How To Convert 8mm Tapes to Digital | SONY Handycam

[beths.]

This tip saved me so much time, money and headaches! THANK YOU!

[docboy]

Digitalizing Hi8 is a VERY complex topic indeed.
Some time ago I went and took over 25 old Video 8 and Hi8 tapes and converted them into modern MP4. I read tons about the best methods and ended up with the following workflow:

Playback source was my trusty old Sony CCD TRV 208E camcorder with which I recorded most of the stuff 20 years ago.
Beforehand I had it cleaned properly with a cleaning tape.

The camcorder was then plugged into an old DVD Recorder from Panasonic via S-Video. This is very important! Hi8 is capable of seperating chroma and luminance, something that the S-Video connection does as well. The normal oldschool RCA plug in yellow can NOT do that - it mixes chroma and luminance into one signal, worsening the image quality in the process.

The reason for using a mid 2000s DVD recorder from Panasonic is that these models had the best jitter and time base correction on the market. Basically there A/D converters were constructed for the bad quality and unstable signals amateur analog camcorders produced and converted them into the best possible digital signal.

The digital signal (576i resolution) was then fed through an HDMI splitter (to get rid of HDCP)via HDMI into my PC's Blackmagic capture card. The audio went straight from the camcorder via mono RCA into the capture card as well.

With the Blackmagic card suite I then recorded raw *.avi files. These files are insanely HUGE as they're uncompressed (1 hour = 100 Gbyte even in 576i).
I then took to avidemux, did some slight cropping (the recorded signal always shows greenish borders which CRTs didn't show back then due to overscan). Also I deinterlaced the videos with the YADIF 2x filter and used a very slight blur to make them look a bit softer. Then they were compressed and archived in H.265 MP4 files (5000-6000 kbits bitrate).

This is a very complicated workflow, I am aware, but apart from using professional video restauration equipment for 1000s of dollars it will give you the best possible results.

All the stuff I just touched here is written down in great detail by AlexG in the German Hifi Forum. If you're interested you can run it through google translate and have a look:

[nigelrobinson]

That camera you're using has a 4 pin firewire port (IEEE 1394). This will copy to your computer digitally with no copy degradation that you get with analogue copies. If your computer has a firewire port, many Dell laptops and Macs had them, all you need is a firewire cable and freely available software. Add in cards are also still available for tower PCs. The actual time to transfer is the same but can be achieved considerably cheaper and with better results.

[LGFITNESS]

I sooo hope this works! Our Sony Handycam looks exactly like yours but I was getting a bit discouraged when my husband told me that we can’t transfer footage from our 8mm tapes to our new PC’s the way we used to do it in our old ones ages ago.

Some 15 to 20 years ago, I remember having to connect our VCR’s to my Sony or PC or something like that…it was a pretty tedious job, that’s for sure…but back then, there was no other way to work such video conversions and transfers…unless of course you were a professional who owned expensive video equipment and converters.

Though we still have a couple of our VCR’s (none of which we ever use!), needless to say that new computers don’t have the input/output for such outdated playback video devices.

Whether we’ll buy Elgato or any other video footage transfer/converter, I’m just super thrilled to find that it’s still possible to transfer/convert video and audio files/footage from our 8mm tapes (of which we have a ton!) without all the hassle involved in the “old fashion VCR way” of doing such thing!

Although the video that you showed is rather blotchy, and yes, I did read the Q&A about it, it’s difficult to know what type of video and audio quality will result from such conversions. The first thing to consider is how old the 8mm tapes are. Another important thing to consider is the type and quality of input/output cables.

Newer input/output cables come with plug heads that are plated with different materials, such as gold, which helps when it comes to things like electrical interferences.

Video quality apart, not to count how much (physical) storage room we save, physical tapes and disc can’t withstand the ‘test of time’, which is a major reason I’d like to transfer our family’s video files from 8mm to digital/data files.

This is “life saving news”!
Thanks SO much! 🙏

[mrs.diannalynn]

finally a good video on this issue. simple and down to the point. awesome ty

[toddnichols]

Owen, at the end when you showed the playback, the digital playback looked very blotchy. Was the blotchyness a result of recording from the computer to your youtube video, or Is the Elgato captured video that poor of quality? I have tried Vidbox, and the captured audio was not good, but the video was better than what you showed at the end of your clip, so I am not sure whether or not to purchase the Elgato device.

[BlaBla-]

Hi, thank you, this helps alot, just wondering what was that other cable that you connected to elgato capturer? And where did you plug it in the camera?

[Dannobook]

Finally, Thank you will get back to you once my Elgato arrives

[roosevelthillscemetery]

I'm only getting one side of my audio thst comes through. Any idea as to what else I can do? I have the stereo AV jack wire adapter still.doesnt do anything. I think I have to change something on the camera or the software on the computer any help would be great

[erik]

What's the maximum resolution with this method?

[joshuapowell]

Vhs movies doesn't lock up at all like internet does

[vfree]

Great video, Owen. Where did you plug the RCA cable into the camcorder (4:48 into the video)? I can't figure out how you did that. If my camcorder doesn't have that cable input, I will need to find a way to connect the male end RCA into the female end RCA located on my camcorder. Can you advise?

[DareallCd]

Can I use my IPad Pro with this? Install software (if they have an app) on IPad and then use usb to lighting?

[andreworopeza]

I was just wondering what software did you select for the el gato if you have that camera?

[cvgndzg]

Hi Owen, Please tell me if this will still work if the camcorder battery no longer holds a charge. Is it powered by the converter cord?

[joshuapowell]

What do you know about vhs movies what they don't do

[MrAndre]

would you be able to convert my tapes, I'm unable to access a handycam, if so let me know the cost

[joshuapowell]

What is the point of doing that people like myself are buying VCR players cleaning tapes vhs movies offline now days y do we need to do that at all

[joshuapowell]

Everything is proven vhs tapes don't stop playing at all

[joshuapowell]

Everything is proven people like myself have damage blue ray disc movies and I know everything about blue ray disc movies doesn't play at all when they get damage and vhs tapes don't stop playing at all and y would I go to something that is worst then a vhs tape