info on Digital Video Tape

MiniDVMiniDV DV

Digital Video (DV) is a video format launched in 1996, and, in its smaller tape form factor MiniDV, became one of the standards for consumer and semi-professional video production. The DV specification (originally known as the Blue Book) defines both the codec and the tape format. Features include intraframe compression for uncomplicated editing, and good video quality, especially compared to earlier consumer analog formats such as 8 mm, Hi-8 and VHS-C. DV now enables filmmakers to produce movies inexpensively, associated with no-budget cinema.

DV uses DCT intraframe compression at a fixed bitrate of 25 megabits per second.
The cassettes measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

DVCAMDVCAM Tape

DV-Cam is Sony’s variation of a theme, sitting somewhere between DV and DVC-PRO. DV-Cam still utilises ¼” tape and compression ratio of 5:1 at 25 Mb per second with signal sampling rate of 4:1:1. The tape speed and track width was increased from DV format and metal evaporated tape is used rather than metal particle tape. DV-Cam produces excellent quality pictures and is frequently used within the media industry. 

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Standard: cassettes measure 124 x 76 x 14 mm
Mini: cassettes measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

DVCPRO50DVCPRO tape

DVCPRO50 was introduced by Panasonic in 1997 for high-value electronic news gathering and digital cinema, and is often described as two DV codecs working in parallel. The DVCPRO50 doubles the coded video data rate to 50 Mbit/s. This has the effect of cutting total record time of any given storage medium in half. Chroma resolution is improved by using 4:2:2 chroma subsampling.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Standard: cassettes measure 124 x 76 x 14 mm
Mini: cassettes measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

HDV (High Definition) TapesHDV

HDV is an inexpensive high-definition video recording format which uses MPEG2 compression to fit HD content onto the same DV or MiniDV tapes originally developed for standard definition recording. The compression used results in some quality compromises compared to higher bandwidth HD recording formats.

The cassettes measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

Digital8Digital8 tape

Digital8 (or D8) is a consumer digital recording videocassette for camcorders based on the 8 mm video format developed by Sony, and introduced in 1999.

Sony was once again the first manufacturer to introduce this format, which is far superior to either Hi-8 or 8mm. Basically aimed at the domestic user, the format is backwards compatible. This means that Digital-8 camcorders will also play previously recorded 8mm and Hi-8 tapes. It also employs the same tape format but will only record 60 minutes on a 90 minute Hi-8 cassette, with both digital video and sound. Camcorders are generally the same dimensions as those of 8mm and Hi-8.

The cassettes measure 95 × 62.5 × 15 mm

MicroMVMicroMV Tape

MicroMV was a videotape format introduced in 2001 by Sony. This cassette is physically smaller than a Digital8 or DV cassette. In fact, MicroMV is the smallest videotape format — 70% smaller than MiniDV.

Each cassette can hold up to 60 minutes of video. The MicroMV format does not use the highly popular DV format. Instead, it uses 12 Mbit/s MPEG-2 compression, like that used for DVDs and HDV.

The cassettes measure 45 x 30 x 8 mm

Digital BetacamDigital Betacam

AKA Digibeta or D-Beta, was introduced by Sony in 1993 as a replacement for the analog Betacam SP format. Digital Betacam was superior in performance to DVCam and DVCPro, while being cheaper than D1. Digital Betacam attracted a fair amount of professional support but didn’t go as far as to become an industry standard like it’s predecessor. Cassette sizes are the same as other Beta versions: S (small) tapes record up to 40 minutes, L (large) tapes record up to 124 minutes. Cassettes are light blue. Digital betacam records component video with 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 compression. PAL resolution is 720×576, NTSC resolution is 720×480. The bitrate is 90 Mbit/s. There are 5 audio channels — 4 main channels (uncompressed 48KHz PCM) and 1 cue track.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: cassettes measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: cassettes measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

Betacam SXBetacam SX tape

Is a digital version of Betacam SP. Launched in 1996, Betacam SX served as a transitional format which was cheaper than Digital Betacam. It also had the advantage of being compatible with Betacam SP tapes. Betacam SX uses MPEG 4:2:2 compression with 4 channels of 48 KHz 16-bit PCM audio. Betacam SX cassettes come in the same S and L sizes as other Beta formats, coloured yellow. S tapes have a recording time of approximately 60 minutes; L tapes record up to 194 minutes.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: cassettes measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: cassettes measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

MPEG IMXMPEG IMX tape

Was designed as the ultimate realisation of this AV/IT vision. It was also critically affected by the needs of major broadcasters in Germany, Italy and Austria who already had a huge installed base of Digital Betacam equipment. Tomorrow’s networked production environment had to match Digital Betacam picture quality as well as integrating the entire Betacam family archive.

