Mini-DV to External Hard Drive
Convert your Mini-DV to External Hard Drive!
- $12.95/tape + External Hard Drive (optional; see pricing)
- Perfect if you want to edit your own video.
- DV or MPEG-2 output formats available See below if you are unsure which to choose.
- Send your own USB 2.0, Firewire, or SATA external hard drive (see guidelines below) or purchase a USB 2.0 drive from us (see details.)
- Each tape will be converted to a separate digitial video file on the external hard drive.
- Mac users - Please read the "Mac Users" section in the Mini-FAQ below.
- Technical Informaton:
DV (Type-2) MPEG-2 - Video bitrate ~ 25 Mbps
- Audio format - LPCM
- Audio bitrate ~ 1536 kbps
- Compression method - 2-pass VBR
- Video bitrate ~ 4500 kbps (or greater upon request; max 9000 kbps)
- Audio format - LPCM (AC3 or MPEG Layer II upon request)
- Audio bitrate - LPCM ~ 1536 kbps
- VHS/VHS-C/SVHS/8mm (aka Video8)/Hi8/Digital8/MiniDV tapes accepted. No film please. PAL and SECAM tapes not supported.
Common Questions
What is the difference between DV and MPEG-2?
In technical terms, the difference between DV and MPEG-2 is quite large. For the purposes of this discussion, the most important differences are the size (in bytes) and compatibility of each format (see below for more information.) Differences between DV and MPEG-2 beyond this basic discussion are not within the scope of this site. (If you would like to learn more about digital video in general, please visit VideoHelp.com, a free site used by video hobbyists and enthusiasts.)
How much space does DV video consume? How much space does MPEG-2 consume?
DV uses approximately 13.5 GB per hour of video, while MPEG-2 consumes approximately 2.8 GB per hour (including LPCM audio; file size decreases to roughly 2.2 GB per hour if AC3 or MPEG Layer II audio is used.)
Which format should I choose, DV or MPEG-2?
If you intend to edit your video, DV is an excellent choice since it is more widely supported than MPEG-2 by popular video players/editors (see below for general compatibility information.) However, DV consumes a lot of space, so you will need a larger hard drive to store and edit DV than you would need for MPEG-2.
Is DV compatible with my computer?
DV does not present any major compatibility problems. Almost every video player/editor supports DV.
Is MPEG-2 compatible with my computer?
MPEG-2 compatibility with video players/editors is not as widespread as DV compatibility (see above.) In order to view/edit MPEG-2 video on your computer, you must have a valid MPEG-2 codec installed (a codec is the set of instructions that tell your system how to read a particular video file) and a video player/editor that supports MPEG-2 video. As for audio, your video player/editor must also support your chosen audio format. You can test if your video player/editor supports each format combination by downloading and playing the short test files below:
Due to the large number of common video players and video editors, we can not tell you if your system supports any particular format. Having said that, we can point you to several free sites to get help with your chosen video player/editor:
- For help with general video topics and to ask questions about a wide variety of video players/editors, please visit the discussion forums at Videohelp.com.
- For Mac users, try the Apple discussion forums.
Additionally, the following are common video editors that support MPEG-2: (not a comprehensive list...)
- Womble MPEG Video Wizard
- Ulead Video Studio
- MPEG StreamClip (Mac)
- TMPGEnc MPEG Editor
- Cutterman
What are the external hard drive requirements?
The following requirements apply to external hard drives that you (the customer) send to us.
General Requirements
- Your external drive must be USB 2.0, Firewire (aka IEEE-1394), or SATA compatible. If your external drive requires an external power supply, please also include it.
- Your external drive must have enough free space to meet the requirements of your order. See "How many tapes can I put on an external hard drive?" below for more information.
- Although not stricly a requirement, we recommend sending an empty drive. We can not be responsible for pre-existing files while the drive
is in our possession.
What filesystem does VidiSave use?
Unfortunately, modern Windows and Mac systems do not use the same basic filesystem by default (the underlying software that tells your computer how to "read" your hard drive.) As such, there are differing guidelines for PC and Mac users,
- There are two filesystems in use today that are compatible with Windows - NTFS and FAT32. If your existing external drive is currently formatted
with the FAT32 filesystem (which limits file size to 4 GB per file), it will be converted to the more modern NTFS filesystem. You do not need to do
anything to prepare your computer for the change to NTFS - it will be seamless. New hard drives that you purchase from us will be formatted
as NTFS as well.
- Mac's generally use a hard drive filesystem called HFS, which is not compatible with Windows. We work in a Windows environment, which means we are unable to use HFS (the Mac filesystem.) Fortunately, there is a filesystem compatible with both operating systems called FAT32. If you are a Mac user your external hard drive will be formatted as FAT 32. This will not present any problems for Mac users. (In fact, FAT32 is the default filesystem used by external hard drive manufacturers. So, when you purchase an external hard drive from a store that is adveritised as Windows and Mac compatible, the hard drive is most likely already formatted with the FAT32 filesystem.)
How many tapes can I put on an external hard drive?
It depends on the size of the hard drive, the video format requested, and the length of your tapes.
DV video will consume approximately 13.5 GB per hour, while MPEG-2 video will
consume approximately 2.8 GB per hour (with LPCM audio) or 2.2 GB per hour (with AC3 or MPEG Layer II.)
If you will be sending your own external hard drive, please account for the difference between the stated size of
the drive and the actual capactiy when installed. For example, on a Windows PC using the NTFS file system, a 250 GB
hard drive can only actually store approximately 232 GB. The remaining space is used by the operating system for
file system operations. To determine the approximate actual storage capacity of your drive, take the stated size
and multiply by 0.93 (Ex. 250 GB x 0.93 = 232 GB).
What are the current hard drive prices and specifications?
Note: You may provide your own external hard drive. You are not required to purchase one from us.
External drives are generally from the "Western Digtial My Book Essential" line of drives, although comparable drives may occasionally be substituted.
| Size | Price | DV Capacity | MPEG-2 Capacity |
| 80 GB | $84.99 | 5.5 Hours | 26.6 Hours |
| 250 GB | $104.99 | 17.2 Hours | 83.0 Hours |
| 500 GB | $159.99 | 34.4 Hours | 166.1 Hours |
| Send your own | No charge | Varies with size; see here | Varies with size see here |
For answers to more questions please see our help page.
