Re: [AV Media Matters] DVD as Storage Medium

["andy kolovos" <akolovos@vermontfolklifecenter.org>]

In addition to the problems of equipment obsolescence, what about
the problem of competing DVD encoding standards?  This has been
discussed a bit on the ASRC list.

The only answer--at this point at least--for the preservation of
sound indefinitely that I can figure is digital transfer of analog
audio (or compressed, proprietary digital formats, for that matter)
to an uncompressed, standard format (WAV, BWF), distributed
live-server storage, and a preservation strategy that draws on data
management models. Expensive?  At this point yes.  Inevitable?  I
think so.  Once converted to data and managed as such on servers,
sound files can be moved around easily, copied endlessly, backed up
for extra security, batch refreshed, formats changed as new
standards develop, etc..

As a dedicated believer in the awesome power of analog tape, this
was a hard pill for me to swallow, but after reading reports and
talking with many folks, this seems to be the only choice we have.
I'd refer list-folks a CLIR report entitled, _Folk Heritage
Collections in Crisis_ available free from their website, which
addresses this issue in much greater detail.

No sound carrier (aside from many kinds of analog disks and
cylinders, at least!) has an established life span beyond 50 or so
years.

As for the short term issue at hand, we do our interviews on analog
cassette tape and DAT.  We create dub copies on analog cassette for
transcription, use and  back up.  I'm in the process of creating CD
use copies now as well.

As far as CD media go, as others have said, most people working with
sound archives and preservation seem to favor Mitsui gold disks, but
it is my understanding that this is not quite so much for their gold
color/composition, but because of the dye they use and the chemical
composition of the disks, in particular the reflective upper layers.
Folks also advise that no markings whatsoever be made on the surface
of the disk, but rather limit disk marking to the plastic inner ring
and use only a water-soluble ink.

Although it is not considered an "archival" medium, we still use
cassette for a number of reasons--it has an established life span,
it's cheap and cassette decks are everywhere.  As funding allows,
however, we will begin digital transfer and establish a preservation
program similar to the one outlined above.

andy

At 03:41 PM 12/11/02 -0600, you wrote:
>Mitsui Gold CD/DVD will survive for many decades but the retrieval system
>will be obsolete in a few years.
>
>Most people would agree with Jim.
>
>What a sad situation. The endless obsolescence problem is well known,
>unfortunately the solution seems to be unknown.
>
>It's obvious that manufacturers will not provide a solution. They are
>"for profit" entities and are driven by the profit motive to sell new
>products, not providing access to AV on obsolete media.
>
>I think at some point, Governments will have to get involved, as many
>have to preserve and provide long term access to their Countries Census
>records.
>
>Russ Burkel

Andy Kolovos
Archivst/Folklorist
Vermont Folklife Center
P.O. Box 442
Middlebury, VT 05753
(802) 388-4964
akolovos@vermontfolklifecenter.org
http://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org