How to transfer video from a Digital8 or MiniDV camcorder to a computer running a Windows operating system

With the VHS-C adapter open, gently drop the cassette into the top. If it’s not sliding in smooth downward motion it may be getting caught via the two spool arms.

Read more about mini dv tapes to digital here.

However, if you wish to easily convert your 8mm tapes to digital without a camcorder and preserve precious memories, price shouldn’t be an issue. What do you mean by an external USB connection option? It means you would have to use an external USB video capture device.

She loves shooting music, tinkering with new technology, all things analog, and learning about archaic photographic processes. She’s been photographing the music scene in New York City since 2012 and began writing about photography shortly after. In addition to Tom’s Guide, her stories have been published on Pop Photo, DP Review, Digital Photo Pro and The Phoblographer.

When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Option 1 — Borrow a Hi8/8mm camcorder from a friend or relative for temporary use (Free — if you have access to one). After confirming you are able to play back the copy, change your VCR back to its tuner so you can record regular TV shows later. Kayla Dube has 4+ years’ experience in videography and filmmaking. She frequently works in production with indie film companies.

Windows 7 comes with two i.LINK/IEEE 1394 drivers; a new one and a legacy one. For video capture, you will need to use the legacy driver. Simply follow these step-by-step instructions to make sure the right one is installed. If you have mini-sized tapes (called VHS-C tapes), you might need a camcorder rather than a VCR.

Celebration Videos

This 8mm video cassette deck is powered by a 5-head system and outputs sound in Hi-Fi stereo. This 8mm VCR provides up to 2.5 hours of recording on a single compact 8mm videocassette (using P6-150 in high-quality SP mode).

Sony EV-C200 Hi8 Video 8 8mm Player Recorder VCR Deck

First-class passengers were given 8mm Video Walkman units and allowed to choose selected movie titles. Such masterpieces as 12 Angry Men, Godfather, and Annie Hall, among others, were released on Video8 tapes, just as they were on VHS. You’ve got to correctly point it at your camcorder to get it working. Most camcorders come with almost flat, small, sunken buttons to go with their compact designs. First, you can use the RCA connection, the yellow and red and white . Usually a USB camcorder comes with a USB driver installation CD. Although Kodak released 16 mm Kodachrome film in 1935, then 8 mm film a year later, home movies didn’t really take off until the 1960s, when Kodak released Super 8.

Using a Professional Service for Converting MiniDV to Digital

On a laptop, just check if your laptop model has an Express Card slot or a PCMCIA slot. Today, most laptops have memory card readers to support the latest high-definition cameras and camcorders. Inside the device settings, find the video source and set it on AV (double-check the setting is applied). Select S-Video in the source if you have an S-Video cable connection instead of an AV to RCA. If everything is set properly, you should be able to see the camera’s live view on your capturing device.

There are three types of 8mm tape players – Video8, Hi-8, and Digital8. Some units even come with a Jog Shuttle which makes it super easy for you to play, stop, rewind and fast-forward your tapes. You know how convenient this feature is if you’ve used it on a VHS VCR before. This is the easiest way to transfer video from a camcorder to your computer using USB. Then connect your camcorder to your computer through the USB cable provided with your camcorder. Again it would be useful to refer to your camcorder manual for detailed instructions. They may work though for connecting other peripherals like externa; hard disk, but not for video transfer and capture.