How do I import video via USB using a non-digital Sony Handycam Pro Hi8 Model

Sorry, FCP doesn't capture streaming video via USB. You need a firewire converter box, like the Canopus ADVC-110.

You can do it through the DVD method but be aware the material is going through 2 major conversions -

VHS > digital (MPEG2) > DV

Also understand the mpeg 2 format is very compressed (so DVDs can hold so much video) and the flaws in the VHS (timing errors, color errors, dropouts) will be magnified in the compression process to mpeg2. It won't be pretty.

While the ADVC-110 will eleminate the MPEG2 compression by converting the analog stream to DV, it would be better to use the ADVC-300 which has a Time Base Corrector built in which will help fix some tape errors. The 110 does not have this capability.

You may find it easier/less expensive to use an older firewire DV cam. Most of them would work as an analog>DV converter as well.

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No offense meant to anyone, but nothing in your post mentioned the version of Final Cut Pro you're running, so figured I should add that you do need to have a copy of Final Cut Pro running in order to capture the footage.

Details, Mon, details!

Hi

Studio-X does like me - using an ADVC-300 - and I love it too

alt. I use is to from Analog Camera - copy out onto a miniDV Camera with Analog in and to get best possibly result I first record the miniDV tape with anything e.g. a wall to get a continuos timecode then re-record on this tape from Analog Camera.

This to get a miniDV tape as back-up at the same time. Yes I've FinalCut or iMovie HD6 Capturing at the same time via the FireWire connection. So it will not take more time. (only the pre-recording of the tapes adds x2 in time)

Yours Bengt W

Studio-X does like me - using an ADVC-300 ...

Truth be told, these days I use a AJA Kona LHi to capture analog. A long time ago I had a ADVC-300. It worked fine, though the documentation was VERY weak.

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