Which "level" of SD Card to Archive?

[Denniscasey]

Apologies if this is wrong spot to ask this (usually just use this for HMC40 camera questions) but as I begin archiving SD card data on external hard drives (before re-formatting card for re-use) which "level" should I save. As you know when you attach AVCHD SD card to computer with card reader the first "level" of choices you get is DCIM, MISC, PRIVATE--in context of getting ready to copy to media drive on computer I choose PRIVATE. Next level is just AVCHD. Then you get AVCHDTN and BDMV--I choose BDMV. Then you get CLIPINF, PLAYLIST, STREAM--I choose STREAM which is what I copy to my computer media drive for editing in Avid Media Composer 6. However, for archiving should I make another choice among these files to save more information or something that I might need to access later? Thank you, Dennis

[ChrisHarding]

Hi Dennis

Barry Green says that you have to have the entire folder structure intact for any clips over 4GB to work seamlessly so if that's the case I would just backup the entire PRIVATE folder so all the sub folders are kept intact. I'm using Sony Vegas and I seem to be able to get away just with the STREAM folder contents which I copy to my drive. Then again I don't backup the card data only..I edit first and then backup the entire NLE project so I have card data, project files, MP4 and MPEG2 final files and even a compiled DVD Folder...that makes more sense to me if I need to go back to an old project.

Chris

[Denniscasey]

Thanks for advice Chris. I am learning Media Composer 6 and as noted in my post I also begin with STREAM level copied from SD card to my media drive. I am trying to figure out how to save /backup entire project with associated media like you do for reasons you state, but haven't learned that part yet. Thinking more about it, I may copy the entire SD card contents (would that be the PRIVATE folder) onto another backup drive to keep all the "original" clips (some of which I may not use in a particular project)--I suspect most of the files are quite small but may contain metadata and so forth that I don't know anything about yet, but in future might want to access? Regards, Dennis

[ChrisHarding]

Hi Dennis
The "correct" method is to copy the entire "Private" folder over to a drive...I just copy the MTS files in the STREAM folder to my drive folder and have always got away with it but the safest way is to copy the whole folder. Media Composer might need the Metadata but Vegas doesn't seem to have an issue with it. I think it only matters if your clip is over 4GB which is around 20 minutes on the HMC40/80 ... My folder (I do weddings) has a main folder with the client's name and then inside that I have an AVCHD folder and a DVD folder (all my weddings go back to DVD) and then all the rendered clips and audio etc etc reside in the root folder so I have essentially everything for that client in one folder!!

Chris

[Philip Goetz]

One guy I knows makes an "image" of the card and puts that on a hard drive or two. Another buys delkin 16GB cards for 20 bucks or whatever and keeps them on the shelf... like tapes... 90 minutes of video a card.

[Denniscasey]

Hi Dennis
The "correct" method is to copy the entire "Private" folder over to a drive...I just copy the MTS files in the STREAM folder to my drive folder and have always got away with it but the safest way is to copy the whole folder. Media Composer might need the Metadata but Vegas doesn't seem to have an issue with it. I think it only matters if your clip is over 4GB which is around 20 minutes on the HMC40/80 ... My folder (I do weddings) has a main folder with the client's name and then inside that I have an AVCHD folder and a DVD folder (all my weddings go back to DVD) and then all the rendered clips and audio etc etc reside in the root folder so I have essentially everything for that client in one folder!!

Chris

Thanks for clarification Chris. For archiving it looks like the PRIVATE level includes all the data I would ever need in future (video, metadata, etc).

On the editing side of things, I am still learning to use Media Composer 6 but to use all its AVCHD features it seems to like only the STREAM level and wants it put only on the root level of media drive (does not like sub-folders), but I say that with caveat again that I am still learning MC6. Regards, Dennis

[Denniscasey]

One guy I knows makes an "image" of the card and puts that on a hard drive or two. Another buys delkin 16GB cards for 20 bucks or whatever and keeps them on the shelf... like tapes... 90 minutes of video a card.

Thank you Philip. I went to a Panasonic sponsored session on cinematography techniques here in Minneapolis, MN and person presenting was not keen on using SD cards for long term storage--not much history on their reliability for long term storage and that was not their intended purpose. He preferred "cloud" based or commercial offline storage firms (redundant hard drives basically I think) followed by individual external hard drives for "at home" storage (recognizing they have issues also). Best and most expensive seemed to be tape drive storage. I guess the "storage" issue is one of the downsides to file based media, but one we will have to live with as everything going that way. Regards, Dennis

[Denniscasey]

I should mention (re my previous "cloud" storage comment) I had touched on cloud storage in another context on Avid Media Composer forum and the two responses today were quite negative: (1) "cloud" network speeds too slow to handle high definition and emerging 4K high definition; (2) don't really know how safe and well protected data is on the theoretically "well protected clustered backup server farms" at least for services available to average consumers. Since I am not knowledgeable in this area just thought I should provide examples of opposing opinion on "cloud" storage.