Hi8 question(s)

[HeleninMelb]

Hi,
I've got a stack of old Hi8 tapes that I want to digitise.
The Sony camera we recorded them on is long gone.
I've purchased a Hitachi camera (thinking that all Hi8 tapes must be the same) but all the tapes seem to be blank (they have that grainy picture) but I don't think all the tapes can be blank.
I've started to so some research and it seems it might be a long play problem (and that not all Hi8 tapes are the same?)? Is someone able to please tell me if this could be the problem? And how I could go about playing and digitising these tapes please?
Much appreciated,
Helen

[DB83]

I never recorded any Hi8 tapes in LP mode so I can not personally confirm this. But I would have expected, just as with VHS, you would see some picture. May be not a steady one since VHS recorded in LP and played back on a machine not the same as the one that recorded them was not always a pleasurable experience.

My question to you is thus. Clearly you have Hi8 media. But are you certain that the camcorder you used was not Digital8. Such a camcorder accepted the cassette but you would never get any picture out of a standard Hi8 camcorder and would require a Digital8 one.

[Bwaak]

Clearly you have Hi8 media. But are you certain that the camcorder you used was not Digital8. Such a camcorder accepted the cassette but you would never get any picture out of a standard Hi8 camcorder and would require a Digital8 one.

Huh?

[DB83]

Huh back !!!Just explain yourself where I have got this wrong.

[Bwaak]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital8#Analog_Recordings

[DB83]

So do show me where in that article there is contradiction to my initial comment about using a Hi8 cassette in a Digital8 camcorder ?

[Bwaak]

This depends on what you wanted to say Maybe you want to rewrite it so that a non-native English speaker could comprehend it without a pint. After a dozen of re-reads now I think I got it: Hi8 camcorder would not play Digital8 recording. This would be true, and my "huh" would be misplaced.

[DB83]

I do not know about you my friend yet you regularilly comment on here so I assume, maybe incorrectly, that you have a good command of the English lingo.

True that I can also, at times, mix my metaphos. But I thought here that my own response was not ambigious.


You do not declare your origin but equally, and the reply was not addressed to you, neither does the OP. But I might equally have made an assumption in that direction that the OP is based in Australia. And they speak a version of the King's E

[Bwaak]

the reply was not addressed to you

Indeed.

[dellsam34]

My question to you is thus. Clearly you have Hi8 media. But are you certain that the camcorder you used was not Digital8. Such a camcorder accepted the cassette but you would never get any picture out of a standard Hi8 camcorder and would require a Digital8 one.

Bingo! Right on the money.

Unless the camcorder heads are completely clogged up. It's highly likely the tapes are D8, therefore the OP needs a digital8 camcorder.

[Bwaak]

I have a tape that is supposed to be recorded, it has a label with a name, but when played on a Digital8 camcorder there is no picture. Maybe it is indeed analog SP vs LP thing, and Digital8 not supporting analog LP? Or maybe someone put the label beforehand, but did not make a recording? Or maybe it was erased? IDK.

[dellsam34]

Depends on what you mean by "no picture", Complete static, black screen, grainy deformed picture? Different scenarios for different tape to camcorder compatibilities.