Video8/Hi8 decks vs. camcorders for capturing?
 

Anybody here have extensive experience capturing Video8/Hi8? I'm wondering about the relative quality of Hi8 camcorders vs editing decks (e.g. EV-C100, EVO-250, EVO-550H, EVO-9x50, EV-Sx000 &c)

Volksjager has a list of Hi8 camcorders with TBC, and I found a complete-looking list of Digital8 camcorders here, but haven't seen a lot of testimonials about decks. The only one I found was this over at videohelp comparing a D8 'corder and an EV-S7000 editing deck that says Digital8 TBC/DNR don't do much and that the EV-S7000 TBC is pretty excellent. But that doesn't tell us much about how much better or worse that deck is that Hi8 camcorders of that era. Anybody?

We have extensive experience with Video8 and Hi8. :congrats:

The 8mm-based Sony tape formats don't have the same issues as the VHS formats. Furthermore, the Video8/Hi8 cameras are much better than your average VHS/S-VHS/VHS-C/S-VHS-C cameras. So Video8/Hi8 cameras are an excellent tool for capturing -- as long as the camera is a known-good model. That's where volksjager's post comes in.

Video8 and Hi8 formats don't really need TBC for horizontal jitter, just an external framesync TBC (DataVideo, AVToolbox, etc).

Decks are not better. In fact, most have been well-used, unlike family-owned video cameras. So the deck can be worse due to wear and tear.

OK great! Thanks for the info. All that's good news, since those decks are big and for the most part expensive. (I did pick one up for relatively cheap (~$110) already, and might just stick with it, esp if TBC isn't particularly important.)
Of the camcorders on volksjager's list, do you know their order of release? Hard to tell if you can just go by increasing numbers or not.

All the camcorders listed with TBC/DNR are from 1997 or newer. The Digital 8 models are even newer dating from 1999 to 2005.

Hello

I can agree to the information from lordsmurf in the contribution 2.

I have myself some D8 cameras, but not everybody have inside TBC and DNR.
I spend the signal, however, always in S. video and audio from this camera.
Also I have a few more Sony EVO 9700p / EVO 9800P.
Both have no internal TBC.

A little better it are here both Sony EV-S9000......... there I am able to do directly the colour pawning [Y/C Delay]
with capturen correct, see picture.

In the next 10 will meet here also an AVT8710 come, then I will test them sometimes and compare to a Canopus NX map.
Then hopefully I must not cry...

Thanks for chiming in. Is Y/C Delay control unique to the EV-S9000 or do some of the lower EV-S have it? How effective is it at syncing up C with Y on 'bad' tapes?

I know nobody with TBC.
I had earlier also other V8 + Hi8 recorder.

I have descriptions to other Hi8 only in in German.

Load the web page
http://www.1ivanka.de/

see picture

One can correct colour adjustmentsalso after, in VDub and or in Avisynth.

Thanks for the info - very cool site with great documentation!

As mentioned before, Y/C alignment can be done in VirtualDub or AviSynth with the correct filters. Also higher end TBCs have adjustable Y/C delay. The only feature not supported by the later Hi-8 camcorders is the PCM audio track. Given how rare the VCRs were to begin with, you likely won't encounter a tape with a PCM audio track.