digitizing HDCAM library to ProRes422HQ process

[Robb Harriss]

can we back up for just a second. The way you worded your first post it seemed that you were doing this to archive your footage, and not for a particular project. If you’re archiving is it just for posterity? Because you know there is no future proof. Who know what the hot system or format/codec will be a couple of years down the road. I mean there are some interesting things you could do. But running everything at full ProRes can be a bit much all the time. Is there some reason you’re against using ProRes Proxy or something lighter? Are you never shooting any more footage, ever, again? I’d just like to understand. There’s no real flaw in your system, like the other guys have indicated. But what then are you using to catalog it?

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Norbert Wu]

Hi — In answer to Robb Harriss’ question — and thanks for asking — I am an underwater and wildlife shooter who shoots primarily for stock. I’ve built up a library of stock footage like sharks, penguins underwater, etc.

For the past 10 years, I’ve relied on a lab with a vault in the LA area to vault my tapes. It’s been a relatively pain-free process as my agents and my office simply request a tape with time code and the lab delivers to clients. However, the lab/vault recently lost at least one of my master tapes. Considering the blood, sweat, tears, and expenses involved in getting this footage (orcas breaching through the ice in Antarctica!), I have realized that I cannot trust the lab/vault and must back up my entire library.

I realize that codecs like ProRes are not futureproof, but this route seems the most cost-effective solution. It will give me a reasonably low number of hard drives and a quality of footage that my office can deliver ourselves to clients rather than the lab, for all other than the most exacting of jobs.

I am actually pretty amazed (and must be behind the curve) that technology has increased to the point where I can indeed store my entire library on less than ten hard drives! And my library is already digitized to DV format with time-code burn, which is what we deliver to clients initially for their intiial edits. I hope to use the ProRes library to deliver to clients for their final cut.

I do intend to continue shooting footage, but that will be captured in digital format rather than tape. If I never have to buy another tape deck after this project, and just Macs and hard drives, I certainly will be happy.

If anyone has recommendations for vaults in LA that they like, I’d appreciate hearing it. This vault is fine, anyone can make mistakes, but their response to the situation was astoundingly cheap and disrespectful. The good thing is that storage in their vault was free since my clients paid the lab fees. I may or may not change labs/vaults if I hear of others that folks have had good experiences with. I do not wish to name this lab for fear that they will retaliate litigiously.

Norb
—————————————-
Norbert Wu Productions
Pacific Grove, CA 93950
USA

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[Rafael Amador]

Hi Norbert,
SDI is the best way. No need to worry about levels.
Any RAID will do the job.
I would go to Prores HQ (if you have any doubt about, read the Prores White Papers) mostly if is for archiving. To let for the posterity a cheap Prores LT or Proxy may be a mistake that you will discover too late.

[Norbert Wu] “The only other issue needing research is monitoring the video levels for capture. I don’t know if the signal can get messed up during capture. “

When you capture Components (Analog) you can adjust the levels in the Matrox.
rafael

http://www.nagavideo.com

[Robb Harriss]

Ever thought of going to an uncompressed MOV or AVI for your select shots? Then they’d be both future and platform proof. You could deliver in pretty much any format after that. A lot more storage, yes, but another way of doing it.

Worse photographic mistake I ever made was giving up my Nikonos years ago 🙁

Non-linear: all the time and nothing but.

[Gary Adcock]

[Michael Gissing] “SDI is superior to component so go with the JH3”

Careful,

People often think that infers a quality difference in the signal.
When in reality I think you mean that with HDSDI there is far more info being passed over the digital pipe rather than the analog one. HDSDI includes video, audio and the ancillary data like Timecode, frame data, VANC, and some 2000 other types data can be handled over the single digital pipe.

HDSDI is the digital variant of analog Component + audio.

gary adcock
Studio37
HD & Film Consultation
Post and Production Workflows for the Digitally Inclined
Chicago, IL

https://blogs.creativecow.net/24640