Digital8-Fix or not--MacDV Digest #3551

[Ted Langdell]

Ted Langdell
Ted Langdell Creative Broadcast Services
Marysville, CA


Mark,

Compare the features of your D8 camcorder to the one you found at Best 
Buy.

If your broken one has more features (probably cost more) and the video 
looks as good or better (which might due to a bigger imaging CCD on 
your older camera) then spend the money to get it fixed.

Many older D8 camcorders have more features than the just two models 
Sony currently offers, so your flexibility in a new camera is limited, 
compared to what used to be available.

When you take it in, take in several of the tapes you've recorded (8mm, 
Hi8 and D8), and have the repair shop align the tape path to match 
those.  Use something that isn't a critical tape... that if it's lost 
or damaged won't be your wedding or something as important.

I had to do a head replacement and more to my TRV-520, but didn't 
remember to take the tape in.  When I got it back, it wouldn't properly 
play back tapes I'd previously recorded with it.

Also, if the shop didn't get it aligned right, don't try to re-align 
the path yourself.  Make the shop do it to your satisfaction.

One slip of a tool can wipe out the spinning heads, and you're back to 
where you were.

Ted.

On Aug 4, 2004, at 5:39 AM, Macintosh Digital Video List wrote:

> Message-ID: <2046533.1091554073260.JavaMail.rmobrien at mac.com>
> Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2004 13:27:53 -0400
> From: "Mark O'Brien" <rmobrien at mac.com>
> Subject: Digital8 to MiniDV conversion
>
> With 35-40 hours of Digital8 footage, my Sony DCR-TRV110 Digital8 
> camcorder has gone on the fritz. The repair shop is quoting me $330 
> for a new drum, due to some kind of contamination they can't clean 
> off.
>
> Recognizing MiniDV will be around and supported longer than Digital8, 
> I had already upgraded to a newer Panasonic PVDV953 3CCD MiniDV 
> camcorder. I had considered dubbing my Digital8 tapes to MiniDV for 
> archival purposes, using a 4 pin-4 pin Firewire cable. Unfortunately, 
> I hadn't gotten around to it before the Sony went bad. :-(
>
> So my choices are to:
>
> A) Spend the $330 to repair my 1999 model Sony ($50 diagnostic fee 
> already paid would be applied to the repair)
>
> B) Spend $380 for a new Sony DCR-TRV460 (Best Buy's online price)
>
> C) Pay some third party to convert the 35-40 Digital8 cassettes for me 
> and trash the old Sony.
>
> I've seen a lot of traffic on this list referring to converting old 
> movies (film) to MiniDV, but never Digital8 to MiniDV. Does anybody 
> know of a service that does this?
>
> Mark
>