Digital film...

[rootbeer]

I would like to record the voices of my parents so that I can hear my 83 year-old mother 20 years from now, after she's long gone. Will the digital memory modules used in digital cameras do this? My dad, who is 77 yesterday, has a mac G5. I understand these macs are very capable machines. I guess they could record their life stories on the mac and once I have the data in digital form , I can manipulate it accordingly. Thanks for your help...

[Rifleman]

With my Compact Flash reader, I can write files to transport/transfer to another location......any type of file which is less than the capacity is acceptable.......  :)
I have a 2 gig Compact Flash card and in addition, I also use the Fuji xD type H card in the 1 gig size.....lots of space to record and move lots of files, then all you need is software to convert the files, to what you need.......give it a whirl !

[beaky]

Just remember that you'll have to keep transferring the data to new formats as time goes by... who knows what we'll be using in 20 years or more?

[rootbeer]

Good point, rott...

I am thinking that the mind-boggling popularity of digital cameras will ensure that the digital films will be out there forever in at least the same formats as they are now. Yes, the LP gave way to the cassette which gave way to the CD which gave way to the iPod , but digital film is already pretty small in physical size, so there isn't too much farther to go with it. I think the sizes will remain the same because there are bazillions of cameras already out there, but that in ten years we'll see modules sporting 20 or even 50Gb volumes. Who wants to tell me I'm smokin' something?

[SilverFox441]

You're smoking something.

Truth be told, I doubt the current formats will survive another 5 years. Physically, the new formats will be similar... but electronically they will have advanced far past what is now in use.

I would plan on keeping multiple archives of files som important... and keeping them on multiple formats as well for safety sake.