Re: [AV Media Matters] Compression

[joe salerno <salernoj@swbell.net>]

I seriously doubt that ANYTHING that we know now will be around in 500 years
except for in museums. That's where I would go to see 500 year old artifacts
today.

I have no doubt that the recordings you make today will need to be
transferred for future generations, even as we hear 78s and cylinders that
were transferred to LPs, and later to CD.

Joe Salerno
Video Works! Is it working for you?
PO Box 273405 - Houston TX 77277-3405
http://joe.salerno.com
also: joe_salerno@hotmail.com
joe@salerno.com
Fax: 603-415-7616
----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Brian Levy" <xernaut@yahoo.com>
To: <AV-Media-Matters@topica.com>
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2000 6:38 PM
Subject: Re: [AV Media Matters] Compression

>--=====================_3980950==_.ALT
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>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