8mm, VHS, etc conversion to DVD

[Caskbill]

I'm assuming anything related to photography will apply to this board... :teeth:

I've got a lot of old family 8mm home movies I'd like to edit and make some DVD's.

Step one is to convert to digital, basically just projecting the film on a screen and video it with the camcorder. (Sony digital).

Step two is to use Video software to edit, add some titles, transitions, etc. I've done some with the straight video using Pinnacle's Studio 8.

The question is, does anyone have any 'tricks' or suggestions on how to eliminate or even just highly reduce the 'flicker' that I get when the old film at 18fps is photographed by the digital at 30fps, thus every so often the digital frame is nothing more than a black frame as it captures the blackout during the film's transition between frames.

Thanks

[MicMin]

Have you tried setting up your camcorder at a slight angle to the screen you are recording from? This made a huge difference for the tapes that I made copies of.

[AZ JazzyJ]

Some of the higher ended video editing tools will allow you to adjust timing and frames per second (FPS) for playback. Adobe Premiere Pro will give you this option to match the input with the output. It does take doing a little mathematics to determine the right speed but will reduce the flickering. A lot of times though I leave the flicker in the DVDs that I do since it adds character and most of my clients like the memory those old 8mm replays bring.


Jeff

[Caskbill]

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll look into those.

[Beth]

I've used the "YesVideo" service offered thru my local Walgreen's to convert many old VHS tapes before they deteriorated any more...

It's a little pricey for 8mm but, if you've got one or two that you "really" want a better quality result, you could give them a try. (My local Walgreen's would oftten offer coupons, though.)

They have drop-off locations through many merchant's - not just Walgreen's.

Here's a link to their site, where you can enter your zip code and see if there's a "store near you."

Just a thought...

http://www.yesvideo.com/code/scripts/mqinterconnect.exe?link=find

[SamRoc]

I have 20 8 mm 120 Mp tapes and would love to convert them to DVD. I searched the internet, and there are places out west you can mail your tapes to, but i'm afraid they will get lost. I was thinking since my camera doesnt work any longer, I would try to find an adapter that will change my tapes from 8mm to VHS. I heard that at one time you could find them on ebay, but there arent any there now. Thanks.

[ndelaware]

I am pretty sure even with an adapter, your 8mm tape won't play in your VHS player. They two totally different types of tape. There is a VHS-C adapter that lets the smaller VHS-C tapes work in normal VHS players because the tape is the same size. You should try the phonebook. There are several companies by me that can put any type of tape or film onto DVD. Then you won't have to worry about losing the tapes in the mail.

[MarkBarbieri]

Another option would be to buy an inexpensive 8mm camcorder on eBay. You should be able to hook that up directly to a VCR or DVD player and copy the tapes that way.

[SamRoc]

Another option would be to buy an inexpensive 8mm camcorder on eBay. You should be able to hook that up directly to a VCR or DVD player and copy the tapes that way.

Thank you, thats what my son said i should really do. I guess i'll be going on ebay today to find one. And thanks ndelaware too, i actually do have that adapter that makes the VHS-C into regular VHS tapes. In the past 20 years I must have bought 5 different video cameras and now I want to put all the tapes on DVD. The 8mm is the only one I am having trouble with, but I do think that getting another cheap camcorder will be the best idea.

[InstImpres]

I am looking to transfer 8mm video to DVD. I am nervous to send off the family heirloom tape (seems I am not telling my mom I am taking it). Anyone know of any super reliable places or local to NJ that I can take it.

Also from what I remember when watching these as kids, there was often ceiling shots, len on shots, etc. Does anyone know if they automatically tranfers that part?

[acourtwdw]

If you wanted to you could buy the Dazzle software and transfer them yourself. That way you would be able to edit it also. Best Buy sells the software for between $55 and $100 depending on what you get.

[YEKCIM]

If you have a projector, you could at least try what I did, which is to project the movies, capture them using tripod mounted video camera, and then edit and burn to DVD. You might be surprised with the results.

~Y

[skr8pn]

My uncle did this years ago with a video camera. It was some sort of box that attatched to the end of the video camera to keep stary light out. Then his 8mm projector went into the box also so he used it to record. Since there was no audio he put music over some of it. Other parts included funny comments about the family or when the orginal photo was taken. With all that being said, no reason why you couldn't use a video camera and go straight to your computer to be able to edit then.

Wanting to do the same with some old VHS tapes myself.

[InstImpres]

Thanks for all the replies....I my have to give it a try myself. After all, sleeping from 12-6 each night is over rated :)

[Groucho]

Are you talking about 8mm video cassettes, or 8mm film (like Super8) that is fed through a projector?

