Better to Convert Hi8 or VHS to DV?

[heyjjjaded]

I have all of my old family videos on both Hi8 & VHS. I want to convert these videos to DV by using the analog to digital pass through function on my Sony TRV 22 camcorder. My 1st thought was that I'd go from the Hi8 tapes in my Hi8 camcorder through my TRV 22 and then to my computer. But the cable that came with my TRV 22 won't connect to my Hi8 camcorder in the right direction (the in & out jacks are backwards).

Should I just convert these videos to DV by going from my VCR's VHS tapes through my TRV 22 and then to my computer? Or will I noticeably lose quality (since VHS is already a copy of a Hi8 tape)?

Would it be better to buy an adapter that would connect my Hi8 camcorder directly to my TRV 22, so I could transfer the Hi8 tapes to DV? Does such an adapter exist?

Or should I run the Hi8 tapes from my Hi8 camcorder through a connection to my VCR then through my TRV 22 and then to my computer?

What does everybody else do for the best quality? Thank You!

[Nolonemo]

I'd say get the adaptor, since you undoubtedly lost quality going from the Hi8 to the VHS, I believe Hi8 has around 400 lines of resolution while VHS has around 240 lines of resolution

[heyjjjaded]

I am surprised that Hi8 camcorders don't directly connect to the Sony TRV22 with the provided cable, since the pass through function is one of the most appealing features of this camcorder. Isn't this fairly standard ... connecting a Hi8 camcorder to a digital camcorder with pass through to create digital video?