Has anyone successfully imported Hi8 videotape into a Thunderbolt 3 Mac?

[Igzignious]

The most stable way I have imported Hi-8, VHS, mini-DV etc into a Mac is using a Blackmagic Intensity Shuttle bought on ebay (Thunderbolt or USB3) and using Media Express to do the import. I also have a in a TBC for the VHS import. After import then use FCP7 or X or whatever for editing.. Importing using FW800 into any of the NLEs or iMovie is fraught with problems .. timecode breaks etc.

[Phil Hyson]

Andy, thanks for the detailed info re: Sony Digital8. I’m using a Hi8 Sony CCD-TR101 (1993), the same camera I used to make the original Hi8 DV recordings. It does import via FCPX on my older TB2 Mac. Although the FCPX Preview window freezes while importing, the recording is OK. I have no idea why the FCPX window freezes though.

<font face=”inherit”>Apparently the Apple TB 3 to TB2 </font>converter<font face=”inherit”> does not work so I’ll give up on that.</font>

[Phil Hyson]

My original Hi8 camera will transcode to digital. The issues are 1) Will work with TB2 (although with a frozen preview screen using FCPX, and 2) will not work at all with TB3.

Thanks all for the input.

As for long-term storage I plan to transcode into ProRes 422 and use Mark’s suggestion of Camera Archive for long-term storage. Hopefully those two thoughts are compatible.

BTW, has anyone compared FCPX transcoding to Apple’s Compressor transcoding?

[Patrick Donegan]

I just found this article / advert :

https://eshop.macsales.com/blog/72701-thunderbolt-3-device-thunderbolt-2-mac/?APC=READERSPC&Source=RYW21_Mar27&utm_source=bm23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=We%27ve+all+been+there+–+thinking+a+perfectly+fine+Mac+has+become+a+paperweight+because+it%27s+older+and+no+longer+plays+nicely+with+other+devices.+Or+does+it?&utm_content=RYW+-+Mar27&utm_campaign=03/27/2021&_bta_tid=40443839881401967289013406075223489790692165135729589843566838639292997621073923280977612149886964446640420&_bta_c=imvk9vp8qqnok8tj6baxt5sasynlz

[Phil Hyson]

Patrick provided a great link. It confirms what I suspected all along, but had not found confirmation anywhere. The link confirms this: “When used to connect Thunderbolt 3 devices to a Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 Mac, it must be a self-powered device. Bus-powered devices connected directly to that Apple adapter are not supported.” This is why my TB3 to TB2 adapter did not power up the digital converter. I will say that if your bus-powered device has a power plug, then it should work when plugged into a power source.

BTW, my Canopus ADVC-110 does have a power jack; it just does not come with a power cord.

Also, a Firewire 800, when plugged into a FW800 to TB2 adapter DOES work.

Thanks for the link Patrick!