Video Q: Hi-8 & Super VHS into my software?

T

thwackless

New member
I've got some Hi-8 and Super VHS I'd like to be able to work with & produce a presentable DVD, using the sound that's already on the film. Also to be able to edit/import new sound to the video would be a plus... Is there a device/method of doing these conversions? I'm using a Tacam US-428 and Cool Edit Pro 2.0.

Would I be better off going to a pro video production studio to get this done- or is the device relatively inexpensive?

Thanks for advice/pontification in advance, :)

Rog.
 
ATI makes some decent, fairly inexpensive A/V input cards...

I've got two on both my A & B systems - They're good for several things including video editing AND...

I get to watch cable on either system while rendering files. :D


John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
 
Massive Master said:
ATI makes some decent, fairly inexpensive A/V input cards...

I've got two on both my A & B systems - They're good for several things including video editing AND...

I get to watch cable on either system while rendering files. :D


John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com
Click to expand...

ATI video capture cards are at the bottom of the list in terms of video capture quality. Throwing everything onto a single card like the All-In-Wonders is not a good idea.

I had a AIW a few years back and decided to go with a separate capture card from Pinnacle when I got my new system. The quality of the capture on the Pinnacle is MUCH better than the ATI cards.

You can pick up a Pinnacle Studio AV card for under $100 nowadays.
 
For the Hi-8, if you have access to a Sony Digital 8 videocam and a Firewire card, you can capture it off the camera.

You'll need software, of course. Most video capture cards will have something bundled. If you are really going to get into video in a big way, I recommend Vegas software, it's superb... and if not, I think they still have a "lite" version, used to be called Video Factory...
 
AlChuck said:
For the Hi-8, if you have access to a Sony Digital 8 videocam and a Firewire card, you can capture it off the camera.

You'll need software, of course. Most video capture cards will have something bundled. If you are really going to get into video in a big way, I recommend Vegas software, it's superb... and if not, I think they still have a "lite" version, used to be called Video Factory...
Click to expand...

I can probably borrow a Hi-8 camera for that transfer, but I'll still need something for the VHS (our JVC camcorder has no line-outs), but later for that...

As far as software, I have Cool Edit, which is alleged to have video editing capability- not so? I'm not altogether with it yet, and am probably taking on more than I should at a time, but it's another thing I need to get done here.

Also, I'm using a USB connection for interfacing (Tascam US-428); I guess that if there's a USB port on the camera it'll be fine, right? Or couldn't I go into a connection on the 428? I do not know what kind of connection the camera will require... S/PDIF, whatever.. Ah! But we need a Firewire card for that! How much is one of those? O.k., I'm getting it: Firewire card, transfer device (camera to card), and method of signal transfer (read: type of connector from camera to card).

Far as the AV card, if I get the FW card, I shouldn't need a "capture card", right? Or do I need that after the transfer? How much actual stuff do I need to go and obtain to do this?
I'm heading off to Google-Land...

Thanks for the response,

Rog.
 
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Also, I'm using a USB connection for interfacing (Tascam US-428); I guess that if there's a USB port on the camera it'll be fine, right? Or couldn't I go into a connection on the 428? I do not know what kind of connection the camera will require... S/PDIF, whatever..
Click to expand...

I doubt the camera has a USB cable -- there's too much data in a digital video stream for USB to work (unless it were restricted to audio data only, which would seem to be an only partially useful feature and so probably not included on a consumer camcorder); nor would it likely have a S/PDIF port, which is an audio data transfer protocal and unlikely to be included on a camcorder for the same reason as a USB port.

Ah! But we need a Firewire card for that! How much is one of those? O.k., I'm getting it: Firewire card, transfer device (camera to card), and method of signal transfer (read: type of connector from camera to card).

Far as the AV card, if I get the FW card, I shouldn't need a "capture card", right? Or do I need that after the transfer?
Click to expand...

Firewire (also called IEEE1394 and iLink) is the way to go. A Firewire card costs, oh, I'd guess $50-75? Maybe less these days. And once you have a card and a camera with a Firewire port, you need no additional hardware to stream the data from the camera to the computer, just software on the computer to see the port and pull the data down off it (and back, too, when you want to transfer your completed video project back to tape.) You will have difficulties, though, if the computer is older and has a hard-drive throughput that's borderline. A Firewire port won't help if the drive can't keep pace with the transfer rate. But pretty much any modern computer should be fine in that regard.

As far as software, I have Cool Edit, which is alleged to have video editing capability- not so?
Click to expand...

