What format should I use to archive camcorder videos.

I've seen many different variations of my question on the forums, but nothing answering all my questions. So, here goes.
I have a minidv camcorder and I've been ripping the video to dv files using imovie hd 6. I then put together the clips that should be together and tell imovie to convert those clips into one. My question is the format. I have been using dv, but for an hour minidv tape, it's over 10 gig. I then copy these dv files to my external drive and back them up with mozy.
My question is what format "should" I be archiving them to? I plan on keeping them forever of course. And there might be a day that I go to mess with them, maybe add some effects. I'm no video editor, but I'm finding that the mac has such awesome (and easy for a beginner) tools that I actually want to mess with video.
There are so many formats, but I don't want to lose quality to save hd space. If I were to convert them to mov or mpeg4, would the quality be as good. What about size, would the size be much different?
Sorry for the large post. I'm a little lost when it comes to this stuff, but I'm trying to learn.
Thanks.

Cool, thanks. I had a feeling at least one person was going to say that, but I wanted to make sure. With the price of external hard drive's dropping like they are, and mozy being so cheap, might as well use the space and keep the quality.
Thanks again...

Similar Messages

  • I want to format my hard drive so i can have files bigger than 4GB what format should I use?

    I have a new hard drive that I want to format so it will work with both mac and PC (windows) but I have files that are bigger than 4GB, what format should I use?
    It needs to work with both PC and mac because I need to go between two computers etc

    If both of these computers are connect to the same router, both are in your home or place of work (Both are in the same location), it is very easy to Network them so you don't have to use DropBox or the external drive to share files between them.
    MickAUS2012 wrote:
    yea thanks for that,  i have drop box so i use that for some of my smaller files. Im just new to the mac so this is all a learning experince thanks for all your help everyone!

  • What program should i use to archive my photos ?

    what program should i use to archive my photos ? i have tried aperture and the mage browsing program that comes with canon, but i just cant find the right program to be fast and efficent ! any suggestions ?

    " work for a news paper so i have a large amount of photos coming and going in my system, so i need a program that is faster and more efficient that aperture"
    I believe you are looking for a lightweight image browser/viewer that supports basic editing. I highly recommend Lyn and believe it is the exact program for your purposes. It is $20, but you are offered a free 30$ trial.
    http://www.lynapp.com
    And for a review:
    The Best Photo Management App for Mac OS X - Lifehacker

  • What app should I use to view flash video on iPad?

    What app should I use to view flash video on iPad?

    You can also try Puffin or iSwifter. One of those might work for you, depending on the site(s) you need to view. All get mixed reviews, though.
    Regards.

  • What format should I use for new  FCP slide show to DVD project?

    I want to edit a slide show movie. I have all of the high resolution images. I plan on authoring the project to DVD 16:9 anamorphic with DVD SP. Later I would like to author to 1920 x 1080 HD on Blu-Ray. ( I can't afford Adobe BR authoring software at this time, I want to start with the DVD) I am looking for advice. I want the quality of DVD and future Blu-Ray to be best possible quality. I'm thinking there are two options I might use:
    1. Edit the FCP project in HD 1920 x 1080. Use Compressor to convert the sequence to 16:9 anamorphic for DVD SP input. I am thinking I will have the HD sequence ready for the Blu Ray in the future. I like this approach. Is the conversion possible with compressor? What exact format and frame rate should I use for the FCP project?
    2. Edit the FCP project in 16:9 Anamorphic. Compress for DVD SP input. I am not fond of this option. I don't look forward to making rectangular pixel images in Photoshop for one. That will be a lot of work for this project. I won't have an HD sequence ready for Blu Ray in future, I will have to start a new project from scratch to make the HD version.
    Thanks in advance for any advice!

    Edit in a 1920x1080/30p Pro Res sequence settings.
    Export that to a self contained movie current settings, and use which ever SD DVD preset to encode for use in DVD SP.
    The self contained movie can eventually be used in Adobe Encore for blu ray authoring.
    But having "high resolution" images/photos means nothing in video.
    1 dpi is sufficient at 1920x1080 unless you plan to pan and zoom, in which case double the pixel size, not the dpi.
    300 dpi produces no better image than 1 dpi.

  • What format should I use for video in Director 11.5.9?

