Digitizing old Hi8 video

[Peter McLennan]

I have a large library of material shot in analog Hi8.  I'd like to get it into my Premiere system.

Will a Digital-8 camcorder effectively digitize the analog video?

I understand that a Digital-8 camera will play analog Hi-8, but will I be able to import the footage into Premiere via the Firewire connection on a Digital-8 camcorder?

[jaapb]

Hi Peter,

I have imported compact S-VHS and Hi8 tapes into Premiere Pro CS5. I used the respective S-video-out of my analog cameras connected to a Canopus ADVC-55 (this is the digitizer) which connects through firewire to a PC or Mac, no drivers needed. Import into PPRO through the capture menu. Only downside: you can't control camera with PPRO, you have to use capture in PPRO and push "PLAY" on your camera and finish by hitting "STOP" on your camera and stop capture in PPRO. Then you edit out any start and stop blanks.
Probably a digital Hi8 camera can connect directly to your PC or Mac when it has a firewire connector and may be controlled by PPRO's capture play and stop controls. I have no experience with digital Hi8 cameras.
Hope this helps nonetheless.

Jaap

[Pascalf]

Will a Digital-8 camcorder effectively digitize the analog video?

- Yes.  That was a main selling point of Digital8: digitize your prior 8mm video formats via Firewire.

I understand that a Digital-8 camera will play analog Hi-8, but will I be able to import the footage into Premiere via the Firewire connection on a Digital-8 camcorder?

- Yes, and you might have basic transport controls [Play, Stop, Rewind, . . .] depending on the driver implementation.
- I don't know about timecode: I suspect there is no timecode support for 8mm prior to Digital8.  This would mean no frame accurate [or equivalent] capture.

Regards,
Pascal

[Peter McLennan]

- Yes.  That was a main selling point of Digital8: digitize your prior 8mm video formats via Firewire.

Excellent, Pascal.  Thanks!  eBay here I come. : )

Peter

[jerryrock]

My Hi8 camcorder died years ago. This is what I am using to transfer my large library of Hi8mm tapes.


http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-8mm-Video-Walkman/dp/B00006JQQ6

[Peter McLennan]

Thanks, jerryrock.  I still have a Hi8 camcorder that will play the tapes.  I also have a Sony DV camcorder (a TRV900).  I don't want to dub all my Hi8s to DV, but I might be able to do a "daisy chain" hookup of Hi8>DV>firewire to Premiere.  I'll test it out and report back.  If that worked, I'd be happy.  I'd really like to be able to edit my old Hi8

Thanks again for the input.

Peter

[BlogYourEarth]

Hi folks,

I dubbed all my Video8 tapes to DV with a canopus analog digital converter.

Thats alle stuff I used for digitizing my tapes:

■ HI8 video cassette recorder (analog Video8 / HI8)
■ canopus analog / digital converter
■ MAC Mini
■ Final Cut Express 4 or iMovie9

Here you find my little HowTo article.

http://www.blogyourearth.com/en/video-2/8mm-magnetic-tape-digitize/video8-digitizing/1911