hi 8 to vhs?

[twires]

can anyone tell me if it is possible to play hi8 videos in a vhs player? I remember a device that looked like a vhs tape that you inserted an 8 mm video tape into then put this into your vcr and it would play.

I have a bunch hi 8 tapes that I am trying to copy onto dvds and could do this easily if i had a device to make the hi 8s work in a vhs player.

thanks,
tami

[CMasten]

Originally posted by twires
can anyone tell me if it is possible to play hi8 videos in a vhs player? I remember a device that looked like a vhs tape that you inserted an 8 mm video tape into then put this into your vcr and it would play.

I have a bunch hi 8 tapes that I am trying to copy onto dvds and could do this easily if i had a device to make the hi 8s work in a vhs player.

thanks,
tami

There are many services that do just this, I dont think you would get very good results even if you could find this adapter. I went to my local camera shop and they sent off about 12 hours of material for me around xmas. It was a little under 100.00 for all of it to DVD and they processed it from high quality source decks through TBC' etc to keep the quality high. Plus it was all their time well worth the money to me. I dont shoot anything tape anymore, its all MPEG4, you can just ask your local camera shop or Google 8mm to dvd transfer, there are a ton of places that do it mail order also.

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by twires
can anyone tell me if it is possible to play hi8 videos in a vhs player? I remember a device that looked like a vhs tape that you inserted an 8 mm video tape into then put this into your vcr and it would play.

I have a bunch hi 8 tapes that I am trying to copy onto dvds and could do this easily if i had a device to make the hi 8s work in a vhs player.

thanks,
tami

What you remember is a mini-VHS to VHS adapter.

If you have Hi8 tapes have them put on DVD.

Downgrading to VHS will not make you happy.

[twires]

N-Jay, yep that's it..the mini vhs to vhs adapter thingy...it was way back in 1988 when I last saw them so I had forgotten what they actually were.


oh, well. I really wanted to do this myself. I have just gotten a vhs to dvd recorder and had hoped that I could just pop a hi 8 into a cartridge thing a viola I'd be set..

If I could only figure out how to use my Sony digital handycam to record the hi 8s onto the vhs tapes or I'd have my solution already!

Its hard being so electonically challenged.

Thanks for the help, though.

[Samuel2003]

Can you plug your handycam straight into the back of your DVD recorder?

[twires]

Yes, I can plug it in directly to the dvd recorder. ah....**light bulb is going off**...this should work!!

Glad someone is thinking outside the box! Unlike me.

Thanks!

[rocky]

VHS C to VHS....just pulled mine out after many years (yikes I got it when my oldest was born nearly 10 years ago...).

[CMasten]

Originally posted by twires
Yes, I can plug it in directly to the dvd recorder. ah....**light bulb is going off**...this should work!!

Glad someone is thinking outside the box! Unlike me.

Thanks!

Problem there might be that there is no Processing Amp in between (part of a TBC I mentioned before) that will keep the sync, bust etc all to spec so you dont see tearing etc. HandyCams are famous for not putting out enough signal level to accuratly copy without it. You can try it, but if you see tearing or the picture hops at various points then you will know why.

I have a couple Hi8 camcorders, my TR-81 was top gun and it is what led me to just have a video house do it. I was only going to transfer them once and they are family memories so I didnt want to have any issues with the copies.

Good luck with it any way you go.

[ecsw]

if to DVD is necessary, use Hi8 with firewire(IEEE1394) hook up to your computer. Capture the video and then convert it to DVD.

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by ecsw
if to DVD is necessary, use Hi8 with firewire(IEEE1394) hook up to your computer. Capture the video and then convert it to DVD.

Or just S-Video from the cam to the DVD recorder.

[twires]

Ok, ok...now I am super confused...
I do have a fire wire on my computer with a DVD writer that I just purchased. I am having problems installing the nero burning software that came with it and have been in contact with both sony customer support (brand of dvd writer) and nero customer support. I've trouble shooted with both and have now been sent a new installation cd (still does not work but I have to wait til Monday to call customer service again).