    I'm running Director 11.5.9 on Windows7, 64 bit with Intel Core i7-2600K CPU @ 3.4GHz with 16 GB RAM.
    I'm trying to insert some videos into an existing Director program written in 640x480 rez.  A QT movie looks awful at full screen.  AVI doesn't run at all. Some mpeg xtras no longer work with Director 11, so what formats do I have available to work with in Director 11?
    Thanks.
    Dewey

    MECS wrote:
    what formats do I have available to work with in Director 11?
    Dewey
    Hi Dewey,
    Use MP4 H.264 for best results (quality & performances).
    cheers

  • What settings should I use when working with video from a minidv?

    I'm recording with a panasonic ag-dvc7 and eddeting on cs5 and would like to get the best quality on video. Im new to all this so I really don't know haw to set up the settings when starting the project.

    Well, the easiest way would be to simply drag the video file to the new item icon in your bin, and PrPro will automatically create a timeline that best fits your video. However, doing so won't actually teach you anything about it. If you're wanting to actually learn the ins-and-outs, then start doing some googling about codecs, wrappers, video standards, etc.
    From a minidv tape, you'll probably be safe manually picking one of the NTSC presets (unless you're in Europe, in which case it would be a PAL preset). Chances are you're shooting 29.97fps, though it might be 23.976, so you should check the properties of your video file in PrPro to see which it is. You'll either be in wide screen (16:9) or standard (4:3) so you'll need to pick which of those you want as well.
    When you start getting into HD footage, it gets a lot more complicated--SD is fairly easy.

  • What format should I use

    Wondering if anyone knows the quicktime compression format used for movie trailers. I'm looking for a great looking streaming video compression. Got about 40 videos to post. Thanks

    How big are those file sizes?
    A typical minute and a half 720p HD trailer will run about 80 MBs in size (or roughly 50 MBs/sec). On the other hand, an iPod compatible file (QVGA w/good stereo audio) will run from 3 MBs/sec to over 5 MBs/sec. I usually use something somewhere in the middle range (about 400 kbps video data rate and 128 kbps/44.1 kHz stereo audio) for most of my postings (about 4 MBs/sec) but may target for 384 kbps ISP connections (300 kbps video with 64 kbps/44.1 kHz audio) on occasion which equates to about 3 MBs/sec files.
    I have about 40 videos 30 to 40 min each. What would be the best compression I should use to get the best quality video and audio?
    As almost anyone here will tell you, there is no magic bullet when it comes to compressing these files. Much depends on the quality and content of your source files (brightness, amount/vectors of motion, graphic complexity of scenes, etc.). The reset depends on your own level of comfort when it comes to the output quality. In addition, if you download QTKirk's file, there are a number of "tricks" you can try to further reduce space/bandwidth without overly compromising quality. My recommendation would be to try a 1-2 minute test cut in what I call the "good" range (described as 4 MBs/sec quality above) and then make audio/video adjustments and see what best suits your purposes (which may change with each movie). You optimum are, to say the very least, very subjective here.
    To give you some idea of what I am talking about, here is a link to one example. (You can open it either in your browser or directly in the QT Player.) It is TV broadcast quality source saved to a 4 MBs/sec setting but wastes the audio compression since both channels appear to be the same. It was encoded at QVGA (320x240) but can be displayed at VGA (640x480) where size is more important an quality. (This is one of those "tricks" you can try and see if it meets your needs.)
    http://homepage.mac.com/jrwalker4/.Public/Einstein.mp4
    As QTKirk mentioned, storage/bandwidth may be an important factor to you. As each of your "typical" movies could easily run 90-160 MBs in the range I recommend for initial testing, you may quickly exhaust your storage space. In addition, sites like Apple only allow 5 GBs bandwidth usage twice a month. This equates to the upload of one 160 MB movie and 30 downloads per half month period. Therefore, you may wish to shop around and/or pay extra for increased use.

  • What format should I use for Maxtor  One Touch III external hard drive

    I'm not sure if I'm on the right forum section, but hopefully you can help. I just got a Maxtor One Touch III external hard drive with the firewire 400/usb 2.0 port. I installed the cd and followed the manual and it told me to format it. I went to disk utility and went to the "erase" section, but now it wants me to choose the type of format: mac os extended (case-sensitive), mac os journaled, mac os (case-sensitive, journaled) and so on.... Can anyone tell me what those formats mean/do, and what is the best one to use? Thanks!

