capturing old tapes

[ribac]

I have a question.
Say I have my old PAL 8mm camcorder and just bought new NTSC Mini DV camcorder with analog In.

Is it possible to transfer my tapes from 8mm camcorder through new MiniDV camcorder straight to the computer??

Thanks a lot

Richard

[redwudz]

If the camcorder has passthrough and DV out, just use a Firewire card and it should be no problem.

EDIT: Sorry, I missed the PAL part the first time. Now I'm not sure if the NTSC system would accept the video.

[mikesbytes]

Simply try and see.

All of my attempts to record NTSC source onto my PAL camcorder have failed, even when the signal has been converted to PAL prior to going to the camcorder.

[merkin]

Simply try and see.

All of my attempts to record NTSC source onto my PAL camcorder have failed, even when the signal has been converted to PAL prior to going to the camcorder.

Are your NTSC sources VHS? If so and you are using a PAL VCR that says it can "playback NTSC", it actually produces a "PAL60" (also know as "Quasi-NTSC") signal, which is a hybrid of PAL + NTSC. It does not produce a converted pure PAL signal, and PAL camcorders do not accept PAL60. For a pure PAL conversion, you need to buy either a VCR with a proper signal convertor built in, or a digital world standard converter box. Both cost a fair amount, which is what is stopping me from transferring many NTSC VHS to PAL DVD Also, Ribac, I think you'll find that you will encounter a similar problem I'm afraid...

[ribac]

I just need my 8mm tapes (from older PAL Analog camera) transfer through NTSC MiniDV camcorder straight to computer.So I would use MiniDV as capture device only.

[mikesbytes]

Ribac, as Merkin is pointing out, most of the consumer equipment out there doesn't actually fully convert the signal.

It seems you have very little chance of cheaply getting the PAL signal thru your NTSC camera.

Perhaps your solition is a PAL compatable analog capture card/device. Then either convert to NTSC in the computer and out to DV, or convert to (S)VCD or DVD.

Don't buy the product unless the salesman can show it actually working with your PAL camera.