How to capture a Super 8 video format??!!

[manuel_trekker]

Can anyone help me?
I have a lot of Super 8 cassettes with home videos (parties, birthdays,... of 1980s) And now, I would like to capture it with PC and make SVCD videos.
Anyone knows how to do it?
Thanks in advance...
MANUEL

[BobV]

It sounds to me like you need an analoge video capture device. There are many starting from around $50 that will capture video from VHS, camcorders and alike. I'm looking for one myself to convert my super8 tapes. I tend to like the external devices. I've seen one from pennacle that's also a TV tuner for under $200. I think the most important thing is quality and output formats (mpeg2, 4 and even DivX) oh and yes it Must be USB2.

[trevlac]

I'm going out on a limb here a bit, seeing that I do not have the type of tapes you are discussing, but I thought 'Super 8' was a reference to Film. 8mm tape is a vhs quality camcorder tape and Hi-8 is a higher quality camcorder tape.

I would say regardless, the 1st thing you need is something to play them back, before you can put them on a PC. If you do not have something to play them, you should look at getting a Digital 8 camcorder. They are comparitively cheap these days. Depending on the model, they can digitize 8mm/Hi8 tape. You can then copy this file (it is DV then) to your computer.

As I started off, I do not have 8mm/Hi8 or Digital 8.... so look into it before you follow what I say.

If you can play your tapes back, then look at "Capture Cards"
<<<===== Over there

[rcb]

trevlac - you're right on 'super 8' being a reference to film rather than tape.
Kodak was the 800 lb gorilla back then and the film type/std was introduced in the early 1960's.

While the fresh film came mostly in 50 ft enclosed (reel beside reel) cartridges, finished (processed) film was usually retained on a single reel suitable for using with a film projector.

Wus working as a tech for a camera company back then and remember coffee break yak sessions speculating on 1/4 tape being used for video - and being laffed back to work by the design engineers.. sheesh.

[handyguy]

Project it on a white panel at night & use your camcorder. If you only have a small amount consider using a camera store, its about ten cents per foot & they have a professional machine sir.

[manuel_trekker]

Thanks for your advice.
The main problem is I haven't a Super 8 player. A friend of mine has a 8mm camera and we will try to player my tapes on it.
If it's not posible, I'll have to get a Super 8 player. Prices??
About capture card, I have an Avermedia and I think I can do it...
Regards
MANUEL

[handyguy]

You need a Super 8 projector.

try ebay.com or local camera stores.

[solarfox]

Manuel -- I think we have a language-barrier problem here.

When you say "Super 8", are you talking about a movie film format, or are you talking about a video tape format?

If you're talking about video tape, then the proper term for it is "Hi-8", not "Super-8". "Super-8" is the photographic movie film.

Assuming you mean the Hi-8 videotape format, then no -- if your friend's camera is only a standard 8mm camcorder, not a Hi-8 unit, then it can't play Hi-8 tapes. It is possible to get an 8mm/Hi-8 VCR deck, but they're kind of a specialty item and it'd probably be a lot cheaper just to find a good secondhand Hi-8 camcorder.

[andie41]

If you only have a small amount of Super 8 to convert, definitely check out a camera store/lab and see what it would cost. Several years ago, I converted around 30 or more reels of Super 8. I had an old projector; that is the first thing you need. With a projector, you could, as someone suggested, project onto a screen or white wall and simply turn on your video camera and record.

I didn't like the above method - problems getting lighting correct and lining up everything to minimize converging lines, etc. I bought a small unit made by the accessory manufacturer Optex, and you project the film into one end and point the video camera at the other end - turn both on. This was several years ago and the cost was approx $40 USD. Worked out quite well., but you need that Super 8 projector - Ebay, pawn shop, garage sale?

Once on video tape, the capture card into the PC is the next step.

If you buy a used projector, check the availability of projector lamps first - doesn't work very well without a bulb.

[Slowburn]

I've just been through this a few months ago. I borrowed an ancient Super8 projector and set it up to project on a piece of bristol board I taped to the wall.

I set up a VHS camcorder right beside the projector and zoomed in and focused the projected image. Focus? Some of these oldies were from 1972.

Captured each 3 minute film with my ATI AIW 7500 video card as mpeg2 files.

Imported each file into Studio 8 and edited and eventually combined some of the .mpegs to create a 6 or nine minute file. Used Studio 8 to create the edited .mpegs.

Imported the edited .mpgs into TmpGenc DVD Author and made a menu. Saved the finished file to my hard drive and used my Roxio software to burn the folders to DVD with my Plextor burner.

After a few tries, it works fine on my standalone DVD player.

Only other change I made was to add an intro .mpg which plays before the main menu appears. I just made a still image in Photoshop, imported it as a 'title' in Studio and did a 'fade-in/fade-out' intro. Tell TempGenc to 'play only first track' and it works. Have to hide away the intro.mpg down in the corner so it won't be seen, but not too shabby for some 30 year old films.

The bad news was that the projector bulb blew about halfway into the project. The really hard-to-find bulb cost $75.00 Canadian.

[cerburus]

I have a bunch of 8mm & Super8 films I'd like to convert. I have the projector and tried the "white board" method. The resulting video has a slow light to dark pulsing effect. Can anyone tell how to avoid this? My guess is the framerate of the camcorder is catching part of the projector's shutter.

[Nolonemo]

Go search the Vegas Video discussion boards over at Sony (formerly Sonic Foundry) for quite a bit of discussion of capturing film to video. I tried videotaping off of a white board and couldn't get the flicker to go away (it is a sync issue with the shutter blades) and ened up getting the film professionally transferred. The quality is mind-blowingly better. Plus they cleaned the film before the transfer which helped some.

Here's a link to the forum discussion:

http://mediasoftware.sonypictures.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?ForumID=4&MessageID=145375

Here's the place that did the conversion for me:

http://members.aol.com/filmtotape/index.htm

[andie41]

My projector had a speed adjustment and I was able to adjust the speed and eliminate the flicker.

[manuel_trekker]

Yes, solarfox . I didn't specify correctly. I have video tapes, so the format is Hi8, isn't?

Well, I'll try to get a player.

Thanks for your help.
I'm very gratefull for all of your messages.

I'll tell you my next adventures on Hi8 capturing :P

MANUEL