I have a Digital8 and I really enjoy it. It works great for my hobbyist needs.
I've transfered alot of Hi8 stuff to my PC for editing in Vegas. Burnt that to DVD afterwards.

Mario

Thanks John and Mario,

Do I understand this...I can pop my Hi8 tapes into this cam and capture directly to my PC via firewire? I remember hearing about Digital8 in ~1999 but completely forgot about it.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=details&kw=SODCRTRV480&is=REG&Q=&O=productlist&sku=365868

Yep. I have the TRV-460.
I had some footage of my brother's twin daughters when they were like, 1 hour old, at the hospital, that I'd shot on my analogue Samsung camcorder. I added that to his tapes of his kids' birthdays, Christmases, etc. that he'd shot on the same model camcorder. I just stuck those in my 460, transfered via firewire, did some editing and burnt it to DVD using DVD Architect.
Works like a charm.

Mario

Since you have a Sony Hi8 you need to replace, I would recommend a Sony Digital 8.

I have an old Sony D8 310? an it has a lot of use in it. Plays my old Hitachi Hi8 tapes great. As a matter of fact, the Hitachi video is better than my Sony native video. I think it was the lens.

But the digital transfer should be great thru 1394.

Do I understand this...I can pop my Hi8 tapes into this cam and capture directly to my PC via firewire?

That is exactly correct.

You can buy these, used or new on eBay:

Digital8 Camcorders on eBay

I was so thrilled to be reminded of the Digital8 cams that I went ahead and bought the TRV480 through B&H. Heck I might even shoot some footage with it ;^) since my PC110 died last month. I got a $430 estimate to replace the switch block...which I passed on.

thanks again,

j

I started capturing my Hi8 footage with my new digital 8 camera. After about 9 hours of tape I started to get no audio or video. I tried a radio shack 8mm wet head cleaner, thats all I could find. First try worked...then on another tape, I started to getting audio hissing, but video was OK, I used the head cleaner again and the hissing stopped but returned after about 30 minutes. A header cleaner should only be used every 20 hours. My tapes have been stored in the garage since 1994, clearly they are on their way out.

What is the best head cleaner for a digital 8?

thanks,

Jeff

About all I can think of is the stock standard Sony 8mm cleaning tapes but as you say they're not doing the heads much good having to use them all the time. There's many potential problems with old tapes and they get worse if they weren't stored properly. Most likely you've now got some sort of fungus growing on the tape and possibly it's starting to shed.
Put them in zip lock bag with dessicant for a while sure will not do any harm, might make the fungus croak and loose its grip a bit.
You might be able to find someone with the gear to clean the tapes I've only seen machines for doing this on 1" and 2" videotape but ya never know.
Spooling the tapes a few times before trying to capture them might help too.
Bob.

Spooling the tapes a few times before trying to capture them might help too.

For tapes of this age, I think I would recommend this as well. If you still have an old 8mm (doesn't have to be Hi8) deck around, you can do the FF, the Rew in that, so if any oxide is shedding it will clog that up, rather than your camcorder.

With really old tape, the oxide can come off so fast that you only get one shot at the capture. I remember reading about a restoration project -- must have been audio tape -- of tape from the 1950's era and there was no way they could coat the tape or keep the oxide from coming off, so they hooked up every kind of recording device they could think of (so they had backup, because they wouldn't get another shot) and let 'er rip. Maybe it was the sound track on a movie master (were they magnetic? The prints are optical ... I don't know).

Anyway, I don't think tape that is as relatively new as this will have that degree of problem.

Since these tapes seem to be a ticking time bomb, my inclination is to capture ASAP. My old Hi8 camera will still rewind, so I could try to FF and RW once on that. One tape already broke while shuttling. In any event, digital8 was great advice for me.

Jeff