Another question: “What do I do with all my tapes now that the contents have been transferred to DVD?”

I strongly urge my clients to keep the tapes as a security backup, just in case there is a need to use them again. Seriously, don’t throw them out. In fact, my other strong suggestion is to have copies of your new DVDs burnt. Your DVDs are not at all damage proof, easily scratched, rendering them unplayable, depending on the severity of the damage. So, directly related to the next question I am asked, that is one very good reason – if it is the only reason – to make copies of your new DVDs.

Yet another question I am asked is “Can I/you make additional DVD copies from the original DVD?” Yes you can and of course yes I can.. As many copies as you wish. There isn’t any copy protection encoded into the burnt DVDs. The best thing about copying DVDs is that the copy (or copies) are of the same quality as the original DVD. After all, they are digital files. So go ahead and make copies of your new DVDs. Alternatively, I can assist with making copies for you at a very reasonable cost, labelled and packaged, the same as your originals I provided.

If you have any other questions related to video to DVD transfers, please contact me to discuss.

A common question clients ask me about videotape to DVD transfers is: “Can you improve on the picture quality for playback on the DVD?” The short answer to that is YES, the transfer process that I use does in fact improve on the picture quality, so much so that the positive feedback I receive from my clients confirms that. Please understand that a poor quality videotape recording will not and cannot be improved to pristine condition. However, even a poor quality videotape recording may benefit from the transfer process.

So how does this improvement work? No matter how well recorded your analogue (e.g.: VHS, Video8 etc) videotape recording is, the playback is not stable. This is why when, in the ‘olden days’ of VHS to VHS duplication, the copy pretty much always came out a distant 2nd best. To help improve the VHS copy, an electronic device called a Time Base Corrector (TBC) was/is used to help stabilise the picture and colour content. My digital TBCs are important units in my videotape to DVD process in ensuring a high quality, stable picture on the DVD. The TBCs incorporates various electronic filters and decoders that actually assist in improving picture quality. In addition, our TBCs will convert from NTSC to PAL and PAL to NTSC video standards. The other device used in the transfer process is an analogue to digital converter.

The Canopus ADVC analogue to digital converter is the key unit in improving the picture quality of the analogue videotape recordings. Featuring high-quality image- enhancement technology—including digital noise reduction and image stabilisation (a secondary TBC) our ADVC units clean, stabilizes, and preserves your old analogue videotapes in a clean digital format for capturing in our Apple computers. Another important step in ensuring a high quality, clean image on your DVD is the software encoding process. Already detailed in an earlier blog and elsewhere on this website, the encoding to DVD is the 3rd and final step in the videotape to DVD process prior to burning your  precious memories onto DVD.

Edit 1 Video Productions transfers videotapes in the most professional manner using the latest state of the art equipment and DVDs to achieve the highest quality results. Contact us to discuss your videotape to DVD transfer requirements.

The clips are usually supplied on a hard drive, generally as a QuickTime Movie, which is all good and well BUT almost always technically incorrect for Australian Broadcast TV.

Today’s High Definition cameras have a wider dynamic range than broadcast TV allows for. Similarly, computer edit systems allow this full dynamic range to pass through unabated. Whites are ‘brighter’ (at a higher level) and blacks can easily find themselves sitting below (Australian) TV black (blanking), essentially ‘crushing’ (losing some of) the black detail of the picture. Television stations will immediately reject such clips.

The video needs to be reduced in dynamic range to suit. Pretty much all professional computer edit suites have a properly graduated waveform monitor to ensure accurate picture dynamic range adjustment to suit TV standards. The editor should follow the standards as set out by the TV stations.

More often than not, the audio accompanying the music clip is usually too high a level (too loud increasing the risk of distortion). Many editors seem to believe that 0 (zero) level in digital audio is the same as 0vu (analogue). This is incorrect. A setting of not higher than -10 (preferably -12) digital is equivalent to analogue 0vu.

When providing a videotape with any program that is to be broadcast, reference video and audio must be provided. This is in the form of colour bars and tone. The bars are either at 75% colour saturation or 100% colour saturation. This information should be marked. Tone is generally 1khz on each audio channel. The bars and tone are generally recorded from the very start of the tape for at least 30 seconds, preferably 1 minute. Following on from bars and tone is some form of identification of the clip content. Artist, Producer, Song Name, Clip start timecode, Clip duration, Key Number, Date, Stereo Audio, Picture Aspect Ratio and whatever else the producer deems relevant. This information is generally in the form of text, say white on a black background for maybe 20 seconds duration without audio.

Following the ident comes a timed visual countdown from 10 seconds till 2 seconds in 1 second increments. Audio can accompany the countdown, with emphasis as each second counts down or it can just have a quick pip at the 2 second mark. After the countdown reaches 2 seconds, picture cuts to black and audio is mute until the clip starts.

The first frame of the clip should start at an even minute or at the half minute from the start of the tape. For instance, clip start time at 1 minute 30 seconds or 2 minutes. After the clip concludes, it is nice to have at least 15 seconds of black and mute audio to conclude the recording. If there is a second clip, then the sequence from ident onwards starts again. No need for bars and tone again.

