I have to tape a seminar and our IT person is out. We have a Sony TR-805 (no manual) with a Sony MP120 Video 8 tape inside. I need to get some tapes; is Hi8 the same format as the Video8?
Thanks in advance
Hi8 is a higher bandwitdh version of video 8 similar to S-VHS and Super Beta in relation to the regular formats. The cassette is the same form but has a little hole to allow the recorder/camera to identify it as containing higher bandwidth capable tape so it will record in Hi8 format. Hi8 devices can use standard tape in standard mode but not the other way around. Get regular video 8 tape unless you see a Hi8 logo. Hi8 tape may work but you’ll be wasting money on it.
Thanks. I just couldn’t tell through a quick product search.
I did a bit of googling and found this:
http://www.chez.com/ctv/tr805.htm
The TR-805 was released about ten years ago and is a high-quality analogie camcorder. It uses 8mm videotapes.
As padeye mentioned, Hi8 videotape is a higher quality tape that needs the higher-quality Hi8 camcorder to record it. I think you can use a Hi8 tape in a regular-8 camcorder and record at the regular-8 quality.
These camcorders have largely been replaced by Mini-DV camcorders, which record digital video of higher quality still.
There is a Digital-8 variant of the 8mm camcorder that records digital video on Hi8 tapes running at double speed; the resulting video is compatible woith that from Mini-DV camcorders.
List of videotape formats:
http://www.tech-notes.tv/Standards-Practices/TVTapeformats.htm