Comments

jrazz wrote on 4/4/2006, 4:41 PM
If your cam has a passthrough mode to where you can hook the 8mm to the digital 8 cam and then via firewire capture to your pc, then that would be the way to go. You have to capture the footage someway, why not use Vegas capture since you already have it? It wouild be better than searching for another vid cap app to do the same thing that Vegas does.

j razz
goshep wrote on 4/4/2006, 5:06 PM
I don't think the new camera is a Digital 8. Unless I missed something. If that were the case, you could simply play the old 8mm tapes in the Digital 8 and into Vegas via firewire.

In lieu of that option....connect your 8mm a/v out to your digital a/v in and connect your new camera to Vegas via firewire. If your new camera lacks firewire, pass-thru or a/v in, you are in trouble.
jrazz wrote on 4/4/2006, 5:26 PM
Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking goshep- For some reason I had digital 8 on my mind- but what you say is true, if you have a digi 8, use it to play the tapes.

j raz
skanji wrote on 4/5/2006, 6:36 AM
new camera is not a digital 8, but rather a digital mini-DV camera. Any suggestions?
johnmeyer wrote on 4/5/2006, 8:32 AM
jrazz already answered your question in his first reply. That is the way to do it.
skanji wrote on 4/5/2006, 8:52 AM
So essentially:

-connect 2 cameras together
-connect digital camera to pc using firewire
-play on 8mm camera
-play on digital camera
-capture on vegas

not sure about how the whole transfer works...am I pressing play on both cameras, or playing from one and recording to the other?

thanks
johnmeyer wrote on 4/5/2006, 10:49 AM
-connect 2 cameras together

Yes, via S-Video or composite, plus audio
Also, enable the "pass-through feature on your digital camera

-connect digital camera to pc using firewire

Yes.

-play on 8mm camera

Yes.

-play on digital camera

No. You don't record to the tape. In fact, don't even put a tape in the digital camera. The digital camera is acting as nothing more than an analog-to-digital encoder.

-capture on vegas

Yes.
skanji wrote on 4/5/2006, 11:20 AM
thanks...will try it tonight!
skanji wrote on 4/6/2006, 6:23 AM
Ok, I'm really stumped here. I'm not sure how to connect the two cameras together. Here's what I've figured out so far:

1. My 8mm camcorder has an output jack which outputs to the 1 video 2 audio wires (ie yellow, red and white). I'm not sure how or where this connects to my new digital MiniDV camera (Panasonic PV-GS150).

Once connected, I can connect the new camera to the computer via firewire or USB.

Any ideas?
cbrillow wrote on 4/6/2006, 8:30 AM
Many camcorders have a single set of composite video input/output jacks and come with a cable that can connect to female jacks of a composite source, such as a TV or VCR, to record or pass video through via that connection.

You may find yourself with two cameras that each has a cable with male RCA connectors on the ends. If this is the case, and your new camcorder does have a composite input, you can connect the two cables together with dual female adaptors.

Edit: Whenever possible, use the firewire connection to the computer instead of USB. The firewire connection will give you DV-spec video, with synchronized audio. USB will very likely be reduced resolution, yielding inferior results.

Edit 2: I just glanced at the manual for your camcorder. It does not appear that it has composite A/V inputs. I only see reference to A/V outputs.
jrazz wrote on 4/6/2006, 8:33 AM
Make sure your new DV camera has the passthrough option- it would be in the manual or in one of the on camera menus. Don't go buying cords before you know your camera has this feature.

j razz
skanji wrote on 4/6/2006, 10:45 AM
checked the manual on-line and could not find any reference to pass-through mode. Manual is here is interested: http://service.us.panasonic.com/OPERMANPDF/PVGS150.PDF

So, if it doesn't have this mode, what are my options?
Aje wrote on 4/6/2006, 11:06 AM
I can´t see any other solution than to borrow a dig8 cam from somone or from a store.
If that is impoosible and you have a big pile of important 8 tapes perhaps consider to
buy a dig8 (they are cheap now) go direct into vegas with firewire
and try to sell the dig 8 afterwards.
Aje
jrazz wrote on 4/6/2006, 11:07 AM
You could buy a PCI capture card for your desktop or you could buy a D/V Pyro or Canopus box to do it. If this is important, I am sure you would want something that captures to avi instead of mpg.

