RE: [AV Media Matters] Digital audio file formats

[Rod Louey-Gung <rlg@integrated-media.com>]

One of the questions I think needs to be answered is the reason for the
archive.

Is it for preservation of the audio content. ie. being able to
playback the recording so that the speech can be understood, which
could be in a compressed .wav format, or is it an "as high as
possible quality" recording, which should possibly be at the new
DVD-A format.

There are obviously differing storage requirements for both these
formats. I have been discussing the archival of Hansard recordings
with various clients for some years now, and I must admit that there
has been a general lack of committment on the part of legislators to
make decisions in this area. Obviously, the fast paced technology
changes, and the lack of real meaningful data on "archival" mediums
have helped in the lack of decision making.

However, my suggestion has been that at the very least a compressed
.wav recording should be archived, at this stage onto CD (this being
the most cost effective medium). This is not my ideal "archival"
medium, but better than nothing.

Our job has been made slightly easier, as all Hansard is now
recorded using the FTR Gold software package, which automatically
archives onto both compressed CD and central server.

             Rod Louey-Gung
         Integrated Media Pty Ltd
       Tel 61-8-8945-3555 (Darwin)
      Tel 61-8-8299-9800 (Adelaide)
           Fax 61-8-8945-4003
         Vision 61-8-8945-1350
           Mobile 0419-553333
     email: rlg@integrated-media.com
      www: www.integrated-media.com

-----Original Message-----
From: amipa2@pobox.alaska.net [mailto:amipa2@pobox.alaska.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 27, 2001 5:00 AM
To: AV Media Matters
Subject: [AV Media Matters] Digital audio file formats

We're designing a preservation plan for the Alaska state government,
for their collections of legislative recordings. We are planning on
advising that instead of making preservation copies to a tape format
or CD, digitization and storage on hard drives be done (stored
off-site from the original tapes), achieving access copies and
backup migration in one step. Any thoughts or concerns anyone has
with this, I'd be pleased if you'd pass them along.

I'd also like to hear suggestions regarding file formats to capture
in- ".wav" files have been suggested. Anyone willing to comment (on
or off the record) on this vital decision area, please contact me.
It is highly likely the data will end up on one of the state's
servers, so there will also be other copies of the data out "in the
world" once we digitize.

Bob Curtis-Johnson
Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association

AMIPA
Alaska Moving Image Preservation Association
amipa2@pobox.alaska.net
phone 907-279-8433
fax   907-276-0450