Advice on recovering old 8mm tapes

[VK4AKP]

Hi Guys.

I'm looking for some advice on recovering some old 8mm Standard 8 video tapes that I have here.

They are all of precious family footage, and possibly as old as 10-15 years.

The tapes were brand new and only recorded to once and then played back maybe 4-5 times in their life.

I think basically it's just the age of the recordings that has caused the levels to drop.

I'm still getting a good picture from them but the pictures have horizontal black spikes / lines comming form different (usually white) parts of the picture as the tape plays these change.

Once again possibly due to not enough sync or something?

The camera is an old Sony CCD-TR512e and it to has had very little use.

I have tried cleaning the heads, this made no difference.

Recording to a tape and playing back gives perfect picture. So once again it's just down to an age thing.

Anyhow, I'm wondering what my options are for trying to recover them and put them to DVD so they can be kept?

I have read that some of the newer camcorders that have Hi-8 in them also have a TBC and this may help?

My Brother in law has a Sony DCR-TRV340e which is a Digital 8, but it will also play back Hi8 and Standard 8.

I do not know if it has a TBC in it though being Digital.

I have also wondered about using some sort of USB capture device? (Something not too expensive hopefully).

I assume for best results a 8mm camera with TBC is going to give the best output as it will adjust as close to the source as possible?

Anyhow, I've never played with video capture before so if anyone would like to give me any hints, I would appreciate it.

~Ken
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[VK4AKP]

I just tried some of the tapes in a friends even older 8 mm camera (Sony CCD-f380e) and they played back perfectly.

Looks like it's my camera thats gone bung.

I know it's old, but I bought the thing brand new, cost me $1300 when I got it.

It's lucky if it's recorded 25 - 30 tapes. (all once each).

Bit disappointing.

I tried cleaning the heads with both a head cleaning tape (wet) and a cotton swab.

But no go.

Anyone got any experience with what goes wrong with this model?

Sony CCD-TR512E

I assume it's the play back heads? But I guess I can't be sure.

I tried recording to a brand new tape. It too plays back with the black horozontal lines that seem to run from different bright spots as the picture moves.

Anyhow, still interested in idea's as to how to dub the tapes for best quality etc?

I have a AMD Dual core AM2-4000 PC, so some sort of video digitiser would be the go.

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[JohnnyMalaria]

Deteriorated heads would have been my suggestion based upon similar experience.

Heads deteriorate even when they are just hanging around as it were. I have an old Video8 editing deck. When I went to use it for the first time in about 10 years, I got the same problems. A similarly aged Video8 camcorder played the same old tapes just fine.

Any chance your friend could lend you theirs?

[VK4AKP]

Hi, Thanks for the reply.

Yea, it's alll a bit disappointing actually. I have so many accessories for this camera.

I even have about 10+ batteries for it.

I'm wondering how expensive it would be to get repaired.

Or whether I could pick up a cheap Digital 8 in good nick that would take all my batteries etc?

Camera's are so cheap now, it's probably not worth bothering with.

I have just been looking online at a Sony DCRDVD610, it looks like it takes full size DVD's to record on.

But unfortunalty the only reference I could find on recording capacity seemd to suggest 2 hours on a double sided disk in poorest quality. (Surly that's not right?).

Anyhow, back to the problem of dubbing these tapes.

In a way I am releaved as it shows the tapes are intact and have kept very well in deed. (Although I am now up for a new camera, or repair bill).

But I guess the memories on the tapes are priceless really.

I didn't want to use the friends old camcorder to play too many of the tapes as it's very old and beat up. I am worried it might damage them.

But my brother in law has a Digital 8 (Sony DCR-TRV340e).

A quick search shows that it will play back standard 8. (Fingers crossed).

He also said it has a USB cable??? Maybe I can digitise directly from his camera???

So I will try and get his if I can. I don't know how generious he will be feeling as to lending his camera , and I can't say I would blame him really.

If the tables were turned I don't think I would be lending out my camera equipment.

But we will see.

With the fault on mine, it could even just be dried out capacitors. Electolitics are renowned for drying out with age.

UNfortunalty my experience has been though that things are just not worth getting repaired these days. They soon break down again, and repairs are generally more costly then the actual re-purchase of more modern and better equipment.

But that said, I am located in Ipswich (Near Brisbane) if you know a good repair agent?

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[VK4AKP]

I'm currently looking for a TRV430e if anyone knows of one for sale?
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