[MacDV] Analog Video to Digital

[Ric Perrott]

On Monday, January 6, 2003, at 12:35  PM, Larry Briggs wrote:

> I want to convert analog Sony 8 and Hi8 video tapes to digital format,  
> so that I can edit and then burn DVD's on my iMac.
>
> Separately, and later, I want to have old 8mm home movies converted to  
> digital format for editing and burning to DVD's. Everything I read  
> suggests that I should definitely not go through VHS for the movies.
>
> I was given a Dazzle Hollywood DV Bridge to link between my analog  
> Sony video camera and my iMac. The quality of the movies on my Mac  
> screen is much darker and color is lost. I gather from the Dazzle  
> website, though, that the problem is due to the display not showing  
> the full file being converted.
>
> The more I read, I wonder, should I have gotten a digital video camera  
> as the bridge between the analog videocam and the iMac, rather than  
> the Dazzle DV Bridge? I would appreciate any comments and suggestions.
>
> When I convert my home movies, since I plan to avoid VHS, would the  
> output be to digital video tape which I would want to play on a  
> digital video camera to export into my iMac for editing and burning?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Larry

Larry,

If you don't mind doing simple editing (i.e. Cuts Only, no fancy titles  
or transitions) and you want to save HOURS on MPEG-2 encoding, then  
look into getting the USB Instant DVD for Mac from ADS. This product is  
a real time MPEG-2 encoder and will take any analog video source and  
convert it into MPEG-2 (the native format for DVD) in real-time.

They provide a simple editing utility that allows you to trim the  
MPEG-2 files and do simple editing, but nothing along the lines of  
iMovie. To edit with iMovie/FCP you'll need to convert your video to DV  
first. Be aware though that DV->MPEG-2 encoding can take many hours to  
perform even with a dual proc machine. Also, USB Instant DVD cannot  
accept DV input so it cannot convert that to MPEG-2.

There is a workaround where you could import your video as DV, edit it  
in iMovie or FCP, then save it out to a SVHS tape. Then reimport the  
SVHS tape via Instant DVD and you will have saved a considerable amount  
of time with very little resolution loss. I've used this method to  
import Hi-8 and SVHS video and then burned it to DVD in a fraction of  
the time it would have taken my lowly Titanium Powerbook 550 to  
software encode the DV->MPEG-2. Take a look at the StudioDV product  
from Formac to import analog video as DV.

http://www.adstech.com/products/USB_Instant_DVD/intro/ 
usb700intro.asp?pid=USBAV-700
http://www.formac.com/p_bin/?cid=solutions_converters_studiodv

Good Luck.
-------------------------------
Ric Perrott
Writer, Poet, Pot-Stirrer
Visit http://www.ricperrott.com