Please can anyone advise me. I have an old Sony Handycam which is Hi8 tape, I would really love to be able to get these tapes onto my mac somehow so I can burn them onto DVD. Can this be done? Is there a special cable I will need to buy and software? Do I need to be able to convert them in iMovie? Are there any firms that offer this service I am resident in the UK. Or is it all a Pipe Dream!
Yes, if you get a digital converter. This was just released today, and there are several others like it on the market. Or you could get a Digital8 camcorder from Sony (Hitachi used to sell one too). The low end ones won't do it, but the higher end ones do. Check eBay. I bought a DCRTRV330 from someone awhile ago, and it's got video in and out, as well as reading old Hi8 tapes. It connects to the computer via firewire.
Note also that my middle-of-the-road 5 years ago MiniDV Sony DCR-TRV20 easily functions as an S-video/composite to Firewire converter. I have used it to take stuff off my TiVo and VHS tapes.
I presume that most firewire enabled miniDV camcorders will also do that. Maybe you can find one cheap on eBay that has a broken screen or lens or something that would not affect this function and just pass your video through it.
