, what you are describing sounds a lot like an end of tape problem.  Videotape devices all sense the end (or beginning) of a videotape the same way.  Both ends of the videotape have a clear leader.  But if the leader is exposed, or very close to being exposed, the camcorder cannot pull the tape out of the cassette.  So to fix the problem, you have to wind the tape 3 or 4 revolutions one way or the other.  But to move the tape, you have to release the tape lock.  So turn the tape upside down.  There are two tape spools and two holes on the bottom of the tape.  One round hole and one square hole.  At the back of the square hole is a little plastic tab, push the tab back and you will be able to turn the tape spools.  You want to choose the spool with the least tape on it and rotate it to pull tape from the other spool onto the empty spool.  If the tape is at the beginning, you need to turn the take-up spool counter clockwise.  If the tape is at the very end, turn the supply spool clockwise.  The directions are based on the tape lying on its top with the holes exposed.  Be sure to keep the plastic tab held back so the spools will turn.  And you must be very careful to only turn the tape spools the directions I described.  Turn either of them the wrong way and you'll jam the tape into the cassette.</p> <p>Hopefully this will get the tape working.  You might want to try a new tape in the camcorder, to figure out if the problem is with the tape or the camcorder.  Let us know how it goes &amp; we can start from there.</p> <p>Good luck, I'm looking forward to hearing how this goes.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/problem-importing-hi-8-tape-with-digital-8-camcorder#post-38399 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:17:58 +0000 BarefootMedia 38399@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>I think you answered your own question, you just didn't know it.</p> <p>First off, let's discuss the linear recording.  Before DV, in order to edit video from a given point, you had to have 3-5 seconds of stable video in front of the edit point.  I can't tell you how many times I had to tell my students they simply had to have the 3-5 second pre-roll before any video edit could be made.  The pre-roll enabled the deck to reach the correct speed and synch fields so the system could write the new analogue signal to tape.  Since we don't edit from the tape anymore, we have to capture or digitize the signal.  While most folks are unaware of it, digital tapes must also have a pre-roll before recording can start (so the tape can reach the proper speed.)  And part of the pre-roll activity is to synch to the signal on tape.</p> <p>Now when you use the Digital8 deck to read an analogue signal from tape, the deck itself recognizes the signal as analogue and switches to that mode.  But when you hit that blank spot, the deck isn't sure what to expect next.  So it rolls along and hits the start of your new recording.  It has to confirm it is still in analogue mode and start converting the signal.  And that takes a little time.  And it sounds like it is taking around 1/60 of a second to do that.  So the signal doesn't start converting until the second 1/60 of a second.</p> <p>I bet you have already figured out that the 1/60 of a second delay corresponds to the missing field.  The easy way to work around this problem is to slowly scan the tape till you have gone about one half a second into the new recording.  Pause it, then start your capture.  That should let the deck synch to the analogue signal and eliminate the problem.</p> <p>I'm not exactly sure that answers your question.  If it didn't try rephrasing &amp; adding to this posting.</p> <p>Good luck &amp; happy shooting.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/problem-importing-hi-8-tape-with-digital-8-camcorder#post-38358 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:49:16 +0000 nate3po 38358@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I'm going to leave certain details out of my story for the sake of keeping it short.  Feel free to ask questions if you need me to fill something in.  I have videos on 8mm and Hi-8 tapes that a I import via firewire from a Digital 8 camcorder.  For those who don't know you can import analog video recorded on 8mm and Hi-8 with certain digital 8 cameras through firewire and it will automatically convert it to a DV file on your computer.  I'm in the US so my video is NTSC.  Now we know that NTSC interlaced video displays the lower field and then the upper field.  So if we numbered each field with field 1, field 2, field 3, field 4 and so on then the odd number would refer to the lower field and the even number to the upper field.  Field 1 and field 2 would combine to make frame 1.  So here's my problem.  Sometimes the video caputure seemed to combine the ending field of one scene with the beginning field of the next scene into one frame.  But this did not always happen when capturing the same piece of video.  I couldn't understand why sometimes I had this problem and sometimes I didn't, I decided to compare the problem clips with the none problem clips by analyzing each field in an editing program.  I figured out a way to isolate each field so that the field that I did not want to see was replaced with black.  If you want to know how I did this then ask.  Anyway, what I discovered was that the difference between the two videos was that the fields were some one reversed.  