The Hi8 tapes and camcorder were a pivotal moment in our lives! It changed the way we document personal and family milestones, and everyday living. Video was no longer strictly for professionals, soon leading to piles of home videos sitting by our TVs, a new normal for the time.
Maybe you recorded some special family moments or memorable events on those tapes, but they’ve been sitting unused for years. Do you know what could encourage you and your family to rewatch those videos? Digitizing them!
Why Go Digital
So why should you bother with digitizing your old Hi8 tapes? There are a few good reasons. For one thing, digital video is much easier to work with than analog tapes.
You can edit and share digital video files on your computer or smartphone, without worrying about deteriorating tapes or finding a working Hi8 player, which is also very prone to damage. Plus, once your video is digitized, you can easily make copies and share them with family and friends.
Another advantage of digitizing your Hi8 tapes is that it can help preserve your memories. Analog tapes degrade over time, and the longer you wait to digitize them, the worse the quality will be. By digitizing your tapes sooner rather than later, you can ensure that your memories are preserved in the best possible quality.
How To Digitize Hi8 Tapes
You have two main options: either get them done by professionals or do it on your own. If you decide to DIY it, the process can vary depending on what equipment you have, but here are the basic steps:
- Get a Hi8 player or camcorder. You can usually find these on sites like eBay or Craigslist, or you might have one lying around in storage.
- Connect the Hi8 player to your computer. There are a few different ways to do this, but the most common method is to use a video capture device that connects to your computer via USB. You’ll need to make sure the capture device is compatible with your Hi8 player.
- Capture the video. Once you’ve connected your Hi8 player to your computer, you can use a software like Windows Movie Maker or iMovie to capture the video from the tape.
- Edit and save your video. Once the video is captured, you can edit it as needed and save it as a digital file.
Of course, there are a few other things to consider when digitizing your Hi8 tapes. For example, you’ll need enough storage space on your computer or external hard drive to store the digital files. You may also need to purchase additional cables or adapters to connect your Hi8 player to your computer.
And if you don’t feel comfortable doing the digitizing yourself, you can always hire a professional to do it for you. There are several companies you can approach, like Capture, that specialize in this kind of service.
Digitizing your Hi8 video tapes is a great way to preserve your memories and make them more accessible. It may take a bit of effort and some investment in equipment and software, but the results are well worth it. So dust off those old tapes, fire up your computer, and start digitizing!
