Converting Hi8 to digital

I am in the process of archiving my old Hi8 analog tapes on my IMac 2.0. I am using a Sony Digital 8 camera , TRV 840 that I can use as a converter.
2 Questions:
1. What are the "easy setup" settings that I should use in Final Cut Express?
2. When I tried to capture the material, video and audio were out of sync. Anything I can do about that?
Thanks
Stefan
IMac 20 inch 2 GHz G5   Mac OS X (10.4.9)  

"By the way, my camcorder gives me a 12 or 16 Bit option. Which one should I use in the future to record?"
Always use 16 biit to work with a computer.
"One more question: how do I set the Bitrate in Final Cut Express?"
Use Easy Setup>DV-NTSC 48kHz-DV Converter if your are converting from an analogue source.
Use Easy Setup>DV-NTSC 48kHz if you are capturing from a DV cameras tape shot with 16 bit.
The settings mentioned are assuming you are using NTSC the standard for North America.
I personally like to go from analogue to miniDV tape. You have a backup tape this way and all the benifits that Timecode has with FCE.
The 32kHz Easy Setups match 12 bit audio.
Al

Similar Messages

  • Small thin line at the bottom when converting analog to digital

    I encounter a small line at the bottom of my videos (this is also on the DVD that I burn) when I try to convert my Sony Hi8 to Digital while using iMovie HD6. When I try this at home on my Sony Viao PC with the built in Giga Pocket Converter there is no line. I thought that it might be my DV converter a datvideo DAC-200 so I got a PyroA/V Link converter and the result was the same. When I use my Sony DV Camcorder every thing is great. I talked to apple support and they said that it was probably the tape. I told them that I had tried several HI8 tapes and the result was the same. (they were no help) Does anyone have these issues BB
    MacBook Pro2,2   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   Intel Croe 2 Duo 2.33 GHZ

    See also:
    http://lipas.uwasa.fi/~f76998/video/conversion/#faq
    4. Frequently Argued Questions
    4.1 Isn't 720 the real width of a 4:3 image? If not, then why are 720 pixels sampled instead of 711 or 702 (or whatever)?
    720 pixels are sampled to allow for little deviation from the ideal timing values for blanking and active line lenght in analog signal. In practice, analog video signal - especially if coming from a wobbly home video tape recorder - can never be that precise in timing. It is useful to have a little headroom for digitizing all of the signal even if it is of a bit shoddy quality or otherwise non-standard.
    720 pixels are also sampled to make it sure that the signal-to-be-digitized has had the time to slope back to blanking level at the both ends. (This is to avoid nasty overshooting or ringing effects, comparable to the clicks and pops you can hear at the start and end of an audio sample.)
    Last but not least, 720 pixels are sampled because a common sampling rate (13.5 MHz) and amount of samples per line (720) makes it easier for the hardware manufactures to design multi-standard digital video equipment.

  • Thinking of getting EyeTV Hybrid to convert VHS to digital - the right move?

    Hello,
    I am soon going to be going back to Macintosh after a failed 17 year experiment with Windows and one of the things I will be wanting to do is transfer some home videos I own into a format that I can edit likely using I-movie. 
    I have reviewed several discussions on-line, and think I will be going with EyeTV Hybrid but I am wanting some fresh advice to make sure I am making the right decision.  The videos I will be wanting to transfer come in, what I believe, are two analog forms VHS-C (which I would play back using a VHS cartridge converter as the camera is dead) and Hi8MP which I would play back using a Samsung SCw62 Camcorder.
    Essentially, I am looking for a good conversion but it does not have to be great.  I would like to be able to do some editing once they are converted, but these are home movies and I am treating them that way and not looking at producing a professional quality video.
    So here are the options I have gathered online.  As I said, I think I am likely going to go for EyeTV Hybrid but would appreciate any feedback as to whether it’s the best option for me or whether I should be considering something else. Money is an issue and I really don't see myself going much above $200 on this.
    From what I have read, EyeTV Hybrid seems like it might be my best option.  Its priced at around $150 which fits my budget and I understand the results are fairly good.  Any reason why I should be wary of this option?  Is it fairly straight forward to use? From what I understand, I all need to buy is this and it comes with the necessary software – am I correct?
    I have read that video pass through in which the camera essentially converts analog to a digital signal. This does NOT appear to be an option for me unfortunately.  As I mentioned, I own a Samsung SCw62 Camcorder and I also own a Sony HDR-CX110.  Reading through the manuals I could see nothing that would suggest they could do this but I would be delighted to be informed that I am wrong.
    There appeared to be a consensus on the threads I read that the Grass Valley ADVC300 analog DV converter would produce a high quality transfer.  However, the price that I have seen is about $400 and this is far more than I am willing to pay and I haven’t seen a used one on ebay.
    The ADVC110 does fit my budget but I am wondering if it would be much better than the EyeTV Hybrid as the prices I have seen have been a little more than $200.
    There appears to be a consensus that the Roxio Easy VHS to DVD will result in a fairly low quality video and is not recommended. Anyone disagree?
    Are there any other options I should consider? 
    Finally, as I noted I want to make some nice home movies using my old analog tapes is there any reason why investing in Final Cut Express would help in the conversion process?
    Thanks to everyone for your help.
    Cheers

