A Brief History of Video Storage
01/08/2013
Analogue The history of capturing the moving image starts with still photography. By the mid-1800s, gelatin coated glass dry plates' had become the standard for photography but the hunt was on for a way of making film that was less fragile. Methods involving peeling the gelatin emulsion from paper and other flexible backings were tried but all proved unreliable, although they were used by early film pioneers.
Film By the late 1890s, several people, including George Eastman, had independently developed celluloid backed film. As the motion picture industry began to develop in the early 1900s celluloid nitrate film' became the industry standard. Despite its flammable nature, celluloid nitrate continued to be used until 1951 when it was discontinued and cellulose acetate, which had been used for home movie film for decades, took over.
Film is stored in cans in huge archives and film libraries which needed strictly controlled environments. If the film comes into too much contact with heat, moisture or acid, the chemical structure of the film begins to break down and the film would be destroyed.
Video tape In 1951, the first video tape recorder captured live images from television cameras by converting the information into electrical impulses and saving the information onto magnetic tape. Video recorders were sold for $50,000 in 1956, and videotapes cost $300 per one-hour reel. Tapes were 2 inches wide. The first video recorders to use cassettes (VCR) were sold by Sony in 1971.
Numerous formats of videotape were released for professional use, although as a home format it came down to a battle between Sony's Betamax and JVC's VHS with VHS eventually winning out. In the pro market though, the Betamax-derived Betacam format became the most popular format due to its better image quality.
Video tape has its limitations as a storage medium and while estimates vary, it's generally accepted that it has a shelf life of around 8-12 years before the quality begins to degrade badly.
Digital Laserdisc Although the first laserdisc patent was issued in 1961, it didn't appear on the US market until 1978 (just two years after the VHS video format was launched). Laserdiscs were the forerunner of CDs and DVDs, using bumps and flats that were read by a laser beam to represent binary sequences. Although it offered better picture quality than VCRs, the format never took off. Discs were large (30cm in diameter) and one side could only hold about an hour's worth of video meaning viewers had to turn the disc over when they watched a film.
For a brief period Laserdiscs were used in production for distributing dailies. Also some early computer editing systems used laserdiscs to access the footage (rather than downloading it to a hard drive).
DVD Following in the path of the laserdisc, DVDs were released in 1995. They work in the same way as CDs - data is stored as a sequence of bumps and pits in a continuous, spiralling data track on the disc and the bumps and pits are read by a laser beam. The changing reflections are interpreted as the binary data pattern which is converted to a video picture. Discs can be single or double sided and have up to two data tracks per side meaning they can store from 4.5GB up to 15.9GB of data on a single disc, the equivalent of 2 - 8 hours of video.
Hard drive The first hard drive was released by IBM in 1956. It used 50 24-inch discs to store 5MB of data. The first hard drive to have more than 1 GB in capacity was released by IBM in 1980. It could store 2.5 GB, was the size of a refrigerator and weighed 250 kg. The price when it was introduced ranged from $81,000 to $142,400. As way of comparison, the average cost per gigabyte of storage is now 3p.
Flash drives The successor to the floppy disk due to their easy portability and USB plug-n-play capability, flash drives first appeared in the late 90s. They are capable of storing anything up to 4GB of data (around 2 hours' worth of video) and are cheap and almost disposable.
SD cards SD cards also first appeared in the late 1990s and, in numerous variations such as MicroSD, became the standard for data storage in video cameras, cameras and mobile phones. Small and lightweight with big capacity.
XDCAM Discs Strictly speaking, XDCAM isn't actually a type of storage device, but instead is a recording format introduced by Sony in 2003. What people are actually referring to is called a Professional Disc. However as the sole pro-camera manufacturer to use Professional Discs, and only on their XDCAM camera range, they quickly became synonymous with the recording format, with many people combining the names and calling them XDCAM Discs.
Professional Discs (PFDs) are a type of optical disc, similar to that of a CD or DVD, however, by storing data more densely, they can achieve far greater storage capacities.
The cloud Cloud storage is an internet-based service where users can store data on a network of servers accessed online. The servers themselves are simply a type of hard drive, but among the benefits for the user are that they can access the data from any device with an internet connection and that they know their data is being backed up and secured by the cloud service provider. Services are scalable meaning users can use as much or as little storage as they need. Dont think youre using the cloud yet? Think again. Gmail, Facebook, Flickr and thousands of other companies you deal with every day (including Aframe!) utilise the cloud to provide their services.
Image credit: Kastians
LINK: | http://aframe.com/blog/2013/08/01/a-brief-history-of-video-storage... |
See more stories from aframe |
Most recent headlines
09/12/2024
Dalet Named an IDC Innovator in Media and Entertainment
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced that it has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: ...
23/11/2024
Heartwarming Out of My Mind Highlights the Importance of Disability Advocacy
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 19: (L-R) Judith Light, Rosemarie Dewitt, Luke Kirby, Michael Chernus, Phoebe-Rae Taylor, Sharon M. Draper, Amber Sealey, and Courtney...
