Video8 and its variations were the last developments in the evolution of videotapes right up to when the digital era began. But where does that little 8 come from in the first place? It was an extension that gave a nod to 8mm that goes back to the earliest days when families captured special moments on film. Converting your old Video 8 tapes to DVD is possible in order to preserve the memories you may still have captured on them.
A More Compact Tape Size and Better Audio
When Sony introduced Video8 in the mid 1980s, VHS and BetaMax were still battling each other for dominance. However, VHS had largely won by 1985, though the Video8 format had the potential to give VHS a run for its money. That's because Video8 videocassettes and camcorders were smaller and more equivalent to BetaMax. The difference was that Video8 had the capability to produce better sound than either of the two prior formats. Video8 also could record for a longer amount of time.
This was a revelation to many people, despite the format initially being reserved for families with deeper pockets. Nevertheless, you might remember some of the first Video8 camcorders on the market conveniently being able to fit in the palm of your hand. It ushered in the era of camcorders and all electronics gradually becoming smaller and smaller.
As with all prior media formats, it also evolved to a point where it became very popular in the home camcorder market up into the 1990s.
This was a revelation to many people, despite the format initially being reserved for families with deeper pockets. Nevertheless, you might remember some of the first Video8 camcorders on the market conveniently being able to fit in the palm of your hand. It ushered in the era of camcorders and all electronics gradually becoming smaller and smaller.
As with all prior media formats, it also evolved to a point where it became very popular in the home camcorder market up into the 1990s.
The Jump to Hi8 Video
If you were alive in the late 1980s and early '90s, then you likely remember the first Hi8 video cameras on the market. Because Video8 didn't really dominate due to the inability to play back the tape format on VHS players, its upgrade of Hi8 managed to bring some of the first higher resolution images to home video. The camcorders not only recorded in stereo but also provided video resolution that was equivalent to a laserdisc of the time.
It was created as an alternative to VHS's similar upgrade in Super-VHS. And both dominated the camcorder market from then on until digital camcorders became dominant into the 2000s.
There was one more evolution of Video8, however, that managed to take it into the digital era.
It was created as an alternative to VHS's similar upgrade in Super-VHS. And both dominated the camcorder market from then on until digital camcorders became dominant into the 2000s.
There was one more evolution of Video8, however, that managed to take it into the digital era.
Digital 8
By 1999, the 8mm video format managed to find its way into the nascent digital world. The Digital8 format was very similar to Hi8 in its tape dimensions, yet recorded digitally rather than through an analog format. It became a popular video format alongside the other digital tape-based camcorders of the time, MiniDV.
The Fate of 8mm Video Format
The MiniDV format ultimately became much more dominant for the camcorder market by the mid 2000s. With DVD and memory card camcorders dominating the market today, Digital8, Hi8 and Video8 aren't really used in the mainstream. Regardless, the formats all still exist and haven't disappeared completely unlike those who still seek out VHS and BetaMax formats.
If your family had a Video8, Hi8 or Digital8 camcorder over the last 30 years, it's possible you have many of those tapes stored away and can't find a way to play them. Hours of recorded family events from the 1980s to the 2000s may be on those tapes that are slowly deteriorating and need to be preserved.
That's where those of us here at Click-Scan-Share come in. We're noted for taking special care in restoring any video format and transferring the contents to gold DVD's so they last a lifetime.
Contact us in San Diego, San Francisco or Chicago and we'll tell you more about the Video8 format and how we can make your old home movies look better than ever. You can also come to us for quality transfers of even older media, including the earliest home movie formats of 8mm and 16mm films.
If your family had a Video8, Hi8 or Digital8 camcorder over the last 30 years, it's possible you have many of those tapes stored away and can't find a way to play them. Hours of recorded family events from the 1980s to the 2000s may be on those tapes that are slowly deteriorating and need to be preserved.
That's where those of us here at Click-Scan-Share come in. We're noted for taking special care in restoring any video format and transferring the contents to gold DVD's so they last a lifetime.
Contact us in San Diego, San Francisco or Chicago and we'll tell you more about the Video8 format and how we can make your old home movies look better than ever. You can also come to us for quality transfers of even older media, including the earliest home movie formats of 8mm and 16mm films.
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