Hi 8 S Video & PCM ( Hi Fi Stereo) delimma

[sirmalo]

Greetings. Just entering this realm. I have an old Sony CCD-TR200 handycam with dead unreplaceable head drum assembly.

Goal: transfer about 25 tapes to a Sony Vaio desk top via capture card via S cable and using PCM Hi Fi recorded Stereo tracks. Edit long boring home movies into well preserved family highlights Discs to distribute to far flung family.

Issues: I cannot identify which Sony products (old camcorders) include S-video output that read the PCM Hi Fi audio tracks out to RCA phono. Sony customer service and web sites are useless here.

Questions:

1. What is the difference between AFM stereo and PCM stereo? Are they one and the same?

2. Is there a list of TR and TRV cams that actually did export S Video along with PCM ("Hi-Fi" stereo)

3. IF I even get lucky enough to find a device for a limited amount of $ that meets these requirements, what format do I want these videos to transfer to for least loss in editing before I author DVDs. I heard direct to DVD is not as good quality or easy to edit as as AVI. ( A whole other set of questions for another time)

Folks who have had success with a sepific models can list their models here too please. Or models to avoid. Please list specific model #'s as I am scouring Ebay for a good deal. If you have used a service that does PCM stereo transfers to AVI I could consider that as well.

Many thanks in advance for thoughtful answers or good directions.

J

[JohnnyMalaria]

The PCM audio *is* what comes out of the camcorder....

[sirmalo]

PCM audio comes out of the TR200 when it works. Yes. But the cam is dead. Other models pass only mono or linear audio. Some models I am viewing refer to AFM stereo. IS AFM the same as PCM ? Will my PCM recorded tapes playback "Hi Fi Stereo on an "AFM" stereo system using the hi fi path rather than the lo fi linear audio tracks? So what models actually read the PCM audio from the video heads besides my TR200 and the EC S900 deck?

[JohnnyMalaria]

Sorry, I was confusing HiFi stereo with PCM.

[jman98]

It's really hard to get info on AFM stereo. It's NOT the same as PCM. It should be considered inferior to PCM. Consider it a lo fi audio track to be avoided unless it's all you can read. AFM came first and then PCM came because AFM wasn't very good.

I can't answer your other questions. Sorry.

[turk690]

to sirmalo, are your tapes Hi8 or are they Digital 8?? I don't exactly know what format the TR200 is but i'll guess it's a Hi8 analogue camcorder that has provision of recording audio digitally. PCM audio is an exotic variation in some Hi8/8mm camcorders and decks which is separate and distinct from the analogue audio AFM that comes with the format. It usually only comes in professional models, and only the truly upmarket ones at that. If this is the case with your tapes you specifically have to find a camcorder or deck that is "Hi8/8mm analogue that supports PCM audio track playback" just to retrieve the audio, if in case that's all there is on tape (I'm not aware whether or not, as PCM audio was recorded, that the conventional AFM analogue tracks were recorded as well, in which case your problem becomes a simpler case of just finding a conventional Hi8/8mm deck, period). Tough finding one now (the last time I remember seeing a Hi8 analogue camcorder in a store that practically screamed it also did linear PCM audio was eons ago in 1994).

[edDV]

I can't find a reference for the Sony TR200 (Hi8) but I seriously doubt that model had PCM audio.

There are three types of audio that were offered for Hi8. PCM was found mostly on the Pro and Prosumer models.

1. Linear tracks. These were offered for lagacy compatibility to early Video8. Linear tracks also allowed on some models for a separate naration track where you could add commenets after the tape was recorded.

2. AFM "HiFi Stereo". This was FM modulated along with video similar to VHS "HiFi".

3. PCM Stereo (12 bit, 32KHz) were two additional digital audio tracks allowing 4 channel recording. All the PCM models I've seen allow only two audio channel output at any one time. These models have a three way switch to select audio tracks.

* HiFi - This gets the AFM stereo pair
* PCM - This gets the PCM pair
* Mix - This gets a mix down of AFM and PCM audio to two output channels.



If you don't have the switch, you probably don't have PCM audio.

Input side for PCM models varied. My CCD-V5000 assigns audio this way

Default is cam mounted stereo mic gets recorded to all tracks (Linear + AFM + PCM).

A separate narration mic on the side allowed cameraman "live" comments to be recorded to the Linear track without affecting other tracks.

External mic inputs when used were recorded to the PCM tracks. The main cam mounted mic continued to record to the AFM tracks.



PS: This model actually had a second set of audio inputs so that all four channels could be externally fed.

[edDV]

All Hi8 models record and play the AFM tracks.