Advantages Of 8mm/HI8/miniDV Over VHS
So, the question remains: Did you get ripped off by buying that 8mm (Hi8/minDV) camcorder? Absolutely not!
The lack of mechanical compatibility with VHS VCRs is actually the strength of the aforementioned camcorder formats.
First: 8mm/Hi8/miniDV tape has a longer recording length than the VHS-C compatible VHS tape: In its standard SP speed the longest VHS-C tape is 40min, while miniDV is 1 hour, and 8mm/Hi8 is 2 hrs.
Second: Not being mechanically compatible with VHS gives the 8mm/Hi/miniDV formats the ability to achieve higher technical standards in terms of video resolution and sound quality.
So, all is not lost. For the slight inconvenience of having to connect your 8mm/Hi8/miniDV camcorder to your TV or VCR with cables to watch your video, you have the advantage of newer technology that outpaces the abilities of your VCR or a VHS-C camcorder.
However, even though 8mm/Hi8/miniDV tape is not physically compatible with your VHS VCR, you still have the ability to transfer and edit your camcorder videos to VHS.
Transferring 8mm/Hi8/miniDV tape to a VCR or DVD Recorder:
1. Make sure you plug the camcorder directly into the VCR or DVD recorder and NOT the TV. In addition, you have to make sure that your switch your VCR or DVD recorder from its tuner to its AV inputs in order get the signal from those inputs to record on tape. This is done with either an input select button on the VCR or DVD recorder remote or front of the VCR or DVD recorder.
Also, some VCRs allow you to access the AV inputs by changing the channel selection up or down until you reach AV, line, or video in. If your VCR or DVD recorder has both video inputs on the front and back of the VCR, the back inputs would be line one, AV1, Aux1, or video 1 and the front inputs would be line 2, AV2, Aux2, or video 2.
2. Plug the Audio/Video cables supplied with with the camcorder to the AV outputs of the Camcorder to the AV inputs on either front or back of the VCR or DVD recorder, switch the VCR or DV recorder to AV-in, Line-in, or Aux in (depends of brand).
3. Put the tape to be copied in the Camcorder, and also put a blank tape in the VCR or a blank DVD in the DVD recorder.
4. Press play on the Camcorder, then press record on the VCR or DVD recorder and you will be able to copy your tape.
4. When your recording is done, stop the VCR or DVD recorder and the camcorder.
5. After you have done this successfully and are able to play back the recording, (make sure your TV is set on the channel or input you normally watch your VCR on - change your VCR back to access its tuner so you can record regular TV shows later, if desired.
For additional information, check the user manual of either your Camcorder, VCR, or DVD rcorder. There should be a page on copying your tapes or copying from one VCR to another (which is the same procedure) or from a VCR to a DVD recorder. You can also watch your tape on TV at the same time it is being copied, just leave the TV set on the channel or input that you normally do when watching a video tape or DVD.
Copying or dubbing your camcorder tapes gives you the chance to cut out those boring parts and mistakes. You can send the polished copy to a friend or relative or just keep it for your own viewing. In fact, since 8mm/Hi8/miniDV are higher resolution formats than VHS, you will make better tape copies onto VHS. Every time you copy a tape you lose quality, the better quality the source material, the better the copy.
Use this analogy: When you buy a movie at your local video store and play it on your VCR it looks much better than if you had taped that same movie off of TV. The reason: the source of the tape is a direct copy of a studio master, whereas that same master broadcast over cable or the airwaves is degraded from TV transmission aritifacts, then by the time you copy the movie, you not only copy the movie but any transmission defects along with it. Think of a tape recorded in 8mm/Hi8/miniDV as similar to a copy from a studio master and the tape copied from another VHS master as being copied from lower resolution source material.
Now, if you are still craving a way to play your 8mm/Hi8/miniDV tapes in some kind of player, there are solutions (but they are not cheap). There are 8mm/Hi8/miniDV VCRs made by SONY and miniDV/S-VHS/VHS Combo VCRs made by JVC:
Compare Prices on Sony Digital8/Hi8 and Mini-DV VCRs
Compare Prices on JVC miniDV/S-VHS/VHS VCR Combos
What to do if you no longer have an 8mm or Hi8 camcorder
If you no longer have an 8mm/HI8 camcorder to play your tapes or make copies onto VHS or DVD, you have the following options:
1. Borrow a Hi8/8mm camcorder from a friend or relative for temporary use (Free - if you have access to one).
2. Take your tapes to a video duplicator in your area and have them transferred to DVD professionally (can be expensive - depending on how may tapes are involved).
3. Buy an inexpensive HI8 (or a Digital8 camcorder that has abiltiy to also playback analog Hi8 and 8mm) camcorder or miniDV camcorder to play your tapes back. This is the best long-term and least expensive option if you have a lot of tapes -- and if you can't borrow a camcorder.
4. Buy a Digital8/Hi8 portable VCR from Sony (very expensive).
Consider Options 1 or 2 as they would be the most practical and cost effective. Also, at this point, transfer them to DVD and not VHS. You could do both if needed. If you have them transferred to DVD by a service - have them do one -- and then test it to make sure it plays on your DVD player - then have the remaking ones done in the same fashion.
So, there you have it, the answer to the mystery of one of the most sought after, but non-existent, consumer electronics products. There is no 8mm/Hi8/miniDV VHS adapter, nor has there ever been one. Now, relax, go out, and preserve those precious memories...
