Capture Device for Video8 / Hi8 into Vegas ??

JJKizak wrote on 3/1/2021, 10:58 AM

I use an old Canopus ADVC 300

3POINT wrote on 3/1/2021, 10:59 AM

In those days I used always a Canopus ADVC-110 for this purpose. I think this must be affordable to get second hand in the www. Of course you need also a Video8/Hi8 player and a computer with a firewire interface to capture.

Denicio wrote on 3/1/2021, 11:02 AM

THAT is the brand of the box i used to own. Not an easy one to remember. HA!

So, how Windows 10 (64 bit) are the Canopus devices?

Former user wrote on 3/1/2021, 11:11 AM

I still use mine. You just have to have firewire which is an add on card. Then you have to play with the drivers, usually have to download the legacy drivers.

Mike Cox wrote on 3/1/2021, 11:34 AM

I'm using an Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro 4k. It plugs into a pcie 4x slot. It can be used for a preview device for Vegas.

Denicio wrote on 3/1/2021, 11:45 AM

I'm using an Blackmagic Design Intensity Pro 4k. It plugs into a pcie 4x slot. It can be used for a preview device for Vegas.

YOU, sir, are speaking my language! This Blackmagic 4K looks mighty tempting! Price is right as well.

JUST because its the way my brain works...i gotta ask. You say "Preview Device" that means i can capture video into Vegas and edit it, right?

I am also seeing threads mention a new term to me....TBC. I assume its something i am going to need? Does the blackmagic have TBC?

(If i sound like i dont know what i am talking about, its because i dont have a clue)

Thanks for any additional info.

Mike Cox wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:11 PM

You have to use Blackmagic's capture software to capture video.

The Intensity Pro 4k can be used as a preview device for Vegas. You goto Preferences, the Preview Device tab and select the Blackmagic Design DecLink. It supports 10bit color.

A TBC is a Time Base Corrector. It is used to stabilize unsteady video coming from VCRs for use in studios and broadcast. I have not had a problem capturing video without using a TBC. But if you have a TBC or a VCR with an internal TBC go ahead and use it.

If you do have problems capturing your old tapes, a TBC could help. I just realized that most of my decks have TBCs built in.

Teagan wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:13 PM

I'm using a firewire PCIe card (USB is not compatible with firewire because packets vs bitstream) from a sony hi8 camcorder that has firewire bitstream out, and using that into vegas' built in capture program. I used to use virtualdub and AV cables but vegas' built in program is much better (and firewire is much better) and since I'm using firewire, on my specific camera I can control the camera from said recording program in vegas (play, pause, forward, backward, etc).

Denicio wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:19 PM

I'm using a firewire PCIe card (USB is not compatible with firewire because packets vs bitstream) from a sony hi8 camcorder that has firewire bitstream out, and using that into vegas' built in capture program. I used to use virtualdub and AV cables but vegas' built in program is much better (and firewire is much better) and since I'm using firewire, on my specific camera I can control the camera from said recording program in vegas (play, pause, forward, backward, etc).

Two things:

1. So Sony Cameras that have the Firewire out WILL convert the analog media into digital and allow it to be captured into vegas?

2. What model camera do you have?

3POINT wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:31 PM

Every DV camera with analog inputs can convert that analog signal to DV and allow it to capture through its firewire into Vegas.

Former user wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:32 PM

@3POINT not exactly correct. I have a Sony digital 8 that did not allow passthrough. Not all cameras do.

3POINT wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:36 PM

I said DV camera!

Former user wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:42 PM

@3POINT oops sorry, I was thinking of firewire digital cameras as DV in general. You might be right about DV format cameras.

JN- wrote on 3/1/2021, 12:52 PM

@Denicio

I used the following method with source as a hi8 camcorder for my v8 tapes, as well as a vhs deck for my vhs tapes.

I captured my vhs tapes using the Vegas capture software.

I had an old JVC mini DV camcorder that takes line input.

I purchased a PCI-E firewire card for my PC.

I connected the VHS (or hi8 camcorder) player OUT to the JVC DV line IN and then I connected the JVC camcorder Firewire OUT to the Firewire card IN on the PC. Note, leave mini DV without tape, put in play mode, enable line-in in the DV camcorder menu. In the Vegas capture software, under options/preferences disable/un-check “Enable DV device control “.

The files saved are a fixed standard DV25 .avi. Because of going through the electronics of the Mini DV camcorder the result is superior than the poorer, usually USB, digital capture devices.

If you have, or can purchase an old DV camcorder with line in its the way to go.

JVC-GR-DVP9

To use the JVC camcorder as passthrough... i.e. output of VCR to JVC camcorder input and then JVC camcorder output to PC firewire input.

In JVC menu set ...

AV S-IN to ON

In Vegas set “Device Control” to disabled.

Remove tape from JVC.

Set JVC to “Play” mode

Firewire card ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA84E6/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1

“TEXAS INSTRUMENTS XIO2200A CHIPSET WITH ADDITIONNAL POWER PLUG FOR A RELIABLE FIREWIRE SIGNAL”.

