What's Best Codec / format and resolution of digitized video for long?

[lasergecko]

What's the best codec / format / resolution for digitizing miniDV video tapes for long term storage?

Can burnable DVDs be used or will they degrade too much over the long term (ie 20 years+)?

 

[Bassyhead]

In 20 years your DVDs will long be obsolete anyways at the rate mediums are being developed now. Think the 8-track player but much sooner.

 

[Matthias99]

Originally posted by: lasergecko
What's the best codec / format / resolution for digitizing miniDV video tapes for long term storage?

Can burnable DVDs be used or will they degrade too much over the long term (ie 20 years+)?

DV or MPEG2 format video seems like it will probably be playable for a long time. Both are extremely broadly used. If it's SD video, keep it at either 640x480 or 720x480.

In terms of media -- my recommendation for archival would be to either write the files to magnetic DAT tapes (mechanically proven and generally very stable over time), or to burn them to DVD and then consolidate them to newer and higher-density media (ie, Blu-Ray, etc.) every 5 years or so. Burnable CDs and DVDs are supposed to be good for a long time, but some disks have not lasted as long as they were supposed to.

Another problem with just sticking burnable DVDs in storage for 20+ years is that, even if the discs themselves are OK, you may have trouble finding something that can read them in 20-30 years! With DVDs (since they are so ubiquitous, and Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players are going to be backwards compatible) it might not be that much of a problem, but it is a real issue to consider with a lot of media formats.

 

[Howard]

Hole-punched platinum foil?

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Bassyhead
In 20 years your DVDs will long be obsolete anyways at the rate mediums are being developed now. Think the 8-track player but much sooner.

Even back in it's day the Eight Track was short lived.

 

[Googer]

Originally posted by: Matthias99

Originally posted by: lasergecko
What's the best codec / format / resolution for digitizing miniDV video tapes for long term storage?

Can burnable DVDs be used or will they degrade too much over the long term (ie 20 years+)?

DV or MPEG2 format video seems like it will probably be playable for a long time. Both are extremely broadly used. If it's SD video, keep it at either 640x480 or 720x480.

In terms of media -- my recommendation for archival would be to either write the files to magnetic DAT tapes (mechanically proven and generally very stable over time), or to burn them to DVD and then consolidate them to newer and higher-density media (ie, Blu-Ray, etc.) every 5 years or so. Burnable CDs and DVDs are supposed to be good for a long time, but some disks have not lasted as long as they were supposed to.

Another problem with just sticking burnable DVDs in storage for 20+ years is that, even if the discs themselves are OK, you may have trouble finding something that can read them in 20-30 years! With DVDs (since they are so ubiquitous, and Blu-Ray/HD-DVD players are going to be backwards compatible) it might not be that much of a problem, but it is a real issue to consider with a lot of media formats.

They do make Archival CD-R and Photo CD-R (differant than archival) is intended to have a longer life than standard CD-R.