After using movie maker 2 to create an avi file for home movies, I have
created a DVD using Sonic my DVD for watching on TV. The original avi
file which took my raw video footage plus my edits is now on my computer
taking up space. In the past I have just erased that video. I now find
that I would like to use some of that video footage in creating another
video and I can retrieve my original VHS tapes and, using my DV camera,
digitalize them and input into my computer, essentially repeating what I did
the first time. I am wondered what other solutions there are to saving my
edited avi file so I do not need to go back to VHS tapes.
I know I can put the file back onto DV tape and then if I need a clip or
something i can get at it - but it is a bit tedious I suppose. I was
wondering if I could compress the avi file in some way that I could store an
hour or more of it on a dvd so that i can pull off the file, restoring it to
avi, should I need it again on my computer. I suppose this gets into
some sort of compressed file type but perhaps once you convert out of an avi
file you cannot revert and I do not know whether the compressed file types
have enough quality to be used to make a DVD for viewing on TV..
I had thought of some backup program that would compress the file and
allow me to restore it, but I am not sure if that is workable. I have read
a little but enough to know all file compression programs for video are
"lossy" and so I wonder what is the best approach. The DV tape - will that
hold up over time - as long or as short as analog VHS tape - and is that the
most economical solution. An external hard drive would be cost prohibitive
I think given the growing video footage.
What other suggestions do you have? Although myDVD uses open video format
and allows for some editing directly from DVD, it does not really let you
easily get at the original files and so might be limiting
thanks
alan