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Attempting to capture Hi8 tapes into FCP 7
Hello! I am working on a documentary & have been trying to covert some old Hi8 tapes into something I can edit in FCP 7. I am not having much success! Here are the materials I have: Canopus ADVC-55 Advanced DV converter and Sony Handycam Hi8 camcorder. I tried using S-video out of the Handycam to the media converter, and firewire from the media converter to the MAC hard drive. I could see the video playing in the attached monitor, but I could not hear anything. I tried to hook up sound from the camera A/V out to the media converter, but that did not work. I also tried going to the miniDV player and also to the computer, but no sound! The A/V out appears to be the only place on the camera that sound could come from, unless I am misunderstanding how S-video works. Attached to the viewing monitor is a miniDV player. I tried to go from the camera to the miniDV player in various different ways, but I couldn’t get that to work either. I tried to open FCP 7 and mess around with the capture settings. I am not even sure if I can capture into FCP b/c it doesn’t recognize the camera as a VTR device. I chose “uncontrolled device” in the capture settings and I tried to push the “capture now” button, but it only said that there was “no video” and it would not capture anything. Although I could see the video in the monitor, I could not see the video in the capture preview screen.
So, to sum all that up: I have no idea if I have the necessary equipment. I don’t know how to attach all the necessary equipment. And if I can use FCP to capture from the Handycam by means of the media converter, I don’t know what settings I need to choose. If I can’t use FCP, is it possible to use the mini-DV player to record from the Hi8 tapes to mini DV?
Forgive me if I am not making sense! I hope someone has experience with this! I couldn’t find much information on it myself! I appreciate any help you could offer! Thank you!
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6 Replies
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Yes, it can be done. Choose DV NTSC 48K from the easy setup menu.
Then, as u said, turn off deck control (non-controllable device)Now, S-Video only carries video. U need to run an audio signal into the converter as well. Does the camera have RCA audio out? It should.
Run A/V from the Hi8 to the converter. Then run Firewire from the converter to the mac. Have it setup b/4 u launch FCP. Launch Capture.
If this does not work, Run the Hi8 thru a DV Deck or DV Camera the same way.
If this does not work, dub the Hi8 footage to DV tape first then capture as usual.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta -
Thanks for your response! The camera doesn’t have RCA audio out. I borrowed it from someone to try and transfer these tapes, and it seems pretty old! There is only a A/V out on the camera. I have a cord w/ a black RCA & a yellow RCA on one end, and the other end fits into the camera. I tried to plug just the yellow RCA into both the R and L audio in on the converter, but no luck. I was assuming the yellow RCA was the sound. I tried to run the camera through the miniDV deck, but maybe I didn’t have it all connected properly. Connecting things together isn’t my strong suit! I’ll keep trying! Thank you again! I appreciate your help!
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I have an old Sony CCD-TR81 Hi8 camcorder. I have used it to copy old material into my Mac and use FCP to edit it. I happened to have access to a piece of broadcast gear, a Leitch DPS 475 unit to do the convert to Firewire, but the principle is the same. My camcorder has both S-Video and composite video connectors. S-video carries video signals only, no audio. Audio, on my unit, is at the two RCA jacks, red and white (R and L audio respectively). I also have a small slide switch near the RCA connectors labeled “output” and “input.” If your unit has this, make sure the switch is set to “output”(the “Input” position allows you to use the Hi8 camcorder to record from external video sources, not what you want here).
Use FCP’s “NTSC DV” Easy Setup, as that’s what the Canopus box squirts down the Firewire hose. Run an RCA cable pair from the camcorder R and L audio Outs to the Canopus R and L audio Ins; S-video from Hi-8 to Canopus S-Video in and Firewire cable to the Mac. Since the ADVC is not a VCR/VTR, FCP will not recognize it as such, and you must use “uncontrolled device’ setting.
Play the tape, hit Capture Now. You should be seeing and hearing your Hi8 material.
If you google “advc-55 manual” you will find many links to tutorials and videos on this process. -
[Jennifer Bennett] “I was assuming the yellow RCA was the sound.”
Yellow is the usual code for composite video. You have not told us what model/make the camcorder is, which may help troubleshoot your audio issue.
Assuming the other end of the yellow/black RCA cable is a 1/8″ plug that goes into a mating “a/v” jack on the camcorder? -
Yellow is video, Black is audio (mono)
If you can try to find a Digital8 camera, most could play back Hi8 tapes. D8 has firewire and would make life a lot simpler and it would even look a little better than composite analog.
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Thanks for the information! I don’t know why I was thinking yellow was for sound. Ugh! Anyway, yes, the other end of the yellow/black RCA cable is a 1/8″ that fits into the A/V port on the camera. It is a Sony Handycam, video Hi8, CCD TR818 NTSC. There are no RCA outputs on the camera, just the A/V jack. Thanks for all the advice on the mechanics of getting it hooked to the computer! I am going to try again today and hopefully I will get it to work w/ FCP.
I really appreciate everyone’s advice!
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