It might be so, but I suspect it's editing capability like SONAR or ACID has; that is, you can change the audio portion -- modify it, remove it, mix in other sources, overlay music and sound effects, etc. -- but not cut frames from the video or reassemble frames or overlay video effects or transitions or titles or any of that stuff That is, you can use Cool Edit with a finished video and do sound for it, but you can't do what you would consider video production with it. I might be wrong, though, being unfamilar with the product.

Oh, and it's likely that Cool Edit wouldn't support capturing the video from the Firewire device to a file -- you would need to get it into an AVI file first.
 
Thanks for the direction, Al. That doesn't sound so troublesome, I can probably splurge that out without too much of a grunt! The Iogear card comes with a bundle of some vid software, says it can do vid editing. Groovy, much obliged!

Rog.

Of course, another Q:, there always is:

What type of device besides a camera transfers video? Is there one for more than one type of tape format?
 
The Iogear card comes with a bundle of some vid software, says it can do vid editing.
Click to expand...

I think a lot of Firewire cards come that way. I got my Pinnacle card a few years ago with their editing software. Even operating systems come with free basic video editing packages these days, iMovie on the Mac and Windows Movie Maker with Windows XP.

What type of device besides a camera transfers video? Is there one for more than one type of tape format?
Click to expand...

Well, I expect there are high-end video decks that have a Firewire port. But since different tape formats require different physical configurations (that is, VHS and S-VHS and 8mm drive and VHS-C and Sony Beta won't all fit in the same box), I suspect it's done in a similar way to audio equipment (where you don't find reel-to-reel tape decks that also take cassettes, DAT tape etc.) You get one unit for each format you use and route them through mixers. I'll bet there are video signal mixers out there.
 
Thinking of it, my machine w/ XP here has some movie-making program in it... I'll have a look at that. I'm like a guy who's just moved into a house full of tools and doesn't have them all in one place yet (or know what they are)!

That Pinnacle card has been mentioned (and I re-read your post, brzilian- $100 for the Pinnacle). Any reason I would choose that over Iogear, or any other? I'm gonna have this stuff for awhile...

I won't nitpick at you any longer if you've got better things to do, man! I'm doing my research, but I drop Q's all over the place in the process. Don't want to get banished for "trolling"!!

Thanks,

Rog.
 
sound editing

Adobe Audition WILL allow you to extract the sound from an mpeg2 file. I think you will save yourself alot of time if you go ahead an capture it (if you're going that route) @ DVD spec then you can edit the audio using Audition (go to the file menu and theres an option to get audio from video). This would save you loads of render/compression time. Once you have the sound cleaned up you can substitute the polished file for the original audio when you go to edit the video or author the dvd. If you don't want to get too fancy you can use TMPGEnc DVD Author and get the Dolby Digital 2.0 plugin for maximum compatibility.
the Authoring program & encoder would set you back about $115.
dlv
 
Allright, I know nothing about this...so I'm looking for a little explanation. Let's pretend I'm the kid who played the banjo in "Deliverance". That said:

1) An mpeg2 file is video. Right? Or maybe it's a music file? And I will be prompted by the machine's software concerning DVD spec- I check a box, or click a button... I'm using Veritas Record Now, which can burn DVD's as well as CD's (getting a DVD burner installed), so I need to see that Veritas links up with the incoming signal to be recorded and gives me the opportunity to make the right choice of options. Am I thinking rightly about this? Probably simpler than I think, here.

2) But first, there's the video. I need an IEEE 1394 card to capture video. Does this capture process happen simultaneously with the audio capture/recording?

3) I have to borrow a digital Hi-8 camera from somewhere to do this. I assume (!) there'll be line-outs, stereo, from the camera. I bet they'll be S/PDIF's. I go into the IEEE 1394 card (which has the appropriate inputs, yes?) from the camera, dumping the contents of the Hi-8 into the card, and hence on to it's destination. What IS the destination for the contents of the Hi-8? Is this where the video editing software (that comes bundled with the IEEE 1394 card) comes into play?

4) You are ready to move on to a fun computer game now. But I'll finish quickly: You've said to get the audio into the sound editing software (I'm using Cool Edit Pro 2.0- probably will handle the chore, though I might need to reassign a device, as I'm using a Tascam US-428 now). This must happen after putting the whole mess from the Hi-8 camera into it's place within the appropriate software (video edit). Then I pull out the mpeg2 file, transferring it to CEP 2.0 for clean-up- which sounds like a grand idea.
Now I make the movie, and edit the music to suit.