Lower field had been caputred as upper field and upper field capture as lower field.  So essentially the video should have been captured as Frame 1 [field 1(lower) field 2(upper)], Frame 2 [field 3(lower) field 4 (upper)] was actually captured as Frame 1[field 2(lower) field 3(upper)], Frame 2[field 4(lower), field 5(upper)].  It was like some how the first lower field was lost so the computer took the second upper field and recorded it as if it were the first lower field.  I hope this is making sense so far.  I don't always explains things well.</p> <p>Before anyone says that it might have to do with the settings in my capture program, I should remind you that no settings were change between the correct recording the and problem recordings.   In anycase, the first thing I want to know is if anyone has ever encountered this problem when try to capture 8mm tapes to a DV file by using a Digital 8 camcorder.  I'm fairly certain that I have accurately determined the nature of the problem but have to admit it sounds slightly weird that an upper field could be confused with a lower field and vice versa by a camcorder.</p> <p>I have noticed that this problem often occurs when I recorded the video with the following mistakes.  Sometimes you want review what you've recorded, but before the days of the "end search" button you tried to reposition the tape back the right place manually.  Of course what happens i that you don't necessarily position the tape at the right point and you get part of the tape with no signal on it.  I find that recordings that a preceded by this area of tape with no signal, I end up with the problem outlined above.</p> <p>But I think I've found a fix for files captured with this problem.  Adobe Premiere Pro has two functions called reverse field dominance and interlace consecutive frames.  I discovered that when you reverse field dominance and render the file then take the rendered file and interlace consecutive frames you fix the problem.  You just end up losing the first frame of the recording.</p> <p>Diagram: each number represents the field number.  Each column represents a frame and</p> <p>correct file</p> <p>2 4 6 </p> <p>1 3 5 </p> <p>Problem file (noticed how field one is missing and now field two takes field one's place and field three takes field two's place and so on)</p> <p>3 5 7</p> <p>2 4 6</p> <p>Reverse field dominance the problem file(remember with NTSC video the lower field is place first, so even though the fields that should be lower are lower and the fields that should be upper are upper, they will play in the wrong sequence :3,2,5,4,7,6</p> <p>2 4 6</p> <p>3 5 7</p> <p>Interlace consecutive frames for the file that has undergone reverse field dominance</p> <p>4 6 8</p> <p>3 5 7</p> <p>What interlace consecutive frames did was take the upper field from each frame and shift them back so that they combined with the lower field of the previous frame.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-38354 Wed, 16 Jul 2008 02:38:08 +0000 mirialmeida 38354@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>hi everyone, i need help from you. I have an old 8mm camcorder (HITACHI) and i want to transfer the videos saved on the tape to my computer, but the problem is that I only have two RCA cables: the white and the red ones, the yellow one is missing. And my computer has no input to these connectors, and i think the camera has a mechanical problem, maybe because it was unused for a few years (the camera is from 1997, I guess...) - when I turn off the cam, it ejects the tape automatically; on the cam mode, when i want to record, it says on the screen NO TAPE because the tape is out; on the video mode, when i want to see my videos, it happens the same thing (tell me, is it normal?!?). Man, I just can't insert the tape again, and it's driving me crazy!</p> <p>So my question is HOW can I get the videos on the tape, can I use a DVD player to capture it? Should I put some cleaning tape as you were saying before? Where can I get the yellow cable, is it available somewhere?</p> <p>Thank you so much for your help, I'll be thankful.</p> <p>Miriam</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37534 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:07:16 +0000 Don 37534@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> You said:</p> <p>" There is no doubt your camera will not have a Firewire port; Firewire was not invented until after 8mm was phased out.  On the other hand, when you spoke of your connector, you didn't mention the model or make, but an Analogue-to-Digital (AD) converter would come with software to make capturing the video simple &amp; straightforward.  I sounds like you already have the burning to DVD part down, so I want to move on to making the capture process work well."</p> <p> I politely, pointed out the fact that you were TOTALLY WRONG.</p> <p>There was a cheap means readily available, that would take both analogue and digital 8mm tapes.</p> <p>I asked him "If" several times, on the outside chance that the post might help him (or others reading the post with similar problems)</p> <p>you responded with:</p> <p>"But as it is, all of our posters yammering on about Firewire or USB ports do not know anything about the actual question, the problem or any clue as to how it needs to be solved.  My guess is that they are but children and can't stop themselves from being stupid in public.</p> <p>So while I'm sure you think you know how video operates, your responses prove otherwise."