    Case sensitive is really if you are using some old UNIX programs that you have brought the source over to OS X and compiled them. And the UNIX programs have to expect a case-sensitive file system.
    I'm betting this isn't the case... or you'd know what a case sensitive file system is.
    So go with HFS+ Journaled

  • What format do I use for internal drive?

    I want to install a new internal harddrive into my Macbook.  What format should I use for it?
    Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
    Mac OS Extended
    Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive, Journaled)
    Mac OS Extended (Case-sensitive)
    MS-DOS (FAT)
    ExFAT
    I know MS-DOS(FAT) is what I should use for external to work on mac and windows.  Can't remember which to use for the internal.  I have an Intel-based Mac.
    Thanks for your help.

    I use SuperDuper for cloning my OSX volumes and it does not change the size of the destination partition to the size of the source partition.
    So, you can make the destination partitions size to your liking and the cloning will not change it afterwards.
    Keep in mind that SuperDuper or Carbon Copy Cloner cannot clone a BootCamp Windows partition to a new harddisk, only OSX partitions.
    But Parallels doesn't need to have a Windows partitions but is mostly just two files plus the Parallels app on your OSX partition.
    And therefor it would be cloned with the rest of the OSX.
    Stefan

  • What format should I burn video files in, so I could import it to final cut

    I need to burn video files on a DVD and then upload those files into the final cut pro.
    What format should I use when I burn those files on the DVD?

    Ideally, you should stick with DV -it's already a highly compressed format to begin with and even then it comes in at 13GB per hour. Compressing even further and then converting back to DV to use the files in FCP will have a visible impact on quality.
    A dual layer DVD can hold around 8 GB. They could burn the discs using Toast 9 or 10 which can split larger files across multiple discs.
    If you have lots more, perhaps it would be better to invest in an external laptop drive and put the files on that. There are models that are powered via the FireWire bus, so that would also get around the fact that different voltages are used abroad.

  • What technology should be used?

    i want to make remote desktop type of application with limited functionality. In achieving this i thought viewing the desktop from client should be the first step. so i want to know what technology should i use to send live video type of thing to client........
    I am able to create the video type of thing by taking snapshots(20 per second) of the screen but I am not able to send it to the client.......
    Is this correct way or there is any other way to create video?

    [http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/media/jmf/2.1.1/solutions/ScreenGrabber.html]
    Take that example, and mix it with this example.
    [http://java.sun.com/javase/technologies/desktop/media/jmf/2.1.1/solutions/VideoTransmit.html]

  • I would like to format the external hard disk.  I would like to use it in Mac as well as in Windows.  What format should I do, connect to Macbook Pro? MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT ?

    I would like to format the external hard disk.  I need to use it in Mac as well as in Windows.  What format should I do, connect to Macbook Pro?  MS-DOS (FAT) or ExFAT ?

    success1975 wrote:
    Thanks
    1) In 'ExFAT' format, is there a limitation on the file size?
    Not one that will matter.
    2) Is 'MAC OS Extended' format, only for MAC computers?
    Yes, only for Mac
    3) What are those (a) journaled (b) Encrypted & (c) Case-sensitive? or when to use those?
    Again, only for Mac.

  • What file format can be used to play 3D videos on Panasonic TVPlasma3D with USB PenDrive?

    What file format can be used to play 3D videos on Panasonic TVPlasma3D with USB PenDrive?
    I writed to Panasonic Italy support about this question:
    "What file format can be used to play 3D videos on Panasonic TVPlasma3D with USB PenDrive?"
    Panasonic writed me in a very poor manner and said me:
    "...riproduce formati: AVCHD (anche 3D), SD-Video, DivXHD, JPEG, MP3, AAC tramite USB e Slot SD/SDHC/SDXC card..."
    "...formato : AVCHD estensione file nella SD: .MTS..."
    I made a few videos edited with PremiereProCS5 and exported as H.264 Coding and .mp4 file extension, all side by side, with layout 1920x1080pixels that includes two stretched frames at 960x1080 pixels.
    This is the same image layout that uses the Panasonic 3D consumer camcorder "HDC-SDT750", that record AVCHD videos with file extension .MTS.
    I also tried to export another video as MPEG2 with .mpg file extension.
    But at the store the tests failed, and I cannot see anything!
    My questions are:
    1) What format can be used by PremiereProCS5 for exporting the Stereoscopic 3D videoclip and play them via USB port on Panasonic TVPlasma3D such "TX-P46VT20"?
    2) What codec should be used? H.264? H.264-bluray?
    3) What file extension should have the movie file? .mp4?
    Many Thanks!
    Horsepower0171.

