Re: [Avid-L2] OFF-TOPIC: Archiving Memories

Hi,

So some stuff ahead: VHS is SD - no need to consider Blu-ray for this (that's for HD (mainly).

FCP 7 is nice and capture codecs are various. There is something like DV-NTSC (assuming this is from NTSC country) and alternatively ProRes (any flavour for now).

It comes down to storage: for sure physical discs (as in for data or video) are presumably having an issue on reliability on the long run. Furthermore, DVD video will be an MPEG2-compression, another time consuming process with regards you are coming from FCP 7 (which, as I assume, sets the hardware into the 2010s).

So, H264 (MPEG4 for that matter) and MPEG2 are really time consuming in the creation of a previously recorded master file. FCP 7 can not directly capture in either of these two formats.

So we are looking at the long term storage format you want to utilize for this endeavour. given an optical medium is not preferable under long-term storage aspects and even further if not used as primarily " a storage medium" but a video playback medium (down trade in quality) I would assume with the current HDD / SSD prices you might want to look into this direction.

Also given we are looking at a VHS source there could be DV NTSC or a more valuable option ProRes (422 or HQ) option.

I.e.:

60 minutes of DV NTSC will use about 14GB whereas the same duration in ProRes(HQ) will hog about 33GB of space (each with Stereo PCM). The process will be the same: hook up the VHS to your FCP 7 machine and just chose either capture format.

Any derivates like in H.264 or MPEG2 for DVD you can create off those files selectively whilst retaining (at least in my humble opinion:) a proper archival format.

For the HDD / SSD log term storage: please keep in mind to turn around that data periodically as both types of drives might fail over time (more likely the HDD than the SSD though).

However, with current prices on large HDDs this should not be an issue, a current 20TB drive (~500 US$ more or less) will hold around 570 hrs of SD material in ProRes(HQ). If you go down this road please calculate a second drive into the equation: there is no back-up on one drive only!

I hope this helps, have fun digitizing!

Best

Jo

On 4. May 2023, at 22:28, Sol Fischler via groups.io <sol.fischler=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Hi --

My plan, as cockeyed as it may seem, but based on the hardware & software that I've got:

The video source is VHS.  It's family stuff, and that's what we used.  (I also have 8mm & 16mm film (Dad was a filmmaker) but right now my concern is the flood of VHS's we have in the closets.  That, and I don't have a film chain.)   :-)

My plan is to hook my VHS deck to my computer running FCP7 and digitize everything into FCP, where it creates Quicktimes.  This process worked well with my entire book of work from WNBC where we had mastering everything to DVCPro -- I digitized everything through FCP and it all now lives on a couple of drives as QTs.

I imagine the h.264 would be an extra (time consuming) step but would save space.  I'm not sure that space will be an issue, so staying with QT and not compressing it would be a good option.

I also have a VHS-to-DVD deck, which is why I asked about the DVD-R option.  But I've also heard that DVD-R isn't particularly archival, so while in the short run it'd be easier to access and play, if the discs are going to die in 3 or 5 years, then yeah, that process would just be a waste of time...

...and I know nothing about blu-ray...

If there are any other options that I'm not considering or aware of, please let me know --

Thank you!

-- Sol

-------------------------------------------------

Sol Fischler

Editor: Image & Sound

914-525-2579

www.solfischler.com

On Thursday, May 4, 2023 at 03:24:37 PM EDT, Jo's Mailinglists <lists@filter-media.net> wrote:

Pending the source I am not so sure why _archiving_is recommended here in H.264? I know I am in a thread with Bouke but… QT is a container, H.264 is a compression. 

So Quicktime as a container can hold a lot of different and especially for archival purposes, different compressions.

Again, pending the source…

my 2¢

On 4. May 2023, at 18:59, bouke <bouke@editb.nl> wrote:

QuickTime is NOT obsolete, QT player is, but the file format is not.

(But Mp4 and QT are VERY much alike if you don't want the fancy stuff, like QT ref…)

DVD is obsolete…

Archive to H264 in either QT or Mp4 and you'll be safe for the next 30 years.

Now, where did my latest post go?

Bouke / edit 'B

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On 4 May 2023, at 18:53, Sol Fischler via groups.io <sol.fischler=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

Off-topic I know, but:

In 2023, how does everyone archive their family home movies & tapes?  I'm interested in both digital and physical possible formats...

I know both Quicktime and DVD-R are obsolete, but are they still viable, and what are the alternatives?

Thanks!

-- Sol