Re: DVCam vs Beta SP

You don't specify the origin of the 4:3 SD material. If it comes from DVCAM sources then copying it back to DV tape over firewire won't change much of anything at all. It's not the copying to the deck that's the problem, it's the converting of (non-DVCAM) video to the DV/DVCAM format that's the problem.

So if this SD footage is from Betacam cameras or it's downconverted HD, then yes, converting to DVCAM will degrade the image a lot.

Based on what you've been told, it sounds like the footage is currently an un-compressed or ProRes format, thus making the DVCAM deck a poor option. But if it's all DVCAM captured over firewire in the first place, copying it back won't matter.