best archival output format recommendation...

need some help with archive format selection...

first project was shot on DV
used motion for some effect and compositing
originally I would just output to a DV tape as master, however the DV codec kills the compositing quality and the text. what should i do?

second project was shot on HDV
captured and transcoded to AIC then encoded to mpeg2 for DVD
besides the DVD, client also would like a master in tape format,
should go back to HDV? or any other suggestions?

Thanks a bunch~

Digibeta for the SD project and HDCAM SR for the HD one, obviously.

All kidding aside, this question is utterly meaningless unless we take into account what you have available. Yes, HDCAM SR is pretty much the gold standard for high-definition mastering these days, but if you're working in DV and HDV, it's not likely you have an SR deck laying around.

The simplest thing might just be to create Quicktime masters. Write them out as ProRes or uncompressed, back them up in a couple (dozen) places.

Once you transcode HDV to any other format, you lose the possibility of writing back to HDV tape. Only HDV can go back, as your only output option is FireWire.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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I realize it's not long-term (and you should, too), but I archive to hard drive via Media Manager. I mean, I bump the finished product to tape for posterity, but the stuff I think I'm going to need to use again... I'd rather have it in layers than flattened.

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Only HDV can go back, as your only output option is FireWire.

Shane. I have only had to use HDV on a couple of occasions. Could you export an HDV SCQT, and output that?

-Vance

As long as your footage is in the HDV codec, you can output it back to an HDV deck or camera. Any other format and you cannot...even with a capture card. HDV decks, even the highest end one, do not have SDI or component inputs...only firewire.


www.shanerosseditor.com

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Thanks. What a PITA format.