Exploring the basement in Hi8 widescreen + NightShot

[Skiller444]

I haven't checked the specs but I'm sure that the 16:9 mode is just a "digital effect" which means the CCD records it's usual pixels making up a 4:3 image and then the picture gets the top and bottom chopped off and strechted back to create a 16:9 image with degraded resolution. I'm just saying this because people tend to forget that this function is more like a gimmick and not for serious shooting. If you need 16:9 this is not the right camcorder.

[vwestlife]

@Skiller444 No, the "16:9 Full" mode on Sony's Hi8 camcorders is a true widescreen. It expands the camcorder's horizontal field of view, allowing the lens to capture a wider image than 4:3 mode. The image does appear vertically stretched on the camcorder's LCD or viewfinder, but that's just the preview; the actual playback on a computer or TV is true 16:9 widescreen. (You're thinking of the "16:9 Cinema" mode, which indeed simply letterboxes a 4:3 image, and isn't true widescreen.)

[Skiller444]

@vwestlife OK, I didn't know the image actually does take more pixels into account in 16:9 mode with this camcorder. That's definitely unusual, at least comparable MiniDV ones hardly ever do it that way.

However I was not talking about letterboxing a 4:3 image because all that would do is override the top and bottom with black bars that get recorded on the tape as part of the image. I was talking about the more common "anamorphic" image that is artifically generated by crop + stretch.

[MrJosephCC]

could i buy it from you

[vwestlife]

@MrJosephCC No, but look on eBay, this model does show up from time to time.

[MyTechtime]

Person: doctor whats wrong with my my old appliance?! Doctor: It Has... Molded Plug Disease Person: What Should I Do? Doctor: You need to replace ... it's cord Person: Oh No! Doctor: Whats wrong with replacing the cord? Were Not Appliances! Person: Oh. Then Fix It Now!!!!! (goes up in rage)

[stephanienyc1]

hahaha. Molded plug disease.

[stephanienyc1]

I love "Basement tours" -- get to see all the junk people accumulate. :-D

[TheTheCandyManCan]

Can you explore your weiner in HD?

[vwestlife]

@TheTheCandyManCan I would need a wide-angle lens for that!

[uxwbill]

That really did a nice job...thanks for the tour, by the way. Somehow I always imagined it being "bigger". Looks like you had a lot going on at the workbench!

[vwestlife]

@uxwbill Mostly accumulated junk. I used to do most of my videos at the workbench because it was the only place with good enough lighting, but now I have better lighting installed in the computers/electronics room.

[CenaTv2]

@vwestlife Any chance of a tour of your computer/electronics room?

[RustyRazor2010]

0:31 - clean that evaporator!

[weasel2htm]

Old Jammer Helmet hanging on the bike.

Old camera functions like new.

[WinbookXL3]

at 1:33 for a second i was thinking my video card driver pooped out!

[NJRoadfan]

Some Sony Hi-8 XR camcorders can write a datecode to the tape, wouldn't be surprised if they could write a 16.9 widescreen flag. Tape dropouts are very noticeable on the audio (the static pops), otherwise these were great camcorders in low light with good video quality. I still laugh at companies that advertise those dinky LEDs as "lights", halogens are clearly superior and are a must with any modern 3CCD/3MOS camera in low light.

[vwestlife]

@NJRoadfan Perhaps my TRV103 needs its heads cleaned because the dropouts do not occur when the tape is played back on the Hi8 camcorder itself.

[bakonfreek]

and no ghosts, are they scared of analog video formats?

[Trance88]

Great camera! I'm surprised how well it does 16:9.

[macintoshgermany]

You have a calm and soothing voice in all of your videos as opposed to most of the other "retro tech guys" here on youtube :D

[GanEdenAustralia]

I must do a review of my Canon L2 soon.

[CenTexVideo]

Hi8 heaven!

[vwestlife]

@CenTexVideo I was surprised that my Digital8 camcorder automatically recognized the 16:9 aspect ratio when playing back the Hi8 footage. So this is the captured DV video converted to MPEG2 with no special tweaking or post-processing.

[CenTexVideo]

@vwestlife That's nice for the camcorder to know that. I wonder if the Hi8 camcorder has a special code on the header that mentions 16:9.