analog to AVI using Sony TRV900

kkmm wrote on 9/16/2002, 2:39 PM

Greetings,

I thought I saw it posted here that I could use my Sony TRV900 Mini-DV camcorder to convert my old HI-8 and VHS to AVI files by just passing through the camera and connecting to my PC by the Firewire. I have no luck with any setting getting this to work. Is there something I am missing or a setting I am overlooking? I am stumped, but would love for this to work so I won't have to get any other hardware/software. All advice is always appreciated. Thanks!

Ken

Comments

salad wrote on 9/16/2002, 4:08 PM

Ken,
You may be limited to having to record to DV tape first.
Try it again, but this time disconnect the firewire cable from the camera and see if the output from the VHS/Hi-8 is present in the viewfinder or LCD display. Is it there?

kkmm wrote on 9/16/2002, 4:15 PM

Yep, it sure is! As soon as I plug the Firwire into the camera, the picture disappears. Does that tell us that it can't be done with this particular camera?

Thanks for responding,

Ken

jboy wrote on 9/16/2002, 4:27 PM

Dont know for sure, but a quite savvy friend of mine with a trv900 bought a trv120, just so he could do the transcoding. So my guess is it wont work on the 900. There was a workaround, but you had to build a very simple circuit using a transistor, serial port connector, and LANC cable. You plugged the cable into your camera, the port adapter into your computer, ran a little software program call An-In, and it worked ! Did it on my old trv310. Bit of a bother, though..

salad wrote on 9/16/2002, 4:32 PM

Maybe someone with a TRV series cam can maybe post here....

The cam CAN be used as a DV to analog converter/pass thru, i.e. when PTT from VV thru firewire/camera, you can use that analog and/or SVHS port to go directly to VHS/SVHS etc. without even having a DV tape in the cam. But maybe you already knew that part(sorry);-)

Anyone else...???

bdunn wrote on 9/16/2002, 5:24 PM

kkmm,
Have you checked the menu options on your camera?
Don't have a TRV900 but on a Sony D8 you have to set the A/V>DV menu option 'On' or 'Off' depending on which direction you are going (analog to cam to pc, or pc to cam to analog).

There was a similar thread on this at :

http://www.sonicfoundry.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=108960&Page=0

Hope this helps.
bd

Tyler.Durden wrote on 9/16/2002, 7:46 PM

Hi Ken,

To get analog pass-through on my old D-8, I have to start recording on a tape and then put the DV cable in...

...at least you can record and digitize at the same time.

HTH, MPH

salad wrote on 9/16/2002, 8:04 PM

I will try that too.
Thanks Marty!

kkmm wrote on 9/16/2002, 9:46 PM

Thanks,

Just got back in, so let me try a few of these ideas and see what happens. I have a similar post going on "rec.video.desktop" and the thread refered to:

http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/rm95.html#transcoding

Seems to be a complicated way around it rather than a simple soloution. Looks like others have run into the same problem and manuevered a way around it. I have tried every possible menu option on the camera with no luck.

Thanks for everyone's help.

Ken

salad wrote on 9/16/2002, 10:05 PM

Look on the bright side. At least you can have a DV tape copy of the Hi8/VHS stuff, if you end up having to record to your cam first. I know.....it's a pain.

Carel wrote on 9/17/2002, 12:11 AM

I have a TRV900 and the web page mentioned previously: http://www.bealecorner.com/trv900/rm95.html#transcoding mentions the only work-around that I have been able to find. I also know of a number of people who have bought a TRV120 just for trancoding, but that model has been discontinued and the newer models have the transcoding crippled, like the 900. So I ended up getting a Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge :-(

kkmm wrote on 9/17/2002, 9:45 AM

Are you happy with the Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge? I think I have so much to convert that second copies of everything, or just the double time involved, will be excessive.

Thanks for all the advice,

Ken

salad wrote on 9/17/2002, 4:11 PM

Hey MartyH,
Your trick works!
Open Vidcap to "Get Ready", without having 1394 cable connected to camera yet, Hit record on DV cam, and start playback on VHS(or vice/versa), then connect 1394 cable, and start capture(may have to hit "reconnect to current device"). It works on a Sony PC-100, which came out "about" the same time as the TRV900 (I almost/should have got one).
I don't need this feature, but maybe...Ken, you can use this.
It's still messy....I recommend a separate device like that Canopus, Dazzle, etc.

Fun expirement though!