Q: Seeking suggestions on best codec to archive old DV tapes to hard drive.
I'm in the process of archiving 15 year old DV tapes to several hard drives before the tapes degrade and I have a few questions.
1) Does FCPX modify DV format to ProRes upon import or does it leave it in it's native format? From what I've read I don't think it does but just checking to make sure. I'm trying to avoid multiple compression and re-compression events to protect the quality of the video. If this is not an issue then let me know.
2) If it doesn't modify the DV format upon import then would Compressor re-compress the file upon export as a DV QuickTime file for storage on my hard drives? Is there a better long term option than DV for archiving? Is there a better workflow to accomplish this? I'm using a brand new Mac Pro and multiple large USB 3.0 hard drives so computing power and storage is not an issue. Thanks in advance for your help! - James
Mac Pro, Mac OS X (10.7.5)
Posted on Oct 7, 2015 8:28 AM
You don't have to export anything. You can either import as a camera archive, which makes bundle that holds your media, or you can import into an external folder outside the library. Either way your media is entirely separate from FCP and does not have to have anything done to it. You can use FCP simply as an import device, or use the QT player.
Posted on Oct 7, 2015 8:53 AM