    There appeared to be a consensus on the threads I read that the Grass Valley ADVC300 analog DV converter would produce a high quality transfer.
    I have a drawer full of analog-to-digital converters (including the EyeTV Hybrid).   After using the Grass Valley ADVC300 I find nothing else acceptable.   I appreciate your concerns about the cost you just have to decide how important these videos are.
    Compared to today's standards DV Video's quality is not that great, so I don't want to lose ANYTHING in my conversion, I have no quality to "spare".
    I've played around with countless other conversion systems, ranging in price from $79 to $399. Short verison, this is the ONLY unit to own. No dropped frames at all, even with questionable quality tapes, no jitter, great color, excellent sound quality. Zero setup with iMovie 06 and iDVD 09/11.
    This is a prosumer deck. The time code function is alone worth the price if you have old analog footage. Absolutely NO "Out Of Sync" audio.
    ADVC300 is for anyone who wants to do editing and is concerned about quality of color and speed, for the novice it is an incredible gizmo that will restore VHS tapes to a state close to the original fixing midtones, highlights and shadows on the fly. Not only can you simply convert analog to digital you can actually manipulate the signal going in (if you want to).
    A bit pricey but it WORKS.

  • After saving a pdf as Excel workbook the numbers remain text and cannot be used in calculations. Is there a better way to convert into real digital numbers?

    After saving a pdf as Excel workbook the numbers remain text and cannot be used in calculations. Is there a better way to convert into real digital numbers?
    I have tried to convert the pdf to Word instead but same difficulty with numbers: look like numbers but not usable for calculations

    Excel has a 'text to numbers' function, I would use that.
    Convert text to numbers. Microsoft Excel.

  • Does Adobe have a product to convert PDF to Digital Brochure - HTML5 I believe.  Not EPUB because this takes specific software to open.

    Does Adobe have a product to convert PDF to Digital Brochure - HTML5 I believe.  Not EPUB because this takes specific software to open.

    Possibly naïve in terms of the skills required in what your talking about, but what I’m referring to is done by literally dozens of software companies and is commonly referred to as a digital brochure.  Here are a few:
    www.epageview.com<http://www.epageview.com>
    www.inhousedigitalpublishing.com<http://www.inhousedigitalpublishing.com>
    www.digital-brochure.com<http://www.digital-brochure.com>
    http://www.3dissue.com/
    So what I’m looking for is an Adobe solution similar to these solutions.
    craig

  • Your help needed converting video to digital

    How do I convert video to digital using a G4 Powerbook, Canopus 300 & Imovie HD 6.0.4.
    Steps needed, please.
    I have VCR, G4 Powerbook, Canopus ADVC 300 and Ilife 08 and/or Imovie HD6.0.4.
    Another poster said I needed to purchase Ilife 08 to make it work, but after the software arrived, it required G5 hardware to fully install. Not happy with that.
    Is there a workaround? Please advise.

    Assuming that you have VHS tapes that you want to convert to digital to use in iMovie? Is that correct? If so, you can find helpful information in these threads:
    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=7138598&#7138598
    An older MacWorld article with step by step instructions:
    http://www.macworld.com/article/30972/2004/05/fromvhstodvd.html
    If you are trying to do something else, please post back.

  • What is my best hardware/software to convert vhs to digital so I can edit in Final Cut Pro X

    What is my best hardware/software to convert vhs to digital so I can edit in Final Cut Pro X?  Wondering if there is a solution under 100.00 or do I need to think a bit more. Thank you.

    Have been doing this for some time, my setup:
    I use an ancient "Symphonic" VCR player connected to an Elgato Eyetv Hybrid USB dongle.  That plugs into my G5 Mac, 10.5.8, which runs Eyetv software v. 2.5.3.
    Recording is dead simple after fiddling around a bit with software settings for channel, etc.  Start the player, hit "record" on the software and wait for the end.
    The recording is saved in some obscure ".eyetv" format with file size about 4 GB per hour of recording.  The software has export to a variety of formats including QT Movie which results in a substantially larger file size.
    Quality?  Well, it's viewable and usable for archive purposes.  I'm fine with it but more discriminating folks may want something better.  I end up burning the video on a DVD using iDVD and that's not the greatest anyway.
    There are various Elgato units available, and the Eyetv Hybrid seems to run bout $130.
    Hope that helps.