Picture quality equivalent to Digital Betacam
50Mbps data rate
MPEG-2 based, non-proprietary codec for maximum interoperability

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: cassettes measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: cassettes measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

HDCAMHDCAM tape

HDCAM, introduced in 1997, is a high-definition video digital recording videocassette version of digital Betacam, using an 8-bit discrete cosine transform (DCT) compressed 3:1:1 recording, in 1080i-compatible down-sampled resolution of 1440×1080, and adding 24p and 23.976 progressive segmented frame (PsF) modes to later models. The HDCAM codec uses rectangular pixels and as such the recorded 1440×1080 content is upsampled to 1920×1080 on playback. The recorded video bit rate is 144 Mbit/s. Audio is also similar, with four channels of AES3 20-bit, 48 kHz digital audio.

Like Betacam, HDCAM tapes are produced in small and large cassette sizes; the small cassette uses the same form factor as the original Betamax.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: cassettes measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: cassettes measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

MiniDV

Digital Video (DV) is a video format launched in 1996, and, in its smaller tape form factor MiniDV, became one of the standards for consumer and semi-professional video production. The DV specification (originally known as the Blue Book) defines both the codec and the tape format. Features include intraframe compression for uncomplicated editing, and good video quality, especially compared to earlier consumer analog formats such as 8 mm, Hi-8 and VHS-C. DV now enables filmmakers to produce movies inexpensively, associated with no-budget cinema. DV uses DCT intraframe compression at a fixed bitrate of 25 megabits per second.

The tape measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

DVCAM

DV-Cam is Sony’s variation of a theme, sitting somewhere between DV and DVC-PRO. DV-Cam still utilises ¼” tape and compression ratio of 5:1 at 25 Mb per second with signal sampling rate of 4:1:1. The tape speed and track width was increased from DV format and metal evaporated tape is used rather than metal particle tape. DV-Cam produces excellent quality pictures and is frequently used within the media industry. 

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Standard: tape measure 124 x 76 x 14 mm
Mini: tape measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

DVCPRO50

DVCPRO50 was introduced by Panasonic in 1997 for high-value electronic news gathering and digital cinema, and is often described as two DV codecs working in parallel. The DVCPRO50 doubles the coded video data rate to 50 Mbit/s. This has the effect of cutting total record time of any given storage medium in half. Chroma resolution is improved by using 4:2:2 chroma subsampling.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Standard: tape measure 124 x 76 x 14 mm
Mini: tape measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

HDV

HDV is an inexpensive high-definition video recording format which uses MPEG2 compression to fit HD content onto the same DV or MiniDV tapes originally developed for standard definition recording. The compression used results in some quality compromises compared to higher bandwidth HD recording formats.

The tape measure 65 x 46 x 11 mm

Digital8

Digital8 (or D8) is a consumer digital recording videocassette for camcorders based on the 8 mm video format developed by Sony, and introduced in 1999.

Sony was once again the first manufacturer to introduce this format, which is far superior to either Hi-8 or 8mm. Basically aimed at the domestic user, the format is backwards compatible. This means that Digital-8 camcorders will also play previously recorded 8mm and Hi-8 tapes. It also employs the same tape format but will only record 60 minutes on a 90 minute Hi-8 cassette, with both digital video and sound. Camcorders are generally the same dimensions as those of 8mm and Hi-8.

The tape measure 95 × 62.5 × 15 mm

MicroMV

MicroMV was a videotape format introduced in 2001 by Sony. This cassette is physically smaller than a Digital8 or DV cassette. In fact, MicroMV is the smallest videotape format — 70% smaller than MiniDV.

