Sony Video Hi-8 Editing Disk Lost. Need Free Capture/Edit Software

[Classic '57]

Long story short: My son is helping a classmate edit a class project filmed in an old Sony Video Hi-8 (camera belongs to the classmate). Sony will not allow him to capture and edit with Windows Movie Maker.

What free editing software can you recommend that works with Sony's video Hi8?

Thanks!

[davexnet]

This is an extremely simple capture program, give it a try. What capture device are you using ?
https://www.videohelp.com/tools/Stoik_Video_Capture

[edDV]

Sony Hi8 or Digital8?

If Hi8, what is the hardware capture device?

[Classic '57]

Thanks to both of you for your quick response. First, after looking at the camera again it says it is Digital DCR-TRV280 using Hi8 cassesetts for recording. Second we can use USB to download to our computer.

[filmboss80]

No, not USB. That camcorder's USB port is simply for transferring stills and streaming thumbnail-sized videos over the internet. To capture the full resolution video, you MUST use the firewire (IEEE1394) interface. Does your computer have a firewire port? If so, you can easily capture to easily editable DV-AVI using the free WinDV capture software.

[M Bruner]

No, not USB. That camcorder's USB port is simply for transferring stills and streaming thumbnail-sized videos over the internet. To capture the full resolution video, you MUST use the firewire (IEEE1394) interface. Does your computer have a firewire port? If so, you can easily capture to easily editable DV-AVI using the free WinDV capture software.

Yes, it does (ibid.)

[Classic '57]

Okay, SONY likes to call the port DV and the cable i.Link. I assume this is the firewire, correct? I am looking directly at the page for the TRV280 as I type. (and which M Bruner posted seconds before me!)

Yes, we have a firewire port which we have used for our own digital camcorder.

[M Bruner]

Yes, that's it. I have two Sony camcorders, and that's the port I use to capture video. My Adobe Premier Pro software has no trouble capturing with it.

[Classic '57]

This is probably where my son became confused especially about using the USB. I thought it looked like a firewire port but with SONY calling it something else along with a different cable name I wasn't sure.

Are we correct in the believing that SONY will not permit Windows Movie Maker for editing, et. al?

[edDV]

This is probably where my son became confused especially about using the USB. I thought it looked like a firewire port but with SONY calling it something else along with a different cable name I wasn't sure.

Are we correct in the believing that SONY will not permit Windows Movie Maker for editing, et. al?

Yes. If the camcorder is connected with IEEE-1394 (aka Firewire, iLink) then WMM should see the camcorder and access digital tapes.

Now it gets more complicated. If these tapes were recorded on that camcorder (i.e. digital DV format), then all is well.

If the tapes are recorded analog Video8 or Hi8 format on a different camcorder, the TRV-280 model may not have the analog playback feature. You would need to use a higher end model Digital8 camcorder.

[Classic '57]

My son tells me that the tape was recorded in this camcorder. I'll let you know how it turns out. Again, I want to thank everyone for their responses. Very helpful indeed and I have learned something which is always good.

[filmboss80]

Just to clarify a couple of things: Yes, you can use Windows Movie Maker to capture DV through the firewire port, though WinDV is elegantly simple enough to reduce the risk of dropped frames.

Beyond making sure your computer indeed has a firewire port, you will need a cable that will fit the camcorder's small firewire/i.DV interface on one end, and the computer's wider firewire port at the other end. Such a cable should have come with the camcorder. (Not sure what M Bruner was inferring from my previous post, as I never said your camcorder didn't have a firewire output. That earlier post was just to tell you not to use the camcorder's USB port. Ah well, people often scan posts too fast.)

[M Bruner]

FilmBoss80, I was anwering your post's question whether or not his camera does have a firewire port, ("Does your computer have a firewire port?"),where it was, and remarked that his camera brand (Sony) worked well for me and my software. I think I can read just fine, thank you.

[Classic '57]

Just wanted all of you who responded to know that once he used the firewire cable the camera was immediately recognized and the video captured. The only glitch was a blue screen the first attempt to capture about a third of the way through which had nothing to do with the camera, firewire, didgital media, or WMM. It had to do with the firewall. Once we disabled it the next attempt went smoothly.

When my son first ran into these problems I said to him, "I know the exact forums to go to. We'll get the right help that we need." Sure enough you guys came through so a BIG THANKS.

Good forums; great community.