Film to Video, Film to DVD, 8mm film to video transfer tutorial page four

A master is simply "the primary archive". In the digital video world, a primary archive -- your "digital master" -- should only be used to re-master (re-archive) other digital masters (other digital archives). Those "other masters", sometimes call "digital master backups", should be used as "working digital masters" -- used to create new creative works or "copies" (see below). Only exact duplication of a digital tape -- of the same format -- bit for bit -- creates an "archive worthy" digital master backup.

Finally, a "digital master" of a film should be of the quality that another film -- yes, I said "film" -- could be made from the digital master -- if so desired.

Claiming a "digital master" -- the digital equivalent -- of your original film, is a big claim. This means that for each frame of film, of your original film, there is an exact matching digital frame of video. This means that even "grain patterns" -- tiny specks of silver halide -- in your original film are digitally duplicated.

TRUTH: No "digital master" will ever be "exactly the same" as the original film, however, "very near equivalency" is a realistic goal that teases us -- each time we realize, in our studio, many parts of the digital master "look better" than the original film.

A copy is simply an inferior version of a master. In the video world, the word "digital copy" -- unless specifically defined otherwise -- is NOT used to mean "digital master".

Because of 1) aggressive compression, 2) massive frame loss to "partial frames", and 3) the relatively low bit streams of MPEG2 format, DVDs -- of all kinds -- can only, at best, be defined as "digital copies" of original films.

Because of DVD-R/+R longevity, 2 to 5 years, writable DVDs do NOT qualify as "archives".

Because of "artifact corruption" -- caused by copying a DVD to higher resolution digital format, a DVD "copy" can NOT be used to "re-master" anything -- except another DVD -- of same format and same or lower density.

At best, when addressing writable DVDs in the context of film transfer, DVDs can only be considered to be an inferior "copy" when transferring film.

Your film is your "only master" right now. Unfortunately, you have treated your film as a "consumable", "non-durable" good all these years. What ever shape your film is in, it is still you master, and for better or for worse, it is all you have to work with -- to digitally re-master your film.

Viewed as an archive, your film is at the end of its own life cycle; and, it is time to "re-master" your film to a "digital master".

Triacetate film -- the technical name for your film -- can get "vinegar syndrome" and mold can grow on and into the emulsion, obscuring and eventually totally destroying the image.

Your film is unique, priceless -- as will be your "digital master" and "digital master backup". Transfer your film to DVD, and your movie heritage will soon be worthless.

As you know, digital video offers a nice array of choices for new media to store those film images. To choose from them is a simple matter of seeing how they compare.

DigiBeta offers high resolution and low compression on a fairly compact tape. Using a metal-backed tape media, DigiBeta tapes could easily last 17 years on a shelf, and the high bit rate digital stream can easily be moved to new media. DigiBeta satisfies the safe and equivalency criteria (see tutorial page 3). Unfortunately, DigiBeta is also a very expensive format, suited for, and marketed to, professional broadcasters. The product life-cycle of DigiBeta equipment is under extreme marketing pressure -- being replaced by non-linear editing systems. Because DigiBeta is not affordable, and thus not available, to the general public, DigiBeta fails the accessibility criteria for your family archive.

HDV format -- a widescreen format -- being codified in a 16:9 aspect, will in fact use MiniDV cassettes. New HDV camcorders will be "backwards compatible" -- capable of playing standard definition MiniDV tapes. This compatibility could extend the life of MiniDV format indefinitely. As such, this format could satisfy the Safe criteria for an archive -- were it not for the fact that HDV has not proven itself in the market place. Currently, 2 versions of HDV -- JVC & Sony -- are battling for market dominance -- before HDV format can be standardized and made available to the masses. At best, HDV format is "experimental"; therefore, this format fails the accessibility criteria -- for now, anyway. Without a crystal ball, it is not prudent to pay someone to "archive" your film to HDV -- not knowing which flavor of HDV will be around after the marketing wars declare the winners and the losers. As such, HDV fails to meet the criteria for archiving. To say HDV will have any product lifecycle longevity -- say nothing of mass sales volume -- is equivalent to forecasting the stock market!

HDV format -- a very nice marketing name -- is nothing but modified, repackaged version of MPEG2 -- which use partial frames. At a closer look, HDV fails the equivalency criteria. HDV format is controversial among professionals because, like old analogue technology, HDV -- again because of MPEG2 format -- has a digital version of "generation loss" between edited generations. Last but not least, small format film -- Regular 8, Super 8, and 16 mm -- are NOT widescreen formats. In summary, HDV fails ALL archive criteria.

Dirty Little Secret

Transfer Mills try to make you believe their DVDs are a digital equivalent for you original film. They don't tell you 1) DVD's compression throws away duplicate frames in your film. They also don't tell you 2) DVD's compression strips out every-other-line of horizontal resolution. For these two very good reasons, you should NOT re-master your film to a DVD. Oh, they also don't tell your DVD's will look profoundly grainy on an HD TV.

DVD is very functional as a temporary, convenient view only medium. Few homes are without a DVD video player. Unfortunately, for archive purposes, MPEG2 -- the video format of DVD -- uses very aggressive compression -- literally throwing away data from your original film. DVD fails the equivalency criteria as an archive. Add to that the recent news that writable DVDs have a shelf life of only 2 to 5 years, DVD fails to meet the safe criteria for your family film archive.

Digital 8 (D8) is high resolution and full-frame, is compact and tough enough for a long shelf life, and is readily available. D8 satisfies the safe and equivalency criteria. It would seem a very good choice, except that D8 it is a proprietary format. If Sony, the owner of the format, stops making the camcorders and players that use D8, your tapes become useless. This format fails the accessibility criteria.

MiniDV uses Digital Video (DV) format. DV is now THE 1) high resolution and 2) full-frame STANDARD of the consumer, prosumer, and industrial video industry. Because it is 1) compact and 2) tough and 3) has a long shelf life, MiniDV has become the "acquisition" medium of choice for the broadcast networks and News outlets. MiniDV was developed as a compact alternative to full-size, commercially used DV cassettes. An industry wide standard, MiniDV will not go away soon. Assuming some form of HDV will survive, HDV format has adopted MiniDV as it's medium of choice -- with backwards compatibility -- to play and record -- in DV (MiniDV) format. MiniDV, although a lower resolution than HDV, also supports a "wide-screen" Aspect Ratio of 16:9 -- just like HDV. The irony is that MiniDV format satisfies all three criteria for archiving:

Overall, MiniDV meets the three criteria for archiving better than any other widely available media. This is why we chose it.

8mm, Super 8mm, and 16mm film to digital video tutorial.

Getting your film transferred.

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