Hello, ATR!

[Red Sky]

You are the go to guy when it comes to video, so I thought I would ask you a couple of questions and to get your input.

I want to start converting some home movies to digital. The best has already been put onto VHS tapes, and some are still on film reels. I work off of a Mac, with the latest Leopard/iMovie. I also have a copy of Final Cut I have never used, though it is a version that is about 4 years old. I also have an external firewire hard drive. I want to get these 40-50 year old memories into the computer to edit, enhance and burn to a disc.

My question is what is the best way to approach this? I read about analog to digital converters. I also read about going through a digital camcorder, but that would require one that has an analog input so I could connect it to a VCR. The camcorder route would also enable me to glean additional film using an old projector and a transfer box (where you record through a mirrored box.)

Any ideas or suggestions as to how this might work, ATR? Thanks in advance.

[ATR]

I am a Windows XP person who has never seen a Mac with or without Leopard and I have never used Apple software such as iMovie or Final Cut (I am assuming that is an older version of Final Cut Pro) and I have never converted old home movies to digital for preserving as DVD-VIDEO or otherwise. BUT, keeping all that in mind, that does not prevent me for offering you a composite of “from what I have read”.
1. For analog to digital conversion of these VHS tapes, I would have at the top of my list mini-DV camcorder with pass-through, that is, VCR(with its VHS tape) connected to miniDV camcorder connected to computer via Firewire for capture into video editing software as DV AVI. This approach should take care of the existing VHS tapes. See link below.
http://www.videohelp.com/dvanalog
You say that you still have film on reels. Are these 8 mm or Hi8? Take a look at this link:
http://hometheater.about.com/od/camcorders/qt/8mmhi8quicktip.htm which may direct your thinking to a Digital 8 camcorder for them. What is this “…additional film using an old projector and a transfer box (where you record through a mirrored box….” ?
2. Mac with Leopard. If you are operating your computer as a Mac, you should be able to capture your video (from its VHS or 8mm or Hi8 origins) into iMovie or Final Cut Pro software for editing and export.

http://desktopvideo.about.com/od/imovietutorials/iMovie_Tutorials_Learn_How_to_Edit_Videos_in_Apple _iMovie.htm
http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/tutorials/#tab=fcstudio&tutorial=mov-fcpoverview .
I would start using iMovie, and, if it meets your video editing needs, go with it. If not, then start learning how to use the Final Cut Pro software (what you now have or upgrading it).

3. Mac with Leopard with Bootcamp. Mac with Leopard is said to come with Bootcamp. Do you have that operational so that you can switch from Mac to Windows PC? If so, consider downloading the free 30 day trial version of Premiere Elements 7 from Adobe. You should find it to be a powerful video editor into which you can capture your video, but you will need to climb a learning curve. Remember with analog derived video, you can have Scene Detect by Content, not Scene Detect by Timecode.
http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bb684c6

4. If Mac with Leopard as a Mac and using iMovie (no learning curve) give you what you are looking for in a video editor, go with this path of least resistance. Weigh the merits of the digital camcorders (miniDv, Hi8) in view of the different analog tape sources (VHS, 8 mm, Hi8) that you want to convert to digital.


I hope that the above targeted some of your questions.

ATR

[Red Sky]

Thanks for the response. I'll check out your links and go to the Apple forum, and see what the buzz on my software is there.

[ATR]

When you get a chance, please let us know how your project turns out.

You have gotten me thinking maybe I should be doing something like this with the family 8 mm movies that have been in storage for too many years.

ATR

[alphaae]

Hey red sky here is something I use for old video

It's called a AV pyro by ADS technologies what it does is it has several inputs for video including RCA and a firewire output

Basically it tricks your editing software into thinking it's a camera you press play on your old machine (VCR, Hi8, etc.) then capture on your PC

By far one of the easist ways to get old footage like this to digital. The pyro will run you about a hundred bucks but for old memories that you can have for years to come I'd say the pyro is priceless.

[Red Sky]

Well, thanks for even more things to consider, alphaae! I'll check it out to see about Mac compatibility and try to decide which course to go. I need to see about modern digital camcorders. Most have A/V outputs, but they are so small it seems like A/V inputs have been removed. Anyone know of any models that have this feature?

[ATR]

Have you seen this link on Camcorder pass-through?

http://www.soundadviceblog.com/?p=442

If you go online searching for DV Camcorders Pass-Through, you will run across some Sony and other models with the feature. Have you checked out online sites liked Amazon, EBay, BH Photo, etc. to see what is out there and the prices?

ATR

[WayneS]

I recently purchased a Sony VRD-MC5 recorder, to transfer a sizeable collection of 8mm video cassettes to DVD. It is a stand alone unit, which you can transfer from VHS, Beta, 8mm VCR, various video devices, direct from HDD Cameras and Standard Definition video Cameras, as well as direct from most memory cards. It does not have editing capabilities, but you can do various types of dubbing. (Full, Incremental Playlist and scene selection dubbing).

I went this route, primarily to get my 8mm videos digitized, before my camcorder craps out, leaving me with a collection of tapes with nothing to play them on!

It wasn’t a big investment, under $200., but is good insurance!

Just my 2 cents worth!

Wayne