HOW TO CONVERT CAMCORDER TAPES

[geek84]

Hi Folks

I have some HI 8 camcorder tapes which I would like to put on another storage medium.

Can you kindly suggest anything?

Thanks in advance

[EmailAddress]

Can't you just digitise them to file?

[geek84]

Hi

I'm not very IT literate.

How do I do that?

Thanks

[EmailAddress]

geek84 said:

Hi

I'm not very IT literate.

How do I do that?

Thanks

Some sort of cable to connect the Camcorder to your computer...

Random Amazon LINK

Then QuickTime or some recording software should see you right.

[Mont Blanc]

EmailAddress said:

geek84 said:

Hi

I'm not very IT literate.

How do I do that?

Thanks

Some sort of cable to connect the Camcorder to your computer...

Random Amazon LINK

Then QuickTime or some recording software should see you right.

Just be very careful about those cheap Amazon/ebay converters. They can ruin the quality.

Have a watch of this and see what some look like compared to a higher quality option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NuquTDhjGY

Depending on how many tapes you have, I would be tempted to send them to a professional digital conversion service for about £6 per tape. They will likely be using some kind of professional Sony system for the transfer like this:

https://www.ghsmedia.co.uk/product/hi8/

Edited by Mont Blanc on Wednesday 1st May 13:46

[Road2Ruin]

It would be quicker, cheaper and far far easier to take them to your local camera shop and let them do it.

[thebraketester]

Road2Ruin said:

It would be quicker, cheaper and far far easier to take them to your local camera shop and let them do it.

Would be my vote too.

[biggiles]

I've used this chap for scanning photo negatives, very good service. They also seem to plenty of camcorder tapes: https://mrscan.co.uk/digital-video-film-scanning-s...

[Lucas Ayde]

geek84 said:

Hi Folks

I have some HI 8 camcorder tapes which I would like to put on another storage medium.

Can you kindly suggest anything?

Thanks in advance

If you can get access to a Digital8 camcorder (almost as old as Hi8 and probably even rarer now) then it should auto-digitise the tapes on playback, with the output going over firewire.

[Sporky]

Road2Ruin said:

It would be quicker, cheaper and far far easier to take them to your local camera shop and let them do it.

What if they're, erm, "candid"?

[Road2Ruin]

Sporky said:

Road2Ruin said:

It would be quicker, cheaper and far far easier to take them to your local camera shop and let them do it.

What if they're, erm, "candid"?

Tell him to close his eyes
Or send them to me and I will do them

[Mont Blanc]

Sporky said:

Road2Ruin said:

It would be quicker, cheaper and far far easier to take them to your local camera shop and let them do it.

What if they're, erm, "candid"?

Fairly sure it would just be another day at the office for the people who develop film, print photos, or convert video tapes!

In the mid 1990's, I remember a friends Dad having to take the family VCR to a repair shop because their son (my friend) had ended up getting a full VHS cassette of hardcore smut wrapped round the rollers inside.... the bloke in the repair shop was apparently totally unfazed...

[Sporky]

Mont Blanc said:

In the mid 1990's, I remember a friends Dad having to take the family VCR to a repair shop because their son (my friend) had ended up getting a full VHS cassette of hardcore smut wrapped round the rollers inside.... the bloke in the repair shop was apparently totally unfazed...

Superb!

I wonder whether it was the dad or the son who was more embarrassed...