You can digitize 8mm videotapes and transfer them to DVDs.
Analog 8mm video tapes were popular during the 1980's and early 1990's. These types of tapes have technical problems such as "tape dropout," when image quality is lost after viewing, fast forwarding or rewinding. It also happens even if the tape is not watched for many years, due to the erosion of magnetic substances on the surface of the tape. Tapes also turn sticky, fragile and brittle and can snap easily. With the advent of the digital age, the trend for people wanting to save their footage is to convert them to DVD. The DVD format is far superior than the 8mm format in terms of image quality and has a longer lifespan.
Instructions
1. Connect the audio/video output wires of an 8mm camcorder to the input terminals of a mini digital video (DV) camcorder. Select the footage on the 8mm tape where you want to start to digitize and press "Pause." It's better to press "Pause" rather than the "Stop" button to avoid footage gap or delay when you press the "Play" button to start digital recording.
2. Press "Play" on your 8mm camcorder and press "Record" on your DV camcorder. This will convert the 8mm analog format to mini DV format. The mini DV is a popular format that can be easily transferred to DVD later.
3. Feed the converted digital footage to your computer. Rewind the mini DV tape to the starting point where you recorded your 8mm footage. Connect the mini DV firewire cable from your camcorder to the firewire port (also called IEEE 1394 interface) on your computer.
4. Open your video editing software on your computer. Video editing software available in the market today includes Adobe Premier, Pinnacle Studio and Sony Vegas. They all have the capability of capturing footage from your mini DV camcorder and saving it to your hard drive. Most software will let you acquire your video file from different sources, such as from your hard drive or from a connected device. In this instance, choose "Capture from DV Camcorder."
5. Edit your footage, if necessary. With video editing software, you can arrange the sequence of your footage using a timeline. You can also add titles, scene transitions and a variety of effects.
6. Set the DVD output settings on the main menu, including the writing speed, DVD regional code and aspect ratio. Select MPEG-2 for the output format as it works best for DVD burning. Insert a blank DVD disk and press the "Burn" icon or command on the editing program usually found also in the main menu.
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