how can my own tapes be copyrighted?

[tupacboy]

So i dug up a old videocamera from about 10 years ago. It uses those small tapes (8mm)?

Anyways, hooked up the videocamera (using the 3 color-red, yellow, and white wire) through a coverter that makes it a usb.

Hook that up to my computer and was using Presto! Digital Coverter to burn to dvd.

Got through a couple tapes... everything going fine... then get a error message saying my source is copyrighted. But my home videotapes are the source... how can they be copyrighted? any ideas?

[DeadBase]

If you're doing an analogue transfer from digi-8 to a PVR card I have no idea where your picking up a copyright protected signal from. Have you tried restarting the software and/or rebooting your device and PC?

[tupacboy]

yea... weirder part is.... all the tapes are made by sony (we used to be sony buffs)...

so lets say it doesn't work on a certain tape... i pop in a different one... and it works... but if i pop in the one that said copyright... it'll pop up copyrighted again... so far 8 tapes have so called copyrights...

[DeadBase]

I worked for Sony for 4 years and this is baffling me. If you're using the red-white-yellow cable then that is a composite connection and is analogue. The only copyright protection scheme that would lean towards is Macrovision. That works by sending pulses down the wire which could possibly be detected by your box. I have no clue why there would be Macrovision on a handycam.

Do the tapes have copy-protect tabs on them (don't see how this would make a difference but still) and can you see anything in the handycam's menu? Any chance of the handycam's model number/manufacturer? Have you tried different recording software on the PC?

[tupacboy]

Sony - Handycam Vision Steadyshot - CCD-TRV93 NTSC

This thing was state of the art when it came out... first camcorder with a lcd screen... 3"!

[tupacboy]

the tapes all look alike...

don't have another program to try it on...

[DeadBase]

I've read through the manual for your camcorder and I can't find any reference to copyright except for recording copyright materials onto the hi8.

Is there any chance that the recorded tapes that are blocked are recorded in Hi8 fomat and those that are not are recorded in standard 8mm format?

If you search the AfterDawn website for a piece of software called WinDV not WinDVD then that should be an effective test of whether it is the software or not. This may only work for firewire transfers but I don't have a camera here to test with.

If it is not suitable try searching thefreecountry.com for 'free video capture' and you'll hopefully find one of the results useful.

McG

[Paulie]

I was mentioning this to a friend of mine who is a bit of a whizz at this sort of thing and he has suggested that it could be to do with the USB converter itself. He also suggested it could be down to how your software is reading the signal through the USB converter. He think this as he can't think of any other reason other than the method of trasnfer.

Firewire is deffo an option to think about though as it could solve the issue

[tupacboy]

maybe i need to buy a firewire... seems a bit much for a old 8mm camera though...can't use windv... no firewire...

[tupacboy]

now everytape is showing copyright.... i'm about to shove this thing out the window.. lol

[tupacboy]

dunno if this helps... but this is program and wire i'm currently using:

http://www.newsoftinc.com/products/product-main.asp?productid=nai0034

[Paulie]

I'll chat with my friend again and see what he thinks now I can tell him the software you are using.

There is going to be a solution for this, just may take a little time to figure it out.

[andrewb150]

First, Id try copying using the S-Video lead instead of the yellow phono it may send a clearer signal so the box will realise its not actually protected.

Then Id try capturing the video using windows movie maker or any other application other than Presto as suggested by Deadbase.

From what I can see your camera doesn't have firewire so DV transfer is a no go unfortunately (if it does though use it, few ?s for a cable from ebay)

I totally agree with Paulie your home movie tapes wont have copy protection its either the software or usb converted or both, which I know doesn't really help you. But I'm out of suggestions for now.