Hi.
I've been thinking about backing up my hi-8 tapes to DVD just to have another full copy of the tapes. What would be the best way to go about this? I have a sony camera that is capable of firewire output and I just got a firewire card which works great... so I'm all set there. My question is should I save it as an AVI file- this would obviously be big and would take a few DVDs, or should I save it as MPEG-2, just like a regular DVD which would take up less space. Finally, should I use standard DVD-Rs or DVD-9 discs. I probably won't be editing this video later, but it IS possible. What would you suggest? Thanks
Dann
Backup hi-8 to DVD
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stannmaple
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stannmaple
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PeterMilliken
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I back up my tapes after I have completed the project - I backup the original files plus the project file and any image files etc that went into its production.
I capture in avi format because I think it is less prone to problems during editing and I like to keep the date/time stamp information in tact.
I use Image for Windows to create the backups and since the original files are avi, it takes 3 DVDs to backup the 13G of avi + any miscellaneous files (project etc). I keep all the files for each project in a separate disk partition so that the software can back up only what I want backed up.
It is really a matter of taste perhaps as to whether you backup the avi files or create mpeg files and back them up. The later would result in quicker backup and less DVDs but at the potential cost of some lost information.
I would suggest DVD-R (or +R - whatever your writer handles, most do both these days). DVD-9 disks are still horrendously expensive in comparison i.e. I can buy high quality -R's for 50 cents a disk, whereas DVD-9 is still about $5 - $6 each.
You don't really mention anything about editing and creating DVDs - I assume that you do this and verify that what you captured is actually error free? It would be a shame to discover 5 years down the track that your capture was faulty and you have OOS problems with the backups!
Hope this helps
Peter
I capture in avi format because I think it is less prone to problems during editing and I like to keep the date/time stamp information in tact.
I use Image for Windows to create the backups and since the original files are avi, it takes 3 DVDs to backup the 13G of avi + any miscellaneous files (project etc). I keep all the files for each project in a separate disk partition so that the software can back up only what I want backed up.
It is really a matter of taste perhaps as to whether you backup the avi files or create mpeg files and back them up. The later would result in quicker backup and less DVDs but at the potential cost of some lost information.
I would suggest DVD-R (or +R - whatever your writer handles, most do both these days). DVD-9 disks are still horrendously expensive in comparison i.e. I can buy high quality -R's for 50 cents a disk, whereas DVD-9 is still about $5 - $6 each.
You don't really mention anything about editing and creating DVDs - I assume that you do this and verify that what you captured is actually error free? It would be a shame to discover 5 years down the track that your capture was faulty and you have OOS problems with the backups!
Hope this helps
Peter
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THoff
If you are not going to edit the material later, just create a regular single-layer DVD from the Hi8 tapes.
A single-layer DVD is plenty for a full SP Hi8 tape using 8000Kbps CBR video / 256Kbps AC-3 audio. If you have a LP tape, you can lower the bitrate to 6500Kbps, and still fit it on a single-layer DVD.
A single-layer DVD is plenty for a full SP Hi8 tape using 8000Kbps CBR video / 256Kbps AC-3 audio. If you have a LP tape, you can lower the bitrate to 6500Kbps, and still fit it on a single-layer DVD.
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A lot of people, myself included, archive their captures back to tape for storage and back-up. But that is normally with DV cassettes and using a mini DV digital camera. In my case, I usually capture the mini DV, edit, then Share > Create Video File > PAL DV, and then use VS to Export back via Firewire to my camera.
The principle is still the same with your Sony Digital 8, but there is one perhaps important difference from your point of view. I don't know where in the world you live, but here in Australia, Digital 8 tapes are very expensive -- around US$18 each -- probably because the demand for them is low and so they are relatively scarce as well. On the other hand, mini DV cassettes are relatively cheap: they retail for about half the cost of the Digital 8, and at computer fairs, I can buy them for about US$3.50 each. And of course, mini-DV only runs for 1 hour whereas the normal digital 8 tape at SP will run for 90 minutes.
Anyway, the point I am making is that it is an expensive way of backing-up or archiving your original Hi-8 tapes. You could probably use standard Hi-8 blanks, but I simply don't know about their continuing availability or cost. I also can't comment on whether you can record back to the Sony over Firewire when the receiving cassette is not digital, as I have never tried this... You can certainly use standard tapes to film on the Digital 8 camera, so in theory this should work. But if you experiment with this, please post back the results.
As for using mpeg-2 for archiving, well of course that is an option, but it seems to me that it could create a dilemma. For best results in producing a final high quality DVD of your analogue tapes, you should be capturing to DV/AVI. Using this work flow, you would edit in DV format, and only then produce your final DVD-compatible mpeg-2 for burning to disc. If you capture from your Sony direct to mpeg-2 then it seems to me that you are defeating the very purpose of buying the Firewire card so as to allow capture in DV format. Whether using your particular model of Sony or not, capturing direct to mpeg-2 is quite a challenging task for computers which are not particularly powerful -- though off hand, looking at your set-up, your computer should be up to the job. (To explain: the camera sends a DV format signal at high speed to the computer over the Firewire, but if the computer is not powerful enough to convert this signal on the fly to mpeg-2, then the computer falls behind and the signal builds up in a buffer which will eventually fill. If it does, then the computer will stop receiving the DV signal until it can process the data in the buffer and empty it. At that time it will start receiving again. But the result can be jerky captured video.)
