Re: [AV Media Matters] Compression

[Robert Brian Levy <xernaut@yahoo.com>]

Hello all,

I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Brian Levy, and I work with
the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma as a Cultural Preservation Activist (for
wont of a better title to describe my job).  Basically I am helping the
tribe create a permanent archive of songs, dances, oral history in English,
and, quite importantly, since the tribe is down to only about twenty fluent
speakers of the language now, we are recording to DAT all manner of Caddo
language, including stories, monologues, prayers, conversation, etc.  We
are creating a master archive of Caddo audio materials, recording older
analog recordings on reel to reel and analog cassette, to CD directly, and
copying all DAT tapes made since we began using DAT two years ago, also to
CD.  We make on blue dye copy on Mitsui media (home audio type, not CDR
computer type, using a Harmon Kardon CDR2 machine, we also make one gold
dye Kodak CD home audio copy for a second copy of our archive housed at a
archive in Oklahoma.  A third copy is also made on the same Mitsui blue dye
(silver) CD's.  We may soon switch to just using computer CDR's instead of
the home audio type, since Tascam makes a machine for under 100 dollars
which is high quality and recommended.  I consult with others doing similar
work to this, and I am on this and other lists.  I am trying to determine
the archivability of this strategy.  We have 110 CD's so far, and no stop
in sight, as we have tons of analog recordings to migrate, and are
constantly making new DAT recording.
We have a huge quantity of old Beta, VHS, Hi8, Super8, and now we use Sony
TCR-320 Digital 8 cams for all videoing of elders and dances.  We are
waiting to know what is best for permanent archivability for these.  I am
guessing DVD-Rom burners, as opposed to DVD-Ram or such.  But listening to
some of your pros on these list servers, I am wondering.  We do not have
the budget to buy equipment costing 50k now, we are very limited on budget,
though we might could get a grant to use better equipment.
I am just wondering what any of your folks also concerned with permanent
archivability of precious materials, both audio and video, would have to
say on our situation.  I would appreciate some advice.
Some have suggested computer hard drive storage.  Some have said (such as
the Getty Museum in LA, and the Library of Congress, that no current
digital medium is considered archival.  Only old reel to reel tapes quarter
inch, are considered time safe.  Since who knows, they argue, if any CD
players will even be available in 500 years, whereas due to the wide use of
reel to reel all during twentieth century by broadcast media etc, it will
still be playable.  Plus when audio tapes deteriorate on analog reel to
reel they gradually degrade in quality at playback, whereas, once digital
degrades too far, the machines can no longer decipher the one's and zero's
and play the CD back at all.
I know this is a long posting, but I wanted to introduce myself and the
work we are doing at the Caddo tribe, and hopefully get some guidance from
some more technically savvy folk...
Thanks.

       Brian Levy

------------------------------------------
Brian Levy
Cultural Activist
Kiwat Hasinay Foundation:
Preserving Caddo Heritage
211 W. Colorado Ave.
Anadarko, OK  73005  USA
(1) 405-247-5840