  • Converting Videotape to Digital

    I want to copy my wedding videotape onto my iMac using a VCR to play the tape. Is this possible?

    You'll need additional equipment. Get a USB tv tuner like the EyeTV Hybrid this includes a TV adapter with RCA inputs (audio, video and s-video) where you can then hook up your VCR then convert. After digitalizing it you can export it to AppleTV or burn it to DVD using Toast. You'll need to upgrade to Toast Titanium 8.0.3 for $90 to burn it to DVD. The whole process was incredibly easy despite having to buy the upgrade to Toast.

  • Convert VHS to digital?

    I can't find a straight answer to this question.
    I want to convert my VHS to digital format. I have purchased the RCAtoUSB dongle. Is iLife capable of recording the actual footage, or do i need a third party program to capture the video?
    Thanks

    I want to convert my VHS to digital format. I have purchased the RCAtoUSB dongle.
    Oh Boy...
    In my experience Firewire converters give higher quality results.
    I like the ADVC300 Firewire converter.
    I've played around with countless other conversion systems, ranging in price from $79 to $399. Short verison, this is the ONLY unit to own. No dropped frames at all, even with questionable quality tapes, no jitter, great color, excellent sound quality. Zero setup with iMovie 06 and iDVD 11.
    This is a prosumer deck. The time code function is alone worth the price if you have old analog footage. Absolutely NO "Out Of Sync" audio.
    ADVC300 is for anyone who wants to do editing and is concerned about quality of color and speed, for the novice it is an incredible gizmo that will restore VHS tapes to a state close to the original fixing midtones, highlights and shadows on the fly. Not only can you simply convert analog to digital you can actually manipulate the signal going in (if you want to).
    A bit pricey bit it WORKS.
    http://www.grassvalley.com/products/advc300
    Is iLife capable of recording the actual footage
    Yes, use iMovie
    do i need a third party program to capture the video?
    I would use iMovie 06 with iDVD 11, why?
    

iMovie 11/09 uses 'single field processing' meaning every other horizontal line of the video is thrown out, which reduces the sharpness of the footage. iMovie 06 uses ALL of the image to form the video.

If your primary workflow is editing DV clips and making DVDs, iMovie '06 is better suited. Your movie will arrive at iDVD in DV format, which is an ideal match for making a DVD: same resolution, same pixels aspect ratio, and original quality. If you share your movie from iMovie 11, it gets re-rendered at 640x480 or less, and then iDVD upscales it back to 720x480. The end result is obviously not as good.

    
iMovie 06 and iDVD 11 is a 100% "lossless" combination and my DVD's look like they came from Hollywood!

  • Can you convert dvd to digital in i-tunes

    can you convert dvds to digital in i-tunes like you can in vudu and flixster, some movies are i-tunes only such as disney, indiana jones etc.

    No. iTunes cannot convert DVDs.
    tt2

  • Convert time from digits to words

    Hi,
    Is there a built-in or freely available actionscript function
    that would convert time from digits to words. For example, "9:30"
    becomes "half past nine"?
    Thanks!

    oops, missed the requirement for numbers as words, added that
    in:
    edit: fixed '1 minutes past' changed to '1 minute past'
    edit2:clarity with Number type on hour

  • How to convert Hi8 to iMac? Have 2 video cameras: Sony CCD-YRV98 video Hi8 and Panasonic SDR-SW20 digital video. Please provide the steps to convert to iMovie '11. Also, is there a way to burn in blu-ray?

    I already have two video cameras. One older (Sony) in Hi8 and the less older one (Panasonic) which is digital. Between the two can it be accomplished to transfer the Hi8 video on tapes to iMovie?
    I have the newer iMac 21.5" and also would like to know if it is possible to record this on blu-ray. The iMac didn't come with iDVD, which means I have to get that uploaded. Any other suggestions?

