Posted by Rick Merrill on 06/02/06 19:55

Gene E. Bloch wrote:

> On 6/02/2006, Rick Merrill posted this:
>
>> Gene E. Bloch wrote:
>>
>>> On 6/02/2006, raida4life@yahoo.com posted this:
>>>
>>>> David Matthew Wood wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>> I recently had some people helping me out with some video recordings.
>>>>>> Some tapes I got in 8mm and have always been able to transfer
>>>>>> these to
>>>>>> VHS or DVD via RCA cables. Similarly I got some that were Digital
>>>>>> 8 and
>>>>>> I was able to do likewise.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Recently I got some Mini DV (not Mini DVD) tapes and discovered after
>>>>>> the fact that all of these recordings were done in such a format that
>>>>>> the Audio is not reproducible by any other means than from the guy
>>>>>> who
>>>>>> taped these for me. The video always comes through fine, it's just
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> audio I am having trouble with. I tried a couple of iterations of
>>>>>> swapping out the audio cables and made sure they were properly
>>>>>> connected.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> He left a few untransfered to DVD for me and now I am stuck with Mini
>>>>>> DV tapes that I can not get the sound out of. I suspect these were
>>>>>> recorded in 16 bit Audio, because all of the 12 Bit recordings play
>>>>>> back just fine. I have tried in vain using other camcorders and even
>>>>>> messed with every combination of audio setting on the camcorder with
>>>>>> the RCA jacks, but the Audio just does not come through. I have only
>>>>>> tried using RCA jacks, I am not familiar with other technologies.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> If someone can help me figure out how to recover the audio from these
>>>>>> recordings along with the video stream, I would be very thankful.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Double check the audio settings on whatever it is you're playing back
>>>>> on. Since the audio on his tapes is in 16-bit 48khz mode, there will
>>>>> only be audio on channels 1 and 2 while 12-bit 32khz mode (even though
>>>>> there is a loss in sound quality this way) can have 4 channels of
>>>>> audio.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I bought 4 different players and had to return each as every time I
>>>> changed the settings either I got no sound or intermittent sound
>>>> playback. Each time I tried this I played them back and made sure the
>>>> cables weren't loose. I just wonder if this is all due to the fact that
>>>> I am using RCA jacks to try and retreive the audio and video from these
>>>> tapes. I am concerned that I may get other recordings like this from
>>>> Mini DV tapes in the future, and that the tapes may not be able to be
>>>> played back because this is a problem with Mini DV technology.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I've recorded audio in 12-bit (accidentally) and 16-bit
>>> (intentionally) and never had "a problem with Mini DV technology".
>>> You've got some settings wrong somewhere, but from your description I
>>> can't guess what.
>>>
>>>> I have camcorder equipment that can playback 8mm, Digital 8 tapes and
>>>> even VHS C, but I have only experienced this problem with Mini DV. I
>>>> will try the firewire option as someone suggested. I guess it is time I
>>>> got with the times. One thing I noticed is that several camera manuals
>>>> indicate that you can only playback 16 bit audio recordings in 12 bit
>>>> audio mode.In many cases when I tried to change the settings on most of
>>>> these cameras they would not let me change the Audio to 16 bit.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Your last two sentences don't make sense to me.
>>>
>>> 1. You can't play 16-bit recordings in 12-bit mode. However, AFIK,
>>> the camera will automatically play tapes in the mode they are
>>> recorded in, so you shouldn't have to make any settings.
>>>
>>> 2. In the record mode, you can only change the settings for future
>>> recordings; as I read your last sentence I wonder if you meant that
>>> while you were in playback mode, you were trying to change the record
>>> mode of an existing tape...
>>>
>>> You might mention what camcorder or player you're using so someone
>>> who knows the equipment or has the manual can guide you more accurately.
>>>
>>
>> I wonder if he recorded in "VR " mode instead of "Video" mode?
>
>
> He's talking about a camcorder...
>

So am I talking about a camcorder. Specifically Sony DVD camcorders have
two Very Different record modes (VR vs Video). Look it up.

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