[Tig] Daily Tk transfer to DVD

[TSassoon at aol.com]

In a message dated 7/25/06 11:03:38 AM, jeffkreines at mindspring.com writes:

> I think there will be resistance to it because it won't play on home 
> DVD players, and it can't be recorded (for now) in realtime, 
> compressed as H.264.
> 

However, it H.264, aka AVC, is, along with MS VC-1, aka WM-9, the compression 
of choice for HD DVD's. Both could be described as "Super-MPEG-2", developed 
to take advantage of the dramatic increases in processing power and RAM buffer 
available since MPEG-2 was ratified. They're generally reckoned to have twice 
the efficiency of MPEG-2, that is, half the file size at a given quality, or 
double the quality at a given file size. There's a general preference for AVC 
over VC-1 because it's a (mostly) open standard, which is why Apple can bundle 
it free, as opposed to the Microsoft product, which, surprise, surprise, MS 
wants you to buy, even if only as part of Windows. There aren't any real-time 
recorders yet, but in the fullness of time...

> 
> Also, JPEG-2000 may be strong competition for it, as it's more generic.
> 

I'd be skeptical of that on a consumer level, and one of the points of this 
conversation, as you mention, is a high-quality approval medium that can be 
played on a common consumer device. There are compatibility issues with DVD+R DL, 
especially with older computer drives.

> 
> I bet there are still some people who want 3/4" U-Matic!
> 
> 
There sure are. Within this year I've had several requests for U-Matic, two 
from a post supervisor whose Avid broke, and one from a NY ad agency, who 
astonishingly still considers it a standard tape medium, not some ancient relic. 
Asking for a 3/4" is a sure-fire way to put my Data Manager (when I did it, it 
was called Tape Op) in a dark mood, as my 3/4" deck has become, let's say 
"temperamental". And he's a knife collector, so there's a bit of wory there :-) But 
it's not like I'm motivated to spend the money to have it overhauled.



Tim Sassoon
SFD vfx & creative post
Santa Monica, CA