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<br />. City of Arden Hills Staff Report <br /> <br />To: <br />From: <br />Item Title/Subject: <br /> <br />Honorable Mayor and City Council <br />Kenneth Gammell, Television Production Coordinator <br />Digital Video Recording and Playback <br /> <br />Introduction: <br /> <br />This report provides details for a proposed purchase of a digital video record and <br />playback deck for the City of Arden Hill's video production needs. <br /> <br />Discussion: <br /> <br />1. Backqround <br /> <br />When the video system was designed for the newly built Arden Hills city hall, it <br />included two Panasonic S-VHS video decks, which are not considered <br />professional quality. These VCRs are being used to record and playback City <br />Council meetings. In the past year, the playback schedule was expanded to <br />include Planning commission meetings. Many other meetings, including TCMP <br />. planning meetings, have also been requested for playback. <br /> <br />This increased demand for playback of meetings is stretching the limitations of <br />the current video playback system. <br /> <br />3. Cable Budqet <br /> <br />The City of Arden Hills receives an annual Cable franchise fee, which comes <br />directly from cable subscribers, and includes no funds from the City's general fund. <br />This fund, which is approximately $54,000 for the year 2005, is designated for the <br />City's cable production needs. This would include the purchase of video production <br />equipment, such as a new video deck. <br /> <br />4. DiQital Video versus Linear Video <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />The current Panasonic S-VHS video decks are not professional, and the picture <br />and image quality does not meet broadcast standards. The Cable industry has <br />been undergoing a transfer from analog video to digital video over the last several <br />years. Digital video greatly improves quality and reliability, and is the keystone for <br />all modern video production. This includes increased lines of resolution that rivals <br />a DVD, and digital audio that compares to an Audio CD. There are three common <br />types of digital video formats: Mini-DV, DVCAM, and DVCPRO. The Mini-DV <br />format is commonly used for consumer camcorders, while the DVCAM and <br />DVCPRO format is commonly used in Cable Access and Government video. Mini- <br />DV format videotapes currently are not capable of recording more than 60 minutes <br />on a single tape (in regular mode). DVCPRO format videotapes can record up to <br />two hours. DVCAM format videotapes can record up to three hours. <br />