DVCAM (raw) to BluRay at DVinfo.net

Mark Hartopp · April 27th, 2009, 08:20 AM

Hi all,
Just boxing up all my video gear to move house. - Didn't relise I had so many DVCAM tapes in plastic tubs stashed around the house.

My aim now is invest in somekind of kit to transfer the raw data from the DVCAM & DV tapes to BluRay. Without adding anykind of additional compression or using a 3rd party codec like a Avid codec.

I hope to reduce the storage space required and re-use the tapes. Plus at some point in the future re-edit the footage. I have no expirence of BluRay yet. But I like the idea of a 50gig discs. So, any help is welcome.

Jack Zhang · April 29th, 2009, 02:49 AM

XDCAM is a pro alternative to BD. You can wrap the raw DV video without recompressing it into the MXF container and then store it on a 25 or 50GB XDCAM disc.

Bill Pryor · April 30th, 2009, 09:26 AM

Wouldn't you need an XDCAM recorder for that? And how do you get the DVCAM footage transcoded without loading it into a computer as some sort of compressed file? It seems to me this is a long way to go simply to reuse tapes, when the DVCAM tapes are your original. If you're going to edit the stuff, I'd just capture it in whatever NLE you're going to edit with, then file the tapes away safely and buy new ones for any upcoming shoot.

Jack Zhang · May 4th, 2009, 03:33 PM

Capturing the RAW DV AVI never recompresses the footage, it only wraps the data in a AVI container. Same with XDCAM, so all you do is re-wrap the raw data from AVI to MXF and then burn onto XDCAM via a XDCAM computer drive (a PDW-U1 for example)

Andrew Smith · May 5th, 2009, 06:53 PM

As defeatist as this may sound .... 50gig is a lot of data to lose at once (due to a disc going bad, etc). I'd still keep the original tapes stored somewhere safe.

Andrew

Mark Hartopp · May 12th, 2009, 10:44 AM

OK. first thanks to everyone for posting a responce.

I like the idea of re-wraping the avi files. Ok - this may sound like a stupid question, but how do you capture .avi file without compression? I'm a Avid user, so deal only with Quicktimes. Is it a job for Adobe Premeire or would Windows Movie Maker do the job of capturing.

I know, I should keep the tapes, but there are so many of them, we just need the space. so, re-using them for projects that I do for free, sound a good idea and would keep the Mrs happy. (I help promote some minority sports, by producing promo films). I always by fresh tape stock for paid work.

At some point Bluray discs will be cheap as chips, so having 2 or 3 back up of the same thing will be the norm.

Jack Zhang · May 12th, 2009, 04:36 PM

There should be an option in Avid to capture in .mxf instead of .avi or .mov.

Capturing to MXF will make the file compatible to burn to XDCAM without recompression.

Mark Hartopp · May 13th, 2009, 09:21 AM

Doh! Yes there is - That's the best news today. Thanks for your help.

April 27th, 2009, 08:20 AM	#1
Mark Hartopp Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dawlish UK Posts: 203	DVCAM (raw) to BluRay Hi all, Just boxing up all my video gear to move house. - Didn't relise I had so many DVCAM tapes in plastic tubs stashed around the house. My aim now is invest in somekind of kit to transfer the raw data from the DVCAM & DV tapes to BluRay. Without adding anykind of additional compression or using a 3rd party codec like a Avid codec. I hope to reduce the storage space required and re-use the tapes. Plus at some point in the future re-edit the footage. I have no expirence of BluRay yet. But I like the idea of a 50gig discs. So, any help is welcome.

April 29th, 2009, 02:49 AM	#2
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	XDCAM is a pro alternative to BD. You can wrap the raw DV video without recompressing it into the MXF container and then store it on a 25 or 50GB XDCAM disc.

April 30th, 2009, 09:26 AM	#3
Bill Pryor Contributor Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kansas City, MO Posts: 4,449	Wouldn't you need an XDCAM recorder for that? And how do you get the DVCAM footage transcoded without loading it into a computer as some sort of compressed file? It seems to me this is a long way to go simply to reuse tapes, when the DVCAM tapes are your original. If you're going to edit the stuff, I'd just capture it in whatever NLE you're going to edit with, then file the tapes away safely and buy new ones for any upcoming shoot.

May 4th, 2009, 03:33 PM	#4
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	Capturing the RAW DV AVI never recompresses the footage, it only wraps the data in a AVI container. Same with XDCAM, so all you do is re-wrap the raw data from AVI to MXF and then burn onto XDCAM via a XDCAM computer drive (a PDW-U1 for example)

May 5th, 2009, 06:53 PM	#5
Andrew Smith Equal Opportunity Offender Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 3,016	As defeatist as this may sound .... 50gig is a lot of data to lose at once (due to a disc going bad, etc). I'd still keep the original tapes stored somewhere safe. Andrew

May 12th, 2009, 10:44 AM	#6
Mark Hartopp Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dawlish UK Posts: 203	OK. first thanks to everyone for posting a responce. I like the idea of re-wraping the avi files. Ok - this may sound like a stupid question, but how do you capture .avi file without compression? I'm a Avid user, so deal only with Quicktimes. Is it a job for Adobe Premeire or would Windows Movie Maker do the job of capturing. I know, I should keep the tapes, but there are so many of them, we just need the space. so, re-using them for projects that I do for free, sound a good idea and would keep the Mrs happy. (I help promote some minority sports, by producing promo films). I always by fresh tape stock for paid work. At some point Bluray discs will be cheap as chips, so having 2 or 3 back up of the same thing will be the norm.

May 12th, 2009, 04:36 PM	#7
Jack Zhang Inner Circle Join Date: May 2005 Location: Burnaby, BC, Canada Posts: 3,053	There should be an option in Avid to capture in .mxf instead of .avi or .mov. Capturing to MXF will make the file compatible to burn to XDCAM without recompression.

May 13th, 2009, 09:21 AM	#8
Mark Hartopp Major Player Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Dawlish UK Posts: 203	Doh! Yes there is - That's the best news today. Thanks for your help.