j razz
donaldvf wrote on 4/6/2006, 3:51 PM
I like the suggestion by Aje. I have a number of ways to get my old 8mm video into Vegas but prefer my Sony GV-D200 Digital8 cassette deck that takes care of all my Digital-8 and Standard 8 stuff via firewire. Does excellent pass through of any signal that can hook up via S-video or RCA. Pretty much the same idea as Aje, but probably a little pricy. Has a good resale value though.

Regards

donaldvf
goshep wrote on 4/6/2006, 5:25 PM
A new Canopus ADVC-100 can be had for the price of a cheap Digital 8. Do you want another camcorder laying around or a much smaller capture device? I would think the ADVC would have a higher resale value if you chose to ditch it after you've finished.
I'm still not convinced your camcorder doesn't have pass-thru.
Lance Lenehan wrote on 4/6/2006, 7:03 PM
A google search found a review at:

http://www.dvspot.com/reviews/panasonic/pv_gs150-review/index.shtml

"...The GS150 does not support analog-to-digital conversion, much to our surprise. For those who don't know what this is for (and that's a lot of you), it means that you can't take video from analog sources (e.g. VCR, old camcorder) and convert the video into DV format..."

The Digital8/Canopus option sounds like a good idea to me.

Regards,
Lance.

skanji wrote on 4/10/2006, 5:48 AM
Thanks for all the great advice. I think I would rather go the route of picking up a different camcorder as opposed to the Canopus route. I'm looking at a camcorder I can pick up from FutureShop or Bestbuy in Canada, however not sure which works for pass-through. Any suggestions? Here are the sites:
http://www.bestbuy.ca/
www.futureshop.ca/
SonicClang wrote on 4/10/2006, 6:46 AM
If you can't do pass-through, why not just record from your old camcorder into the new one, and then play from the new one into the computer. Yeah it takes longer, but it IS an option.
johnmeyer wrote on 4/10/2006, 9:56 AM
why not just record from your old camcorder into the new one, and then play from the new one into the computer.

If I remember, his camcorder doesn't even have analog input, just analog output. Shocking, I know, but apparently true. Otherwise this would have been exactly the right thing to do.
skanji wrote on 4/10/2006, 10:45 AM
that's right...not even sure how to connect the 2 camcorders together to do this...if anyone knows...let me know
B.Verlik wrote on 4/10/2006, 10:50 AM
The other reason to avoid the Canopus ADVC 100, is because it does not have TBC and DNR (a Time Base Corrector and Digital Noise Reduction). When transfering 8 mm or Hi-8 mm, there can be lots of drop-outs and TBC and DNR help eliminate this. The Sony Digital 8's have TBC and DNR. Be sure to research which models have the ability to play back 8mm tapes and have the Pass-thru feature. Only certain, top of the line models have this ability.
Can be obtained used for about $100. to $300., depending on model and condition.
skanji wrote on 4/10/2006, 11:11 AM
still looking on advice as to which mini-dv or mini-dvd or hard drive models sold at Bestbuy or Futureshop in Canada allow for pass-through feature?
B.Verlik wrote on 4/10/2006, 12:04 PM
While the pass-thru feature is nice for most stuff, any transfers made of VHS, 8mm or Hi8 will suffer from "drop-outs", if you don't have TBC and DNR (lots of re-editing and missing pieces of video).This is where you lose a few seconds of your video because of playback problems. Even though the tapes play fine over the TV, they are prone to having drop-outs when digitalizing them. ESPECIALLY on any tapes recorded at slower than SP.
Pass-thru alone, is fine for digital signals and even Satellite or Cable transfers. But if you want clean "Tape" transfers, you need the TBC and DNR.
I'm just warning you in advance.
My Sony Dig 8 can play back 8mm, Hi8 and I can have any analog with composite or S-video hooked to it, to either record to DIg8 or straight Pass-thru to firewire out.