Each cassette can hold up to 60 minutes of video. The MicroMV format does not use the highly popular DV format. Instead, it uses 12 Mbit/s MPEG-2 compression, like that used for DVDs and HDV.

Digital Betacam

AKA Digibeta or D-Beta, was introduced by Sony in 1993 as a replacement for the analog Betacam SP format. Digital Betacam was superior in performance to DVCam and DVCPro, while being cheaper than D1. Digital Betacam attracted a fair amount of professional support but didn’t go as far as to become an industry standard like it’s predecessor. Cassette sizes are the same as other Beta versions: S (small) tapes record up to 40 minutes, L (large) tapes record up to 124 minutes. Cassettes are light blue. Digital betacam records component video with 10-bit YUV 4:2:2 compression. PAL resolution is 720×576, NTSC resolution is 720×480. The bitrate is 90 Mbit/s. There are 5 audio channels — 4 main channels (uncompressed 48KHz PCM) and 1 cue track.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: tape measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: tape measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

Betacam SX

Is a digital version of Betacam SP. Launched in 1996, Betacam SX served as a transitional format which was cheaper than Digital Betacam. It also had the advantage of being compatible with Betacam SP tapes. Betacam SX uses MPEG 4:2:2 compression with 4 channels of 48 KHz 16-bit PCM audio. Betacam SX cassettes come in the same S and L sizes as other Beta formats, coloured yellow. S tapes have a recording time of approximately 60 minutes; L tapes record up to 194 minutes.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: tape measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: tape measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

MPEG IMX

Was designed as the ultimate realisation of this AV/IT vision. It was also critically affected by the needs of major broadcasters in Germany, Italy and Austria who already had a huge installed base of Digital Betacam equipment. Tomorrow’s networked production environment had to match Digital Betacam picture quality as well as integrating the entire Betacam family archive.
Picture quality equivalent to Digital Betacam
50Mbps data rate
MPEG-2 based, non-proprietary codec for maximum interoperability.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: tape measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: tape measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

HDCAM

HDCAM, introduced in 1997, is a high-definition video digital recording videocassette version of digital Betacam, using an 8-bit discrete cosine transform (DCT) compressed 3:1:1 recording, in 1080i-compatible down-sampled resolution of 1440×1080, and adding 24p and 23.976 progressive segmented frame (PsF) modes to later models. The HDCAM codec uses rectangular pixels and as such the recorded 1440×1080 content is upsampled to 1920×1080 on playback. The recorded video bit rate is 144 Mbit/s. Audio is also similar, with four channels of AES3 20-bit, 48 kHz digital audio. Like Betacam, HDCAM tapes are produced in small and large cassette sizes; the small cassette uses the same form factor as the original Betamax.

Tapes are available in two sizes:
Small: tape measure 156 x 96 x 25 mm
Large: tepe measure 254 x 145 x 25 mm

PHOENIX 5K

New for 2023, our Phoenix 5K full frame scanner gives us our most significant camera system update ever, offering next-level image quality in a 16-megapixels frame scan. Our scanner takes individual photographs of each cell of your film from 8mm all the way up to 35mm film. You can have your film scanned in 2K, High Definition, or 4K Ultra High Definition. AI technology is then used to remove dust, remove harsh noise while recovering real detail, restore colours and create an artefact-free perfect 24fps movie.

Alive Cloud
ALIVE CLOUD

Alive Studios AI Movie hosting is free for 14 days.
 Log in via your computer, or download the free APP to your phone or tablet so you can take your memories with you wherever you go. Automatic AI indexing of your videos, Search for words, car, dog, person and more.

Log in online to make changes to the titles of your movies, create multiple user logins for all your friends and family so they can share the experience too. from £24/year

Terms and conditions.

General
Alive Studios is a trading name of The Good Life Studios Ltd.

Leader tape
We edit out as much unused film as possible including the leadertape at the start of each reel. Whilst we cannot remove everything without charging for a full edit, we do endeavour to remove as much unused film as possible.

