Video's 8mm

e7imac · March 2, 2003 6:53AM

I hope this is in the right section, I would know how to transfer my 8mm videos to i movie. We have an Epson digital camera that when plugged in to the computer via software provided, can recognize the pictures and jpeg files. Is there software available that will make transfering my 8mm videos as easy as my digital camera? Thanks.

P.S. I did buy a new digital jvc mini dv camcorder

neutrino23 · March 3, 2003 3:21AM

I suppose there are high end systems that will do this nicely. That would be to advance one frame, take one picture and repeat till done. The common way is to simply play the movie on a small rear-projection screen and record it with a DV camera.

Actually, 8mm doesn't have that much detail. I tried transferring a short segment of a movie to digital by shooting some frames one-by-one with a digital camera. The resulting pictures were really grainy once I looked at them on my G4.

ghost_user_name · March 3, 2003 9:25AM

I'm assuming you mean Hi-8 here. There are probably a handful of places in your loca area that will transfer your video to a modern format. This is the cleanest way. A lot of times photo/video stores offer this. I'm not really sure who you would call or lookup in the phone book... but the best way is to just have it transferred from Hi-8 to MiniDV if that is what your new camera is. Then you can plug the camera in via FireWire and capture from the MiniDV tapes.

I'd say a post production house could probably work out a deal for you... but I can't recall the last time I even saw a Hi-8 deck, so...

But the service does exist, you can find someone to do it. Maybe even do a google search for video tape transfer or duplication. You may be able to mail the tapes to someone, and they'll mail you back the tapes and the new transferred tapes.

Good luck.

kingofsomewherehot · March 3, 2003 10:25PM

Clarify .... by 8mm video, do you mean 8mm analog tape, or 8mm film ? ....

The first would be easy, the second would be more involved... though both are possible at an amateur level.

michael grey · March 4, 2003 8:29AM

Yea, for the record there is:

8mm film

8mm video (Video 8)

Hi8 video

Digital 8 (which uses Hi8 tapes).

If you're talking about film, well short of projecting the video onto a screen and taping it with your JVC camera there isn't much else to do.

If you have Video8 or Hi8 you should be able to convert this, if you still have the camera and if

your JVC camera have an analog 'video in' option. If so connect the old camera to your new JVC and record your video onto MiniDV. Then you connect your JVC camera to your Mac with a Firewire cable and capture your video with iMovie.

If you have the last option, Digital-8, and you still have the camera, it should connect directly to your Mac though a Firewire cable (although Sony calls this the iLink cable). Again, use iMovie to capture the video.

ghost_user_name · March 4, 2003 8:33AM

[quote]Originally posted by Michael Grey:

<strong>If you're talking about film, well short of projecting the video onto a screen and taping it with your JVC camera there isn't much else to do.

</strong><hr></blockquote>

You can have the film transferred to tape by a transfer house. I know a place here in Boston that does it all the time. It's pricey, but it's the best way.

I'm pretty sure he is talking about video and not film though...

kraig911 · March 4, 2003 11:56AM

um Like that other guy was saying, if its just regular hi8 or digital 8, old camcorder, just plug it into the RCA inputs of your JVC miniDV, if its film transfers, then its gonna cost you around 50$ just because its film, plus whatever the tape cost and how long it is.

e7imac · March 8, 2003 7:56PM

Thank you guys

It's Hi8, have not connected my jvc to the iMac need a cable, but I'll also need software ... right? the model number is not listed as compatable with imovie2 ???? Think this be a problem ??

kingofsomewherehot · March 8, 2003 9:29PM

Just 'cause Apple doesn't list your camera, doesn't mean it won't work. In fact I'll bet that it will work just fine.

Many camcorders will allow you to input an anaolg signal and either record it to DV tape, or output a DV signal to your computer through firewire ... In either case, the only software you would need is iMovie (and iDVD if you want to burn DVD's)

Have fun...

gigawire · March 11, 2003 10:53AM

funny, i've not seen any miniDV cameras at all that would allow you to input through anything other than firewire.

Like others have said, you can get it done at your local post-shop, or you can DIY by buying this:

<a href="http://www.dazzle.com/products/hw_bridge.html"; target="_blank">dazzle dv bridge</a>

or

<a href="http://www.canopus.com/US/products/advc-100/pm_advc-100.asp"; target="_blank">canopus dv converter</a>

Also, Sony had a DV converter that they discontinued last year. IF you could find one on eBay, or any f these products for that matter, I wuld bet you'd save more doing it this way, than paying someone to do it.

cheers

clonenode · March 11, 2003 11:54AM

First, old 8mm analog tapes can be played in certain models of Sony's Digital8 cameras. So, you just hook the Digital8 camera up to your Mac with a 4 pin to 6 pin FireWire cable. No other software other than iMovie is needed to bring the footage in.

Second, if you already have a compatible DV camcorder, you just need to check if it has a "pass-thru" function. Any analog source (VCR or 8mm camcorder) can be connected to the DV camcorder with regular video cables. Then you use the same 4 pin to 6 pin FireWire cable to connect the DV camera to your Mac. Press Play on the old, analog camera and set the DV camera to the right setting and the signal will "pass-thru" to your Mac and into iMovie.

If you ned more details, feel free to send me a private message or email.

[ 03-11-2003: Message edited by: clonenode ]</p>

Video's 8mm

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