Average size of .mov files loaded with firewire from DV tapes?

[eclipse]

Hi guys,
are there any compatibility issues I should be aware of in terms of uploading old tapes?
My really old iMac had a firewire 400, but then my old 2011 imac has a firewire 800 DV cord and it seems to upload - but the .mov files seem to be smaller than I remember.

Anyway to tell how large they should be per minute on average in this method?

 

[Gwendolini]

12GB per Hour, 3.5 MB/s.

 

[eclipse]

12GB per Hour, 3.5 MB/s.

Thank you! That is pretty much what I remember - I'll have to check my uploads for that.

 

[Gwendolini]

Thank you! That is pretty much what I remember - I'll have to check my uploads for that.

Maybe current iMovie versions don't use the DV codec anymore, since it is 32 bit.

 

[eclipse]

Maybe current iMovie versions don't use the DV codec anymore, since it is 32 bit.

So it is automatically importing to .mov? What is the loss rate on .mov? I might have to change my import strategy.

 

[Gwendolini]

So it is automatically importing to .mov? What is the loss rate on .mov? I might have to change my import strategy.

.mov is only a container (like a can) which can contain a variety of codecs (fizzy water, beer, whiskey, wine), thus seing a file with a .mov suffix does not indicate much about the inside. Have a look at the codec info, either use Quick Time Player and its Inspector (CMD+I) and under "Format" it will most probably say the codec. For more detailed information you can use the free MediaInfo (App Store).

 

[eclipse]

OK, I'm new to even thinking of Codecs or anything outside of the comfort zone of iMovie... but this import seems pretty 'light' to me - or am I being paranoid?


The Quicktime Inspector says my imported DV .mov files is DVC-PAL, 720 * 576 (768 * 576) Linear PCM, 16 bit little-endian signed integer, 48000 Hz, and only 25 fps
131.1 MB for 34 seconds

 

[Gwendolini]

OK, I'm new to even thinking of Codecs or anything outside of the comfort zone of iMovie... but this import seems pretty 'light' to me - or am I being paranoid?


The Quicktime Inspector says my imported DV .mov files is DVC-PAL, 720 * 576 (768 * 576) Linear PCM, 16 bit little-endian signed integer, 48000 Hz, and only 25 fps
131.1 MB for 34 seconds

DVC-PAL is is a DV codec variant for the PAL television system (PAL the European system, used in many non-European countries, NTSC is the US-American variant, used in many other countries too).

And the data rate is 3.8 MB/s, which is okay, since it is an old codec (25 years or so) and it is in SD (HD is four times the frame size of HD).

If that does not help you to see the light, I don't know what else to tell you. If the footage comes from DV cassettes recorded on DV camcorders then that is the correct size.

 

[eclipse]

Ah, so essentially it's beer in a different can, but still beer? Excellent! Maybe one day soon my graphic designer misses will get a new top of the line iPhone, and we'll get into those new codecs that are just about 4k! Then I'll be asking these questions all over again!

Thank you so much for your time. I think I'm happy to start editing now - cheers!

 

[Gwendolini]

Ah, so essentially it's beer in a different can, but still beer?

There is also lots of different beer like the variety of DV codecs, though not as much.

and we'll get into those new codecs that are just about 4k! Then I'll be asking these questions all over again!

The iPhone uses HEVC/H.265 for its videos (though for now it still can be set to AVC/H.264) and while HEVC is almost twice as efficient and it is more compute intense. If you have a Mac without a T2 chip, decoding HEVC will take a lot longer, thus make sure to have such a Mac (all current Macs have that chip and the Apple Silicon Macs will probably have faster equivalents for that).