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Footage Archival Question
I’m looking for some advice on footage archiving from those of you out there who may have gone through this decision making process already.
I’m using Final Cut Pro 5 and I have MANY old source tapes that are VHS format and overdue for a transfer to a new digital storage medium. Many of these tapes have sentimental value so although the footage isn’t top notch it is important to me that they maintain the best quality possible so I can edit with them later on down the road should I choose to do so.
A few years back I began transferring the most important tapes. For a high-quality, “lossless” digital backup/archive/transfer of these VHS source tapes I transferred them to my Digital 8 camcorder (because I think the D8 tapes hold up better than MDV tapes do). I felt this was the best solution since it was as lossless a transfer as I felt I could get and the tapes should last me another 10 years or longer if stored properly.
However, as time as gone by now I am beginning to reconsider my approach and if I should change directions with future backups. Nowadays I’m wondering if I should be backing up source footage to data DVDs (not video-DVDs with Mpeg2). On average 1 GB = 5 minutes of “lossless” DV footage captured by Final Cut Pro (QuickTime). This means I could potentially burn my source DV files on a DVD+/-R and have them on a format that has a longer life than any tape format, isn’t at a higher risk of growing mold or breaking down (as long as it’s stored in a case and is kept out of direct sunlight and extreme heat), and would easily allow me to consolodate footage when newer storage formats became available and affordable (such as BlueRay discs which could hold 25GB-50GB – I could just copy and burn on the new disc rather than re-capturing the entire tape).
Here’s the breakdown I came up with:
1 D8 (or MDV) tape = $5 and stores 60 minutes of video
1 data DVD+/-R disc = $1 and stores 20 minutes of video (uncompressed DV)
1 data DVD+R DL disc = $2 and stores 40 minutes of video (uncompressed DV)
1 120 GB external hard drive = $150 and stores 10 hours video (uncompressed DV)That basically means that for tape I’m paying 9 cents per minute of video, for DVD (dual layer or not) I’m paying 5 cents per minute of video, and for a external hard drive I’m paying 25 cents per minute of video. It sounds like DVD would be the way to go both cost wise and longevity wise.
However, this leads me (finally) to my question. Does this make sense to you folks and is it a good idea? I’m wondering if anyone here has tried it and has any horror/success stories. Or is there another idea I haven’t yet thought of? DVDs just sound ideal to me… easier to store (take up less space, slightly less fussy regarding climate conditions than tape, longer shelf life, quicker and easier digital transfer when it comes time to re-edit or re-transfer to another medium/disc).
One side question I had is will archiving these as a QuickTime DV file captured with Final Cut Pro 5 shoot me in the foot further on down the road? In ten years will I be able to do anything with this footage? I assume QuickTime isn’t going anywhere and will always be backwards compatible… and if it decides not to be I will be able to convert the files to another format at that point for re-archiving). With tape you are at least guaranteed that they will play in 10 years (assuming you took care of the tape and you can find a camera/player that still works in that format). I know it’s hard to predict something like that but I’m curious what your thoughts are. Has anyone had to import source DV footage captured and archived from Final Cut 3 and use it in Final Cut 5? Did it work?
Thank you all very much for taking the time to read my much-too-drawn-out post and for sharing your opinions on this matter. I hope it will prove helpful to others who are struggling with the same issue. I have a feeling whatever route I take will probably be a temporary solution until BlueRay or HDDVD become available and afforable (then a single layer Blue Ray Disc will hold 2 hours of DV footage… I can’t wait!).
-Limelite
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4 Replies
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Well you hit the current dilema in computers how do you archive data? I personally archive on DVD and Hard Drives… In terms of format 10 years down the road it is tough to say what will be out, I personally would be inclined to say use Hard drives since in 10 years probably less you’ll have to recompress to a new format.
i would recommend that you figure out what footage you want to still be able to work with 10 years down the road and archive that to hard drive in uncompressed… the other stuff shift the tapes into DVDs…
My concern with DV is that its a consumer format so it is more likely to change faster then pro formats like HD and SD.. but you’re always going to have compatibility issues no matter what you do…
In my opinion I would not spend to much money on an elaborate archive solution now, I’d do a temporary that will last till holographic storage comes out and use that… so I wouldn’t recommend HD-DVD or Blu-Ray.. go with a cheap temp solution knowing in a few years you’ll update to something much better…
Simon Carlson-Thies,
Digital Light Graphics And Animation -
Personal Ive hit these question a few times too..
I decided on DVCAM. You can buy DVCAM decks for pretty good prices now, tapes are your best bang for the buck still. I’m sure it will last 10+ more years, and even if the tape player breaks you can easly get these from eBay for years to come, and I’ll deal with it again then..
But, untill then, I have a great resource where I can pull up anything on the small lib of DVCAM 187 tapes holding 3 hours off footage in top quality detail. I’m in the process of getting everything from 8mm to VHS and placing it on the tape and documenting the timecodes.
-Richard
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[limelite] “1 120 GB external hard drive = $150 and stores 10 hours video (uncompressed DV)”
Lime,
You’re paying way too much for your hard drives. Are you buying them at Tiffany’s??? I buy only the best SATA hard drives and they are just $110 these days for 300GB for an internal, which does need an enclosure, but those can be had for under $50. So, I would say that your price per minute estimate is skewed just a bit… Check out the prices at http://www.newegg.com, I think you may need to consider a new reseller.
DRW
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Also check prices at zipzoomfly.com. Their prices are close to new egg’s, & they offer free shipping on most hard drives.
Arnie
https://www.arniepix.com
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