[Technology] Video 8 to Laptop

[Official Old Man]

I've an old Canon Video8 camera along with about 30 tapes from year 1988 to 2000. Thought I'd lost them but rediscovered right at the far corner of the garage.
Recently purchased a VHS to USB converter to digitise the tapes. When I run the tape through the laptop the picture is all squiggly as if the tracking is out. Original picture on camera is good and I've run the camera through a TV with RCA sockets and good (for a 30 year old tape).
All the reviews for the converter are positive.
Any technical wizards work out what's wrong?

 

[scooter1]

Have you tried all the tapes? They degrade over time and could be f**ked

 

[schmunk]

Could it be a deinterlacing issue?

 

[Wardy's twin]

I've an old Canon Video8 camera along with about 30 tapes from year 1988 to 2000. Thought I'd lost them but rediscovered right at the far corner of the garage.
Recently purchased a VHS to USB converter to digitise the tapes. When I run the tape through the laptop the picture is all squiggly as if the tracking is out. Original picture on camera is good and I've run the camera through a TV with RCA sockets and good (for a 30 year old tape).
All the reviews for the converter are positive.
Any technical wizards work out what's wrong?

You say you are using a VHS converter but that is not the same as Hi8 ...(well as far as i know)...

 

[Garage_Doors]

I have the same problem, VHS tapes only have a shelf life of 15 -25 years if stored at optimum temperatures.
As you say "far corner of the garage" that is the problem.
I have lost my wedding video and all the kids growing up as they were stored in the loft.
Can get a bit of audio out of them, but the picture quality is very grainy and poor.

 

[Wardy's twin]

I have the same problem, VHS tapes only have a shelf life of 15 -25 years if stored at optimum temperatures.
As you say "far corner of the garage" that is the problem.
I have lost my wedding video and all the kids growing up as they were stored in the loft.
Can get a bit of audio out of them, but the picture quality is very grainy and poor.

OP says that the video is fine when he views it on the camera...

In your case are you sure its the tape that's at fault and not the player?

 

[Is it PotG?]

What software are you using to convert?

 

[Garage_Doors]

OP says that the video is fine when he views it on the camera...

In your case are you sure its the tape that's at fault and not the player?

To be fair, i have only tried on two different players, you're giving me a bit of hope, having done this and researching help online this was when i discovered the life of tapes so lost heart leaf them where i found them.
Think i will now try again.

 

[Official Old Man]

What software are you using to convert?

This is the hardware https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Co...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Tried a few software options, one came with unit plus downloaded others. All the same. Google search shows this is a common problem but never shows a fix.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Do you have any names of software to look for?

 

[Wardy's twin]

This is the hardware https://www.amazon.co.uk/Digital-Co...9Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=
Tried a few software options, one came with unit plus downloaded others. All the same. Google search shows this is a common problem but never shows a fix.

some of the converters sold on amazon mention Hi8 explicitly the one you posted doesn't.

 

[Official Old Man]

Thought I'd drop a line as to what happened.
I remembered I had a slingbox tucked away so dug that out as well. Hooked up the camera output (stereo mini jack to phono) into the slingbox. Logged in online and it was perfect picture, for a 35 year old Video8 tape. Tried hooking the USB video converter up from the slingbox out but still the picture wobbled. So using the Xbox Game Bar (nope, never knew it exsisted) recorded the video via the slingbox player.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

I'd not seen this thread before so pleased to find you have a solution.

As a bit of a retro gaming nerd, I've come across this sort of thing a few times. Some newer TVs really don't handle the old analog signals and early digital signals well as they often have unsupported resolutions and formats. Sometimes picture quality can be dodgy (if they're working at all)

Always worth checking that the device will output into a format that your recording/playback device will recognise.