2 Ways To Transfer 8mm Video To DVD
Many families have a trove of priceless videos on 8mm tapes. These great videos would obviously be more enjoyable if they were easier to watch. In most cases, the only way to watch them is to play the tapes through the actual camcorder. The biggest drawback to this is that 8mm is not digital. This means that the film quality can actually worsen every time it is watched or rewound. This is especially true if you are playing them through an old 8mm camera that has not been cleaned or serviced in years. Luckily, there are a few ways that you can transfer your 8mm videos to digital or DVD format.
Transfer the Videos on Your Own
For starters, if you want to do the transfer on your own you will need it working 8mm camera or VCR, an RCA to digital cord, uploading software and a computer. Hopefully, you will have the original RCA cord that came with the camera. All of the most popular video editing softwares have that an import tool that allows importing of a live video feed. This means you basically go to the beginning of the tape, press play and then press important on the software. The software will basically record video, digitizing it in the process. Of course, you might need to tinker with the settings to get the best quality, but you will still end up with manageable file sizes. At this point, your video will be digitized, and the quality is preserved. If you do want to transfer the video to DVD, you will need to invest in a simple DVD writing software. These allow you to make your own custom DVDs.
Let Process Transfer your Videos
But, what do you do if you don't have a playback method? What if your camcorder does not have any batteries or a charger? What if the camcorder plays back the footage with poor tracking? And finally, what if your don't have the kind of tools to do this on your own? Send it in! Professional film developing centers often offer this service because it is such a common need. You obviously pay a fee according to how many hours/minutes of footage that need to be transferred.
For many families, this is an much more practical an easy way to go. Of course, their are often issues with privacy because some people don't feel comfortable handing over their personal videos. Nonetheless, all of your tapes will be returned to you along with the newly digitized files and DVDs. Contact a business that performs video8 to DVD for more information.