How am I doing? ( * plunk * plunk * )

Thanks for your valuable time and patience!

Rog.
 
answers (some at least)

1) Correct! mpeg2 is video. Also contained in the mpeg2 file is the audio stream. So mpeg2 is both actually :). Now the method I suggested was doing a standard capture and not a digital transfer as with the firewire, so unfortunately I cannot give advice in that area :(. Anyways..with a standard capture program you can tell it to capture @ DVD quality..there should be a setting or drop-down box for dvd quality capture.

2) This is my weak area, using a regular capture card you will connect the camera to the capture card via rca/svideo and yes capturing is basically recording the video and audio digitally onto your hard drive as it is being fed in. Think of it as a digital vcr :)Using the IEEE 1394 (firewire) it's more like copying a file. Either way you'll end up with an mpeg2 file on your hard drive.

next hopefully you will have the option in CEP 2.0 (don't remember anymore) to get audio from video. Then you will be able to edit and clean up the audio. You can then turn around and save it as a .wav. This process could be done before or after editing the video in whatever video editing program you use..although if you are going to be cutting and pasting clips in and out I'd wait and do the audio right before authoring.

4) ANYWAYS! Once you get the mpeg2 to your hard drive by whatever method you will be getting it there. Then is when you put it into your editing program and do what you want. Once you added titles and fx then the editing program will have to render the mpeg2 file with the new stuff. This is where capturing at dvd spec saves you some time. Otherwise the editing program will have to convert every frame to dvd spec. Then I would suggest the audio extraction in cooledit pro. Clean it up and save it as .wav. Then if you got the TMPGEnc DVD Author Dolby Digital plugin you can use it to convert the wav to AC3 (Dolby Digital).

5) The last step would be the authoring program..such as the one I mentioned. This is where you can add your menus and customizations. If you are using TMPGEnc DVD Author You can specify that you want the edited mpeg as the video source and the spruced up AC3 as the audio source. Make your menus and arrange all the video files how you want and BAM! Burn it to DVD.

I know that was alot and I'm sure several digital experts will come behind me and give you better information as far as the Hi-8 portion goes...

dlv
 
What?

Only fooling...

Right, so that's a dang lot of info, but I actually think I got the jist. This all represents an outlay of some cash: I need gadgets, cards, and programs (sounds like "Lawyers, Guns and Money"), ie., capture device, card, software program for video. Gets a tad blurry after a couple sentences! Gimme low-tech!

I do like the idea of using connections I already know about (nothing like learning an entirely new field just to get a small project done! It just seems life's too short for all that).

Standard capture as opposed to FW seems the way to go. So now I need a capture card. Don't need top-of-the-line! Got a good source to begin looking at for that? I could Google, of course.
Then I'll need a deck of some kind, and a video editing program. A budget bundle of some kind would work- also I believe there's a Windows Movie Maker type program in my Windows XP. Is this what we're talking about?

If I do have a video edit program in my computer, and can get a camera to do the transfer, then all I'd need is a capture card, right?

Thanks again for your time, M.

Rog.
 
Re: What?

thwackless said:
Only fooling...

Right, so that's a dang lot of info, but I actually think I got the jist. This all represents an outlay of some cash: I need gadgets, cards, and programs (sounds like "Lawyers, Guns and Money"), ie., capture device, card, software program for video. Gets a tad blurry after a couple sentences! Gimme low-tech!

I do like the idea of using connections I already know about (nothing like learning an entirely new field just to get a small project done! It just seems life's too short for all that).

Standard capture as opposed to FW seems the way to go. So now I need a capture card. Don't need top-of-the-line! Got a good source to begin looking at for that? I could Google, of course.
Then I'll need a deck of some kind, and a video editing program. A budget bundle of some kind would work- also I believe there's a Windows Movie Maker type program in my Windows XP. Is this what we're talking about?

If I do have a video edit program in my computer, and can get a camera to do the transfer, then all I'd need is a capture card, right?

Thanks again for your time, M.

Rog.
Click to expand...

When you buy a Pinnacle capture card, it comes with Studio 8. It is a video editing/DVD authoring program.

http://www.cdw.com/shop/products/default.aspx?edc=418207

http://store.yahoo.com/bhphotovideoproaud/pisav8-reg.html
 
Thanks for the pointer, brzil. All questions for now seem satisfactorily answered, I appreciate the help! Now the world of video editing can go on...

Rog.
 
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