Advice needed for used MS machine for analog capture.
Posted: Fri Apr 28, 2023 3:29 pm
I was an avid Cassie and Kron user back in the day, right up until around 2005, at which point I lost interest in the hobby.
At one point, I wanted to start capturing my 400+ Hi8 videocassettes to digital for later editing, but realized that my Kron had no way of outputting a file, other than to burn it to a DVD - so I donated the unit to a non-profit.
So fast forward two decades later, these 400+ tapes are still sitting here slowly deteriorating and I really want to get on top of digitizing them. I have a 2013 Mac I tried using to capture the tapes, but it's not working out too well.
Now I'm wondering whether there isn't a very inexpensive used MS machine that still works perfectly and has the technology for reliably capturing my tapes and then easily transferring a two-hour MP4 files out via USB (or whatever) so I can load them on my computer or external hard drive for later editing.
Does anyone have any advice for what MS machine, post Kron, would be inexpensive, super reliable in build-quality, longevity, as well as known for receiving analog inputs without frequently breaking up the signal? Even with a TBC, an uninterrupted two-hour capture might be an unrealistic goal, but that's still the ideal I'd like to shoot for.
And, of course, it needs to easily output to my computer or an external hard drive to be used on any computer in the future.
I have no need for such a machine to do anything other than capture Hi8 tapes and export the resulting two-hour files. I might do a few basic edits to the captured files, but it'll never be used for modern day video editing and such.
Also, if anyone knows of a chronological list of MS editors over the last twenty years, it would help me see all the used machines I might be able to choose from.
Thanks in advance for any help.
At one point, I wanted to start capturing my 400+ Hi8 videocassettes to digital for later editing, but realized that my Kron had no way of outputting a file, other than to burn it to a DVD - so I donated the unit to a non-profit.
So fast forward two decades later, these 400+ tapes are still sitting here slowly deteriorating and I really want to get on top of digitizing them. I have a 2013 Mac I tried using to capture the tapes, but it's not working out too well.
Now I'm wondering whether there isn't a very inexpensive used MS machine that still works perfectly and has the technology for reliably capturing my tapes and then easily transferring a two-hour MP4 files out via USB (or whatever) so I can load them on my computer or external hard drive for later editing.
Does anyone have any advice for what MS machine, post Kron, would be inexpensive, super reliable in build-quality, longevity, as well as known for receiving analog inputs without frequently breaking up the signal? Even with a TBC, an uninterrupted two-hour capture might be an unrealistic goal, but that's still the ideal I'd like to shoot for.
And, of course, it needs to easily output to my computer or an external hard drive to be used on any computer in the future.
I have no need for such a machine to do anything other than capture Hi8 tapes and export the resulting two-hour files. I might do a few basic edits to the captured files, but it'll never be used for modern day video editing and such.
Also, if anyone knows of a chronological list of MS editors over the last twenty years, it would help me see all the used machines I might be able to choose from.
Thanks in advance for any help.
