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Back up to data files
I am currently running FCP 4.5, Decklink Extreme card fed via SDI from a Digital Betacam Recorder A500P. I am wanting to convert some SP Betacam tapes to digital files and burn them onto DVD 4.7Gb for archiving. I am considering using the BlackMagic PAL-JPEG codec. Are there better codecs, considering the DVD limited space and are these codecs readable on a PC.
Thanks for any help
Bob
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2 Replies
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Hi Bob,
If you want to back up your Betacam SP tapes to digital media so you could use the digitized material for potential editing in the future, then the Blackmagic PAL JPEG easy setup would be a very good choice. It is a full 4:2:2 color space codec unlike DV. The quality is set to 75% and many people use the PhotoJPEG codec at 75% for broadcast of standard definition material. It’s a little soft compared with uncompressed video but you have to be looking hard to notice and I think you’ll find it to be an excellent choice for backup. As you have also pointed out, the same codec is freely available on Windows so that would make it easy to revive your old material on either a Mac or PC.
You could use DV50 which supports real time effects at full resolution unlike PhotoJPEG. However if you are simply backing up video, then RT effects are not important and the main objective is to have a high quality compressed backup with minimal decrease in quality. PhotoJPEG will do that for you and you won’t have to worry about silly DV field order issues.
Regards,
Luke Maslen
Blackmagic Design -
Luke, Thank you for the detailed reply. Main my objective is to backup valuable SP Betacam footage from the early 90’s so I will go the Photojpeg way
Bob
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