Convert VHS to DVD (page 3)

Peter Zunitch is an independent broadcast media professional who has worn the hats of editor, cameraman/DP, audio recordist and producer/director on numerous film and television projects.

Side Bar: THE FUTURE OF STORAGE

DVCAM tapes aren't perfect, especially considering there will be some information loss when coming from higher-quality sources, but they're the best choice in lieu of more-expensive and less-accessible formats or formats that are easily damaged and corrupted. The future shows promise, though, with new technologies looming on the horizon. One popular hopeful is holographic data storage, which allows information to be protected inside an enclosed medium, making scratches less of a nuisance. With holographic technology, information is stacked in all directions and can be randomly accessed, providing gross amounts of capacity with improved speed. It also finally allows for abandonment of electromagnetic-based storage in favor of phase change. Development of this technology has run into several roadblocks recently, so its arrival is still quite distant. It's likely we will see another hybrid storage method first, that of laser-based hard drives, even though the core technology was announced mere months ago. The drives will use laser light to switch the polarity of the magnetic media, a feat long thought impossible.

Expect one or both of these to make waves within 5 to 10 years. Their arrival - or that of something similar - will hail another great step forward for video storage. Until then, we will have to be content with our current digital storage. At least there's no longer any excuse to be tied down to a…