Hi-8 is backward compatible with 8 right?

[thefiddler]

I've got a Hi-8 camera I'm converting the tapes from, to DVD, but most of the tapes only playback static & noise. However some tapes work just fine. I'm afraid they may have been placed close to a speaker or other magnet that erased them. But thought I'd check to make sure it wasn't some kind of 8/Hi-8 compatibility issue.

So what I'm asking is should there be any problem with my Hi-8 camera reading tapes recorded by an 8 camera?

[edDV]

A 8mm camcorder won't play Hi8.
A Hi8 camcorder will play 8mm and Hi8.

[ozymango]

As far as I know, all hi-8mm cameras are backwards compatible with 8mm video, so you should have no problems playing back non-hi-8mm tapes on your camera. BUT you could have a slight mismatch in the head angles between your current camera and whatever camera recorded these tapes, so you may have to fiddle with the tracking a little or a lot, see if that helps.

Or maybe you've got dirty heads, you might try running a brand-new tape through the camera, see if that cleans things up. That is, get a fresh blank tape, put it in the camera, press PLAY, and let it turn for half an hour or so. Sometimes that'll lube and clean things up. I'd try that before trying any head cleaners.

[thefiddler]

Thanks for the feedback guys.

The Hi-8 camera I'm using plays back a couple of the tapes beautifully. Its a Sony & I'd guess it was fairly expensive when it was brand new. It doesn't have any manual tracking controls, but as I said plays back the other tapes wonderfully, so I think it's auto-tracking is fine and its heads must be clean as well. If it were just a tracking issue, I'd expect to get at least some kind of signal (even just a glimpse of picture here or there, or some little bit of audio). But as it is, it's pure visual and audio noise, no traces of anything with any order to it.

I think I'm fairly safe in assuming at this point that these tapes have been erased or ruined in some way. If you guys can think of anything else let me know. Thanks again for the info.

[edDV]

Try playing them in a different Hi8 camcorder.

Also, are you sure they aren't Digital8? Digital8 uses the same Hi8 tape.

[dLee]

While my Sony Video Hi8 camcorder CCD FX 710 was failing over a period of many months, I thought the problem was with the tapes, especially the more expensive "metal" ones. Some tapes played fine, others had problem areas and others wouldn't play at all.

When I finally bought a Sony GV-D200, most of the problems disappeared and I was able to capture high quality DV and MPEG2 versions.

You might want to try different Video8 / Hi8 playback devices before deciding that the tapes are the problem.

[thefiddler]

Okay, good call guys, I'll see if there's any chance they recorded the tapes in another camcorder (possibly digital). I'll also see if I can find a professional who can try playing them back for me just to see if there's anything on them.

[Cornucopia]

Note: 8mm, Hi8, and Digital8 ALL use AUTOMATIC tracking. There is no manual adjustment (nor should there be, or be a need for).

Scott

[SingSing]

Hi-8 camcorders use Hi-8 tapes only.
8mm camcorders can use 8mm or Hi-8 tapes.

[edDV]

Hi-8 camcorders use Hi-8 tapes only.
8mm camcorders can use 8mm or Hi-8 tapes.

You have that backwards. Hi8 can record or play 8mm and Hi8.

Some Digital8 camcorders (all of the early ones) also play both 8mm and Hi8.

[SingSing]

I have a hi-8 VCR and a 8mm camcorder, and that's my experience.

[ozymango]

Hi-8 camcorders use Hi-8 tapes only.
8mm camcorders can use 8mm or Hi-8 tapes.

You have that backwards. Hi8 can record or play 8mm and Hi8.

Some Digital8 camcorders (all of the early ones) also play both 8mm and Hi8.

I think what SingSing means is that -- and I've not used an 8mm video camera in years so I'm sorta guessing here -- is that you cannot record Hi8 video onto 8mm tape stock, whereas you can record either 8 or Hi8 onto Hi8 stock. Hi8 stock being some metal-evaporated blah blah blah that allows for more signal saturation, all that stuff. Again, I'm guessing.

Not that you get a better picture from using Hi8 tape in a regular 8 camcorder! Just that it'll record, on a technical level. Sorta like you can "use" SVHS tapes in a non-SVHS vcr but you're not getting SVHS quality.

