how do you folks organise your video?

[pvmellor]

I've now built up a whole bunch of SD video - over 300GB already - and i'm now getting a canon hf10, so i'll be adding HD stuff to further bloat my library, ans i'll run out of disk space soon.

I'm wondering - how do you folks all manage your captured video?

I'm currently keeping mine as AVI files @ the orginal DV quality. I'm splitting them all into one-scene-per-file with AVCutty. But i have can't find a decent way to tag them all and keep them organised like i do with my pictures.

I could convert them to mp4 etc and get the size down. Is this good practice? Or do you keep yours in their original format?

I could create movies from them and then compress the movies (i have a Popcorn Hour so i don't want them on DVD etc, i will stream them). Then do you delete the orginal clips, or keep everything twice?

Do you make movies up from all your home video - or just leave them as clips and browse them?

I guess i'm just wondering what other folks do....?
Thx.

[senu]

Originally Posted by pvmellor

I've now built up a whole bunch of SD video - over 300GB already - and i'm now getting a canon hf10, so i'll be adding HD stuff to further bloat my library, ans i'll run out of disk space soon.

I'm wondering - how do you folks all manage your captured video?

I'm currently keeping mine as AVI files @ the orginal DV quality. I'm splitting them all into one-scene-per-file with AVCutty. But i have can't find a decent way to tag them all and keep them organised like i do with my pictures.

I could convert them to mp4 etc and get the size down. Is this good practice? Or do you keep yours in their original format?

I could create movies from them and then compress the movies (i have a Popcorn Hour so i don't want them on DVD etc, i will stream them). Then do you delete the original clips, or keep everything twice?

Do you make movies up from all your home video - or just leave them as clips and browse them?

I guess i'm just wondering what other folks do....?
Thx.

My answer is purely an opinion , so read it in that context..pls

For SD ..the tapes are really the most pragmatic archives , following that is mpeg2 ( DVD quality)
Saying that , since tape is getting to be "old hat" the next best thing is large HDDs, with occasional duplicates on optical disc . it would be sad if both forms of backup fail
Storing in mp4 is very good for space savig and quick access especialy f the playing route wouldbe amedia player but for any futre potential editing it is a lossy format an original quality is gone forever
Storing SD as DV AVI at 13Gb per hr is highly inefficient OTOH

In short there is no " right way"
What is thankfully the case now is that for £80 , you can get a 1T HDD

Incidentally in the world of digital stills, the ever increasing file sizes ( accompanying the "megapixel race" cameras especially if you shoot RAW mean that even 1T HDDs are now not overkill for archiving purposes

I usually make Domestic DVDs for home use. or more "offical use" rather than PC viewing. There is nothing like viewing stuff on a decent wide screen or occasionally even projector
For Hi def I don't have a strategy all my HDV is on tapes still and Ive only made a few AVCHD disc for playback on a BD players.. I have a lot of very easy on the eye video on mkv but Im uneasy about committing AVCHD or HDV to that format ATM

Saying that very decent and affordable PC monitors of 22" and above are quite common these days and I would think PC viewing as an alternative in that case is a bad thing

[SSB]

Originally Posted by senu

What is thankfully the case now is that for £80 , you can get a 1T HDD

Make that £60 ...

[mmace]

Originally Posted by pvmellor

so i'll be adding HD stuff to further bloat my library, ans i'll run out of disk space soon.

HDV is the same bitrate as DV and AVCHD is nearly always lower so nothing will be "bloating", in fact, if you go the AVCHD route it will probably take up less room


Personally, all my old miniDV footage is still on miniDV tapes. Although it's also all been edited and on DVD's and hard drives
My AVCHD stuff is stored on a HDD in my PC (not system drive) as well as on a back up drive with thousands of photos kept at my parents. Again, all have been edited and put on Blu-ray too.