Capture 8mm video to my PC

[denis]

Hi,
I am hoping someone can help me with this please?

How do I set up VideoStudio Pro x6 to capture 8mm video from an old video camera?

I am using the Sabrent USB 2.0 video capture creator with audio video DVD maker. USB-AVCPT

When I try it VideoStudia can find the 2.0 Grabber but when I try to capture there is no preview of the capture or sound.

I am hoping someone can help me.

Thank you

[BrianCee]

One of the problems with many USB video capture devices is that they are "tweaked" so that they only work with the software supplied with them - which is possibly why Videostudio can see the device - but not work with it.

Did any software come with the capture device ? - if yes then you should capture with that software and simply import/insert the files to Videostudio for editing

[denis]

Hi Brian,

Thank you for your reply. Yes software did come with the USB capture device called ULead Video Studio. I can capture the video, but it is in black and white and no sound. I have not been able to figure out how to correct this and this is why I was hoping it would work with VideoStudio Pro.

[BrianCee]

There hasn't been a Ulead Videostudio for a while now - about 5 years i would think so that is definitely quite old - does it by any chance have the letters SE at the end of it's name - they used to do that a lot and it means 'Special Edition' - that is tweaked to work with specific hardware.

I can only guess that the refusal to work with X8 is a Windows thing - when the device was made we were on 'XP' - maybe Vista and perhaps your device does not work with Windows 8

I do not have a real solution - other than a new capture device - perhaps someone else will come up with a more sensible option

[canuck]

Hi Brian,

Thank you for your reply. Yes software did come with the USB capture device called ULead Video Studio. I can capture the video, but it is in black and white and no sound. I have not been able to figure out how to correct this and this is why I was hoping it would work with VideoStudio Pro.

Perhaps this youTube video might help.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKtdJDA4cE4

Black&White capture is often due to incorrect setup/connection

[Ken Berry]

There hasn't been a Ulead Videostudio for a while now - about 5 years i would think so that is definitely quite old

Just to set the record straight, Ulead was first taken over by InterVideo in 2005, then InterVideo was bought by Corel in 2006. So it is even older than Brian thought!!

[denis]

Hi Ken,
Thank you for your reply. I only purchased this USB about a year ago and it says on the package that it is compatible with Windows 8. It seems it might be best to look for another USB capture device. Corel will not help me unless I purchase one of the help packages.

Regards,
Denis

[canuck]

Can you post the complete make/model of the USB capture device and perhaps a link from where you bought it? THe same for the software that came with it. It seems strange that someone would sell obsolete software and claim it is compatible with W8

[Terfyn]

Currently Corel are flogging an Analogue to Digital device by Roxio. It is show in todays e-mail. I presume they may even support it for free initially.
Pinnacle had a box called Dazzle which was considered quite good.

[Ken Berry]

Pinnacle had a box called Dazzle which was considered quite good.

Though it has to be said Dazzle only works with Pinnacle Studio and not Video Studio! And this is despite the fact that Corel now own Pinnacle as well!!!

[denis]

Hi Ken and everyone,

Thanks for your help. I have been Googling and found this product: https://www.videoguys.com.au/Shop/p/247 ... blive.html

Do you think I would have better luck with this product?

[Ken Berry]

Hauppage has a good reputation. That being said, I suspect that you will find that it looks, and has similar/identical connections as your existing one. Moreover, the software it comes with is another Ulead product -- Movie Factory -- which shares code with Ulead Video Studio. In addition, the fact that they call it 'Ulead Movie Factory' indicates it is just as old as the other software. Corel has not developed Movie Factory for many years, and its 'current' version is MF 7 which I bought when it was first released nearly exactly 7 years ago in August 2008. It was/is meant to focus mainly on authoring discs, with some modest editing capacity. Video Studio shares the same burning engine as MF.

[denis]

Hi Ken,

It seems difficult to find any device that is fairly current and affordable. I don't want to waste any more money on devices that don't do the job. I am at a loss as what to do.

[Ken Berry]

Many years ago I bought one of those USB devices but it was fiddly to set up correctly, particularly to get the audio. In the end I put it in a drawer where it still remains. Instead, for my own 8 mm analogue video collection I actually went out and bought a Sony Digital 8 video camera which had what is called 'passthrough'. It's a DCR TRV 480, and it can play analogue 8 mm and Hi8 tapes. The best part is that, being a Sony, it what they call iLink, but everyone else calls Firewire -- a now largely outmoded but still useful technology. I could thus play my 8 mm tapes on the Sony and capture them in DV/AVI format on my computer via Firewire. DV/AVI was for a long time regarded as the best quality format to capture and edit in as it is largely lossless and easily converted to DVD-compatible mpeg-2.

The only trouble with this is that Sony no longer produce these cameras. However, you might find one on Trade Me or a similar place. There are a variety of other Digital 8 models, all made by Sony, which have passthrough, though not every model does. So you would need to first look up which models have it, and then search for it on line.

But the major drawback of this I have to say is that very few computers these days have a Firewire port -- though it was easy enough to insert a Firewire card on desktop computers back in the day when it was easy and cheap to find such cards. I'm afraid this may no longer be the case -- although some computers kept it for those of us who moved on to the high def HDV format which is also captured via Firewire.

[denis]

Hi Ken,

I have purchased a second hand Sony Video8 Handycam camera CCD-TR202E. This is what I have connected to the capture device.

How else could I connect the camera to my PC?

Can I just download the fireware software?

Thanks for your help