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macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 27, 2008
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Houston, Texas
I have a old Sony ccd-trv35e(pal) camcorder that can output PAL or ntsc 4.43. I want to convert the old tapes so I can make dvd's in a NTSC format. Is this possible? The tapes in this machine are "8" tapes, whatever that means. this camcorder has a yellow output for the video.

I also have a sony dcr-trv33 camera NTSC format that I want to convert the tapes to DVD. Is this possible as well. The tapes in this machine are mini DV tapes. This camcorder can output USB and firewire (DV?)

Is there a product that can handle both?

Sorry if these are newb questions I am not much of a video guy.
 
I have a old Sony ccd-trv35e(pal) camcorder that can output PAL or ntsc 4.43. I want to convert the old tapes so I can make dvd's in a NTSC format. Is this possible? The tapes in this machine are "8" tapes, whatever that means. this camcorder has a yellow output for the video.
Since this is analog-only, you'll need to digitize the footage somehow (made more difficult by the fact that your tapes are PAL). I'd look for a DV conversion box that supports both NTSC and PAL, ingest the clips as PAL DV, and then use a utility like MPEG Streamclip or JES Deinterlacer to do the PAL-to-NTSC DV conversion. You could then import the resultant NTSC DV files into iMovie to edit and then export to DVD via iDVD.

I also have a sony dcr-trv33 camera NTSC format that I want to convert the tapes to DVD. Is this possible as well. The tapes in this machine are mini DV tapes. This camcorder can output USB and firewire (DV?)
This is easy and standard, you'd just hook the camcorder up via Firewire, ingest the tapes (you could use iMovie), edit, and output via iDVD.

Is there a product that can handle both?

Sorry if these are newb questions I am not much of a video guy.
Don't need any other product for your DV NTSC camera, it'll be the PAL analog Hi8 camera that's a pain.

EDIT: It occurs to me that you claimed the PAL (I'm guessing it's Hi8) camcorder can also output NTSC. Are you saying it does internal standards conversion? If your NTSC DV camcorder does analog input digitization, you might use the Hi8 camcorder's internal standards conversion to output NTSC analog to the DV camcorder's analog input, and then use that to ingest NTSC DV clips instead of buying a digitizing box and doing the conversion in the computer. Considering you shot on Hi8 in the first place, I'm assuming it won't really matter which method yields better quality (since you don't have THAT much to work with in the first place).

EDIT 2: Just did some reading about NTSC 4.43. Not sure if that'll give you a video stream that the DV camcorder would understand (color information specifically) or if it'd just be slightly off. I'd verify if it'd work by connecting that PAL camcorder in NTSC 4.43 output mode to a standard NTSC television and seeing if it looks right. If it does (and your NTSC DV camcorder supports analog input digitization), go with the method I talked about in my first edit. If it doesn't look right, or you feel the quality isn't up to par with what you'd like, I'd say get an NTSC/PAL DV digitzation box and follow my original advice up at the top of my post.
 
Since this is analog-only, you'll need to digitize the footage somehow (made more difficult by the fact that your tapes are PAL. I'd look for a DV conversion box that supports both NTSC and PAL, ingest the clips as PAL DV, and then use a utility like MPEG Streamclip or JES Deinterlacer to do the PAL-to-NTSC DV conversion. You could then import the resultant NTSC DV files into iMovie to edit and then export to DVD via iDVD.
Excellent sounds like a plan. Any suggestions on a manufacture of the DV conversion box. Once I get the digital files off the tapes I will feel better even if I have to run the deinterlacer later.

This is easy and standard, you'd just hook the camcorder up via Firewire, ingest the tapes (you could use iMovie), edit, and output via iDVD.

Don't need any other product for your DV NTSC camera, it'll be the PAL analog Hi8 camera that's a pain.
That sounds too easy! Great I will give it a try.

Thank You
 
I'd verify if it'd work by connecting that PAL camcorder in NTSC 4.43 output mode to a standard NTSC television and seeing if it looks right. my post.
It looks really bad when I do this, I think I will opt to get the converter box and just convert the PAL to DV then worry about converting the PAL to NTSC on the computer.
 
Excellent sounds like a plan. Any suggestions on a manufacture of the DV conversion box. Once I get the digital files off the tapes I will feel better even if I have to run the deinterlacer later.

Canopus' ADVC110 would do you just fine I think. If you've got a bit more scratch handy, the ADVC300 might be better. It has a line time base corrector which helps stabilize dodgy analog footage off VHS or Hi8, plus a digital noise reducer which helps clean up the footage. But I'm not sure on the condition of your tapes, you might not need it.
 
Canopus' ADVC110 would do you just fine I think. If you've got a bit more scratch handy, the ADVC300 might be better. It has a line time base corrector which helps stabilize dodgy analog footage off VHS or Hi8, plus a digital noise reducer which helps clean up the footage. But I'm not sure on the condition of your tapes, you might not need it.
Excellent thanks for the advice! I will check them out.
 
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