Archived from groups: rec.video.desktop (
More info?)
On 20 Jan 2005 04:21:13 -0800, "stankley" <pstankley@hotmail.com>
wrote:
>If you don't have access to a digital8 camcorder, I'd stay away from
>them - it's a declining format, not many companies are producing them.
>I had good success using anaglog->digital passthru with my Canon ZR50
>MiniDV camcorder. Hook up the Hi-8 to the DV camera using S-video, put
>the DV camera in passthu mode, and you're all set.
Digital 8 is Sony tech. Only Sony associates ever made them
(Hitachi and Sanyo, AFAIK). It isn't declining so much as that there
never were that many around. Sony *has* dropped its highest grade
models, though. But then, it is targetting D8 at the economy minded
consumer, especially users of its Hi8 format who wish to continue to
use their tapes. The camcorders tend to be a little cheaper than a
comparable MiniDV model.
Being able to reuse your Hi8 tape collection is a benefit of D8.
The tapes themselves are slightly more durable than MiniDV, and
slightly cheaper. It isn't enough of a reason to go for D8 rather
than MiniDV itself, if you don't plan to reuse your stocks of Hi8
tape.
If you just plan to convert a lot of tapes to digital, with no
worries about what to do with the tapes afterward, then either borrow
a D8 from someone for the conversion, or use either a camcorder or
converter box to do the job using your Hi8 camcorder.
>I actually borrowed my friend's Digital8 Sony camcorder and
>experimented to see if there was any difference in quality between that
>and the approach above - I really couldn't see any significant quality
>difference. The images were not identical (color and contrast
>differences), but both were equally pleasing.
In theory, the D8 should work a little better because its TBC can
work with the raw video signal off the tape. It might also be a
little better at dealing with dropouts.
But as for the process, there isn't much difference between pressing
play on the D8 camcorder, or doing so on your Hi8 passing through into
a digitizer. The work to manage it is the same either way.
>So if you're in the market for a digital camcorder, I'd definitely go
>the miniDV route (ensure that the camera you pick has AV->DV passthru -
>you dont want to have to record to miniDV tapes and then play them
>back).
--
*-__Jeffery Jones__________| *Starfire* |____________________-*
** Muskego WI Access Channel 14/25 <http://www.execpc.com/~jeffsj/mach7/>
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