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VIDEO

BILL MAYER DIGITAL VIDEO PRODUCTIONS

    About a year ago I met a fellow Lips fan, Bill Mayer.  He has many years experience in analog video (VHS) transfers to DVD.  He has offered his talent and free services to transfer Flaming Lips live VHS recordings to DVD.  Not to mention his own financial burden for expensive high tech gear...  He has encountered the errors an amateur would come across and knows his stuff .  He has told me it takes some time to do just one VHS.  I guess it really all depends on his personal schedule and the time to do it.  Bill requires you send him your original Master/Copy VHS tape, money for a blank DVD-R (for your copy) and check/cash/money order to cover return postage.  It probably wouldn't hurt to throw in some gas money to the post office!

DVD video's have 16 bit / 48 Khz audio quality.

He explained his process to me and it sounds like the way to go.  His experience and his high-end equipment result in a very nice DVD product.  Check out these screen captures.  

This is his equipment set-up:

1. VCR: JVC's HM-DH30000. (100% DIGITAL!, 11 heads!!!)  Bill uses this (newly purchased) VERY Hi-Fi VCR deck to playback the VHS tapes.  It takes an analog take and outputs the data via firewire!

Can Play back the following formats: NTSC, PAL, SECAM.  

This is what Bill has to say about it: "Yes, eleven.  100% digital.  Instead of outputing via rca cables or s-video cables, it outputs firewire.  Yes, it converts the signals to digtal, and outputs digital.  Now, there will be no analog involved in transferring shows.  Everything is done digitally.  Also has various filters to drastically improve video quality.  by the way, msrp is $1300, I didn't pay nearly that much, only $500."

Here is more information about the VCR. 

2. Editing: Adobe Premiere. Once the digital video is finished recording from the VCR, Bill sends the digital video via firewire (non-compressed!) to his computer.  There he edits using this program.

3. Conversion: Tmpgenc.  After editing, Bill uses this universal codec to create the DVD encoding.  After the DVD-R is burned, anyone can make a copy of it, or store it on their hard-drive, etc.  It's universal!

Ideally, we want to get a hold of the Master recordings (or as close-to-master as we can) for preservation.  I know people get nervous about such a thing.  I can only say this.  I (Ryan) have been transferring master cassette tapes for people for many years.  I have done it for people who live in New Jersey, people from Tennessee, people from California....from all over.  I believe music fans are nice, honest people.  We are all one big group who not only love music, but love the Flaming Lips.  By providing your highest quality tape, you are not only sharing the best audio and video content possible, but you are giving your precious analog tape a long life.  A DVD will not last forever, but by making a digital copy there will be dozens or identical copies out there just in case anything were to ever happen to your original.  Sort of like a insurance program I guess.  

I talked to Bill on the phone and he's a real genuine guy.  He does this kind of stuff for free for the exact same reason I do it for free.  We love recording.  We love the Flaming Lips...and it's our hobby you could say.  If you have any master or low-generation VHS tapes, I hope you will write an e-mail to Bill.  Let him know what you've got to offer.  From there, he will let you know where to mail your stuff to.  Ask him how long it will take.  I'm sure he'll swap phone numbers with you.

Media: "Generic" blank-white DVD-R.  (highly compatible blank DVDs)

Who Runs It? Bill Mayer

You can see Bill's trade lists here.  

View the current DVD Video Recordings Library.

PS. Americal has a great website for buying blank CDs or DVDs.  They also have extensive guides on what recordable brands and types that DVD players will be able handle.  

Original Website Concept: Scott Bakal.  Updated on September 13, 2004 by Ryan Mulberger.