A great article on getting and installing the “Legacy” firewire driver ...

https://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/Firewire-1.htm

Denicio wrote on 3/1/2021, 1:11 PM

@Denicio

I used the following method with source as a hi8 camcorder for my v8 tapes, as well as a vhs deck for my vhs tapes.

I captured my vhs tapes using the Vegas capture software.

I had an old JVC mini DV camcorder that takes line input.

I purchased a PCI-E firewire card for my PC.

I connected the VHS (or hi8 camcorder) player OUT to the JVC DV line IN and then I connected the JVC camcorder Firewire OUT to the Firewire card IN on the PC. Note, leave mini DV without tape, put in play mode, enable line-in in the DV camcorder menu. In the Vegas capture software, under options/preferences disable/un-check “Enable DV device control “.

The files saved are a fixed standard DV25 .avi. Because of going through the electronics of the Mini DV camcorder the result is superior than the poorer, usually USB, digital capture devices.

If you have, or can purchase an old DV camcorder with line in its the way to go.

JVC-GR-DVP9

To use the JVC camcorder as passthrough... i.e. output of VCR to JVC camcorder input and then JVC camcorder output to PC firewire input.

In JVC menu set ...

AV S-IN to ON

In Vegas set “Device Control” to disabled.

Remove tape from JVC.

Set JVC to “Play” mode

Firewire card ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002VA84E6/ref=pe_3187911_189395841_TE_dp_1

“TEXAS INSTRUMENTS XIO2200A CHIPSET WITH ADDITIONNAL POWER PLUG FOR A RELIABLE FIREWIRE SIGNAL”.

A great article on getting and installing the “Legacy” firewire driver ...

https://www.studio1productions.com/Articles/Firewire-1.htm

Wow, JN you are speaking my language!

I do own a Sony mini DV. Its a TRV-38 and i believe it has Line In capabilities as you mentioned!

If it does work, this will solve many issues AND save me some $$.

So a couple of nerdy questions:

1. What will keep an idol Mini DV player from 'going to sleep' if its left on for several minutes? Is there a way to turn that off?

2. The firewire card you linked to is not for sale but it does get me headed in the right direction. Oddly i have bookmarked that firewire suggestion page already. Thanks for confirming its a legit source.

If i can keep that TRV38 from going to sleep than it appears i am 95% on my way to transferring old videos!

Many thanks for your information.

Denicio

JN- wrote on 3/1/2021, 2:26 PM

@Denicio 👍 Best of luck.

What will keep an idol Mini DV player from 'going to sleep'. I don’t recollect having that issue.

walter-i. wrote on 3/1/2021, 2:36 PM

I think I can remember that my device switched itself off after 5 minutes of "non-use" (battery protection), but this was never the case when the tape was copied.
In addition, I always connected it to the power supply with the charger when copying, so as not to experience any surprises.
Maybe that was the "trick".

Denicio wrote on 3/1/2021, 2:40 PM

I think I can remember that my device switched itself off after 5 minutes of "non-use" (battery protection), but this was never the case when the tape was copied.
In addition, I always connected it to the power supply with the charger when copying, so as not to experience any surprises.
Maybe that was the "trick".

Very good advice and i am not sure my batteries are any good. So it would have been AC power only.

Teagan wrote on 3/4/2021, 2:52 PM

I'm using a firewire PCIe card (USB is not compatible with firewire because packets vs bitstream) from a sony hi8 camcorder that has firewire bitstream out, and using that into vegas' built in capture program. I used to use virtualdub and AV cables but vegas' built in program is much better (and firewire is much better) and since I'm using firewire, on my specific camera I can control the camera from said recording program in vegas (play, pause, forward, backward, etc).

Two things:

1. So Sony Cameras that have the Firewire out WILL convert the analog media into digital and allow it to be captured into vegas?

2. What model camera do you have?

1.Yes, Vegas' capture program "VidCap60" allows capture from my camera, directly from firewire in my camera to firewire PCIe in my PC. Since firewire is bitstream I am not sure if the camera or my PC is doing the analog to digital conversion (edit, my camera uses digital8 and records onto hi8 digitally). However, the audio on some Hi8 camcorders is digital and I believe mine is, due to its quality. I have got excellent results with this setup and and also in older versions like movie studio 14 platinum. It records to DV uncompressed interlaced with 4:1:1 chroma subsampling. It's unfortunate that you lose the grain when you compress the video to a more reasonable size. It's about 25GB/hour. To save space you could use virtualdub with x264 and not use vegas' capture program.

2. I use the Sony Digital Handycam DCR-TRV120 NTSC. It's one of the more higher end models and I'm glad we got it back then. It's well worth the money to digitize tapes and it's so easy.

One more thing to add, in the VidCap60 program in Vegas, there's an option to create clips on scene detection - like when the camera starts and stops recording. I have found this very useful and it has only rare false positives for scenes.

My device is the "SYBA 2 port 1394B firewire with One 1394A PCI Express Card 800/400/200/100Mb/s" and it also says "TI XIO2213".