A video capture device (like a Dazzle) would work fine for the former, but obviously not for the latter... and for film, you can try it yourself like suggested in this thread and if you're not happy with the quality, you can try taking it to a pro who may or may not do much better. 8mm film is not exactly stunning quality so the final result will probably be somewhat grainy/blurry regardless.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

I have a slew of old 8mm videotapes I would love to get transfered to DVD. Can anyone recommend an excellent, reliable, and affordable company that does this?

[wenrob]

8mm are the ones that you put in the little adapter to play on a VCR right? I don't know if you can get them anymore but I used a VHS/DVD recorder to do mine. Just put it in the adapter, a blank DVD and pushed a button on the front. Sat all day one day and did them all. Not a pro way but as good as the tapes were.

I'm pretty sure Roxio sells a cable to hook your VCR or Video Recorder to your computer to do them yourself as well.

[MarkBarbieri]

8mm are not the ones that you use an adapter for. Those are VHS-C. 8mm, Hi-8, and Digital8 are all the same size taped. They need to be played in an 8mm camera.

My kids (7 and 10 years old) recently started a business to do the conversions locally. They are charging neighbors $5/tape. I have no idea what normal companies charge.

[Flight]

I would also be interested in finding out an inexpensive way to convert the tapes to DVD. I have a ton of them and no longer have a working video camera.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Correct, no adapter for 8mm video. If the old camcorder worked, it would be easy to do this. It works now and again, but is not reliable and replaced by something newer. Sony sells a $499 machine that plays them. Not sure I want to invest the money or time into that.

[wenrob]

Aw, well, sorry...no ideas then.

[MarkBarbieri]

If you don't find a professional company that you like and you can wait until January, my boys would be happy to handle it for you at $5/tape.

[Bstanley]

Any 'Digital8' camcorder should be able to read any format of 8mm tape, digitize it and send the data to a computer (if the computer has whatever type of interface that the camcorder has, Firewire or High-Speed USB).

Other than buying a player/camcorder - which might be cheaper than paying for professional conversion of a slew of tapes (a slew being 75 by my definition) - maybe a generous friend or coworker has one that you could borrow?

Or send the tapes to Barbieri, Inc. :rolleyes1

[dburg30]

Bummer, here I was hoping this was going to be about 8mm film transfers..

[ShellsShirts]

I would contact the local professional camera shops in your area. I know that shops in IL (like Ritz Camera and Wolf Camera) do conversions. If they don't, they probably can steer you in the right direction.

[MarkBarbieri]

Bummer, here I was hoping this was going to be about 8mm film transfers..

I did that for our whole family collection of 8mm and Super 8mm movies. It was a pain. At first, I experimented with video taping the output from the projector, but that never worked well. The problem is that the video camera recorded at a different frame rate, so everything flickered. I finally bought a telecine projector (http://www.moviestuff.tv/wp_xp.html) that allowed me to capture each frame individually and assemble those into a video file. I then used software that changed the frame rate of the video file. Finally, I converted everything to DVDs. It was far more work and more expense than just digitizing 8mm video tape.

I still have all the equipment. Even with the capital outlay on the projector, I saved thousands compared with having it done professionally. Since then, I've done a few reels for friends and neighbors, but there isn't much demand as few people have movies left.

I feel bad for the people that had movies converted to VHS. You lose a lot in that process and then you lose more when you convert VHS to a digital format. 8mm movies weren't exactly high def, but they were definitely better than VHS video quality.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Yes, I have a lot of tapes. Maybe half a slew? I need to count them! Doing something local would make me feel better then shipping them out.

I have a minidv camcorder now that could accept input from the old 8mm camcorder IF I could count on it working. It is hit or miss. I may try (but after Christmas). If not I will ask some local places.

But I also wonder if DVD is what I need to be saving these too. Some don't have a long life, only 5 years for some. I know I need something of good quality. I hate formats changing so often! AH!:upsidedow

[MarkBarbieri]

If you are willing to spend some time learning how to do it, I would recommend that you buy a Digital 8mm camcorder off of EBay and do it yourself.

You connect the Digital 8mm camcorder to your computer using a Firewire cable. You then get some free software like WinDV. The software will operate the camcorder and make a digital video file that is a copy of the video tape.

Once you have the video file, you'll want some other software that can convert it to a DVD. A decent DVD should last for decades or even a century. It's very likely that people will be able to watch a DVD a long time from now. The approximate physical format is pretty stable, having been used by CDs, DVDs, and now Blu ray discs. So far, almost all players are backwards compatible (DVD players can play CDs, Blu ray players can play DVDs and CDs).