Anyway, that is the potential dilemma I mentioned earlier. You have to work out which is more important to you: capturing in the highest quality possible for editing and eventual production of a high quality video DVD (in which case you capture to DV format); or whether your immediate priority is to make a back-up, in which case you capture to mpeg-2 if your computer can do the job. But if later you plan to edit this and use it for your final video DVD, then --even if your computer can manage to capture large quantities of mpeg-2 -- you have to accept that editing mpeg-2 extensively can itself be a problematic process.
As for the type of disc you use if you decide to archive to DVD, then obviously the choice is up to you. But again, cost is a factor. As far as I am aware, dual layer DVD-9 blanks are still expensive everywhere in the world, whereas single layer discs have fallen dramatically in price and you can get them in bulk for around 25 or 30 cents each... A DVD-9 holds nearly twice the amount of data, but if you are wanting to archive DV format video, then you would still require three to archive what you capture from one Hi-8 tape (90minutes = approx. 19.5 GB of DV). It would be much cheaper to use 5 single layer discs instead. If you are archiving mpeg-2, then obviously you will be able to fit a lot more on a disc, and it is largely irrelevant (apart from cost) whether you use single or dual layer for this. A DVD-9 does not provide better *quality* than a DVD-5; only better *quantity*.
The principle is still the same with your Sony Digital 8, but there is one perhaps important difference from your point of view. I don't know where in the world you live, but here in Australia, Digital 8 tapes are very expensive -- around US$18 each -- probably because the demand for them is low and so they are relatively scarce as well. On the other hand, mini DV cassettes are relatively cheap: they retail for about half the cost of the Digital 8, and at computer fairs, I can buy them for about US$3.50 each. And of course, mini-DV only runs for 1 hour whereas the normal digital 8 tape at SP will run for 90 minutes.
Anyway, the point I am making is that it is an expensive way of backing-up or archiving your original Hi-8 tapes. You could probably use standard Hi-8 blanks, but I simply don't know about their continuing availability or cost. I also can't comment on whether you can record back to the Sony over Firewire when the receiving cassette is not digital, as I have never tried this... You can certainly use standard tapes to film on the Digital 8 camera, so in theory this should work. But if you experiment with this, please post back the results.
As for using mpeg-2 for archiving, well of course that is an option, but it seems to me that it could create a dilemma. For best results in producing a final high quality DVD of your analogue tapes, you should be capturing to DV/AVI. Using this work flow, you would edit in DV format, and only then produce your final DVD-compatible mpeg-2 for burning to disc. If you capture from your Sony direct to mpeg-2 then it seems to me that you are defeating the very purpose of buying the Firewire card so as to allow capture in DV format. Whether using your particular model of Sony or not, capturing direct to mpeg-2 is quite a challenging task for computers which are not particularly powerful -- though off hand, looking at your set-up, your computer should be up to the job. (To explain: the camera sends a DV format signal at high speed to the computer over the Firewire, but if the computer is not powerful enough to convert this signal on the fly to mpeg-2, then the computer falls behind and the signal builds up in a buffer which will eventually fill. If it does, then the computer will stop receiving the DV signal until it can process the data in the buffer and empty it. At that time it will start receiving again. But the result can be jerky captured video.)
Anyway, that is the potential dilemma I mentioned earlier. You have to work out which is more important to you: capturing in the highest quality possible for editing and eventual production of a high quality video DVD (in which case you capture to DV format); or whether your immediate priority is to make a back-up, in which case you capture to mpeg-2 if your computer can do the job. But if later you plan to edit this and use it for your final video DVD, then --even if your computer can manage to capture large quantities of mpeg-2 -- you have to accept that editing mpeg-2 extensively can itself be a problematic process.
As for the type of disc you use if you decide to archive to DVD, then obviously the choice is up to you. But again, cost is a factor. As far as I am aware, dual layer DVD-9 blanks are still expensive everywhere in the world, whereas single layer discs have fallen dramatically in price and you can get them in bulk for around 25 or 30 cents each... A DVD-9 holds nearly twice the amount of data, but if you are wanting to archive DV format video, then you would still require three to archive what you capture from one Hi-8 tape (90minutes = approx. 19.5 GB of DV). It would be much cheaper to use 5 single layer discs instead. If you are archiving mpeg-2, then obviously you will be able to fit a lot more on a disc, and it is largely irrelevant (apart from cost) whether you use single or dual layer for this. A DVD-9 does not provide better *quality* than a DVD-5; only better *quantity*.
Ken Berry
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stannmaple
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wow! Thanks you all for the input. Since I don't have a camera that supports the DV tapes, I will probably burn to DVD. Sounds like AVI is my best bet. Although it will take up more space, it will be worth it in the end especially if I ever want to edit. Too bad there isn't media out there capable of holding 20 GB. I suppose I'll just have to split the video. Thanks again.
Dann
Dann