Video advice

[rickthefightguy]

We have an old demo reel that we would like to rescue part of. The whole tape is 12 minutes long, and the part we want is probably only about 3 minutes

Comments

[herooftheage]

I have a VHS reader that hooks up to my computer which I've never actually used. I can bring it with me to Chicago if you like, and we can play around with it.

[rickthefightguy]

Worth a try! (unless it is a burdensome thing to transport)

[jamey1138]

I can go one better-- we have a VHS -> DVD burner at work. I could save Vis from packing his stuff, and get it done on Tuesday.

[alexx_kay]

MP4 is likely the right format.

[rickthefightguy]

Do you know anything about converting VHS, or better yet Umatic, to MP4? Or, you know, anyone who does know?

[jamey1138]

Like I say, if we can get the VHS picture to stabilize, I can put it into any type of digital format you prefer (me, I'd suggest an MP4 encoded as H.264; best idea, though, is to put it in several formats, including playable DVD...)

[alexx_kay]

+1

I did some googling on Umatic, and it seems likely that a pro service would be the way to go with that format (if the VHS doesn't work out), and would run about $50.

[be_well_lowell]

If the tape is okay and won't try to fall apart when you play it, then herooftheage's offer is the way to go. Commercial services will charge around $50/hour for what he's offering, albeit with a bit more experience on it (and some ability to clean up the results). One of my co-workers has a home business (well, technically it's his wife's business, but he does her IT) doing this.

U-Matic may be a rarer technology, but it holds up to time on the shelf better. I have no idea where to go for help with it, but my old friend Paul Kraus (remember him?) is an expert on both (a) video and (b) how to handle old tapes. He hasn't worked in television in years, but he really knows his stuff. I'd ask him for advice if the VHS transfer doesn't work easily.

[rickthefightguy]

The tape won't play on David's VCR - the tracking won't stabilize. Not that I am not willing to give it a go!

[rickthefightguy]

I don't suppose you could point Paul to this discussion? Or email me his contact info? (Sure I remember him!)

[be_well_lowell]

I'm linked to Paul on Facebook, which should be one way to find him, and I'll forward you one of the many messages on the topic from the WRPI alumni mailing list. I'll also send him a note.

[corwyn_ap]

And you want it stored on (all of the the below):

1) A hard disk
2) A optical disk (DVD or CD).
3) In at least two places.

[rickthefightguy]

I don't understand - are you just recommending backing things up, or is that a question about what we want so that you can recommend an answer to my question?

If the former, thank you (and I would add 'youtube and our website (aka someone else's hard disk')
If the later, then my feeling is that it shouldn't matter - I want the file to be storable on _any_ of those, which I think means not just converting it to a DVD, since I don't know how to take things off a DVD and put them on youtube.

[corwyn_ap]

No, I was making a comment of the long term reliability of storage media. Hard disks are very reliable, cheap, and easily switchable between machines of relatively close vintage. DVDs will be around for a long time, and be viewable by almost anyone.

[rickthefightguy]

Ah! Excellent. Yeah, I figure once we have it on a computer format, we should be able to burn a DVD of it easily, but the converse is not true, right? A pro guy I got recommended locally told me that he could put it on a DVD for $50, but he wouldn't put it on a computer-readable format for less than $160, and that would include us buying a huge external hard drive from him (as opposed to a thumb drive, which we have and are much cheaper.)