Capturing 8mm video for edit in VS 10+

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:03 am

Hello

Can Video Studio 10+ capture and edit 8mm video?

My Graphics card does not have a " video in " capability.

Thanks for any help

Post by **Ken Berry** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:25 am

Yes, but of course your computer has to have some sort of capture card or you need to use some sort of capture device between the device playing the 8mm video (an analogue camera?) and the computer. That capture device or internal capture card converts the analogue incoming signal from the tape to digital. Normally, you would capture in DVD-compatible mpeg-2 with most of these devices. At the higher end of the price spectrum there are devices which will capture in easier-to-edit DV/AVI format.

And if you have a mini DV video camera which allows pass-through (consult the camera manual on that), you can connect analogue camera to digital camera and the latter to your computer via Firewire to get good quality DV/AVI as well.

sjj1805 · Post by **sjj1805** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:20 am

Please Read This Before posting wrote:SUBJECT: Please use a subject that describes your exact problem instead of making us guess what's in your post.

Sorry if you this sounds like I am telling you off - I am not.
You can alter the title by using the

button on your first post.

The purpose of providing a meaningful title is this.
There are a number of members on the forum who try and help troubleshoot problems - myself included. In the early days of the user forum it was not too difficult to be able to read all of the posts submitted since the last time I (or one of the other troubleshooters) had logged on.

On the Forum Home page at the top right is a link
view posts since last visit In the forums early days this would perhaps range between 10-30 posts. Today however the board has grown in popularity and more products are now catered for including the former Intervideo products before the merger with Ulead.

There have been days when I have logged on to find over 70 new posts since my last visit. It is of course impossible to read each and every one of them and so it is necessary to look at the titles to pick out posts where I feel I am able to offer some worthwhile input.

if you are viewing perhaps the VideoStudio forum and a post is entitled
"VideoStudio" - it doesn't really give you a clue, similarly in the PhotoImpact forum a post entitled [PhotoImpact] is equally as meaningless.

Giving a post a suitable title is a means of helping us to help you.

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 3:58 am

Hi Ken,
thanks for your advice, just hopeing that my camera has the input you mention. " Pass through"

Thanks again.

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:07 am

Hello Steve,

Sorry,that was a bit stupid of me to give such a vague subject
title, will lift my game in future

Thanks for the prompt.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 4:17 am

If it doesn't, then you will need to buy a capture device. My advice is to avoid buying something at the cheaper end of the market. You get what you are prepared to pay for. As mentioned, the best to go for is a device which will capture to DV format. But they cost two or three hundred dollars. If you can only afford something cheaper, then you will have to settle for a card or device which will 'only' capture DVD-compatible mpeg-2. There are a whole raft of these, some of which work with Video Studio, but many of them don't. However, they usually come with their own software, so you use that software to capture, and then simply open the captured software in VS for editing.

The other thing to look for is a device which has a built-in chip which does all the hard work of converting the analogue signal into digital in the device (or card) itself. That is a fairly demanding process, and though most modern computers have the resources for it, it doesn't hurt to take the weight off the computer's square shoulders a little!

Now just about everyone here who has one of these devices or cards will swear by whatever they use. So I am understandably reluctant to recommend any particular device. However, for what it is worth, I think the Adstech DVD Xpress DX2 does a very good job. It costs usually under US$100. But note that you have to use the software which comes with it for capture (an excellent program in any case, called CapWiz...) The DX2 also has a built in chip as described above. Its predecessors in the same range did not, so be careful not to get one of the older or lesser models should you be able to find this in one of your local computer stores. Harvey Norman used to have them, but I confess I have not been to one of their computer shops in well over two years...

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 2:33 am

HEY KEN

I was in luck .

By running a feed through my VCR I was able to output to my Panasonic
camcorder and then do the digital conversion ready to capture in VS 10+
for edit. Fan...Bloomin....Tastic

If you had'nt suggested that "Pass Through" would still be up that much heard of creek !!

Many thanks for all your trouble mate.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 3:44 am

Glad it worked out for you...

At the time, I went out and bought a Sony Digital 8 which will actually play both analogue 8 and Hi8 tapes which you can capture directly from the camera via firewire.... Also great quality...

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 12:52 pm

Sounds a tidy unit ....very tasty.

This Sharp camcorder is like brand new.
It belongs to my son who visited the States in 1992 .
Since then it has not been used.

It did a good job, but Dad now has to make a DVD lol.
(Was surprised that the 8mm videos run for only 30 minutes)

Thanks again Ken for your help.

Post by **Ken Berry** » Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:59 pm

Don't forget that those 8mm were revolutionary in their day, and 30 minutes was pretty good. And you could use half speed to double the length -- though this usually meant significant loss in quality and difficulty playing them back if you changed camera brands. And remember that 8mm home *films* usually only ran for 3 minutes!!

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:27 am

I stand corrected, 30 minutes woud have seemed a vast step forward
compared to 3 minutes.
One thing I liked about this Sharp camera was that the microphone was very good indeed. One clip of a sea trip crossing between islands where there was a fair amount of sea breeze going on,no sound of any wind noise at all picked up. Just the sound of the sea and the ships engines.
The mike does have the usual foam cover, but I was very surprised at how well it worked, will try sticking some foam over my built in mike on my camcorder or bye an external,lol

Post by **Ron P.** » Mon Sep 07, 2009 11:40 am

Yes the earlier mics were much better. FWIW, I've tried using foam over my camcorder mic, it helps, but not nearly as good as an external mic, which also needs a wind-sock.

blacktoad · Post by **blacktoad** » Thu Sep 10, 2009 9:36 am

Yes,an external mic will be on my Christmas wish list this year.
Complete with sock.!

Wind noise has spoilt too many of my outside clips in the past.