How long does it take?
This is a tricky question. We receive orders from a single video/reel to a room-full, so we’d need to know what you’re sending to give a lead-time. We find we are in high demand and always have seveal weeks of work already scheduled in, so if your order is needed in a hurry, just phone and tell us what you need :)

Damage, Loss, Post & Insurance
Orders are accepted on the basis that the liability of Alive Studios for any lost or damaged material shall be limited to the replacement with an equivalent amount of new blank stock. This is due to the unavailability of General Insurance cover for work of undefined value. When returning material to you we will use the post office services or a courier for larger items. We respectfully remind customers to retain a safety copy or take out Specialist Insurance Cover where appropriate.

Film Format
Our DVDs are region-free and play in PAL. DVD’s are normally DVD-R, but we may use DVD+R or Dual-layer discs where required.

Framing and TV Cropping
In standard definition, some film types do not fit modern TV formats, so we may re-size to fit for the best viewing pleasure. You should also note that some TV set apply their own cropping to a picture as well. By agreeing to these terms, you accept this information.

Damaged Film
Whilst we don’t generally charge extra for poor/damaged/dirty film, we reserve the right to do so if we feel it is required, but will always agree it with you before starting work.
Where splices break, we repair them without charge. If a film is temperamental and doesn’t want to go through we will always try it in several machines to make sure it’s had it’s best shot at a transfer. Where sprocket holes are punctured or torn, we will still transfer the film, often with no visible problems. However, some sprocket damage prevents a steady image from being obtained, in which case we transfer the whole film, then edit out any sections which ‘jump’ or drag because of the damage. This way we keep as much film as possible, and with careful editing you don’t even notice any is missing.
information.

Dust and Hairs
We employ a very good dry-cleaning system which catches most of the dust and hairs commonly found on cine film. It is inevitable however that there will still be dust and hairs present, as it’s impossible to remove them completely with a dry-clean system. It is also common for the dust/hairs to be imbedded into the emulsion making them impossible to ‘blow’ away, so you should expect a small amount to be visible in any transfer. The demos on our website give you a very realistic example of what you can expect.

Content of film
By signing our terms you are stating that you own or have permission to copy the material provided, and indemnify Alive Studios against any action including copyright infringement. If we feel the material to be of an indecent or illegal nature we reserve the right to refuse to continue and no refund will be offered.

Mistakes/Backups
We aim to keep your film footage on our editing suite for 30 days after completion to allow us to correct mistakes, after which time all footage is deleted. You must report any problem with your order within 14 days of receipt. We will retain a backup file of your DVD/Blu-ray for 60 days after completion to allow you to order extra copies. After 60 days, you would need to return your original disc if you wanted us to duplicate it for you. Due to the instability of data storage devices, this backup service is not guaranteed, and whilst every effort is made to retain your files for these periods, we cannot be held responsible for hard-drive failure resulting in us not being able to access your job. For very important projects, we suggest you order a digital copy on a hard-drive for your own security.

Delivery/Collections
We return orders via signed delivery with royal mail, or courier. This courier demands that items delivered damaged are reported within 24 hours of receipt, so it’s essential that you contact us immediately if your parcel is damaged.

Cancellation Policy
You can cancel your order by email any time up until we begin physical work on your job.
If no work has been started, we will refund you in full (less any costs we have incurred in taking your order shown below).

Cancellation fees
If we arranged a free courier collection, you will need to pay for this at £8.50.
If we processed a card payment, we will have incurred a handling fee which will be deducted from your refund. If we have to return your material to you, we will deduct £8.50 for the courier fee.
We will deduct £2.50 admin fee in handling the paperwork involved with a cancellation.

Refunds
Orders paid for by card will be refunded to the card.
Orders paid by cheque or bank transfer will be refunded by bank transfer.

Faults/Returns
You must notify us of any damage to your parcel or missing items within 24 hours of receipt.
You must notify us of any errors or faults with your transfer within 14 days of receipt.

Order Cancellation
In the unlikely event that you cancel your order, we reserve the right to charge a fee to cover admin/postage/bank fees we may incur.
Credit card payments are refunded subject to 1.197% charge.

Misc
We reserve the right to demonstrate our abilities by showing examples of work undertaken for our clients on our website, brochure, DVD and other advertising or promotional activities.