Re: [AV Media Matters] DVCAM or Beta SP

[jeffkreines@mindspring.com]

valmont@mweb.co.za wrote:

>I am looking for advice on an interim archival format for video footage
>which has been shot using MiniDV.  We have the option to make safety copies
>from DVCAM deck to Beta SP deck (which will surely bust our meagre budget),
>OR purchasing two much cheaper DVCAM decks for dubbing masters.  Please can
>anyone advice whether DVCAM is considered appropriate for archiving or
>should we wait until we can afford a Beta SP machine.

Beta SP is NOT a good format for archiving Mini DV.

Believe it or not, the cheapest and best way to preserve (short term)
Mini DV tapes is to clone them via Firewire (IEEE 1394) to Mini DV, or,
given the appropriate deck, DVCAM (you need a DVCAM deck with Firewire,
and only some of them have this).  These tapes will be actual clones of
your originals, not second generation copies.  Beta SP dupes will be
analog, and will suffer some (slight) generation loss.

I sometimes use Digital Betacam for this, but it's too expensive, and
honestly isn't an actual clone, just a good digital copy (via SDI output
of a DVCAM deck).

Jeff Kreines