Will cheap new Hi8 camcorder output better than old, worn Hi8 camcorder?

[erikl7]

Is new always better than old? I have 100 hours of Hi8 footage I want to capture through the AVDC300, and I'm not sure whether I should trust my old tapes to the worn out heads of the 1998 Sony Hi8 camera they were recorded on, or whether to try a $300 brand new Sony Digital8 camera for S-Video output into the AVDC300 for noise removal.

(I would avoid using the built-in analog to digital conversion of the Digital8 camcorder because I want the quality and noise removal of the AVDC300.)

I can think of these issues:

1.) Would the newer camcorder, designed for the bottom-of-the-line consumer market ($200-$300), have higher quality outputs than my older but mid-range ($900) Hi8 camcorder from 1998?

2.) Would the newer camcorder, despite its virgin heads and tape path, play back my tapes with inferior tracking (or other analog factor) compared to the camcorder they were originally recorded with? Is it better to try to clean the heads?

Thank you for any advice you may have on the subject.

[GrassValley_BH]

It's a bit of a tough question...

Generally speaking, tapes play back better on the device they were recorded on. However, if you have fear that the deck will "eat" the tapes, then maybe it'd be better to get a new one.

Taking the "eating" factor out, I'd go with the original camcorder.

If I were you, I would clean the heads on the original camcorder, then play a not-so-essential tape in it.