Topic: Transferring Video 8 Videos to Mini DV? Also pulling audio from tapes.

[Kindguy]

I have a bunch of video 8 tapes that I borrowed from someone & need to copy them. Real nice pro shot stuff (most of it). All kinds of Allman Brothers, ARU, Stained souls, Mule, Little feat, Fiji Mariners, list goes on & on.

Is this the best way to this any suggestions are welcome? I'm using a nice Sony full size video 8 player > Mini DV camcorder.

Then just for the hell of it running the audio from the tapes Video 8 coax out> ad500e> Jb3

I have around 300 + hours of video to copy & have tons of Mini DV tapes. Is this my best option? I was thinking this would be best then I can always go mini DV > DVD when I want.

Thanks
Jeff

[Kindguy]

Watching some old Mule now 1-6-96 cotton club. Woody was a bad ass MF!

[Dr.FOB]

The best way is with a Sony Digital8 player through the firewire output.  My TRV350 plays all 8mm formats with the added benefit of performing timebase correction of 8 & Hi8 media when output through the firewire connection.  It also serves as a converter for old VHS & Beta through when using the Video inputs.  Want help?  Send me some for transfer.  Old school Mule

[hydrobud]

if you don't have a usb hook up from your camera,you will have to get something like this...




digital video creator: by  dazzle

[guitard]

What Dr.Fob said.

Most (but not all) Sony digital 8 cams are backward compatible with analog and Hi8.  The key is - the digital 8 cams have the firewire and the capabilitry of digitizing the video.  So get one of those (if you don't already have one - people are practically giving them away these days - you can get one REAL cheap I'm sure), and then transfer the tapes to mini-DV.

[bigwurock]

i can run your vidieos into my computer and use sony vegas 6 to make dvds...use a firewire cable and will be all digital...can also synch up new audio if needed....

[Kindguy]

These are video 8 tapes & player. Not digital 8. But the tapes are the same size. & I know my mom has a sony digital 8 camcorder. Pretty sure it has firewire out.

[BayTaynt3d]

You've got analog tapes, so one way or another you're going to have to "capture" the video. You can use a graphics card, one of those dazzles, or a camcorder, or a number of other ways. I'd use the MiniDV if I were you. Also, most MiniDV cams can do something called "passthrough" which will just let the video simply passthrough the miniDV cam right to the computer via Firewire (or USB2). That feature can be useful depending on what you are going to do. For starters, it'll let you skip dubbing to a miniDV tape altogether, which could save you a bunch of tapes and more importantly spares your tape transport/heads from the mileage. Secondly, if you do want to archive to tape as a sort of master for future use, the passthrough can still be helpful because typically you can capture to MiniDV tape AND passthrough to the computer simultaneously -- which gets you the masters on tape, but gets you the digi files on the computer in one step instead of two (again, this saves wear and tear on the heads/transport because you'd have had to record it first, then capture it next, so it will save you one pass in real time). Lastly, depending on what you're doing exactly, you can actually feed the passthrough signal right into an encoder on-the-fly that can pump out MPEG2 in real-time. Now, that's not the best way to encode to MPEG2 (two-pass variable bit rate would be better), but man that saves a whole bunch of time if that method works -- you can tape a master to MiniDV while passing through DV to the computer which in turn encodes to MPEG2 on-the-fly so you end up with a master and a DVD-burnable file in one pass in real time. That approach also only puts an MPEG2 file on your computer, which will obviously be MUCH smaller than loading a full DV file, which can start adding up real fast in HD space if you are converting hours and hours of footage (10-13 gigs/hour for DV as opposed to maybe 20% of that for the MPEG2 files). However, if you are going to edit the video, then you'd probably want to work with the DV files in your NLE and render/encode out to MPEG2 later.

Anyway, just some thoughts...

[willndmb]

if your mom has a dig8 camera with firewire that will be best
no need to go usb or any dazzle with you can use the sony with firewire
as for as i know all dig 8 cams will playback reg old 8mm tapes as well, that was one of the reasons stores gave to buy dig8 vs minidv -- playback of old 8mm tapes

as far as thje audio goes, any decent video program should give you audio "rip" that you could burn to cd

[Genghis Cougar Mellen Khan]

if your mom has a dig8 camera with firewire that will be best
no need to go usb or any dazzle with you can use the sony with firewire
as for as i know all dig 8 cams will playback reg old 8mm tapes as well, that was one of the reasons stores gave to buy dig8 vs minidv -- playback of old 8mm tapes

as far as thje audio goes, any decent video program should give you audio "rip" that you could burn to cd

Out of curiosity, if you're playing back a 8mm or hi8 tape on a dig8, will it pass a digital signal?  I was under the impression that the camera only passed a digital signal if the source was digital... 

If it does, I'd go with the firewire suggestion if it'll work, a miniDV copy would be nice as a backup.  Sony also has a stand-alone VHS > DVD unit that sells for $400 or less, one of my family members transferred a ton of home movies that way and the results were very nice you could A/B between the VCR and the DVD without being able to tell which was which.  The unit has rca and dv inputs as well.

Check out this unit:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=7273862&type=product&id=1117178431066

[guitard]

Out of curiosity, if you're playing back a 8mm or hi8 tape on a dig8, will it pass a digital signal?  I was under the impression that the camera only passed a digital signal if the source was digital...

The vast majority of digital 8 cams will convert the signal to digital.  When I put an analog 8mm or Hi8 tape into my digital 8 cam, it takes a few seconds before it will begin playing, but then the icon on the screen switches to digital 8 and away she goes.  I have sourced many DVDs from old analog 8/Hi8 tapes this way.

[Kindguy]

You've got analog tapes, so one way or another you're going to have to "capture" the video. You can use a graphics card, one of those dazzles, or a camcorder, or a number of other ways. I'd use the MiniDV if I were you. Also, most MiniDV cams can do something called "passthrough" which will just let the video simply passthrough the miniDV cam right to the computer via Firewire (or USB2). That feature can be useful depending on what you are going to do. For starters, it'll let you skip dubbing to a miniDV tape altogether, which could save you a bunch of tapes and more importantly spares your tape transport/heads from the mileage. Secondly, if you do want to archive to tape as a sort of master for future use, the passthrough can still be helpful because typically you can capture to MiniDV tape AND passthrough to the computer simultaneously -- which gets you the masters on tape, but gets you the digi files on the computer in one step instead of two (again, this saves wear and tear on the heads/transport because you'd have had to record it first, then capture it next, so it will save you one pass in real time). Lastly, depending on what you're doing exactly, you can actually feed the passthrough signal right into an encoder on-the-fly that can pump out MPEG2 in real-time. Now, that's not the best way to encode to MPEG2 (two-pass variable bit rate would be better), but man that saves a whole bunch of time if that method works -- you can tape a master to MiniDV while passing through DV to the computer which in turn encodes to MPEG2 on-the-fly so you end up with a master and a DVD-burnable file in one pass in real time. That approach also only puts an MPEG2 file on your computer, which will obviously be MUCH smaller than loading a full DV file, which can start adding up real fast in HD space if you are converting hours and hours of footage (10-13 gigs/hour for DV as opposed to maybe 20% of that for the MPEG2 files). However, if you are going to edit the video, then you'd probably want to work with the DV files in your NLE and render/encode out to MPEG2 later.

Anyway, just some thoughts...

Great advice everyone. T+'s around. Tainted your idea was perfect. I'm going video 8 player > mini DV > Computer. Also archiving on DV tapes. I'll spread some of this around once I get the OK. A lot of this is going to be released & used in some upcoming documentaries.

Jeff