How can I get my camcorder tapes onto my Mac?

[dissentowner]

So I have a decent collection of camcorder tapes that I recorded family and friends on that I would love to put on my Mac and then burn to disc but I don't have the camcorder anymore. Is there any device or something I can get so I can get these tapes onto my Mac or should I try and hunt down an old camcorder?

[Rathji]

You need an analog video to usb converter.

I have set up the Dazzle one that is on top of that list for a lady at work, she seemed to do ok.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Rathji

You need an analog video to usb converter.

I have set up the Dazzle one that is on top of that list for a lady at work, she seemed to do ok.

Thanks but how do I play the actual camcorder tape without the camcorder?

[Rathji]

Depends on the kind of tape, I guess.

For some reason I assumed you would be putting it into a VCR, but now that I actually think about it that doesnt make sense at all.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Rathji

Depends on the kind of tape, I guess.

For some reason I assumed you would be putting it into a VCR, but now that I actually think about it that doesnt make sense at all.

They are Hi8 tapes.

[sec304]

I think you're best to look for the camcorder

[getbak]

It will probably be a lot easier to find an old Hi8 camcorder to play back the tapes than it would be to find a stand-alone Hi8 player.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by getbak

It will probably be a lot easier to find an old Hi8 camcorder to play back the tapes than it would be to find a stand-alone Hi8 player.

I found a place in London here on kijiji that will do it for $10 a tape and I only have 5 tapes so I will go that route I think.

[getbak]

Yeah, even if you got a cheap used camcorder, you probably won't be able to get the hardware necessary for less than $50 -- plus the time it would take to get everything set up properly.

[You Need a Thneed]

Yeah, I'd recommend just paying the $10 per tape.

To do it yourself, you would need:
a Hi8 player/camcorder
a cable to go from the player to your computer
a video input on the computer (not all computers have such)
Software that will take the inputted video and save it in the format that you want.

And when you had all of the that, you would be spending at the minimum, the length of time it take to play all of the tapes through - 5 tapes - 5 hours? Plus setting it up, switching tapes, troubleshooting and making sure the format is correct.