Re: [ARSCLIST] Preservation project - quality criteria for CD-R discs

[Jerome Hartke <jhartke@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

The French standard is better than nothing, but BLER is a poor quality
indicator. See http://www.mscience.com/longev.html for details. We find that
initial recorded quality, often related to the writer, and handling are very
important.

Archival grade media, whatever the format, should be regularly retested so
that degradation is detected early while the content is readable and can be
transferred to new media.

AudioDev, DATARIUS, and other professional testers are very expensive. Free
or inexpensive testers linked from http://www.mscience.com/free.html are
limited in scope but can be helpful.

DigiPress went out of business several years ago.

J. Hartke
Media Sciences, Inc.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jos Van Dyck
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 4:13 PM
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Preservation project - quality criteria for CD-R
> discs
>
> There exist several standards for archiving:
>  - ISO 18921:2002
>  - ISO 18927:2002
>
> The most detailed with technical requirements for CDR media is the
> French national standard
>  - AFNOR NF Z 42-011-2
> http://www.new-medias.com/f_conso.html#afnor (in French)
> It specifies 5 classes of CDRs, max. error rates for class 1 being as
> follows:
>    BLER max. <10
>    BLER aver. <5
>    E22 = 0
>    E32 = 0
> CD testers such as StageTech, AudioDev CATS... can measure these
> parameters.
> Digipress manufacture a special glass "Century Disc" for archiving.
>
> The IASA, EBU and ITU-R also specified recommendations for storage,
> see http://www.iasa-web.org/tc04/tc04.htm
>
> EBU:
> http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/tec_text_r97-1999_tcm6-4715.pdf
> http://www.ebu.ch/CMSimages/en/tec_text_r105-2001_tcm6-4707.pdf
>
> ITU-R
> http://www.itu.int/ITU-R/publications/rec/index.asp
> http://www.itu.int/rec/recommendation.asp?type=folders&lang=e&parent=R
> -REC-BR.1574
>
> Jos Van Dyck
> NGM archiving services
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:ARSCLIST@xxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Jerome Hartke
> Sent: dinsdag 22 februari 2005 20:05
> To: ARSCLIST@xxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Preservation project
>
>
> We cooperated with the National Film Board of Canada in developing
> quality
> criteria for CD-R discs, and would be pleased to help if we can.
>
> J. Hartke
> Media Sciences, Inc.
> http://www.mscience.com/
> jhartke@xxxxxxxxxxxx