What though is S video? And is this to the computer DVD or the portable one that I have with VHS to DVD?

I am not as concerned with the absolute quality of the transfers as the quality of my Hi 8 is questionable in most cases. I am very much an amatuer, if you had not figured this out by way of my inablility to transfer from my sony handicam to my vhs recorder that I already use for vhs playback.

Thanks so much for trying to help me.
Tami

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by twires
Ok, ok...now I am super confused...
. . .
What though is S video? And is this to the computer DVD or the portable one that I have with VHS to DVD?

I am not as concerned with the absolute quality of the transfers as the quality of my Hi 8 is questionable in most cases. I am very much an amatuer, if you had not figured this out by way of my inablility to transfer from my sony handicam to my vhs recorder that I already use for vhs playback.

Thanks so much for trying to help me.
Tami

If your Sony cam is about 10 years old, then its native output will most likely be S-Video.
S-Video is the video signal that is carried on a 4 pin DIN connector (looks like a mouse or keyboard connector).
You may have this connector on the cam, or there may be an adaptor or adaptor cable to get to S-Video.

I would bet your VHS/DVD recorder deck has an S-Vid in and out.

The cable plugs between the two and your video is all hooked up.

As for the audio, it is mostly just a matter of getting a cable with the right ends.
You cam may be mini-phone (like a earphone), or it may be proprietary and have an adapter to get to mini-phone or two RCA connectors.

I would guess your VHS/DVD deck is RCA (two of them, one red and one white) (The yellow is Composite video)

I bet a quick trip to any decent video store (Tweeter, like) would solve all your problems, but they will suggest VERY expensive cables that are worthless.

I trip to Best Buy or Circuit City (or radio shack) might work, but it will depend if you get the geek who works there for the fun of it, or the pimple faced kid who works there just for the money. (P.S. These are nearly indistinguishable except by analysis of your receipt and if your problem got solved.)

[Samuel2003]

FWIW, I have a Lite-On LVW5005X DVD recorder and a Sony CCD-TRV43 Hi8 Handycam (pretty old model). With my set up, I've had no problems recording straight from the camcorder to the DVD recorder via the RCA cables that, IIRC, came with the camcorder. The Lite-On is nice in that it has co-axial cable, S-video, RCA, and RGB inputs.

[CMasten]

Originally posted by twires
Ok, ok...now I am super confused...
I do have a fire wire on my computer with a DVD writer that I just purchased. I am having problems installing the nero burning software that came with it and have been in contact with both sony customer support (brand of dvd writer) and nero customer support. I've trouble shooted with both and have now been sent a new installation cd (still does not work but I have to wait til Monday to call customer service again).

What though is S video? And is this to the computer DVD or the portable one that I have with VHS to DVD?

I am not as concerned with the absolute quality of the transfers as the quality of my Hi 8 is questionable in most cases. I am very much an amatuer, if you had not figured this out by way of my inablility to transfer from my sony handicam to my vhs recorder that I already use for vhs playback.

Thanks so much for trying to help me.
Tami

Hey Tami you say its a Digital 8? that also plays Hi8mm tapes. If so that has the transcoder in it to convert Hi-8mm to digital and run it down the Firewire to your computer, once you get Nero 7 working then its easy to edit and re-encode to MPEG2/VOB files to burn to DVD's good luck

[ecsw]

Originally posted by N_Jay


Or just S-Video from the cam to the DVD recorder.

true, it's a lot easier, but he might not have DVD recorder either.

Also, S-Video into DVD is at max 640x480. Video quality is limited to S-Video quality only.

Firewire into computer is 640x480 as well, but pure raw digital video (AVI) in very big size. Quality is still a little better than S-video direct recording.
But I hate doing the firewire converting. It takes a lot of time not just capturing, but also decoding.