    Sony Hi8 camcorder
    No it is an Analog Camera - and have NO Digital-Out
    I may be made a Wrongful assumption in that the - Panasonic digital camcorder - was a Digital 8 Camera.
    If it is - it has a Digital Out (FireWire) and can playback the Hi 8 tapes from the other Camera.
    If it is a miniDV Camera - it also have a FW-out (Digital out) - BUT can not play Your Hi 8 tapes.
    Then there are not so many ways to do this.
    If Your Panasonic digital camcorder - Has Analog in RECORDING ( not all have this, it was an EXTRA Cost ! ) - Then You can playback from the Hi 8 Camera to this and record onto a miniDV tape - to be played and Captured/Imported into Your Mac.
    The Panasonic digital camcorder - Might have a feature - Play trough - that makes it possibly to use it as an Analog - Digital bridge - some can do this - But You've not told the exact type/no: etc - So I can not guess.
    If this still do not work (The Panasonic digital camcorder do not have an Analog in connection/function)
    - Then You need an Analog/Digita Converting box - from Hi 8 to this A/D-box then to Mac via FireWire.
    There are several types and prices - I got a fairly expensive box due to that I've lot's of old VHS tapes in even bad quality. And this - Canopus ADVC-300 - has a function - Timebase Correction - that helps a lot in regard to drop outs and Audio slowly going out of sync. I just keeps perfect even over several Hours of VHS-tapes.
    Yours Bengt W

  • Suggestions for removing video noise from converted Hi8 footage

    I am about to start capturing Hi8 material into FCP 6 through a Sony D8 camcorder that does the analog to digital conversion. Even after cleaning the tape heads, I notice a very few lines of noise at the very bottom of the frames - like a dirty head. From the camcorder side everything looks normal - no noise. From the FCP side in VTR mode you can see the noise. I am not sure if this is an artifact from the analog to digital transfer or if the tape head is still dirty.
    Question: assuming I cannot eliminate the noise on transfer/input, is there an easy way to apply a universal filter or horizontal "clip" function to imported video to remove the bottom few lines of video? I guess I could always overlay a black canvas covering only a few lines on the bottom, but maybe there is a more elegant solution?
    Thanks in advance for any counsel!

    What you are seeing are timing errors that are an artifact of analog recording and generally are outside the viewable area of a CRT TV (i.e. in the overscan zone). If you are setting these up for digital presentation - web or computer play only, these items may be seen.
    You have a couple of options to deal with the tearing ..
    • Recapture the material using a Hi8 deck and a separate analog/DV converter with a full frame Time Base Corrector between the tape machine and the analog/DV converter. This will clean up the timing errors but is an expensive proposition.
    • Crop the image. This will leave a very slight letterbox effect and may not be noticeable unless you mix the material with non-cropped material.
    • Slightly enlarge the material so that the tearing falls outside of the 720x480 area. Expanding images much beyond 110% softens/pixelates the images noticeably and my not be acceptable.
    • Live with it.
    Good luck.
    x

  • Quality issues converting Hi8

    Hello everybody,
    I'm planning to import a lot of hi8 footage. Tried using our old hi8 camcorder (connected via S-Video) and a 3 year old Sony miniDV camcorder (can't check which model # right now) in play through mode. The picture was fine on the camcorder's build in LCD, yet iMovie showed some serious quality issues. Washed out colors and lost brightness in addition to funky lines appearing at the bottom of the screen. People told me, the picture won't be as bad when playing on a TV, yet I wouldn't consider it acceptable.
    So I'm wondering...
    Am I going to get much better results when using an analog/digital converter or Digital8/Hi8 Firewire camcorder. Both would cost about $250...
    Thanks for you advise!

    I used a Sony analog/digital converter for several hours of footage. The quality was as good as when those tapes were played on a TV. I borrowed the one I used and plan to buy one (a converter) soon to begin moving VHS tapes over. I think it is worth the investment. Good luck-
    iMac   Mac OS X (10.3.9)  

  • Convert Hi8 - to DVD

    Hello -
    This has been discussed in the past, but I am looking for up-to-date info. I have a Sony Hi8 camcorder, and I want to transfer / edit / create DVD's from the old tapes. The camcorder can be used to play (output), and I have a new iMac. What additional hardware  / software do I need? If possible, I would like to iLife tools. What would be the best method to do this?  My goal is to go through all the tapes, and then create specific DVD's - such as "birthdays" / "vacations" / "school events" and so on.
    Thank you in advance!
    Will ~

    I use the Canopus ADVC110 - it works great!
    Yes, you can start/stop the import anywhere you want by clicking on the 'import' button at the bottom of the window.
    Importing from a DVD is different ball game for which Canopus won't help - the material is already digital but in the standard mpeg2 DVD format, not intended for editing.
    Double-click the icon of the DVD to open the folder.
    You need to convert the VOB files back to DV which iMovie is designed to handle. For that you need mpegStreamclip:
    http://www.apple.com/downloads/macosx/video/mpegstreamclip.html
    which is free, as well as the the Apple mpeg2 plugin :
    http://www.apple.com/quicktime/mpeg2/
    which is a mere $20.
    Obviously the foregoing only applies to DVDs you have made yourself, or other home-made DVDs that have been given to you. It will NOT work on copy-protected commercial DVDs, which in any case would be illegal.

Maybe you are looking for