How Can We Convert Our 8mm Video Cassettes, So We Can Play Them Back Clearly.

Question

recently many of our relatives passed away, and upon clearing our garage, we found 8mm video cassettes and a very old sony camcorder, but sadly damp has made this tapes fuzzy and the sound distorted, we want to know if there is a device out there that can save our memories?

Answer 1

If you still have the ability to play them (i.e. the camcorder still works) Then transfer them to PC or DVD as soon as possible.

I think I'm right in saying that all camcorders have output connectors - USB, firewire or, more likely, phono (in older camcorders). Connect from the camcorder to a PC or DVD recorder (the type that sits under the TV) and copy the footage to DVD or hard drive.

Sadly, recovering the quality already lost isn't possible. If transferred to PC, and with the better software packages, you MAY be able to get a perceived slight improvement but I doubt it would be worth the expense of the software.

The priority has to be speed - not of the footage but of the transfer. Once the tapes start to deteriorate the speed of deterioration will increase so, as these are obviously important to you, don't delay any more than you have to in getting them transferred.

There is, of course, the option of paying a professional company to transfer them - if cost doesn't matter (but to me it does).

A poor quality, fuzzy, distorted DVD would, to me, be better than no DVD