project - saving video

Hi all - this looks like a helpful group and I need advice.

I have over 100 hours of 'video Hi8 digital 8' and 'mini dv' tape to save to disk - for eventual edit.  I haven't decided on the output as I've much to learn about the current choices.  For now I'd like to just get the saving part done. I won't be keeping the original tapes after this.

Thoughts on the best approach?  In what format should I save it? Do I just open a new project and run the camcorder to make one large file on my target disk?  Can it be that simple?  Are there codec/format choices I must make up front? Is there any good compression to use to save space that will still leave decent quality for later editing on FCP?

Any wild guesses about how much storage I'll need? Best storage hardware?  

As it's going to take 100 plus hours to copy these tapes I'd sure like to do it right the first time. 

It's been over a decade since I've done any of this - and when I did I kept it simple by sticking to iMovie 6 directly from the camcorder.  Cleary that's no longer an option.  Besides I've ALWAYS wanted to learn FCP (which is why I've owned a copy for years).. Just didn't have the time - too busy making all those tapes!

I have two Mac laptops at my disposal, an M1 and an older Intel.  The specs for both appear adequate to this task.  From what I'm reading the M1 will be the better editor.  I used to use a Mac Pro tower - but it just gathers dust now.  I do have an OWC Mercury Elite Pro with 2 TB of storage - formatted appropriately.

I'd be forever grateful for any thoughts, tips, direction.............

Cindy

fcp.co/forum/4-final-cut-pro-x-fcpx/3707...-hi-8-project#121507

Thank you!

Last time I futzed with my Hi8 & DVC tapes I used iMovie because it created a separate file at a break in the time stanp and had Firewire ports on the computer. (If the camera date time was never set everything's 00:00:00 and you'll never get separate clips.) Storage racks up at 13GB per hour for SD & 50-60 for HD. Used FCP to assemble the video after pulling the capture files from iMovie itself.

Wisest thing I did was not to get too a.n.a.l. over the process of trying to wring every last gram of quality from the media and fret over the production. As editors we tend to do this. Family & friends are satisfied with what they can watch TODAY and not wait for MONTHS for something more polished.

Don't know about you but I have some 30+ hard drives languishing here full of files in desperate need of editing. I'll never get to them all unless I get sentenced to 20 years in prison and the warden allows edit stations in the cell blocks.

You need a computer with a Firewire socket and Macs have not had one for over a decade.
You can use the Thunderbolt socket on modern Macs but you will need 1 or 2 expensive FW - Thunderbolt converters depending on which Mac you have.
These are expensive and there is no guarantee they will work.
Another possibility is to buy a cheap USB Digital Converter off Amazon.
They start at £10 for the cheapest . . . this one is £23.
I don't know how good they are.

www.amazon.co.uk/Coverter-Capture-Digita...r%2Caps%2C86&sr=8-12

If you decide to go directly from the camcorder via FireWire to a computer, you'll need an older computer with FireWire ports and the appropriate cable. On newer Macs, you can use a Thunderbolt converter cable plus a Thunderbolt to FireWire converter cable, in order to capture via FireWire from the camcorder(s).

Some camcorders work with more recent versions of iMovie than with FCP. 

An alternative that works really well is to use LifeFlix DV Importer (lifeflix.com).

Cheers.