How much are you asking for? Which unit do you have? Was it new when you bought it?

I demonstrated different options to digitize video, so it depends on what you want to do. If you want to upconvert analog to HD and have frame rate control, you need to get both Blackmagic converters in this video. However, if you don't care about frame rate control, you can either get the analog to USB converter or the analog to HDMI converter with Elgato Cam Link.

True. If you just wanted to archive the analog video, you should do it at 29.97p or 60p to keep the frame rate similar. But for documentaries or narratives that are filmed in 23.98p, you'd want to change the frame rate of the analog video for that.

From my limited experience, uprez, de-interlacing, and frame rate conversion is always cleaner when doing it through hardware. I've tried software like Topaz and it's not the same, especially frame rate conversions done with software. You also need a very fast computer in order to process the conversions. When you're doing a huge bulk of digitizing, it ends up being faster, cleaner, and relatively cheaper, when you do it through hardware like I demonstrated. And yes, as you saw, the ProRes file is not that big, because it's only HD. There is 10-bit 4:2:2, but that's only there for easier editing, it doesn't actually give your analog video true 10-bit 4:2:2 colorspace.

A time base corrector is not required for digitizing, because there are a lot of analog tapes that do not have any technical issues. BUT....when you encounter a tape with lots of issues, a time base corrector might be the only way to fix the glitches. It's unfortunately an unpredictable gamble when it comes to old analog tapes. You might get lucky and have no problems, but the more tapes you digitize, your odds increase with getting a bad tape. Using the LVY to Cam Link method will not make your digitized footage progressive. It passes the frame rate through the chain, so whatever frame rate your source footage is, that is what your digitized video will be. You need a hardware device, like the Blackmagic converters, to change the frame rate. It is true that you can capture in 60p and change the frame rate and interlacing later with software, so if you want to go with that technique, that should work. The biggest con with software conversion is that it is not always consistent and you might have to do hours of trial and error just to figure out the right software settings to give you the best conversion. And just because you found the perfect settings for one clip, doesn't mean you can do a batch conversion of a bunch of videos. Not all the videos will convert the same way, so you sometimes have to make specific settings for each video. So given all that inconsistency, I've personally found it easier to do the conversion in real time with hardware, like I showed in this video. For smaller video projects for social media, I don't think frame rates and interlacing is a big issue and wouldn't worry about getting the conversions. However, when you work on bigger films or documentaries and you need to collaborate with other post production facilities, colorists, sound designers, VFX artists, etc., it is very important to get your analog conversions correct, because you will cause technical issues with your post production people.

@@VideoGizmology Thanks for the incredibly thorough reply. This all really helps. If I go with your two blackmagic suggestions, and knowing that I might get some glitches if I don’t get the time-based corrector, might I at least initially try to go from the VCR directly into those black magics to see if there are any issues? I just don’t see that timebase corrector in my budget unfortunately, at least at this time. But I’d like to try to see what kind of images I get by going from the VCR to the two blackmagics and directly to the cam link into my computer. Is that something worthy of an experiment? Also, can you tell me where to get those adapters? I don’t know what a B&C connector is and I guess I need the RCA video to B&C adapters and also the audio RCA’s to the quarter inch? Where did you pick those up? Amazon? Thanks again! As this is for an edited video, that will likely be blown up onto a larger screen, I agree with you that I need to get the highest quality within my budget.

Like I said in my previous comment about the Time Base Corrector -- you don't necessarily need one and I believe most people who just digitize a few tapes don't use them at all. Yes, this could cost a lot of money and it really sucks that no one makes a cheap option to buy, however, if you want the highest quality clean image, you need to use a Time Base Corrector. Also, the more tapes you digitize, the higher the chances of you encountering a tape that has glitches that only a Time Base Corrector can fix. Most of the products I covered in my video have Amazon links in the description section of this video. If you don't want to use those links, just copy the name of the product in my description and do a Google search to find them at other stores.

I recommend that Toshiba player because that is the model I used in this video.