    -I already read entirely those threads, but nothing about stereoscopic 3D AVCHD movies through USB port, on Panasonic TVPlasma3D.
    (Also, Sony said me that is not possible to play 3D videos on your 3DTV through USB port).
    I tried to made a H.264 videoclip, with .MP4 extension, at 960x1080p side-by-side layout, but nothing was displayed, and black screen.
    I think that just the AVCHD movies, with .MTS extension, that comes from Panasonic consumer camcorder "HDC-SDT750", can play the 3D videos via HDMI cable, not USB port.
    But not the exported videos from PremierePro via USB port.
    I seen this tutorial from David K Helmly:
    http://www.youtube.com/user/dhelmly#p/a/u/1/_YtF0c2bmkw
    Dave export the video from PremiereProCS5 as "MPEG2-bluray" format with "Match Source Attributes (HighQuality)" Preset, and build the Bluray Disc in EncoreCS5, with the footage as MPEG2 with .m2v file extension:
    1) Anyone tried to play correctly in 3D, those MPEG2-.m2v side-by-side files, in Panasonic3DTV, with BlurayDiscReader?
    2) Why MPEG2.m2v side-by-side?
    3) The official standard stereoscopic 3D format, is not the .MVC (MultiViewCoding) for Bluray3D Disc?
    I am confused!
    Help!
    Horsepower0171.

  • If I want to keep the quality of the original captured footage(from the tapes),what format should I?

    I captured canon hv20 by firewire to my computer with adobe premiere elements 11. After capture, I have cutted clip three times. Then I want to export my computer because of I watch on my 46 inches full hd lcd television. If I want to keep the quality of the original captured footage (from the tapes), what format should I? I choosen mpeg 1440x1080i 24, it alerts error. Or i chosee avchd 1920x1080p, then it is too larger than captured scenes. I think it is 20000MB but captured scened (without cut) only 11.2 gb. Please help me. Thanks very much.

    YCLCS
    File size and Bitrate and Quality are interrelated. From what I have read, the bitrate for your HDV footage from the PAL Canon HV20 camcorder should be about 25 Mbps (megabits per second). If you did a HDV data capture firewire into Premiere Elements, you should MPEG2.mpg file on the Timeline.
    When you did your export
    Publish+Share
    Computer
    MPEG
    using Presets = MPEG2 1440 x 1080i25, did you make any changes in the settings under the Advanced Button/Video Tab of the preset?
    When you look at the settings in the Export Settings dialog for the MPEG 1440 x 1080i25 preset, you will see the default bitrate settings
    Minimum = 18 Mbps
    Target = 25 Mbps
    Maximum = 30 Mbps
    The program's export bitrate may be higher than that of your source media, resulting in the increased file size. You can check out the bitrate, using the properties readout from a free program such a MediaInfo
    http://mediainfo.sourceforge.net/en
    You could experiment with different bitrate, trying to maintain the quality as you decrease the maximum bitrate from 30 Mbps downward to reduce the file size.
    The file extension of your export should be .m2t, .mpg. So, your export is MPEG2.m2t. I find that that type of file will playback in Windows Media Player, but not QuickTime (latest version). This particular export would be the closest to the source media properties.
    But, right now I would try to perfect the MPEG2 1440 x 1080i25, experimenting with the bitrate to bring the file size into line with the source file and still maintain video quality. The AVCHD.mp4 suggested by Ann Bens is a prime candidate quality wise. If size becomes a factor, you might want to explore a 1920 x 1080i25 or 1440 x 1080i25 Windows Media Video 9.wmv file which we can discuss in more detail depending on how things are going.
    Please review the above and then let us know how we can help.
    Thanks.
    ATR

Maybe you are looking for