Convert/transfer 8mm Camcorder Tapes to DVD

Many people would love to have a copy of their 8mm tapes on DVD. It's a link to the past that many would love to share with their children and friends. Have you ever wanted to convert your 8mm videos to DVD? Sending the 8 mm tape out to be converted to DVD can be very expensive. Follow these steps to convert 8 mm tapes to DVD on your own.

Because Video8 and Hi8 are analog video formats, transferring either to a computer requires digitization. One method is to feed the video signal to an analog capture card connected to the computer itself. Another option involves the use of a pass-through adapter, which outputs a digitized video signal in the industry-standard DV format. Many consumer-level MiniDV and Digital8 camcorders have this facility built in. The DV signal can then be fed into a computer equipped with a firewire port. Another method is to use a Digital8 camcorder (with Video8/Hi8 playback) to transfer to a computer equipped with a firewire port.

This is probably a better method due to the advantage of the computer having full control over the camcorder, which is impossible with analogue models. Once on a computer, footage can be edited, processed, and transferred to DVD, the Internet, or back to tape. This tutorial will show you detailed step on how to transfer 8mm tapes to DVD all by yourself.

Part 1 Transfer 8mm tapes to computer

Step 1. Connect your 8 mm tape player, which can be your 8 mm tape camcorder, to your TV tuner card. The tuner card will work as a video-capturing device when connected to certain devices, such as the 8 mm tape player. Use standard A/V cables or an S-Video cable, whichever your tape player supports, to connect the player to the card.

Step 2. Run the video-capturing software that came with your TV tuner card. This software will save footage from your 8 mm tapes onto your hard drive. You can also use editing software, such as Avid and Adobe Premiere, to capture the footage.

Step 3. Insert the 8 mm tape into the 8 mm tape player, and find the spot in the tape where you want to begin the capturing process.

Step 4. Select either "Options" or "Settings" in the video-capturing software and make sure that the output format, which could also be labeled "capture format," is MPEG-2 because it is best for burning to DVD.

Step 5. Select "Capture" on the video-capturing software and select "Play" on the 8 mm tape player. When it is finished, the footage from the 8 mm tapes will be on the computer's hard drive.

Part 2 Transfer 8mm tapes to DVD

Once you finished transferring 8 mm tapes to computer, then you need DVD burner software to transfer 8mm tape video to DVD. Wondershare Video to DVD Burner is an easy-to-use yet powerful DVD burner which allows you to transfer 8mm tapes to DVD with ease.

Step 2. Download and install Wondershare Video to DVD Burner

Download the converter software:

Once downloaded, install the software by double-clicking the downloaded file and follow on-screen instructions.

Step 3. Load videos. Launch the Video to DVD Burner program that was just installed. Click the option that reads "Load Video". There will be thumbnails displayed on the left interface. The right interface allows you to view the loaded video file. Drag and drop loaded video files to storyboard below to organize slideshow.

Step 4. Convert AVCHD to DVD. Here comes the burning step. Click on Burn button to transfer/convert 8mm to DVD. Before that, you may select your output options: DVD disc is your choice. Also, please set the aspect ratio, etc.

Of course, when loaded 8mm videos to Video to DVD Burner, you may edit videos before converting/burning 8mm to DVD. There are 60+ transition effects and 42+ DVD menu templates included in this program, you may crop, trim, add watermark, adjust video contrast, etc. For more details, please refer to: Video to DVD Burner How to use.

Soon you will be done with transferring 8mm tapes to DVD.

Knowledge:
8mm camcorders use a small video cassette with longer playing time and slightly better sound than VHS. The 8mm video format refers informally to three related videocassette formats for the NTSC and PAL/SECAM television systems. These are the original Video8 (analog) format and its improved successor Hi8 (both analog and digital), as well as a more recent digital format known as Digital8.

Tips: the guide also helps when transfer VHS to DVD, home movies/videos to DVD, transfer video r to PC.

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