Mini DV or DVD: Best Quality for Local TV Broadcast? at DVinfo.net

Tristan Howard · March 25th, 2008, 10:22 PM

Hi everybody,

I recently got an agreement form from my local PBS station (KIXE TV of Redding, CA) and it looks like after a few months of e-mail exchanges, things are finally on track for them to broadcast my documentary: "The Wildlife of Little Hot Springs Valley," which I discuss here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=111070. Anyway, the station says they'll accept either mini-DV or DVD for broadcasting and I could easily provide both formats. So, what do you think would be better quality? I'm really not sure how the station plans on broadcasting my film in regards to technology and such. Anyway, this forum tends to be more responsive than my local PBS station so I figured I'd ask my question here and get a bit of input on how local TV broadcasting is done these days. My mini-DV tape copy of my project was dubbed from Vegas 6.0 from a rendered .AVI file and my DVD uses an image file (encoded at 9 mb/sec) written by Adobe Encore DVD 1.5 and burned with ImgBurn. As of now, I'm guessing the mini DV tape would be better quality. I'm assuming there's less quality loss due to compression compared to a DVD. Still, I'm sure quality is lost when things are broadcast. Anyhow, any input would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Tristan

Dale Guthormsen · March 25th, 2008, 10:42 PM

Good evening,

You are correct about using your tape, any compression will reduce your quality.
Of course you do not know what they are going to do with it, but if you send them a copy of your tape then what they do wont matter, it will be what it will be. The station I have delt with wants solely tape, but they have other parameters to deal with as well, like where the breaks should fall for comercials and such.

Helen Habib · March 26th, 2008, 09:43 AM

Congratulations on your documentary going to be aired, Tristan. :-)

Tristan Howard · April 11th, 2008, 02:02 PM

Helen,

Thanks for the congratulations. I'm now finally getting excited since I've got a contract negotiated and signed and my materials delivered to my local PBS station. Dave, thanks for the advice. I sent the station two mini-DV tapes of my documentary. My film will air on May 3 at 8:00 PM. I talk about it more here: http://www.tristanhowardproductions.com/whatsnew.html

Regards,
Tristan Howard

Helen Habib · April 11th, 2008, 02:08 PM

I’d taken a look at your videos on your homepage and they’re all really nice. Keep it up.

Tristan Howard · April 11th, 2008, 11:16 PM

Helen,

Thanks for the comments. I actually updated my "Wildlife Video Clips" page today. I added videos for bullfrogs, a Canada goose fight, and mule deer fawn hopping. Plus, I extended some of my other videos. I just now noticed that you're located in Trinidad. I guess you probably figured this out from my website but I live not far south of Trinidad in Arcata. Interesting coincidence.

-Tristan

Helen Habib · April 12th, 2008, 06:51 AM

Hi Tristan, I'll take a look at your new videos on the site.

Actually, the Trinidad I live in, is in the Caribbean, so I'm actually south of you. :-) I'm guessing the Trinidad you were thinking of, is in Colorado.

Tristan Howard · April 12th, 2008, 09:06 AM

Helen,

Ouch, I messed up there. Sorry about that. That was pretty dumb of me to jump to conlcusions. After all, I am a Geography Major. Dang. Anyway, I was thinking of Trinidad, California, which is a small coastal town. I should have just consulted my dictionary, which states that Trinidad is an: "island in the West Indies, a constituent part of Trinidad and Tobago." I better let this thread fade away into the archives. So long.

-Tristan

Helen Habib · April 12th, 2008, 10:13 AM

No biggie. ...so California has a Trinidad too... I went to Coronado island in California a few years ago and many of the street names were the names of our islands here in the South Caribbean, Trinidad, Antigua and some others.