Whenever video is recorded onto the Digital Betacam tape, a precise time code is also recorded on the tape to an accuracy of 1/25th of a second. There are 25 frames (50 interlaced fields) of video per second in the Australian TV system. The Digital Betacam recorder creates a dedicated time code track so that the timings can be frame accurate. This time code is similar to the timings on an edit suite. You can start the time code at any time of your choosing, generally at the head of the tape it is set to 00 hr, 00 min, 00 sec and 00 frame or 00:00:00:00

Provided the editor follows the above precisely, then the transfer to Digital Betacam tape is smooth. However, the clips come to me in various forms. Standard Definition, High Definition, Interlaced & progressive in an assortment of codecs. Pretty much any high end codec (except for DV codec) is fine for the transfer.

Be advised that although Digital Betacam is of a very high quality and standard, it is a Standard Definition format.

Edit 1 Video Productions can convert your music clip to Digital Betacam at a reasonable cost, depending on your requirements and whether the clip is supplied with all of the above conditions met. I can complete the required extras, should you not be able to supply them. The video and audio is checked and adjusted to suit TV standards if it has not been already. The clip is then transferred to Digital Betacam and the tape recording is of course checked afterwards.

Next time you have a music video that needs to be converted from your hard drive to Digital Betacam for Australian broadcast television, contact me at Edit 1 Video Productions for this professional service at a reasonable fee. David Issko.

The quality of photographic quality artwork when printed onto premium glossy DVDs has to be seen to be believed! Vivid colours, silky smooth colour gradation and very high resolution images has had us nodding our heads in high approval. Our clients cannot stop smiling at the results – and neither can we.

Another unexpected but very pleasing result is the printing speed. Many times faster than our previous printers, our new system can turn jobs around in record time. What may have taken one day to turn around a duplication and print job, could even be carried out as a same day service. Unheard of until now. Depending on number of discs required of course, we would need to take delivery of your master DVD and artwork early in the day to achieve that turn around time. We have already carried that very service out for a couple of clients, who were very pleased, to say the least – and so were we.

To co-incide with the commissioning of our new CD/DVD printing system, Edit 1 Video Productions is offering a 50% reduction in the standard printing cost for the month of July, 2011 for new and existing clients who mention this special rate when booking their duplication job. You must mention this special offer on booking your job to be eligible for the price reduction.

Looking forward to being of service to you.

In moving with technology advances, Edit 1 Video Productions has ordered a state of the art inkjet printing system that utilises 6 separate inks that print your discs with vibrant & vivid colours never before available from this technology. Standard disc printers utilise a sealed 3 colour ink cartridge. Our custom created printing system utilises 6 individual colours, the only way to achieve such brilliant results. The prints must be seen to be appreciated.

In addition to providing you, our clients with an improved product, our printing costs have been reduced with this new printing system as the system will employ 6 very economically priced large ink tanks – one for each colour. With a sealed cartridge, if one ink is used up, the entire cartridge must be disposed of, which is very costly. Using individual inks means that only the used ink needs to be replaced, reducing the costs. Edit 1 Video Productions will be passing on the savings to you.

Edit 1 Video Productions expect to take delivery of the 6 colour inkjet printing system late May or early June 2011. I will, of course keep you updated with details. The website will be updated to reflect the change in printing capabilities.

The process I use is, of course using professional grade equipment. I play the analogue videotapes in real time into a digital time base corrector. I use this unit to stabilise the picture, and adjust colour, contrast and brightness if required. The next step is to feed the video and audio signals into an analogue to digital converter. From there, the digital video & audio is connected directly via firewire into my Apple iMac computer. I capture the program in Final Cut Pro using the DV codec to create digital files. Once the programs have been captured, they are edited together as per client requirements. Chapter marks are set at each tape change for quick & easy navigation to favourite sections of the DVD without having to wait while the DVD fast forwards.

After the programs have been edited together, I use compression software that I control the video bitrate to maximise the quality of the picture for a fully transparent video to DVD conversion. The audio is converted to Dolby Digital, the DVD default audio file. When transferring digital videotapes such as Digital 8 or miniDV, the digital output from the player is connected directly to the computer, without the need for analogue to digital conversions. So having full control of the entire transfer process enables me to create DVDs with the highest quality picture and sound – a totally professional service, as you would expect.

The additional benefit from an enlarged gate has allowed the transfer of widescreen films. There are cameras with enlarged film gates, resulting in a widescreen recording. I have even had opportunity to record the film’s content in high definition, resulting in very high quality transfers.

I do get asked if the entire process is digital. No, it is not. The running of the film and capturing of the film’s emulsion with the camera is an analogue process, albeit the only analogue component of the process. It is therefore imperative that the camera is capable of capturing the film’s content with as much detail as possible. Only a high quality telecine system is capable of delivering the very best flicker free film transfer. We at Edit 1 Video Productions pride ourselves on having such a system.

Our telecine system also includes LED lighting, which offers a very uniform light over the entire picture, eliminating any risk to burning the film, should it get caught in the transport path and a direct drive motor ensures instant startup of the film to full speed.

For the complete story on our Telecine film transfers to DVD, navigate back to our Home page, then click on the Film to DVD link. If you have any further queries, please contact me, David Issko. Please click on the Sample Film link below to download and view a short clip.

Sample film

I am most excited about this blog page, where I will be updating you on various topics, experiences and anything that you wish to discuss with me. So this page is for you to contribute to as well.

I thank everyone who has kindly contributed to my testimonials page. If you wish to contribute, please email me with your kind words and I will upload them. Don’t forget to include your company name & website details.

I look forward to lots of fun and interaction on my blog page.
David Issko
Managing Director