[seashoreCM]

Whether it is 8mm analog videotapes or 8mm (or super 8) film or even copying VHS tapes, you will get better results if you can connect the equipment not using a single yellow ended video cable (composite or CVBS video format). The enxt step up, S-video, is much better in quality.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

Thanks guys. I am saving this link to reread after Christmas.

Can anyone recommend good DVD discs to burn to?

I wish this would come down about $150 and I would snatch it up!
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-Digital-8mm-Video-Walkman/dp/B00006JQQ6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1260473893&sr=8-1

[ThurlFan]

I did that for our whole family collection of 8mm and Super 8mm movies. It was a pain. At first, I experimented with video taping the output from the projector, but that never worked well. The problem is that the video camera recorded at a different frame rate, so everything flickered. I finally bought a telecine projector (http://www.moviestuff.tv/wp_xp.html) that allowed me to capture each frame individually and assemble those into a video file. I then used software that changed the frame rate of the video file. Finally, I converted everything to DVDs. It was far more work and more expense than just digitizing 8mm video tape.

I still have all the equipment. Even with the capital outlay on the projector, I saved thousands compared with having it done professionally. Since then, I've done a few reels for friends and neighbors, but there isn't much demand as few people have movies left.

I feel bad for the people that had movies converted to VHS. You lose a lot in that process and then you lose more when you convert VHS to a digital format. 8mm movies weren't exactly high def, but they were definitely better than VHS video quality.

We have a bunch (probably half a slew) of super 8 movies from my childhood, and I did the old film-the-screen-with-a-camcorder trick a few years back just to get the images preserved on something. The results were on the lower end of the acceptable range, but certainly better than nothing. Someday I'll invest the time and money to do it right...

[Bstanley]

I wish this would come down about $150 and I would snatch it up!

Can't help with that - but how about a Sony TRV310 Handycam - "like new in the box" from EBAY for $250?

I picked that model because I used one for digitizing all the VHS/VHS-C/8mm/Hi-8mm tapes that I had when I bought mine 10 years ago (it still runs like a champ).

You might be able to find one that has been lightly used - or a TRV510 or TRV710 or any of the Digital8 models that will playback the other flavors of 8mm tape for a good price. And the camcorder can also be used to digitize VHS as well by connecting a VCR to the audio/video inputs - note as previously mentioned that you should use an SVideo connection between the VCR and the camcorder for best quality.

Then connect the camcorder to the computer and record away using Microsoft Movie Maker or any Video Editing software. The only real disadvantage is that it happens in 'real time'. So if you have a 2 hour tape you'll need to start recording and then go off and do something else for 2 hours.

[BibbidiBobbidiBOO]

The only real disadvantage is that it happens in 'real time'. So if you have a 2 hour tape you'll need to start recording and then go off and do something else for 2 hours.

This is one reason I would love to find a local place to do them for me! Not sure I have the patience to do this "half a slew" ;). I would have them do 10 at a time, make it affordable. I may just end up dong as you suggested though.

[dburg30]

I did that for our whole family collection of 8mm and Super 8mm movies. It was a pain. At first, I experimented with video taping the output from the projector, but that never worked well. The problem is that the video camera recorded at a different frame rate, so everything flickered. I finally bought a telecine projector (http://www.moviestuff.tv/wp_xp.html) that allowed me to capture each frame individually and assemble those into a video file. I then used software that changed the frame rate of the video file. Finally, I converted everything to DVDs. It was far more work and more expense than just digitizing 8mm video tape.

I still have all the equipment. Even with the capital outlay on the projector, I saved thousands compared with having it done professionally. Since then, I've done a few reels for friends and neighbors, but there isn't much demand as few people have movies left.

I feel bad for the people that had movies converted to VHS. You lose a lot in that process and then you lose more when you convert VHS to a digital format. 8mm movies weren't exactly high def, but they were definitely better than VHS video quality.

LOL interested in selling it?

What software did you use? Does it automatically capture each frame or do you have to do it manually??!!?

[MarkBarbieri]

LOL interested in selling it?

What software did you use? Does it automatically capture each frame or do you have to do it manually??!!?

Not yet. I still have a few friends with some reels that need to be converted.

It's kind of a Rube Goldberg thing. It comes with a special mouse that plugs into your computer and the projector. You use some capture software that captures a frame whenever you press the "Capture" button. It puts the frames together into an AVI file. You move the mouse over the Capture button when you start recording. The projector triggers a mouse click for each frame. It runs around 6 frames per second.