23/11/2024
TCLtv+ Adds 23 CBS Fast Channels
LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK TCL's streaming service TCLtv+ has struck a content deal with Paramount Streaming that will add 23 CBS FAST channels to its lineup....
23/11/2024
Viamedia Signs Ad Rep Deals with 7 More Service Providers
LEXINGTON, Ky. The independent advertising rep firm Viamedia has further expanded its sales network with news that it has agreements to manage advertising sale...
23/11/2024
The Trade Desk Jumps Into Streaming TV With Ventura OS
VENTURA, Calif. Programmatic ad giant The Trade Desk is pushing into the streaming technology business with a new operating system called Ventura....
23/11/2024
Writers Guild, 3 PBS Stations Reach Tentative Agreement for New Contract
BOSTON, LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK The Writers Guild of America has announced that it has reached a tentative agreement with management at PBS member stations WGB...
23/11/2024
Supreme Court to Consider Legality of FCC's Universal Service Fund
WASHINGTON, D.C. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal in a case that alleges the FCC does not have the authority to decide how funds from the Uni...
22/11/2024
Michelle Satter to Be Honored at 2025 Sundance Film Festival Gala Celebrating Sundance Institute Presented by Google TV
Sean Wang, Julian Brave NoiseCat, and Emily Kassie to Receive Annual Vanguard Aw...
22/11/2024
Spotify Inks a New Partnership With Bloomsbury To Offer A Greater Assortment of Audiobooks
Our library continues to grow. In 2022, we announced the addition of audiobooks ...
22/11/2024
SBS wins Australian Podcast Publisher of the Year for third year running
SBS wins Australian Podcast Publisher of the Year for third year running 22 November, 2024 Media releases An outstanding slate of multilingual, multicultur...
22/11/2024
Film Lighting: a Cinematic Guide w/ Free Lighting Plots
Home Applications Film Lighting: a Cinematic Guide w/ Free Lighting Plots Your Guide to Film Lighting In this guide, we'll explore the history of fil...
22/11/2024
Fox, Hulu Renew Content Deal
Fox Entertainment and Hulu have renewed a multi-year content distribution agreement that will keep in-season streaming rights for Fox's programming slate on...
22/11/2024
Academy Award-Winning Film Studio Caviar Signs Director Duo MAMA
Academy Award-Winning Film Studio Caviar Signs Director Duo MAMA Brie Clayton November 22, 2024 0 Comments Academy Award-winning independent film stud...
22/11/2024
A Creative Alliance for Black Friday: Independent Software Makers Unite for Photographers
A Creative Alliance for Black Friday: Independent Software Makers Unite for Phot...
22/11/2024
Partial Bold Text using After Effects expressions UPDATED
Partial Bold Text using After Effects expressions UPDATED Graham Quince November 22, 2024 0 Comments Now with an improved expression for Per Word Se...
22/11/2024
John Lawson Steps Down as AWARN Executive Director
WASHINGTON John Lawson, longtime broadcast alerting advocate and founder of the AWARN Alliance, said he is stepping down as its executive director to work full-...
22/11/2024
Red, white and Blue Lucy UK media tech provider reaches across the Pond
Entering the American market follows a period of significant growth for the company By Matthew Corrigan Published: November 22, 2024 Entering the American...
22/11/2024
Warner Bros. Discovery Introduces Shop With Max and Moments
NEW YORK Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising Sales has incorporated Kerv's AI-enhanced technology into its ad-tech platform and launched two new ad offerings...
22/11/2024
EDO, Vizio Ink New Multiyear Smart-TV Data Licensing Pact
NEW YORK Vizio's Inscape, a smart-TV data provider, and EDO said they have extended their longstanding data partnership....
22/11/2024
New Pixotope Reveal Enables AR, Virtual Production Without Green Screens
OSLO, Norway Live augmented reality and virtual production specialist Pixotope Technologies has launched Pixotope Reveal, an AI-powered background segmentation ...
22/11/2024
Nominations Open for 2025 NAB Technology Awards
The National Association of Broadcasters has opened nominations for the 2025 NAB Technology Awards, recognizing excellence in broadcast engineering, digital lea...
22/11/2024
Thanksgiving TV Sports Ad-Spend Binge To Hit $624 Million
In between helpings of turkey and other Thanksgiving Day fare, viewers will see companies dishing up hefty portions of ads on sports programming, with the natio...
22/11/2024
8 Channels Added to MyFree DirecTV Streaming Lineup
Following the recent launch of the MyFree DirecTV free-ad supported package of 70-plus streaming channels, DirecTV has launched eight new channels catering to s...
22/11/2024
Viant, Disney Advertising Expand CTV Ad Collaboration
IRVINE, Calif. Viant Technology said it has expanded its agreement with Disney Advertising that's focused on making premium connected TV, video and display ...
22/11/2024
Xumo To Make Ad Inventory Available Programmatically With PubMatic
PHILADELPHIA and REDWOOD CITY, Calif. Xumo, the streaming platform joint venture of Comcast and Charter Communications, has reached an agreement to make its pre...
