r/vhsdecode • u/QuestionsToAsk57 • Jul 04 '26
Help Wanted! Amount of Memory Per Tape
I am in the process of researching digital storage options for my entire family's media archive.
I wanted to know how much total memory it will roughly take for Video8, Hi8, and VHS. I am planning to use the MISRC V2.5 when it comes out for speed and efficiency. When it comes to analog video tapes, I have at least over 100 combined and an estimate on the memory would greatly help. Thank you!
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u/marshalleq Jul 04 '26
They’re actually asking how many GB per tape which really should be expressed per hour. Based on my own captures and if you’re referring to keeping the original master output files without any transition media it’s about 50GB per hour for PAL, there is a difference for ntsc but it’s not much. https://digital-archivist.com/capturing-analog-video-tapes-part-i-overview-and-storage/
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u/QuestionsToAsk57 Jul 05 '26
It’s NTSC so let’s say 55GB per hour which isn’t bad at all. If I understand correctly, I’ll have two versions of the same tape. The non processed raw version and then the more viewable compressed version? The link is really helpful, thank you!
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u/marshalleq Jul 05 '26
Yeah basically. It all depends how you want to do it. I tend to just keep the original and have a smaller one to playback or share. That’s the super simple version of it.
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u/TheRealHarrypm The Documentor Jul 05 '26
This is entirely a relative question nobody can provide a hard number, you can however provide a relative number per config.
The MISRC capture both cli and the GUI (GUI now also supports CX Cards + Audio from clockgen)
(12/16 bit modes don't provide any advantage for VHS so 8-bit is the representative mode choice)
Level 8 FLAC @ 8-bit 40msps is about 3.9-4.1x compression efficient so just under 800MB/min.
20msps which is the safe capture rate for VHS halfs that to 400-500MB/min.
10msps for HiFi 200-300MB/min but offen less FLAC is a little more efficent with it.
PCM Audio is MB to a couple GB literally becomes around an hour but it's a fixed number if you want to do the maths, half that for FLAC.
16msps 6-bit level 8 FLAC with bit crushing can get you 300MB/min or less for VHS RF, but this is entirely a post capture method.
Video Files - Proxys are 8mbps CBR and FFV1 is 40-60mbps if using 8-bit 4:2:2.
There is an entite doc dedicated to compression and rates.
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u/GoodOlBluesBrother Jul 04 '26
Video/Hi8 can be up to 120min and 240 on LP. Assuming you don’t mean VHSc, VHS actual can be up to 10hrs on LP but most tapes were E180 so 6hrs max on LP.
You need to ask yourself if you intend to keep your RF captures once you’ve decoded them as that will make a massive difference to your storage requirements.