DV Back-up question...

[Jensen]

Can I back-up captured dv on a dvd as data? I'm beginning to lose trust in putting older dv tapes in newer camcorder.
One cam just went down, I tried the head cleaning tape, didn't work. I have an extended warranty so I have to send it in. I just bought a HV30, and pretty much decided only new tape from now on. Any suggestions? I looked into dv/vcr players and wow their expensive.


Jensen

[JohnnyMalaria]

Sure, you can back-up anything onto a DVD as data. Of course, one single-sided DVD will hold about 18 minutes of DV.

As an alternative option, you could get a used MiniDV camcorder from eBay or the like. I picked up one for about $200 and works like a charm - even plays DVCAM that many of my tapes are.

And a final option - an additional hard drive. I recently bought a 1TB internal drive for about $250. It can hold nearly 77 x 1 hour tapes.

Of course, each option has its pros and cons.

BTW, are your old tapes the older Sony ones from >10yrs ago?

[nwo]

it will take about four discs pre hour of dv video!

[uno]

I started making DVD's of my DV-tapes a couple of years ago but I soon stopped as 18 minutes is not much. Harddisks are so cheap nowadays so I prefer that. I now have 3 HardDisks instead. One with the AVI-file direct from the DV-camera and the second with the edited copy. The third also contains an edited copy but I have it not at home but as a backup some other place. I have been filming since 1978 so I have saved some hours not too much from each year. Remember that too, when filming, no long scenes. You donot want to look at 3 hours from 1978. I think I have 40 minutes from that year and that is too much, (but it was the first year).
Also remember better 2 HDD's with 500GB than one with 1000GB. This is because a HDD is vulnerable. I had one that stopped working. Finally I found a program that could repair it, but his is not always possible I learned. So backup, backup,......
Good luck!

[Jensen]

Thanks to all for responding, great advice and I will probably go with the 2x500gb hdd. Just wish I could make an internal without rebuilding the comp.

The story with the tapes, and everyone is going to laugh (really hard) AND THATS OK (cause I have been drinking!!)
I was filming a live audition for a local country band who has an opportunity to open up for Billy Ray Cyrus, and being that it is my buddies band I don't charge them. But the band gets a tab at the bar, and I'm on it. For those who know where this is going....your smarter than I am and don't drink and film lol. I had 1 cam on tripod shooting, and one in hand. I pulled out the tape and dropped it from the hand held in to a mixed drink on the table (not mine). I grabbed the tape and dried it off, and set it in front of a fan all night to hopefully save the footage. I captured the "tripod" tape fine, and decided to chance the other tape. Any one who tried this can tell you what disastrous things happen next. To make it simple the tape didn't work and neither did anything else I have put in the camera from then on. Truth be told it was ($280 Cam) lesson learned, but thank GOD for extended user accidental warranties. So not irreplaceable.

But like I was first saying I'm not sticking any tape in the HV30 that went into the other cam following the messed up tape. Which about covers 3 tapes from my collection of serious footage. Not a huge loss, because the only thing not captured was on the tape that dropped in a drink.
If anyone else has done this before please post and ease my heartache lol!!!
The message is don't drink and FILM!!!

Jensen

[JohnnyMalaria]

Well, I drank and then filmed - the next day.

I was diving in the English Channel. One evening, our group had the usual far too many pints. The following morning, I awoke with the usual stinking hangover and, as usual, I assembled my underwater video equipment. A few hours later, I jumped in the water with my equipment and began my descent to a much anticipated wreck of a freighter. After about 30 seconds, I noticed a strange reflection of the surface of the sea inside my transparent video housing. Then I realized what it meant - it was leaking! Well, it was slow so I went back to the surface and signaled the skipper of the boat with the international distress signal. He was casually reading his newspaper with his feet up. He looked up, turned round, waved back and continued reading his paper. Now, I was holding the entire housing out of the water with one arm - these housings are very heavy out of the water. I couldn't hold it any longer and that was that...

The reason it leaked - there is a large o-ring that seals the removable front plate of the housing from the rest of it. In my hungover state, I didn't seat it properly, leaving a little kink.

[Jensen]

Just update, I tried to record new video with the "Broken" Cam and it played back great. Maybe the tapes got erased somehow??? I don't have any big magnets around how could that happen? O well saves me the trouble of taking it in to get it fixed.