</p> <p>and now:</p> <p> "I do apologize for ranting a bit about useless &amp; misleading advice.  We are the individuals responsible for seeing our novices are aided by the forum postings and not confused by them.  I take that responsibility very seriously.  So you can rely on what I have to say, I also explain the logic behind my advice.  So I take a while to do it, you are welcome to argue against my logic all you want.  Just be prepared to explain the logic behind your claims.  After all, discussion encourages learning."</p> <p> </p> <p>I think it's safe to say we all learned something about you. Would've reflected better on you if you had said sorry for the name calling. It was un-called for, and would certianly be bad for business, if any of your potential customers read this thread.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37532 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:12:45 +0000 BarefootMedia 37532@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Well since you never mentioned that you hadn't read the part about the camcorder being available &amp; okay, it never occurred to me that you were describing an alternative to the question you quoted him asking.  "to use this input to somehow transfer" certainly implies that our young gentleman wants to use what would be analogue video inputs, if I believed his description.  So exactly how buying a cheap camcorder to replace the one he can already use is unclear.  To then poorly describe the process of using a camcorder (with the proper feature) as an analogue to digital converter in place of the analogue to digital converter already installed on his computer simply didn't make sense at all.  Had you thought to preface your advice with, "If you can't get either the camcorder or the computer to work for you, . . . " then some of what you said could have applied to the solution.</p> <p>I'm guessing the fact that he has a media edition computer let's us conclude he has an IEEE 1394 and a USB 2.0 port.  But once again, I fail to see how discussing details irrelevant to his actual concerns is supposed to help.  From all appearances, our young friend wants to know if he can use the AV inputs on his computer to capture the 8mm analogue videotapes.  Oh, and he can use the camcorder to playback if he would need to.  How does any of that turn into discussions of hooking up modern digital camcorders?  By someone giving advice when they don't know what they are doing.  Perhaps they are lucky enough to know how to get their own work done.  But they are hindered by a difficulty with literacy.  What they actually know is lost by an inability to express it.  Unfortunately, what they actually write doesn't apply to the task at hand.  So it is important for someone who might already be confused to know if he's getting irrelevant advice.  He can't tell the difference.  It is up to us to provide accurate &amp; relevant advice.</p> <p>So perhaps I am reading between the lines, but I think our "kid" already knows how to go about the process.  He is just seeking confirmation because he's unfamiliar with the nomenclature.  Just as it appears he already knew how to do color matching of the AV out cable of his parent's 8mm camcorder to the inputs on his computer, he's nearly set to capture digital files for making DVD's.  In part it is a question of what does he use to capture the video?  Since he has the video connected through AV inputs on the computer, I'm sure that HP provided a way to use it.  The first thing I might try is using the pre-installed  Windows Movie Maker to capture the video and/or do the simple editing he describes.  Just a wild guess, but I think his computer might have some option to capture video through the AV input installed on the computer.  Looking up "video, input" in the index of his user manual (generally an html:document on the hard drive) should provide some facts on how his system works.</p> <p>Since our friend here wanted to save money, I made sure my suggestions were of minimal cost and still achieved the desired results.  Using what he already has available, he doesn't need anything else.  Discussions of using some other method of digital capture are totally irrelevant to our friend.  Bringing up irrelevant information is the way spin doctors &amp; fools operate, I want nothing to do with it.  I want to provide useful advice, along with the reasoning behind it.  And responses that do neither need to be dismissed for being irrelevant.  It doesn't much matter if the advice is really accurate when it doesn't actually apply.  I don't care about spark plug gaps when I'm relighting the water heater.</p> <p>shippocaio appears to already have the tools he needs.  He just needs advice about how to properly use them.  All the talk about other devices he can connect via an IEEE 1394 port is just confusing.  You don't appear to know you are describing how to use a variety of Analogue to Digital Converters, possibly because you're not sure what an Analogue to Digital Converter is.  Because you do seem to miss the point, over &amp; over, that he already has an Analogue to Digital Converter on his HP computer.  You could have suggested he connect some other device to the AV inputs, DVD player, VCR or a game, and try to capture that video.  If it works, he will have no trouble doing the same thing with his parents old 8mm camcorder.  