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There's a reason why some systems don't become a Hands-On Review.
Keeping track of the sheer quantity of products-large and small, hardware and/or software-for video post is a daunting task. Usually it means performing extensive testing on the latest nonlinear editing systems, such as the Avid Symphony, which I reviewed three issues ago. It can also mean collecting information on the many intriguing smaller items that regularly come to my attention. Or it might include updates on major systems I've already written about. This month's column focuses on the latter two categories of postproduction news.
Let's start with Danmere's Backer 32 PC Tape Back-Up System. This product appears to offer an inexpensive digital video storage backup solution for the lower-end of the professional nonlinear editing and multimedia market. If you have a nonlinear editing or graphics/animation station that falls into this category, and you need to archive projects due to limited storage but you can't justify the cost of some back-up technologies currently available, Danmere may be a solution.
No doubt some kind of VCR is available to you (preferably a professional model). Backer translates data files into video and allows you to store this digital data on a videotape. On VHS this unit will translate 1.5 GB at normal speed and 3 GB in long-play mode. The system is available as a PC-compatible ISA card or as an external device. Sure, it's a low-end solution, but when you consider the price ($69 for the internal system) and the cost of a VHS tape, it not only provides value to really lowend studios (such as those set up in schools), it also can be a handy offline desktop accessory when you're not at work.
I did a quick test and was successful in downloading and restoring a few video clips from a Windows 95-based nonlinear editing system I was using, so I know it works (although it appeared to work only with the Windows 3.1, 95, or 98 OS). I didn't have much time to test this product, but for the few hours that I did use it I found that although it takes a little bit of effort to install, its operations are very easy and logical after that.
I can't really endorse...