What's the best format to preserve movies.

  • Thread starter Thread starter JL
  • Start date Start date
J

JL

I'm taking a lot movies for my baby. I'd like to give them to her after 20
years. So currently what format should I transfer my DV-AVI to?
DVD/DivX/Xvid/wmv ... ? Thanks a lot for your ideas.
 
The simple answer is to convert them to DVD. Converting to DivX will not
guarantee compatibility in 20 years, whereas there is at least a chance that
there will be means of playing a DVD in 20 years. In addition, I would make
at least 3 copies, and store them in different locations. Buy the best
media you can afford. Do not trust your home movies to the bargain discs.
Burn them at the slowest speed your burner supports. Verify the files after
they are burned (check the documentation/help for whatever software you are
using to burn to DVD to find out how to verify files). Burn them to DVD -/+
R, not to DVD -/+ RW. Store them in a cool, dark place (a high shelf in a
closet will do). Do not mark on the disc itself with anything (even the
pens formulated for this purpose). Keep the disk in a jewel case at all
times. In addition, I would look into the TDK Armor Plated DVD disks, as
they have 10 times the scratch resistance of regular DVD Discs. I personally
would also burn the original DV-AVI files to disc for archiving. Follow the
same guidelines.

Bobby
 
Thanks, but a tape is much more expensive than a DVD-R and for a long time I
guess a tape is easier to damage than a DVD disc.
 
I too would go for keeping the DV tapes.
Thanks, but a tape is much more expensive than a DVD-R and for a long time
I guess a tape is easier to damage than a DVD disc.
Click to expand...

Expensive !!! Hmmmmm.... cant believe you are not prepared to expend a
couple of bucks/quids for the tapes which are going to be such a sentimental
value for your daughter in 20 years time ...

DVDs are easier to get scratched than a tape. Better still as the other guy
mentioned keeping three copies... why not keep the three copies on different
media media: tape+dvd+hard disk (viewable wmv files). Chances are one of
these would survive.
 
But again there is no guarantee that there will be equipment that will be
compatible with DV tape in 20 years. Given that tape is fragile and is a
magnetic medium, I doubt it will retain it's recorded signal for twenty
years. Even professional BetaCam tapes are not expected to last that long.
Perhaps if you had an environmentally controlled storage site, they *might*
physically last 20 years...but I am as yet unconvinced that the coercivity
of the tape itself would retain a signal that long with any semblance of
fidelity. All of this assumes of course, that the original medium is a
perfect specimen, that the oxides will not deteriorate or shed, that the
cellulose will not de-polymerize and the binders will continue to hold it
all together.

Bobby
 
I surely would NOT be worried about there being no way to convert or any
compatibility issue of the media you choose when we arrive at 20 years from
now.
There will be so many people wanting to use their keepsakes in updated
formats that
everybody and their brother will be in the lucrative business of restoring
all of the OLD OLD videos you take now. Heck, a year ago I took in tons of
8mm movie film that was in my closet for 20 years in a box inside a bag.
Almost all of the movies survived and Walmart put them on VHS for me....and
now I can import them into my computer and do all kinds of editing with them.
Ten years from now when some sort of information chip can hold terrabytes
of stuff, at that time i'm sure you'll be wanting to change your vids to the
new technology and not wait to see if dvd's can last the 20 years or
not...(i'm sure they will unless the cat gets at them).....good luck!
 
personally, I would do both/all methods. If it is something important, I
keep the original DV tape, but only after capturing the video to my PC and
keeping a digital copy as well. I convert and burn almost all of them to
DVD in order to show and share, but usually will burn a copy in xvid/divx or
..wmv on a cd and throw in my CD case, just in case. for the cost of a .20
cent CD and a 79 cent DVD, why not leave your options open.


| I surely would NOT be worried about there being no way to convert or any
| compatibility issue of the media you choose when we arrive at 20 years
from
| now.
| There will be so many people wanting to use their keepsakes in updated
| formats that
| everybody and their brother will be in the lucrative business of restoring
| all of the OLD OLD videos you take now. Heck, a year ago I took in tons
of
| 8mm movie film that was in my closet for 20 years in a box inside a bag.
| Almost all of the movies survived and Walmart put them on VHS for
me....and
| now I can import them into my computer and do all kinds of editing with
them.
| Ten years from now when some sort of information chip can hold
terrabytes
| of stuff, at that time i'm sure you'll be wanting to change your vids to
the
| new technology and not wait to see if dvd's can last the 20 years or
| not...(i'm sure they will unless the cat gets at them).....good luck!
|
| "NoNoBadDog!" wrote:
|
| > The simple answer is to convert them to DVD. Converting to DivX will
not
| > guarantee compatibility in 20 years, whereas there is at least a chance
that
| > there will be means of playing a DVD in 20 years. In addition, I would
make
| > at least 3 copies, and store them in different locations. Buy the best
| > media you can afford. Do not trust your home movies to the bargain
discs.
| > Burn them at the slowest speed your burner supports. Verify the files
after
| > they are burned (check the documentation/help for whatever software you
are
| > using to burn to DVD to find out how to verify files). Burn them to
DVD -/+
| > R, not to DVD -/+ RW. Store them in a cool, dark place (a high shelf in
a
| > closet will do). Do not mark on the disc itself with anything (even the
| > pens formulated for this purpose). Keep the disk in a jewel case at all
| > times. In addition, I would look into the TDK Armor Plated DVD disks,
as
| > they have 10 times the scratch resistance of regular DVD Discs. I
personally
| > would also burn the original DV-AVI files to disc for archiving. Follow
the
| > same guidelines.
| >
| > Bobby
| >
| > | > > I'm taking a lot movies for my baby. I'd like to give them to her
after 20
| > > years. So currently what format should I transfer my DV-AVI to?
| > > DVD/DivX/Xvid/wmv ... ? Thanks a lot for your ideas.
| > >
| >
| >
| >
 
I agree with BadDog.
I have many different videos and still images that I am saving for my
daughter and they are all stored on DVD. What he didn't say though is that
dating the DVD's is also a good idea. I plan to create a new DVD by copying
the DVD to my harddrive and re-burning to DVD every 5 years since there is
no guarantee that DVD media will store the information indefinitely. Further
there are little plastic shields called DVD protectors available now. They
are clear and actually remain on the disk even when you are using it. I've
tried them on DVD movies, play station disks, CD's, and data disks with no
problems on any of them.
 
All of you discussed the quality and the cost:
while there is a big difference between tape & DVD:
Although in digital, DV tape is a real time sequential copy and hence when
you load it again to your PC even after an hour, you cannot guarntee the file
lenght, start or end and hence, you loose all your clip marks and will have
to do it again.

This means DVD is more reliable .. but one DVD is only 22 min.. Forget
about cost, it is the archiving problem.

I beleive we should get back to the original question about the format not
the media.
 
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