March 25th, 2008, 10:22 PM	#1
Tristan Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McArthur, CA Posts: 119	Mini DV or DVD: Best Quality for Local TV Broadcast? Hi everybody, I recently got an agreement form from my local PBS station (KIXE TV of Redding, CA) and it looks like after a few months of e-mail exchanges, things are finally on track for them to broadcast my documentary: "The Wildlife of Little Hot Springs Valley," which I discuss here: http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=111070. Anyway, the station says they'll accept either mini-DV or DVD for broadcasting and I could easily provide both formats. So, what do you think would be better quality? I'm really not sure how the station plans on broadcasting my film in regards to technology and such. Anyway, this forum tends to be more responsive than my local PBS station so I figured I'd ask my question here and get a bit of input on how local TV broadcasting is done these days. My mini-DV tape copy of my project was dubbed from Vegas 6.0 from a rendered .AVI file and my DVD uses an image file (encoded at 9 mb/sec) written by Adobe Encore DVD 1.5 and burned with ImgBurn. As of now, I'm guessing the mini DV tape would be better quality. I'm assuming there's less quality loss due to compression compared to a DVD. Still, I'm sure quality is lost when things are broadcast. Anyhow, any input would be appreciated. Thanks, Tristan __________________ www.tristanhowardproductions.com Presenting North American wildlife videos and Western landscape photos.

March 25th, 2008, 10:42 PM	#2
Dale Guthormsen Inner Circle Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Saskatchewan Posts: 3,048	Good evening, You are correct about using your tape, any compression will reduce your quality. Of course you do not know what they are going to do with it, but if you send them a copy of your tape then what they do wont matter, it will be what it will be. The station I have delt with wants solely tape, but they have other parameters to deal with as well, like where the breaks should fall for comercials and such. __________________ DATS ALL FOLKS Dale W. Guthormsen

April 11th, 2008, 02:02 PM	#4
Tristan Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McArthur, CA Posts: 119	Helen, Thanks for the congratulations. I'm now finally getting excited since I've got a contract negotiated and signed and my materials delivered to my local PBS station. Dave, thanks for the advice. I sent the station two mini-DV tapes of my documentary. My film will air on May 3 at 8:00 PM. I talk about it more here: http://www.tristanhowardproductions.com/whatsnew.html Regards, Tristan Howard __________________ www.tristanhowardproductions.com Presenting North American wildlife videos and Western landscape photos.

April 11th, 2008, 11:16 PM	#6
Tristan Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McArthur, CA Posts: 119	Helen, Thanks for the comments. I actually updated my "Wildlife Video Clips" page today. I added videos for bullfrogs, a Canada goose fight, and mule deer fawn hopping. Plus, I extended some of my other videos. I just now noticed that you're located in Trinidad. I guess you probably figured this out from my website but I live not far south of Trinidad in Arcata. Interesting coincidence. -Tristan __________________ www.tristanhowardproductions.com Presenting North American wildlife videos and Western landscape photos.

April 12th, 2008, 09:06 AM	#8
Tristan Howard Regular Crew Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: McArthur, CA Posts: 119	Helen, Ouch, I messed up there. Sorry about that. That was pretty dumb of me to jump to conlcusions. After all, I am a Geography Major. Dang. Anyway, I was thinking of Trinidad, California, which is a small coastal town. I should have just consulted my dictionary, which states that Trinidad is an: "island in the West Indies, a constituent part of Trinidad and Tobago." I better let this thread fade away into the archives. So long. -Tristan __________________ www.tristanhowardproductions.com Presenting North American wildlife videos and Western landscape photos.

March 26th, 2008, 09:43 AM	#3
Helen Habib Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Trinidad Posts: 173	Congratulations on your documentary going to be aired, Tristan. :-)

April 11th, 2008, 02:08 PM	#5
Helen Habib Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Trinidad Posts: 173	I’d taken a look at your videos on your homepage and they’re all really nice. Keep it up.

April 12th, 2008, 06:51 AM	#7
Helen Habib Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Trinidad Posts: 173	Hi Tristan, I'll take a look at your new videos on the site. Actually, the Trinidad I live in, is in the Caribbean, so I'm actually south of you. :-) I'm guessing the Trinidad you were thinking of, is in Colorado.

April 12th, 2008, 10:13 AM	#9
Helen Habib Regular Crew Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Trinidad Posts: 173	No biggie. ...so California has a Trinidad too... I went to Coronado island in California a few years ago and many of the street names were the names of our islands here in the South Caribbean, Trinidad, Antigua and some others.