You can use SHVS tape stock in a regular VHS VCR, can't you?

[bendixG15]

I've got a Hi-8 camera I'm converting the tapes from, to DVD

Pray Tell...How are you converting the HI8 tapes to DVD ??
Specifically, what process are you using to get the tapes into the computer ???

[edDV]

There are 8mm tapes and Hi8 tapes (MP and ME).

There are

8mm camcorders (record or play 8mm format from either tape)
Hi8 camcorders (record and play 8mm or Hi8 format - Hi8 format requires Hi8 tape)
Digital8 camcorders (records only Digital8, plays 8mm, Hi8 and Digital8)

Sony recommends Hi8 tape be used for Digital8 but I've found modern 8mm tape blanks work fine. Mileage may vary.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8_mm_video_format
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital8

[edDV]

I've got a Hi-8 camera I'm converting the tapes from, to DVD

Pray Tell...How are you converting the HI8 tapes to DVD ??
Specifically, what process are you using to get the tapes into the computer ???

Method 1: Play in Digital8 camcoder to IEEE-1394. (audio limited to analog tracks)

Method 2: Play on Hi8 camcorder S-Video and audio to DV format transcoder (like Canopus ADVC) to IEEE-1394.

Method 3: same as Method 2 but use a MPeg2 or MPeg4 transcoder (like Hauppauge PVR USB2 or Plextor Connectix) to USB2.

Method 4: Play on Hi8 camcorder S-Video and audio to internal capture card.

Methos 5: Play on Hi8 camcorder S-Video and audio to standalone DVD recorder.

[dLee]

edDV -

How do you use Digital8? As in, to what use do you put it?

If the recorded material is identical to mini-DV, then it seems better to record to mini-DV cassette rather than lock into a proprietary format.

I've avoided using Digital8 so far for this reason. Am I overlooking something?

[edDV]

edDV -

How do you use Digital8? As in, to what use do you put it?

If the recorded material is identical to mini-DV, then it seems better to record to mini-DV cassette rather than lock into a proprietary format.

I've avoided using Digital8 so far for this reason. Am I overlooking something?

I bought the camcorder back in 1999. I had a huge Hi8 tape library so this was a quick way to load Hi8 into Premiere. Later I got a Canopus ADVC-100 so I could capture off my Hi8 camcorder (Sony CCD-V5000) and get the PCM digital audio tracks. The V5000 also had a built in TBC. The V5000 could also be recorded live to the Digital8 camcorder with very good quality. The V5000 to D8 made a good backup camera for an event plus served as my "insert stage" camera during post production. It was great for shooting anything that wouldn't fit on the scanner.

I had access to a MiniDV camcorder (A Sony VX1000) but used the Digital8 for simple camcorder recording because of its smaller size and much cheaper tapes. Back then 8mm/Hi8 tapes could be purchased at Costco for $3-5 where miniDv tapes were close to $20 each.

The Digital8 also made a great high quality DV format VCR. I could dub over Betacam SP tapes and edit DV format at home in Premiere or record off the cable box.

Oh, I forgot the most used feature. The Digital8 camcorder still serves as my Premiere or Vegas IEEE-1394 to S-Video monitor converter during editing. This frees the ADVC-100 for the capture side.

PS: -S-Video->
Together make a high quality DV camcorder.

Example of an insert stage (not mine) where objects or people are shot during post. Just shows how you can operate like the big boys from home.

[SingSing]

Hi-8 camcorders use Hi-8 tapes only.
8mm camcorders can use 8mm or Hi-8 tapes.

Hi8 camcorders (record and play 8mm or Hi8 format - Hi8 format requires Hi8 tape)
8mm camcorders (record or play 8mm format from either tape)

That is close enough. There are Hi-8 camcorders that don't do 8mm.

You can use SHVS tape stock in a regular VHS VCR, can't you?

In general, I don't think you can, because VHS and SVHS tapes, has different ID holes, as part of the tape casing.

But most of us had packed our S/VHS/8/Hi-8/tape/vcr/cam away. So It depends who has a better memory of how things ACTUALLY stack up. I did remember that I vote myself as "can't remember people name even my life depends on it". I am treading water here. Ha.Ha.