[MacDV] Re: archiving footage on DVD

[Gregg Gorrie]

on 7/27/04 9:05 AM, Erica Sadun at erica at mindspring.com wrote:

> I respectfully disagree with Jim's recommendation, particularly if
> you're looking to edit it at a future date. I think you'll do far
> better to transfer to miniDV tapes (or similar) in DV-25 format
> than to DVD with its highly compressed (and nearly uneditable)
> MPEG-2 format. Keep in mind, the current generation of recordable
> DVDs have a high failure rate. Going to miniDV puts you in
> a digital format, which helps reduce or eliminate the generation
> effect, uses tape, which is a very stable storage type (even if
> the shelf life is limited) and uses a popular codec, suitable
> for later edits.
> 
> -- Erica

To be fair, Jim does mention later on in the article that there is an
advantage to recording to Mini DV first - you have a digital tape backup.

Erica's point above does need to be stressed though ... I think too many
people have been convinced by the "hype" of DVD-Video that somehow it is
"the" final archival format when realistically it is only a consumer viewing
format.

I will still hang on to my original media (8mm film, VHS, 8mm, etc.) as long
as it physically lasts because I suspect that somewhere in the
not-too-distant future consumer-priced uncompressed HD video will become a
reality, and ultimately I will re-transfer the originals to that media
format for future generations (although I have already transferred
everything to DV-25 just to be safe!).

To make my point about the acceleration of technology change/pricing, here
is an excerpt from a message I found (from the MacDV list) while cleaning
out my e-mail box, dated May 5, 2000 - just over 4 years ago:

>There are a few DVD products for MAC, but cost right now is much more
>than VCD.  As others mentioned, about $4000 for a DVD burner, $1000-$2000
>for software, $40 per disk. Price is bound to come down someday.  The
>products are quirky, Windoze users don't mind however, they're used to it
>:-).
 
-- 
Gregg