RE: using a DVD recorder/player -- I've never tried that, but in theory, it sounds like it could work as a regular pass-thru device method, however, I'm not sure it will help if your original analog tapes are damaged. RE: av-to-hdmi -- one of the main reasons why your analog tape will have tracking/glitches/artifacts issues is because that tape is damaged in some way. If you are only digitizing a few analog tapes that are not damaged, you might not even need a time base corrector. But if you are digitizing hundreds of tapes, you are more than likely to encounter some bad tapes. Another reason why you might have glitches while digitizing is the camcorder or video deck you are digitizing from has issues. There is a chance that if you use a different camcorder or video deck to play the tape back, that might fix the problems. It's the wild west when it comes to digitizing tapes on a budget, so you'll unfortunately have to do a lot of trial and error. I'm not an expert on digitizing, but I've been dealing with analog tape issues for years now as a documentary video editor, so this is just from my window of experience.

@@VideoGizmology Thanks for your reply! The reason I wonder if the DVD player method might work is that presumably the player would handle the progressive scan + upscale and my hope is it would stabalise the image a bit too. I've had really bad luck so far with those av-to-hdmi converters off amazon. Ordered and returned a few. The picture always looks dark and murky. In scenes with low lighting you can barely make out any details. I did see a better quality one in your other video but I'm based in the UK and sadly they're not available. I may try the dvd recorder as a pass through method. If it works out i'll come back and leave a comment in case it helps others.

Yes, please do report back if you method works. Thanks!

The blackmagic converter boxes seem to maintain the 4:3 aspect ratio as far as my testing has gone.

1. I could have used the S Video out on my VHS player. No reason why I didn't except for demonstration purposes because some players and camcorders will have S Video out, but most will have RCA Y out. So my demo was for the most common output for analog video players. 2. I'm not sure if Hi8mm camcorders can be used in the way you're suggesting as a pass-through deck/converter. I don't know where to find this info, but in order to use the Firewire output, you have to record to tape first, then output to Firewire, so that means you will degrade the quality by having to make a second analog copy before digitizing. This also doesn't make sense, because you'd be better off using an analog to USB converter and going directly from your VCR to computer and you'd get as good or better quality. But this won't uprez or change the frame rate of your footage, which is the main point of my video. To uprez and frame rate change. 3. Since I don't think setup 2 would work, I cannot answer this one. 4. this question sounds like it's asking for #2 as well, so I cannot answer this one either.

@@VideoGizmology on this topic, I have the same blackmagic gear you're referencing. How would I get s-video to the BNC inputs on the analog to sdi converter? I purchased an s-video to bnc Y adapter with chroma/luma split, but it seems to have issues with frame drops. Curious if you've tried this and may have any tips. I'd love to skip the time consuming deinterlace steps I currently do with virtualdub/staxrip capture.

It might be an issue with the S-video adapter you are using. I have not tried S-video with the setup I showed in this video. However, I purchased and tested another analog-to-digital product in a video that I'll be publishing this week, that has an S-video input, so you wouldn't need an S-video to BNC adapter. If you use that product, you can skip the Analog to SDI mini converter and go directly from your VCR/Camera/TBC to this analog-to-digital converter to the Black Magic UpDownCross HD convertor to your computer.

@@VideoGizmology thanks for the quick reply! This was a case of unplug everything and plug it back in. I just retried after isolating the issue to the analog to sdi box, and after reconnecting everything is working as expected. Maybe I just needed to reach out. I’ll keep an eye out for the updated video. 🙏

Here it is: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/mdBmp8d6z9KqdYU.htmlsi=27TG7NUGDznx4jrl

Yes, they are called Digital8. It was the last format of Hi8mm before all the camera companies switched to MiniDV technology. Digital8 Camcorders are backwards compatible with Hi8mm, but you can't play Digital8 on older cameras. There might be some exceptions, but that's what I'm aware of right now.

Yes, you can use the HDMI output with a Cam Link if you want to do it that way. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but I was always told the Firewire output will give you better quality when digitizing versus the HDMI output on HDV camcorders.

