Digital 8 Desktop Edit Deck, Does Sony Sell such a Thing?
 

I hope so.

You want the Sony GV-D800, available from our sponsor, B&H. Hope this helps,

Thanks for the lead.

What is the fastest search speed that a Digital8 Device will search?

I'm concerned about the search speed options, anyone know what it is for that deck?

I've seen D800, and there is no difference in speed compared to D8 cams. That means sloooow. My D8 cam which I am using sometimes to archive DV material on inexpensive 8mm media will provide 5x search speed, and is rewinding 60 minuts D8 tape for about 8 minutes, which is awfully slow.

GVD-200
 

I have a GVD 200 that I bought from sonystyle.com about 2 months ago. Speed is the same as my digital 8 handycam. I am sure the mechanism is these small decks is practically straight out of the handycams. I don't do any batch capture with the deck since I shoot minidv now on a GL2. I bought this deck so I could have access to my tapes after passing on the D8 camcorder to my son. If functions fantastically, but Rew, FF, and seek does require patience.

As far as I know there is only one Digital 8 tape transport that is used in all Digital 8 camcorders and the walkman-style decks. Therefore, FF and RW speeds should be the same across the board. Actually if memory serves the Digital 8 transport is simply a Hi-8 transport. Sony had to do something with the thousands of Hi-8 transports left over from the analog era; that's why the Digital 8 format was invented, to clear the shelves of all those Hi-8 transport chassis they had stockpiled.

I have a HI-8 Deck, the EWV-9600, and it shuttles at somewhere between 10 times and 15 times normal speed.

Bummer they didn't make a digital 8 version.

The Sony GV-D200 Digital8 mini-VCR is the same as the GV-D800, only without the viewscreen and is $200. to $300. cheaper.
As reported, it is painfully slow in rewind and FF, but is a solid little brick and performs very well. It does flawless full-frame freezes in Digital8 for video still captures.

It only weighs about 1 1/2 lbs. (688 grams) and fits inside a big coat pocket.
I've taken mine many times to make video presentations anywhere there's a TV monitor. It can run on AC with a supplied adaptor or use an NPF
battery, such as an NP-F960. It has a built-in charger and it can charge the batteries you use in the VX2100/PD170 family of camcorders.

It doesn't come with a remote controler, but one from most any Sony camcorder or VCR can be used with it. I use my big remote with advanced tape controls from my EV-S3000 Hi-8 deck to run mine, but keep my tiny Digital8 camcorder controler handy, to be able to call up the data code. The good-quality tape-transport and TBC allow it to play back Hi-8 and Video 8 tapes better than on the analog units that recorded them. But, it won't give a usable freeze-frame in analog playback. You can't zero-out the time-counter in analog playback, unless you eject the cassette.

Whether Sony will continue to produce Digital8 VCRs for long, is doubtful, as the format seems doomed to being phased out.

As I shift more into DV-format equipment, I will continue to use my GV-D200 as a means to move DV recordings through editing, without having to buy a second DV VCR or use a camcorder for VTR playback or recording. I'll point out what most users know, that the FireWire output signal is identical and interchangeable with that of DV. But, I will be reluctant to archive important footage on Digital8 only, as if my VCR goes stone cold dead, I will be stuck without a means to play it back and no new units will likely be available in the near future.

Steve McDonald

The Digital8 mini-VCRs appear to be running out of stock at many dealers and you may not have much longer to buy a new one.

B&H Photo has the GV-D200, a Digital8 mini-VCR, in stock for $550. But, the GV-D800, the one with the viewscreen, is out of stock there. Perhaps more will be acquired from some source, but I wouldn't count on it. The newer GV-D1000, a DV mini-VCR, that has a 4-inch color viewscreen, is selling there for $1,050.

Now, get this: The older GV-D200 Digital8 VCR takes the larger NP-F battery series, but the Sony Digital8 camcorders use the smaller NP-FM series batteries. However, the newer GV-D1000 DV VCR takes the smaller NP-FM or NP-QM series batteries, but the VX and PD-series of DV camcorders use the larger NP-F series batteries. With either format, you have to buy two sets of batteries to power both the camcorders and mini-VCRs. You'd almost think they planned it this way.

But, I've got this thing beat. In switching from Digital8 to DV, I can use the old camcorder batteries in my new mini-VCR and use the old mini-VCR batteries in my new camcorder. Note that many or perhaps all of the newer single-CCD Sony DV camcorders use one or the other of the two battery series that are smaller than the NP-F type.

Steve McDonald

The Digital8 mini-VCRs appear to be running out of stock at many dealers and you may not have much longer to buy a new one.

B&H Photo has the GV-D200, a Digital8 mini-VCR, in stock for $550. But, the GV-D800, the one with the viewscreen, is out of stock there. Perhaps more will be acquired from some source, but I wouldn't count on it. The newer GV-D1000, a DV mini-VCR, that has a 4-inch color viewscreen, is selling there for $1,050.

Now, get this: The older GV-D200 Digital8 VCR takes the larger NP-F battery series, but the Sony Digital8 camcorders use the smaller NP-FM series batteries. However, the newer GV-D1000 DV VCR takes the smaller NP-FM or NP-QM series batteries, but the VX and PD-series of DV camcorders use the larger NP-F series batteries. With either format, you have to buy two sets of batteries to power both the camcorders and mini-VCRs. You'd almost think they planned it this way.

But, I've got this thing beat. In switching from Digital8 to DV, I can use the old camcorder batteries in my new mini-VCR and use the old mini-VCR batteries in my new camcorder. Note that many or perhaps all of the newer single-CCD Sony DV camcorders use one or the other of the two battery series that are smaller than the NP-F type.

Steve McDonald