Finally Leaving Tape-Questions about Working w/ AVCHD on Kar

[Rte80west]

OK so I have delayed the inevitable for years, and now I am thinking about making the switch from a tape based cam to a card based cam. Currently, with tape, my process is to save the master, burn to two blu Ray dvds and archive on 2 HDDs. I output via storyboard and it is an HDV file that saves as a MPG format. My question is if I go with a card based cam, I completely lose the security of the master tape which I really don't like. So I need to come up with a strategy to archive data and am curious what folks do. I was planning on making multiple copies while filming w/ 2 cards in place, save both in avchd format (for security while filming), then load to a computer where footage is stored until I can process it on the Karat. I would then export to 2 HDDs as I do now and burn to 2 Blu Ray dvds and I guess just not live with the security of a tape backup. I could always save sd cards but from what I read this is foolish to do with flash memory and probably a waste of $.

What do you think? Overly paranoid? I know quality degrades a tad when burning original to Blu Ray but honestly, while quality is great, preserving footage - even if a tad worse than original- trumps everything else. Other thing Im concerned about is avchd. Another reason I stayed with tape for so long b/c I heard a lot of negative things about avchd, particularly at lower end consumer models. Is this still the same case? I am thinking of swapping from a Canon HV40 to the Canon G40. Would love to hear any thoughts regarding archival process, compression when sending to Blu Ray DVD, any differences I need to be concerned about working w/ Karat and avchd as opposed to tape as this will all be totally new to me.

[LouBruno]

Welcome to the 21st century.

There are several options in saving AVCHD. If you own Renderbooster you have the option to export in a lossless codec.
I would not recommend M2T... If you do not have Renderbooster, all is not lost. You can save to Media Manager and then export using the highest quality lossless codec to an external drive . Simply make a SCENE of your entire storyboard and then either use your OPTION icon to export to an external drive for archiving, Or UPLOAD to Media Manager and export using a codec of your choice to an external drive. Good luck. Card based files are so much easier to use than tape,

[Rte80west]

Welcome to the 21st century? Not quite yet... I still don't text.

Format I currently use to export to HDD: Backup Storyboard (mode: HDV). Is this at least CLOSE to lossless? Hope so, I've done it this way with everything I have for the past ~ 6 months. I do have renderbooster H.264 (TS) and MP4 as options but do not select those. I don't recall why now, probably advice from someone on this site. But when

When I load up avchd footage, will the 'mode' output options change? You cant output avchd footage in HDV can you? What would be the codec options.

Technology. FUN FUN FUN!

BTW- what do you think of the Casablanca 4? Worth the upgrade from Karat? Seems like it streamlines a lot of functions into one unit.