What File Format for Backups

[haebby]

What's the recommended format for making backups of your precious videos? I'd like to make backups of my video footage so that I can edit the footage later on at the highest possible quality.

Should I simply capture from the HV20 into a .m2t file and then backup these files?

Since I'm shooting in 24p, should I do the pulldown first, before backing up the videos?

Thanks!

[Terfyn]

I use a very old fashioned approach to backup. I download the raw video to DVD to back that up. Save the captured files to a data CD. The final masterpiece is burnt to DVD from a saved copy on hard disk, I copy as many as needed plus two, the two DVDs are archived. If I want another copy of the final edit, I copy from my "masters" to a new DVD using Nero or a similar DVD copy program.
Open to better ideas!!??

[Sherb]

Yes - backup .m2t to large hard drive. I am currently backing up everything as .m2t. The files are small and have ALL of the information that is on the tape. I can edit later with a format conversion.

Soon there will be native hdv editors and hardware to run them that are in my price range - then I will be able to edit without a conversion step. I just ordered another 500GB Western Digital external hard drive - 40 hours of video in .m2t for only $100 bucks!! Also, feel free to go for the cheaper USB 2.0 drives for the initial backup instead of the firewire - they are fast enough for the initial capture and you can go to another drive to edit.

Remember as soon as you import the file to put a very descriptive name on it, what tape it came from, and make it READ-ONLY. Turn off your drive when you're not using it and it should last a long time.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah 500GB Harddrives are about $100 these days. It's best using them as backup system. I had another post show a good solution to use internal SATA harddrive as removeable drives.

http://www.hv20.com/showthread.php?t=664