@@VideoGizmology This option is more viable because I do not have the adapters to convert the firewire to usb-c. Or is there a way to do it, I work in windows and macOS environments. Thanks for answer :)

A firewire cable and usb-c adapter are easy to find at online retail stores, so if that's too much trouble then use HDMI. I've never done it with HDMI, but in theory, that should be fine.

The HDV is interlaced and that is how it needs to be captured, FireWire, interlaced, 60i.

Finally, someone talking about the Cannon HV 10/20/30/40 HD camcorders from the 2007ish era. i’ve googled myself silly trying to figure out how to get top quality 1080p files. I’m just gonna have to test it myself. Canon was delivering 1080p @24fps in a consumer camera early on. To do it, back when most consumers had old interlaced TVs, the file on tape was progressive segmented frame with pulldown.

no, the clear click only records in standard definition, not HD, so it will not stretch out the video and you don't need aspect ratio correction.

@@VideoGizmology cheers mate, have you tried the clear click 4k?

Not yet, but if you do, let me know how it is.

It depends on the quality of the Hi8mm tape. If it is damaged, you'll need a time base corrector to even have a chance at digitizing it. If it's a perfect tape, then you don't need a time base corrector. The problem is that you don't know until you actually do it.

Thanks! I only suggested 23.98p if you are making a documentary that needs to combine archival footage with newly shot footage, which is typically in 23.98 frame rate. If your video project is in 29.97p or 59.94p, then use those frame rates. Sorry if I didn't make that point clear.

@@VideoGizmology Why not keep it at the native frame rate and covert it afterwards in software? Is there something that the hardware does that software can't when changing frame rate?

In my experience when using more professional equipment like the Blackmagic converters, frame rate conversion using hardware is more accurate and reliable than converting using software. I can't explain the engineering behind this, I'm just judging from my own results. Now you may have your own experience with software converters and may claim you've never had a problem. Then good for you and continue doing what you're doing. I'm only speaking from my experience of converting hundreds of video files. There might be a new software or upgraded AI technology that has improved upon software frame rate converters, but everything available right now hasn't been better than hardware, at least for me.

@@VideoGizmology thanks for your response. Your video was incredibly helpful. You've put the hard work in already so we don't have to! I am a video editor using Premiere. I guess what I was really wondering is what happens when you modify the clips frame rate in premiere? My initial feeling was, why not keep the frame rate as it was shot, then choose later depending on the project.I shall do some experimenting as well when I get some equipment.

When I have 120fps or 60fps and I want slow motion. Premiere has a great tool to modify the frame rate as 29.97p or 23.98p and works great. But if we're talking about digitizing 60i analog video, then Premiere doesn't always handle that consistently well. Depending on your final output, Premiere has to drop, add, or blend frames and it doesn't really tell you what it's doing and how to manually adjust it. For short projects, this might not be a problem, but if you work on long projects, then you'll start to run into performance issues. Also, if you have dual sound, you may run into sync sound issues.

Depends on how good it is. Try without it. I don't think the timebase correctors that were built into consumer players were as good as the external ones, but if you have no issues, then that's great.

*External TBCs (AVT-8710, Big Voodoo TBC10, TBC3000) ONLY cleans the signal. This is will prevent your capture card from dropping frames (giving you black frames). TBC10 and AVT-8710 have proc-amp controls (necessary to regulate saturation, sharpness, etc).* *Internal TBCs (from JVC prosumer VCRs - Victor HR-W5, Panasonic AG-1980P, Sony SVO 5800) cleans and stabilizes image.* *For capturing it is highly recommended to have both (VCR with built-in TBC + external TBC like Keywest TBC 10).*

I unfortunately do not have sample footage of my digitized projects because most of them are copyrighted or personal client videos that I am not allowed to publicly show. However, if I ever have videos that I won't get easily flagged for, I will upload them.

@@VideoGizmology No worries, im just curious to see how the end product looks

@@VideoGizmology - Just go outside and record a 30 second clip and upload it.

You'd be far better off using one of the devices he shows at the beginning.