AVS › AVS Forum › Other Areas of Interest › Camcorders › Help - 8mm/hi8 to DVD but soundtrack out of alignment
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help - 8mm/hi8 to DVD but soundtrack out of alignment

post #1 of 5
7/14/07 at 8:08pm
Thread Starter 
Hi,

I'm currently transferring my old 8mm/hi8 tapes to DVD using a Sony gv-d200 and Macbook Pro. My problem comes from a set of tapes taken over a certain period of time(unfortunately when the kids were most cute), as near as I can figure the sound track, possibly the visualtrack, on the tapes is slightly out of alignment with the gv-d200's heads.

The audio is distorted, as though all sound is being gargled. Sometimes there is a line of distortion running through the video part.

If I'm wrong about the problem, please let me know. But right now the only solution I can think of is using a camcorder/playback deck with heads that have adjustable alignment. Is there such a thing out there at a reasonable price? Or is there an older piece of equipment with adjustable heads that might work after running the video through my hv-10? Or is there a way to adjust the heads on the gv-d200 that I'm just too ignorant to figure out?

If you have any suggestions or advice, I would appreciate hearing from you. Thanks.
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 5
7/15/07 at 6:18pm
I have not heard of any 8mm, Hi8 or Digital 8 camcorder or VCR that has user adjustable heads. It might be that your tapes have been damaged? If you have the camcorder that made the tapes, try playing them in that camcorder. I think the GV-D200 can do the conversion from analog to digital for you. So if you can play the tapes properly in your old camcorder and pass the video through the G200, that should solve your sync problem.

I have the GV-D800 and it doesn't have a sync problem with analog tapes so I don't know what is causing your problems unless the original camcorder was mis-adjusted from the factory. In that case, the only solution is to play the tapes in the original camcorder.

Dave
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 5
7/16/07 at 9:06am
Thread Starter 
Thanks, for your answer DaveC E100.

It's not so much that the sound is out of sync, but that it's distorted like the head is off-center or something(?). Sometimes the video is distorted as well.

I like your idea of using the old camera but it died years ago. Maybe I can find one on Ebay.

Thanks again.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 5
7/16/07 at 9:26pm
You must know somebody that has a working 8mm or Hi8 camcorder? Hi8 will play both types of tapes but 8mm will only play 8mm recordings. These camcorders don't have audio heads. The audio and video are recorded and played back by the video heads. I don't know how Digital8 machines handle analog recordings but I suspect Digital8 uses the same heads to play both audio and video from analog recordings. You shouldn't have to buy another camcorder to determine if your old tapes are bad. I would think you could borrow one long enough to determine if your old tapes are good or not. There still a lot of people that use these old camcorders at weddings and other events so I know there are many still working.

Edit - If you have to buy one, check your local pawn shops or better yet, it's garage sale time in north america. You can probably pick one up for $5 or less.

Dave
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 5
7/18/07 at 6:17am
Thread Starter 
DaveC E100,

Great suggestion. I'll look at garage sales this weekend. Thanks.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Camcorders

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Other Areas of Interest › Camcorders › Help - 8mm/hi8 to DVD but soundtrack out of alignment