If it doesn't work, tell us what you're doing so we can figure out your actual problem.</p> <p>But when he is doing the digital captures from old tape, care has to be taken to keep the video heads clean.</p> <p>I do apologize for ranting a bit about useless &amp; misleading advice.  We are the individuals responsible for seeing our novices are aided by the forum postings and not confused by them.  I take that responsibility very seriously.  So you can rely on what I have to say, I also explain the logic behind my advice.  So I take a while to do it, you are welcome to argue against my logic all you want.  Just be prepared to explain the logic behind your claims.  After all, discussion encourages learning.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37525 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:57:43 +0000 Don 37525@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>"I was thinking that maybe i could use this input to somehow transfer the videos in 8mm to my PC and then, after some editing, burn a DVD with the videos!</p> <p>Just a small detail: I don´t have any idea how to do this, and i need help from you guys!"</p> <p>was in fact the original posters problem.</p> <p>an inexpensive, used camera like the trv-350, will not only play those 8mm analogue tapes, it will pass them through to his computer for capture. Whether the camera will send the signal through the firewire port or the av cable is moot. It is a viable solution to the problem, and cost less than $50.00 and as little as $3.00, depending on where he finds one. He didn't describe a camera model. the first suggestion didn't work for him for any reason, (like the camcorder is broken, lost or unavailable) my sugesstion was a viable alternative.</p> <p>"But as it is, all of our posters yammering on about Firewire or USB ports do not know anything about the actual question, the problem or any clue as to how it needs to be solved.  My guess is that they are but children and can't stop themselves from being stupid in public.</p> <p>So while I'm sure you think you know how video operates, your responses prove otherwise."</p> <p>Name calling and put downs are always show up when logic and reason fail.</p> <p>All advice given/found on the web needs to be taken with a grain of salt.</p> <p>Most people who resort to name calling and insults on the web need to be taken less seriously, as they are often the types that wouldn't say things like that to your face.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37523 Wed, 18 Jun 2008 06:28:16 +0000 BarefootMedia 37523@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> DOn, I'm sorry you don't know the difference between a Digital8 machine and an analogue tape machine.  The first clue to the difference is if it has a Firewire port.  Analogue signals cannot move through a digital gateway and so on analogue machines they are not provided.  Now the TRV350 is advertised as "backward compatible" with analogue tapes.  That still doesn't make it an analogue machine.</p> <p>So to summarize, you do not have an analogue 8mm or Hi8 video camcorder.  As I recall, the only format that deck can record is Digital8 (although it can play back other formats.)  So if our fellow wanted to spend a few hundred dollars to buy a Digital8 camcorder (with the analogue playback function) there would be a Firewire port.  But as it is, all of our posters yammering on about Firewire or USB ports do not know anything about the actual question, the problem or any clue as to how it needs to be solved.  My guess is that they are but children and can't stop themselves from being stupid in public.</p> <p>So while I'm sure you think you know how video operates, your responses prove otherwise.  So if you don't know, perhaps a bit of research might help.  But all you are doing now is confusing the people who do have questions.  And deserve accurate assistance.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37514 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 10:36:26 +0000 birdcat 37514@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <blockquote><p> "There is no doubt your camera will not have a Firewire port; Firewire was not invented until after 8mm was phased out."</p></blockquote> <blockquote><p> <a href="http://www.videomaker.com/article/9491/" rel="nofollow">http://www.videomaker.com/article/9491/</a></p></blockquote> <blockquote><p>my sony dcr-trv350 I bought for $3.00 at a yard sale gets used daily for it's video pass through, and webcam abilities. it could (if the tape mechanism wasn't damaged) transfer 8mm to dv through the firewire port! under studio lights, recording straight to hd, gives ample quality for podcast.</p></blockquote> <p>But your camera (and the ones Eric spoke of in the article) are Digital - Any camera from the 80's would be analog and would need something to convert the analog signal from the composite video and audio to a digital equivalent in order to edit or burn to DVD.</p> <p>As for software, Sony has their Vegas Movie Studio package for &lt;$100 and has a 30 day fully functional free trial available - why not try that.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37510 Tue, 17 Jun 2008 06:19:47 +0000 Don 37510@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> "There is no doubt your camera will not have a Firewire port; Firewire was not invented until after 8mm was phased out."