Backup of already encoded video

[jgandara]

Ok, I did my mpeg encoding using TMPGEnc and I burn my home videos to DVD. Now I would like to make a backup of all the files I used. Now I have them as mpeg, but their size is big. How can I convert this files to something smaller and with little quality loss.

I was thinking about converting them to either DV avi or Divx Avi. Any suggestion?

Thanks

[Gees]

Hmm, then you'd have to convert them all back - if to a new DVD.

Could be unnecessary headaches. Why not just burn a second DVDr for safe-keeping. You could copy that as many times as needed. And - no quality loss, no harddrive space lost.

Or am I misunderstanding a reason why you'd want any other format than what you've got?

[jgandara]

The thing is, i have like 10 DVD already burned. I prefer to backup the edited files, if I can do it in 5 DVD it's even better. Besides that I want to keep a file (mpeg, avi...) for later use. Let's say in 5 years, the DVD standard is 1024x860 TV resolution. It's easier to work with the original files than a DVD.

Thanks

[ronnylov]

Burn the original files to DVD-R data discs. If you are editing in DV format then use firewire to your DV camcorder and record backup DV tapes. You'll loose quality if you transcode them to any other format than original format. mpeg2, mpeg1, divx, xvid and even DV format are lossy formats but if you just copy the data, not transcode it, then you won't loose any more quality.

[jgandara]

the original format was DV and after edition they are mpeg-2. I just want to backup those files. I already have the original source in tape, which will be unusable in a couple of years, because I don't have a Hi-8 camera anymore.

So my idea was to convert them to Divx, with best quality, and burn them in a DVD+r or DVD-R. If I do that, i'd burn 5 DVD instead of 10 (The size of a Divx video is almost a half of a mpeg).

[musotechy]

Are the files small enough to burn a data DVD-R? You could just store them as they are (burnt as data rather than video) you can then just drag them off the disc when you need to.


Thanks

[jgandara]

I want to backup the data file, but size is my problem. Mpeg files are big.

[normando]

The mpeg files had to fit on a dvdr disc when you made your dvd. Burning a DVD Video disc does not compress your original mpeg files.

How big are these mpeg files you are referring to?

[musotechy]

When you say they are to big, are you refering to the whole project or just one file. The single file should be smaller than you original DVD-R, making files DVD compliant for DVD-R usually adds size if anything. If it's a whole project (ie, original capture, converted capture, vob files and bup files) then you don't have a hope, there probably isn't discs big enough (commercial or domestic)


Thanks

[jgandara]

What I'm saying:
+ I burned 10 DVD almost to full capacity, so I have all the original mpeg files from which I originally created my DVDS. Each DVD took like 4 or 5 file (1 file = 1 chapter), the max. files size for each DVD is like 4.2 G.

Now, I want to backup those files. In theory it will take like 9 DVD+R or DVD-R to back them up. I want to back up all those files (mpeg) as a DATA file, not DVD (already have 1 copy) no back to tape (I have the originals). I want to back them up into DVDs (+R or -R).

I was thinking in converting them to Divx avis to make them smaller, so I can use less DVDs. Thats all I want to do. So I have the option to convert to Divx or something else, with minimum loss of quality

[Gees]

All the suggestions offered were to not do it. But they are your files. You can do anything you want with them. :c)

You lose some quality any time you do any type of conversion. And you are adding a task if you ever want them as mpg again (with an additional loss of quality).

If you want to save the discs or the space go ahead and go for what you want.

[normando]

Yeah... go ahead and do it.... degrade the quality of your video files. You will enjoy watching your progress bar creep along for 40+ hours as it converts the 15+ hours of mpeg to divX. Then you can watch it creep along another 40+ hours when you convert it back to mpeg2 in the future... maybe shorter if you upgrade your computer by then.

I think burning 10 dvd data disks would be at least 30 hours faster than this conversion mumbo jumbo (Depending on your burner's speed).

[jgandara]

I'm only asking for advice! I just want to know if there is any other option. If not I'll keep them as mpeg.

I just want to know what everybody else do with their backups.

Thanks for taking your time responding.

[Gees]

I think we've already said :c( Quite a few times. The vast majority of people would keep the files in mpg. We would NOT convert to DIVX or any other format.

[Airr]

I'm only asking for advice! I just want to know if there is any other option. If not I'll keep them as mpeg.

I just want to know what everybody else do with their backups.

Thanks for taking your time responding.

Just my opinion here, but for minimal loss and space savings, why not rencode to mpeg2 352x480 (assuming NTSC here) with either mp2 or ac3 @ 48k format?

Done right (check the various guides), it would still look fairly good (subjective, of course) and would allow you to re-author to dvd down the line with minimal fuss.

Another option would be to use one of the various transcoders around that allow you to combine multi dvd's into one. So you could take your current 10 dvd's, and crunch them down to the 5 that you've targeted.

Of course, in either case the end result won't be as good quality wise as the originally authored disks, but that's the price to be paid.

HTH

AIR.

[ronnylov]

Actually I'm thinking of making backup copies of my miniDV tapes to DVD-R by copy the DV files as data files instead of making mpeg2 DVD-Video. It will hold 20 minutes in DV format on each disc and the price of 3 good DVD-R discs is about the same as the price of one 60 minutes good miniDV tape. It's good to have a backup copy in the original file format but on another type of media in case the tapes or the discs breaks. And it is much easier and faster to put a DVD-R disc into my DVD-ROM unit compared to hook up the camcorder and transfer it by firewire if I want to edit my videos in the future. I will make DVD-Video discs also for normal use because I don't want to wear out the originals when watching them.

[pijetro]

jgandara wrote:

the original format was DV and after edition they are mpeg-2. I just want to backup those files. I already have the original source in tape, which will be unusable in a couple of years.

Not true, your MiniDV tapes are stored digitally (are they DV or Hi8?), and if stored properly, should last just as long as you do..

Your situation warrants a few options, although they are a bit unusual...
1)After capture, save to Divx, and encode to .mpg at a later date...
2)After capture, use Half D1 resolution and lower the bitrates for encoding to .mpg, therefore you can fit more on less DVD's.

Let's say in 5 years, the DVD standard is 1024x860 TV resolution. It's easier to work with the original files than a DVD.

Don't let this stop you from creating present DVD's..Even if the standards change to this number (where the heck did you get that??), you'll still get the same quality out of final playback. Remember, you won't get any better quality than the original tapes. The present resolutions, if done correctly, are more than enough to copy your original material, regardless in a change of standards...

Don't forget, your footage is interlaced anyways, so it's not like you're comparing progressive footage shot on a Hollywood camera or something like that..

BTW, nobody can foresee the future. Just get on with creating the DVD's..If you're gonna be on this planet in 10 years from now, and you still insist on doing conversions, then use the original tapes.....They're not gonna self explode like you think....