Haha, I pondered the fastforward method too, briefly.
I've tried pass-thru & to miniDV tape.
I'm thinking, perhaps the best solution is to find a local service that can adjust tracking. Can good Hi8 decks be rented?
In my experience, I've found it's difficult to find a Hi8 deck for rental. There are a few internet companies that rent decks, but I've never used them. Many times, especially with rental equipment, the heads have seen so much action that the quality suffers. Many of these sets have never had preventative maintenance done.
The other option is to contact local video production businesses. You may have a few locally that will rent equipment. If you get lucky, you may find one that rents Hi8 decks. Again, the quality is up in the air.
Personally, I've had my 30+ Hi8 tapes converted professionally. Before that, I captured them myself with my Canopus ADVC-300 and an older JVC Hi8 camcorder. Being somewhat of a "videophile," I was unable to see much of a difference between the professional and DIY option, which surprised me.
I would recommend you look on Craigslist for a cheap Hi8 camcorder in your area. If your tapes are of poor quality, I would look into the ADVC-300. While it can't do much for tracking problems and damaged tape, there are a number of noise and grain picture and color correction controls that can have a drastic impact on quality.
Also, you can look on eBay for old Hi8 decks. Some of the "pro" quality decks have some sort of auto-tracking, which may be helpful to you. However, these decks usually run $400-1500+.
Keep in mind though, if your tapes are heavily damaged, no amount of auto-tracking/tracking adjustment is going to help.