</p> <p><a href="http://www.videomaker.com/article/9491/" rel="nofollow">http://www.videomaker.com/article/9491/</a></p> <p>my sony dcr-trv350 I bought for $3.00 at a yard sale gets used daily for it's video pass through, and webcam abilities.</p> <p>it could (if the tape mechanism wasn't damaged) transfer 8mm to dv through the firewire port!</p> <p>under studio lights, recording straight to hd, gives ample quality for podcast. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37502 Mon, 16 Jun 2008 19:43:57 +0000 BarefootMedia 37502@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> There is no doubt your camera will not have a Firewire port; Firewire was not invented until after 8mm was phased out.  On the other hand, when you spoke of your connector, you didn't mention the model or make, but an Analogue-to-Digital (AD) converter would come with software to make capturing the video simple &amp; straightforward.  I sounds like you already have the burning to DVD part down, so I want to move on to making the capture process work well.</p> <p>You describe your 8mm videos as really old.  Really old translates to loose oxide on the tapes.  You must take precautions to prevent your 8mm camcorder from clogging the heads &amp; to stop playing back the tapes.  The first thing you need to do is retension the video tape before attempting to play it back.  Retensioning a tape consists of FF to the end and RW back to the start.  It will help the tape play back smoothly and get much of the loose oxide off the tape itself.  But old tapes will still lose much more oxide than even cheap new tapes.  So you really want to keep the scanning forward or back and pausing to a minimum.</p> <p>You will also want to have an 8mm/Hi8 tape head cleaner to run for a few seconds every three to five tapes played back in the camcorder.  You want to sweep the oxide buildup off before it gets packed in and needs special cleaning, so don't wait till the image quality goes down before running the tape through.  (BTW this is a horrible thing to do when you don't have to, so use the tape often only when you are trying to archive video on old tapes.)</p> <p>Hope this helps.  You're gonna love the video from way back when, and your folks will love the DVD's even more.</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37439 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 10:03:10 +0000 shippocaio 37439@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> I really dont know exacty the model of the camera, because it is in brazil (yes! I am brazilian..)...., but i will bring the camera back this summer so i can move the burn the videos into dvds!!!</p> <p>Thanks for all the help!</p> <p> P.S: The camera is from the 80s... so i dont think it has a firewire connection!</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37438 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 07:25:05 +0000 Don 37438@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p> first check f the camera has a firewire connection, if it does and your pc does.....peice of cake, add the right cable an go.</p> <p>if not, try connecting the  cable that came with the 8mm camcorder to the camcorder (should have a headphone like jack on one end and  red, yellow, white rca jacks on the other) and plug red to red, white to white, yellow to yellow, on the rca jacks on your pc.</p> <p>also when you get that sorted, check to see if your old camera does pass thru... connect those r,w,y rca cables to a dvd players out jacks and plug the firewire into your pc, and see if you can record the video signal from the dvd player to your pc,, very useful function if it works, I use my old sony for just that purpose. </p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37437 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:58:04 +0000 FallingStarFilms 37437@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Also, I almost forgot...well I did forget obviously, the transfer cable may also be USB.  That would work like the firewire.  What kind of camera is it?  I could better give you specifics if you have the make and model number.</p> <p>Thanks,</p> <p>Trey</p> http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/topic/tape-8mm#post-37436 Sat, 14 Jun 2008 06:55:34 +0000 FallingStarFilms 37436@http://www.videomaker.com/community/forums/ <p>Hey! </p> <p>This should be fairly easy - I hope.  You should be able to connect the camera to the yellow, red and white inputs (RCA connectors) with the transfer cable that came with the camera.  If you don't have this cable, Radio Shack (or some other store) should be able to hook you up with one.  Just plug the camera into the computer and then turn on the camera in the VCR or VTR mode.  If the camera has firewire (IEEE 1394 connection) and the computer does too, this would be the perferred way, but the RCA input will work as well.</p> <p>After you turn on the camera, Hopefully Vista will recognize the camera and open a dialog box for you to choose the software you want to edit with.  If you don't have software installed, you will  most likely have the free Windows Movie Maker software that usually comes with windows.  That will be sufficient to transfer and edit and with Vista, burn to DVD.  Find the option to capture video and you will probably have to press play on the camera's VCR controls to capture.  IF you were using firewire, the camera's Play, Stop, etc can be controlled through the software.</p> <p>Get those memories off the old tape as the will degrade over time.</p> <p>Good Luck,</p> <p>Trey</p>