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Hi8 to DVD transfer is for the second generation
of Sony's 8mm analog video tape format. Hi-8 is an abbreviation
for "High-band Video 8," a term that offers a good
introduction to the format.
Make sure you convert Hi8 video tape
to DVD soon, since these tapes can be decades
old. The format is roughly similar to S-VHS in quality. In
fact, Sony introduced the Hi8 camcorder in 1988 to compete
with JVC's S-VHS format. Like S-VHS, Hi8 included improved
electronics, greater picture detail, higher-grade video tape,
and an increase in luminance bandwidth.
Hi8 video cassettes are exactly the same size as a 8mm or Video
8 tape. A Hi8 cassette is 3 3/4" wide, 2 7/16" deep,
and 5/8" thick. It contains the same length of 8mm-wide
magnetic tape, wound between two spools within the plastic cassette,
as well as the same release latch. Before we transfer Hi8 to
DVD, we flip this cover open to see the tape's condition.
Hi8 was a very popular camcorder format through the 1990s, and
many camcorders had extensive features, often including time-base
correction, digital noise reduction, and stereo and S-video outputs.
Sony even produced Hi8 equipment for the professional video production
field.
In the late 1990s, Sony began developing the Digital 8 camcorder
to replace Hi8, but both formats were largely overtaken by Mini
DV. We can transfer Hi 8 to DVD as well as its successor, Digital
8. For more information about Digital 8, see our Digital
8 to DVD page if you are interested in transferring these
tapes to DVD. |
Hi8 to DVD is extremely similar
to 8mm. Most tapes are recorded in the SP mode and holds up to
2 hours of video, which makes the video
to digital process very simple. Like Video 8, Hi8 also offers
excellent audio performance due to its use of audio frequency
modulation.
A Hi8 conversion displays a video resolution
of 420 lines, a substantial improvement over that of Video
8, as well as VHS. Hi8 captures greater picture detail as a
result and is similar to laserdisc quality. It also features
hi-fi stereo sound, and some professional Hi8 equipment could
record digital PCM sound on a special track. In the Hi8
transfer process, we are able to
keep many of these features intact.
Unlike VHS and Betamax, Hi8 camcorders did not have tracking
controls, so when you play back video, jitter and broken sound
can be apparent. If we receive a tape that was recorded while
your camcorder was misaligned, Hi8 to DVD transfer becomes extremely
difficult. If you have tapes like this, please consider providing
your original camcorder for when we convert Hi8 tapes for you. |