22/11/2024
Mediaocean To Acquire Innovid, Will Merge It With Flashtalking
NEW YORK Privately-held ad tech giant Mediaocean has inked a definitive agreement to acquire Innovid, an independent software platform for advertising creation,...
22/11/2024
Viz University introduces new Viz Artist certifications aimed at upskilling designers of all levels
Viz University introduces new Viz Artist certifications aimed at upskilling desi...
22/11/2024
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella on How Comcast's NBCU Cable-Net Spinoff Will Impact Sports Ops
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella on How Comcast's NBCU Cable-Net Spinoff W...
22/11/2024
NWSL Championship 2024: CBS Sports Caps Off First Year of In-House Broadcasts With Saturday's Final in Kansas City
NWSL Championship 2024: CBS Sports Caps Off First Year of In-House Broadcasts Wi...
22/11/2024
Premier League To Establish In-House Media-Operations Business for 2026-27 Season
Premier League To Establish In-House Media-Operations Business for 2026-27 Seaso...
22/11/2024
SailGP Season 5 Set to Be Most Expansive Yet'
SailGP Season 5 set to be most expansive yet' By George Bevir Friday, November 22, 2024 - 10:34 Print This Story SailGP: The New Zealand Sail Grand P...
22/11/2024
SailGP Season 5: New Broadcasters, New Requirements
SailGP Season 5: New broadcasters, new requirements By George Bevir Friday, November 22, 2024 - 10:34 Print This Story The Germany SailGP team in action a...
22/11/2024
SailGP Season 5: AI Cameras to Get Viewers Closer to the Action
SailGP Season 5: AI cameras to get viewers closer to the action By George Bevir Friday, November 22, 2024 - 10:33 Print This Story Getting viewers closer ...
22/11/2024
SailGP Season 5: Getting Umpires Onscreen and More Studio-Based Content
SailGP Season 5: Getting umpires onscreen and more studio-based content By George Bevir Friday, November 22, 2024 - 10:33 Print This Story Australia SailG...
22/11/2024
SailGP Season 5: Enhanced LiveLine Graphics Bring Augmented Reality to Chase Boats
SailGP Season 5: Enhanced LiveLine graphics bring augmented reality to chase boa...
22/11/2024
Full House: Inside Production of the European Curling Championships
Full house: Inside production of the European Curling Championships By Kevin Hilton Thursday, November 21, 2024 - 12:40 Print This Story Curling star Anna...
22/11/2024
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella on How Comcast's NBCU Cable Net Spinoff Will Impact Sports Ops
NBC Sports President Rick Cordella on How Comcast's NBCU Cable Net Spinoff W...
22/11/2024
Sky and Peacock's Original hit drama series The Day of the Jackal scores a second season renewal
Sky and Peacock's Original hit drama series The Day of the Jackal scores a s...
22/11/2024
Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die' Premieres December 10: A Battle for Supremacy Begins
Back to All News Rugged Rugby: Conquer or Die' Premieres December 10: A Ba...
22/11/2024
Standards Pavilion elevates the role of standards in advancing climate action at COP29
Friday 22 November, Baku, Azerbaijan: As COP29 wraps up in Azerbaijan, the Stand...
22/11/2024
Let's Make Toy Show Day Official
Let's Make Toy Show Day Official The Late Late Toy Show | Friday December 6th | 9:35PM Watch Below The Late Late Toy Show is fast approaching and kids al...
22/11/2024
COOPANS, the Alliance Managing Europe's Largest Air Traffic Volume, Upgrades its Air Traffic Control (ATC) System with Thales
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn COOPANS is a leading international cooperation b...
22/11/2024
Press release
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Thales confirms that the Parquet National Financier (PNF) in France and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) in the United Kingdom hav...
22/11/2024
RT General Election 2024: Critical Election Period
The broadcasting regulator, Coimisi n na Me n has removed the traditional broadcast Moratorium for television and radio. In the past, this applied from 14:00 ...
21/11/2024
Neneh Cherry Takes Us on a Musical Journey Inspired by Her Memoir, A Thousand Threads'
Neneh Cherry, a musical trailblazer for more than three decades, is full of stor...
21/11/2024
6 Spotify Audiobook Features That Level Up Your Listening Experience
Since launching our audiobooks offering, we've continuously upped our game on designing a user experience that provides seamless and engaging listening. You...
21/11/2024
SEP 2024 / PAG launches new MPL150 Battery at IBC24
1ST SEPTEMBER 2024 PAG Ltd. UK, the creator of innovative, high-end portable power systems for the film and television industry, has announced the introduction...
21/11/2024
SEP 2024 / PAG Introduces new Cinergy Battery
1ST SEPTEMBER 2024 PAG Ltd. UK, the creator of innovative, high-end, portable power systems for the film and television industry, has announced the introductio...
21/11/2024
Celebrating The Best Of The Best
The HPA Awards exist to honor and recognize the accomplishments of the talented HPA community and to support their efforts with increased awareness and celebrat...
21/11/2024
L3Harris Co-Founder, Chair and CEO Chris Kubasik: Arsenal of Democracy 2.0 Will Require New Ways of Doing Business
He writes in POLITICO: When it comes to protecting our country, innovation and s...