I have a Sony CCD-TRV128 camcorder and I want to get my videos from the Hi8 tapes to the computer. So my questions are: what exactly do I need to buy (memory stick? cables?) and once they're stored on my computer, how do I edit the videos? Do I need to have some kind of video editing program?

I need step by step instructions, I'm absolutely clueless in this department!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Also, what is FireWire? I've been hearing that term in relation to video uploadng...

1. Firewire connection allows you to operate the camcorder direct from the PC whilst you are transferring video - start/stop etc. You will probably require a firewire card if you do not have a firewire facility on your PC already

2. You WILL require software with which to edite video etc - your windows XP may well have Windows Movie Maker with it - if you do not see it in your programs then go into your C drive/windows/programs and search for it: it is a basic and quite simple program to run and is pretty user friendly

3. Other software I would recommend is Pinnacle Studio - Studio 9 for example is cheap on eBay!!

4. You also need to be aware that transferring and editing video on your PC will require LOTS of free disk space!!

Firewire will probably not be an option for capturing from Hi8 tape. It's more likely that you'll need an analogue capture card.

Please let us know if you found someone's advice to be helpful.

http://www.kworld.com.tw/en/index_e...

You will need a capture card, or external capture device. I have this http://www.leadtek.com/multimedia/w... it also plays tv. Go to http://www.videohelp.com/capturecards

I just went through learning-curve hell with this. Here's the fishhook: your camcorder records in ANALOG(RGB). Your computer does not understand this "language", so you must convert what is coming out of your C/Corder to DIGITAL (1s and 0s) so that your computer can work with it. You have two (2) only choices:
> Try to do this with Software only (Pinnacle, Ulead Studio, etc.) or
>Try to do this with a capture card that has a chip dedicated to this task.

With Software you will end up tearing your hair out and cursing the day you ever decided to try this.
Go with: Hauppauge 250 PVR capture card, which comes with WIN2000 PVR capture software.
Do not buy anything from K-World. I went that route and wasted my money and my dozens of hours sitting in front of my computer.

I am at work and it's 5 - time to go. I will check back in tonight, and if you are interested I will fill you in further. In fact, I am capturing more footage tonight, editing in Pinnacle10 and burning to DVD.

later...

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime;
Then industry pollutes the water and kills all the fish.

Guess he's not interested. So why post in the first place?? Oh, well....

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day;
Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime;
Then industry pollutes the water and kills all the fish.

or you can visit and try VHS to DVD and transfer your home video tapes to dvd. You can get a pretty good conversion at a reasonable price from a lot of places. But what are most of these companies lacking? Care and attention to detail! Other ways you get totally amateurish product done with domestic equipment.
link: http://www.vhs-to-dvd.com/