First you have to understand how the signal path inside your digital camcorder works, Basically when an analog tape is played back the TBC takes the analog signal digitizes each scan line and stores it in a memory inside the camcorder, each scan line is then time based and DNR applied (if ON), from there it goes to the DV encoder chip for firewire (iLink) output. If using S-Video, the digital signal is converted back to analog for display. Unlike Hi8 camcorders, as far as I know there is no 100% analog path for analog tapes inside a D8 camcorder even when the TBC is turned off (which it must be kept ON anyway).
Now if you don't have a way to capture S-Video out using a lossless method such as USB or PCI and DV is your only way, I'd suggest you capture from the camcorder iLink port, Converting S-Video to DV externally is another extra step to what has been done inside the camcorder already, It may look sharper but that's maybe due to some sharpening filters somewhere in the workflow.
If you mean by GC-D800, GV-D800 then why don't you use it to playback the tape, Though most of those players have little life left in their video heads so may as well use the D8 camcorder.
|