What Size Harddrive?

[skwnmkr]

Hi, I will be converting 50 VHS tapes to MP4. I do not yet know if the tapes each have 2 hours of video, or less, but there is the potential of 100 hours of VHS-quality video. My question for you all is, how large of a USB flash drive OR external harddrive do I need to fit it all?

[Bernix]

Hi,
it depends how you will capture these VHS. In what format and what filters will you use. VHS quality itself is very very low. Probably you will upscaling and do similar things.
Edit:I think for 100 hrs of video will be 64 GB usb stick enough. But it is my personal opinion. I think somebody will correct me.

Bernix

[skwnmkr]

I'll just be using DVD Lab to create a plain DVD type file for every 2 hours of video, and then convert it to MP4 using Handbrake. I won't be doing anything to change the quality of the video.

[roma_turok]

1)capture test 1 hour
2)check what size the file
3)multiply x100
that the size

example:
1 hour capture 3.2 GB
3.2 GB x 100 = 320 GB

Just buy Western Digital 2TB
and you will be OK

[Bernix]

Don't forgot actual resolution of your VHS WIKI ->

NTSC VHS is roughly equivalent to 333×480 pixels luma and 40×480 chroma resolutions

And DVD resolution is quite different. And of course fps is 29,97. So you can't get DVD quality obviously.

Bernix

[Bernix]

1 hour capture 3.2 GB

O.K. that is raw material. Probably. But final size for VHS 1MB per second??? But of course 2TB HDD is always handy... And much cheaper than USB in MB/$

Bernix

[skwnmkr]

1)capture test 1 hour
2)check what size the file
3)multiply x100
that the size

example:
1 hour capture 3.2 GB
3.2 GB x 100 = 320 GB

Just buy Western Digital 2TB
and you will be OK

Thanks! Looks like 256gb will be plenty of space then. I am seeing 1.9 gb for 1 hour of video.

[cornemuse]

The bigger the drive, the more you can lose, "in one fell swoop", when the drive fails, , , , I woud not go more than 1TB.

[jagabo]

If you capture uncompressed YUY2 (or other YUV 4:2:2) with a lossless codec you will get around 30 GB/hr. You'll need a >3 TB drive to store 100 hours and work with it. 8 TB external USB3 WD drives are now $150 at BestBuy. 4 TB drives are $90. Most buyer have reported WD Red drives inside. A pair of the latter would let you have all of your videos archived and a separate backup.

Of course, if you don't plan to save the lossless video you only need enough drive space to work with a few hours at a time. Capture, filter/encode, burn DVD, delete, repeat.