The short answer: 3-2-1 backup means three copies of your files, on two kinds of media, one of them away from home. The original reel or tape is a single copy nobody can recreate; the scanned file is the first copy that can be duplicated without loss, so it is the one you protect. Our download link lasts one month: download at once and back up the same day, before sharing.
The link arrives, the film goes to the family group, and nobody keeps a copy. A year later the computer is replaced, the link has expired, and someone asks whether we can scan it again.
Why is the file not the backup of the reel?
The physical original keeps ageing on the shelf. According to CLIR, magnetic tape loses 10–20 percent of its signal within 10–25 years even unplayed, and acetate film reaches the onset of vinegar syndrome after about 40–50 years at room temperature according to IPI. The scan freezes that day's condition; from then on the file is the best version there will ever be. But a file on one drive is still a single copy; the difference is that a file can be duplicated without loss.
What does 3-2-1 mean in practice?
Three copies, two different kinds of media, one away from home. One medium is an external drive; the other the cloud or a drive at a relative's home. The off-site copy protects against whatever happens to the house itself; the table shows a split that works for an ordinary family.
| Copy | Where and on what | Who has access | When to refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical original (not a copy) | At home, stored properly | You only; never played | Never; just keep it |
| Copy 1: master (ProRes/MXF) | External drive at home | Whoever manages the archive | When the drive is replaced |
| Copy 2: master + MP4 | Cloud, off-site | You, and the family if you choose | Check it opens once a year |
| Copy 3: MP4 | Drive at a relative's home | The family | After every new scan |
Which file goes where, and what do you call it?
ProRes or MXF is the master: complete, large, for editing and archiving. MP4 is for viewing and sharing. The master lives in at least two places and is never edited; you copy from it. Name files year and event first, for example "1983 Ruth and Danny wedding", with every reel in one folder using the same logic.
How do you share without losing the master?
Send the MP4, not the master. It is small, plays on any phone, and if someone deletes it you make a new one. A shared read-only cloud folder is convenient: everyone sees, nobody deletes. And first the download: the link lasts one month, so download, copy to two places, then share. The same routine applies to tapes transferred to USB.
What do you do with the physical original?
Do not throw it away, and do not play it. Originals come back by self-pickup or paid delivery on request; otherwise we keep them up to two weeks after completion, then recycle them. At home, the Library of Congress and IASA recommend 18–21°C and 45–50 percent relative humidity for tapes, and IPI warns never to freeze magnetic media. For film the NFPF says cool, dry and dark, 20–50 percent humidity, cans flat, and at room temperature ventilated rather than sealed, since a sealed can traps the acid that drives vinegar syndrome. Not the floor, attic or sun. Details in where to store tapes and film and what to do with old tapes.
How do we help at Studio HanaBi?
We deliver ProRes, MXF and MP4 on request, so you have an archive master and a sharing file from the same scan. The link lasts one month; the originals wait up to two weeks. When a job is finished we remind you of the three steps: download, copy twice, then share. That is how more than 5,000,000 frames and photos have passed through our hands. The conversion itself is on our video tape conversion page.
Scanned once? Never scan again: a master for the archive, an MP4 to share, and a link to download today.
We send couriers to your door anywhere in Israel, in both directions. Small jobs are usually ready within about seven working days, large ones within about 21, and the first minute is on us — you see how your material comes out before you decide. You can also drop off in person: our studio at 9 HaMa'ayan St., Rishon LeZion, 5 Lisin St. in Tel Aviv, or Mitzpe Hararit in the Galilee. Call 03-5610368 or leave your details on the contact page. What each service includes is listed on the price list (Hebrew).
Frequently asked questions
How long is the download link valid?
One month. Download as soon as it arrives and copy to two places.
What happens to the originals if I did not collect them?
We keep them up to two weeks after completion, then recycle them. Collect them or ask for paid delivery.
Which file do I send the family?
The MP4. If it is lost you make a new one from the master. Keep the ProRes or MXF and do not pass it around.
Can I throw the reels away after scanning?
Better not. The original is a single copy, and proper storage needs no equipment: a place comfortable for a person.