It sounds really weird and complicated, but it's not that bad. The biggest challenge is aligning everything perfectly aligned. You want your video camera at exactly the right height, the right left/right position, and the right angle. If you are off, the picture gets distorted. You also need a really good zoom as the picture is small. Finally, the lens that it projects into pics up reflections easily, so you want a relatively dark workroom.

[MarkBarbieri]

Dupe

[erincon23]

I video'd my son's concert last night. I'm using a slightly older video camera that takes Hi8 tapes. I took the tape today to a professional video house and had them copy it onto a DVD. The DVD is terrible! It pixellates, stops for a second and then resumes, and the end of the last song is cut off. Is this normal for a video-to-DVD transfer? If it isn't, I'm going back there on Monday. I need the DVD for a scholarship application, and don't want to send in something this bad!

Also -- can I copy a DVD onto my computer (this one, not a copy-protected one) without additional software? I can't figure it out, and I'm not usually this bad with computer stuff!

Thanks for your help --

Erin

[MarkBarbieri]

Have you watched the video straight from the camcorder on the TV? Compare that with the DVD. You shouldn't see much of a difference. The DVD won't look quite as good, but the difference should be very minor.

[ssanders79]

What is the total video runtime of all the video on the DVD? This sounds like it is a result of the encoding/compression prossess.

The longer runtime the more compressed the video will be which will lead to pixelization. This is a good calc to use to determine the compression/bitrate used to get a certain runtime on a standard DVDr. http://www.videohelp.com/calc

Are you playing the DVD back on an HDTV? This will magnify the problems.

[disneymarie]

Since my 8mm cam corder is shot I have no way to play my videos, I really would love to record them to DVD. Some have precious recording of my dd that passed away and I would love to preserve them.

Is my only choice to find an 8mm video on Cam corder off eBay, or is there a device that plays them to record somehow.
Even if I locate a camera, I could play them on TV. I do have a DVD recorder/player that may record.
Maybe that is my easiest way to do it.

[MickeysFans]

I am so sorry about your dd.
I have the same problem. Nog good ideas, but I am going to borrow or buy it off Craigslist to get them onto DVD.
I still have MiniDV now, so I will have the same issue again.
Good luck.

[disneymarie]

TY Mickey, :littleangel:

How many hours rec time on your mini DVD?
I need something for invesitgative work. Good zoom, and transfer to DVD & copy. Some will be just accident scenes, the longer would be fires, building collasps, lightening damage to golf courses etc.

All I have is my camera I have been using but I need more zoom and time. I have been offered more work and need the video now. Just don't want to spend $$$ but want to have convience for family and work.
Gosh they are so small. I remember our first was almost $1,000 and took VHS tapes.

di

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

Hello y'all. I'm not sure if this is the correct forum for this topic but I figured since it was photography, you of all people would be able to lead me in the right direction. I have come across about 8 VHS tapes of family events from the 80's and would like to transfer them from VHS to DVD. There's a catch though. These videos were stored in my father's damp, garage in a box and some of them do not play. Perhaps mold damage or some other type of damage from the environment. I do not believe they have gotten wet, as in wet I mean rain damage but I'm sure the Southern humidity has done a number on them and since I am ignorant to video restoration, I do not want to try and open them myself and damage the only video evidence I have of my mother's memory. My brother and father said a few of them played but some did not. I know there are places that you can send the tapes to to be converted and restored. I am wondering if any of you here have used any and may be able to direct me in the right direction? I have search online and found a few but most either want to know what each video is of and which are damaged. I am unable to tell as I do not want to try and play them and ruin them completely. Also, if anyone has used the mail in service of one of these video archiving places, how do you go about mailing them as to not have them damaged or erased from being x-rayed?

Sorry for the questions, I would just like some guidance on this subject so that I can have copies of the memories of yesteryear.

Thank you in advance.

[photo_chick]

Have you checked out digitalFAQ.com? They have some good articles on the subject.

[MouseketeerOvaHere]

No I have not, but I will take a look at it. Thank you.

Anyone else have any experience with this type of thing? Personal stories/suggestions?

[seashoreCM]

If the oxide coating on the tape has flaked off in spots or stuck to the back of the previous layer of tape, then restoring the tape is much more difficult. Along one edge of the tape is something called the timing track, and a VCR won't hold a steady picture if this is missing in spots.

The most careful method of restoring a tape starts with removing the spools from the cassette, putting them on a test jig, and carefully "fast" forwarding the tape manually while gently peeling off each layer. After getting to the end, the tape is rewound and a special pad is used to capture minute oxide particles and dust. Should significant oxide flake off even this carefully, chances are the tape is too far gone.