Back in 06 when I bought my iMac, I also picked up a converter box (TVMax) to allow me to record old video from 8mm to computer format. The process worked okay, but no one seemed all that interested in the results. I suspect the grandchildren will enjoy seeing Mommy or which ever Daddy when they were kids. As long as I have the tools, I can do it when ever.
This year, Chris is directing a show with a local independent theater. (Yes, I like "theatre" but spell check does not.) He used the 8mm to record the video rather than digital to give it that old-school feel. My task was to do what I had done before and capture the analog to digital. Since 2006, the government in it's wisdom has decided to change the us all to digital television as well. I think it was for Christmas last year (2008) when I got the new and improved converter (eyetv hybrid)--no longer a box, but a mere overgrown USB stick. It had all the same connections, so I fired up all the systems last night and imported (is dubbed still even a word to use for this process?) the three clips. I then exported the video out of the EyeTV proprietary format to one Chris could use. Not only did the audio come on before the video, it was totally out of sync! Interesting, but completely unusable. I tried 3 or 6 more formats and then went back to the wedding video dubbed back in the TVMax days and reexported it to MP4 format.
When it worked like a charm, I retreated to the garage to find Max (yes, I had considered selling him on eBay). Max was not to be found. Lest you think we are sloppy-garage people, you need to know that John and Leah have a bunch of their stuff store there waiting the closing of their house yesterday. I went out in the light of day after work today and found ... the empty box. Max had been hiding behind some stuff in the computer cabinet the whole time. With Max and Mac reunited again, I started over. Dub take one, export take one, review take one. Celebrate!
Be assured, I will now box up Max and store the whole kit and caboodle in a safe, rememberable place. When Chris gets back from "over the river and through the woods," he can pick up his 65mg of video and edit down what he wants.
This year, Chris is directing a show with a local independent theater. (Yes, I like "theatre" but spell check does not.) He used the 8mm to record the video rather than digital to give it that old-school feel. My task was to do what I had done before and capture the analog to digital. Since 2006, the government in it's wisdom has decided to change the us all to digital television as well. I think it was for Christmas last year (2008) when I got the new and improved converter (eyetv hybrid)--no longer a box, but a mere overgrown USB stick. It had all the same connections, so I fired up all the systems last night and imported (is dubbed still even a word to use for this process?) the three clips. I then exported the video out of the EyeTV proprietary format to one Chris could use. Not only did the audio come on before the video, it was totally out of sync! Interesting, but completely unusable. I tried 3 or 6 more formats and then went back to the wedding video dubbed back in the TVMax days and reexported it to MP4 format.
When it worked like a charm, I retreated to the garage to find Max (yes, I had considered selling him on eBay). Max was not to be found. Lest you think we are sloppy-garage people, you need to know that John and Leah have a bunch of their stuff store there waiting the closing of their house yesterday. I went out in the light of day after work today and found ... the empty box. Max had been hiding behind some stuff in the computer cabinet the whole time. With Max and Mac reunited again, I started over. Dub take one, export take one, review take one. Celebrate!
Be assured, I will now box up Max and store the whole kit and caboodle in a safe, rememberable place. When Chris gets back from "over the river and through the woods," he can pick up his 65mg of video and edit down what he wants.
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