Recording format (track layout) may be mono (full-track), 1/4-track (stereo, two tracks in each direction of tape travel), 1/2-track (stereo, one direction only), 4-track (four-channels in one direction). Recorders made by Ampex, Otari, Teac/Tascam, Scully, Technics, Studer/Revox and others. Fostex also made a 1/4" 16-track ATR. Typical tape speeds include 3-3/4" inches-per-second to 30ips. Noise reduction (Dolby A, B or C, dbx Type I or II) may be used. Stock manufactured by Ampex, 3M, BASF, Agfa, TDK, Maxell and others.
1/2-inch Open-reel audio tape (analog)
Typically used for multi-track music recording starting in the 1980s. 1/2" 8-track machines were made by Tascam, Otari and others. Some specialty 1/2" 2-track machines also exist. Typical tape speeds are 15 ips or 30ips. Noise reduction (Dolby A, B or C, dbx Type I or II) may be used. 1/2" tape stock manufactured by Ampex, 3M, Agfa and others.
1/2-inch Open-reel audio tape (digital)
Typically used for multi-track music recording. 1/2" tape is used on Sony's 3324 and 3348 DASH (digital audio stationary head) multi-track machines, among others.
1/2-inch Open reel: EIAJ
Probably the first affordable video recorders in widespread use starting around 1968, these [trans]portable machines produce adequate, but not brilliant pictures and sound. One of the first systems to use 'azimuth recording' without a guard-band, where adjacent tracks touch, but have heads angled in different directions to minimise cross-talk. 2 video heads rotate on opposite ends of a bar, 180° apart, while the 'drum' remains stationary. This can cause problems as tapes age and become sticky. Original machines were monochrome, but color was employed on later models.
1/2-inch Other 1/2-inch reel, EIAJ-2, LDL
EIAJ-2 is a single reel cartridge version of EIAJ.
1/2-inch Unknown
Use this value only if you know that the tape is ½" wide, but you are unsure of the exact format.
1-inch Open-reel audio tape (analog)
Typically used for multi-track music recording. 1" 8-track machines were made by Ampex, Scully, MCI and others. Otari made a 1" 16-track. Some specialty 1" 2-track machines exist. Typical tape speeds are 15ips or 30ips. Noise reduction (Dolby A or B, dbx Type I) may be used. Tape stock manufactured by Ampex, 3M, Agfa and others.
1-inch Other type: Type-A, Sony 2-head EV2xx, EV3xx, IVC800/900, HDD-1000
A 1-inch reel may hold video recorded in one of many other possible formats dating from the 1960s-1970s.
1-inch SMPTE type B open reel
Type B was developed by Bosch/BTS in 1976 and was more common in Europe than elsewhere. Like type A & C the tape speed is close to 9.6 inches/sec, but its small recording head drum, less than 2 inches diameter, spins at 9000 rpm to produce a segmented recording, in which each video field is spread over 5 or 6 successive helical tracks.
1-inch SMPTE type C open reel
One of the last truly multi-vendor standards, [SMPTE 18, 19, 20M] derived from type A, but with a less complicated tape path. The relatively large 5.3 inch diameter head drum spins at 3600 rpm to record single-field helical video tracks just over 16 inches long, inclined at a little over 2½ degrees from the edge of the tape. With 3 heads evenly spaced around the scanner wheel, 1" type C could record and play in slow-motion or still-frame.
1-inch Unknown
Use this value only if you know that the tape is 1" wide, but you are unsure of the exact format.
16mm
A cheaper and more compact format for film-stock and hardware, 16mm still runs at 24 frames/sec, but has 40 frames per foot, and a single perforation per frame.Camera negative usually has double rows of perforations, one along each side, while sound prints and super 16 have a single row. Single perf. is designated A- or B-wind according to which way the emulsion is oriented.
2-inch Open-reel audio tape (analog)
Typically used for multi-track music recording. 2" 16-track and 24-track machines were made by Ampex, Otari, MCI and others. Also some rare 32-track machines. Typical tape speeds are 15 ips or 30ips. Noise reduction (Dolby A or B, dbx Type I) may be used. Tape stock manufactured by Ampex, 3M, Agfa and others.
2-inch Other type: Octaplex, Ampex VTR8000, VR1500, IVC9000, JVC KV1,
etc.
A 2-inch reel may hold video recorded in one of many possible formats dating from the 1960s-1970s other than Quadruplex.
2-inch Quadruplex open reel
The video was recorded by a 4-head drum rotating perpendicular to the direction of tape travel, resulting in a series of transverse tracks which inclined slightly due to the movement of the tape. Older tapes had a 1.7mm wide mono audio track along the upper edge, with a second cue track just above the control track on the lower edge, while later stereo tapes had left and right audio above the video, with the same cue and control tracks below.
2-inch Unknown
Use this value only if you know that the tape is 2" wide, but you are unsure of the exact format.
28mm
The 28mm format was the first safety (non-flammable) format and was developed by the French firm Pathe Freres in 1912. By the early 1930’s this format was virtually obsolete. The film base was a low acetyl content (“diacetate”) cellulose acetate and was less durable than the cellulose nitrate film base used for professional applications. Most 28mm films were reduction prints made from 35mm negatives, but there were 28mm cameras and negative stock. The 28mm negative stock may occasionally be on cellulose nitrate base.
4:1:1 digital encoding
The sampling ratio of luminance and chrominance signals when converting analog component video to digital. 4:1:1 samples the chroma at 1/4 the luma, and is used on lower-end digital video formats such as DV.
4:2:2 digital encoding
The sampling ratio of luminance and chrominance signals when converting analog component video to digital. 4:2:2 samples the chroma at half the rate of luma (half bandwidth), which is acceptable due to the human visual system's greater sensitivity to luminance detail.
4:4:4 digital encoding
The sampling ratio of luminance and chrominance signals when converting analog component video to digital. 4:4:4 encoding samples all channels equally and is generally only used in high-end telecine, compositing or graphics work.
35mm
35mm motion picture film is credited to Edison and Dickson in 1891. Over the past hundred or so years 35mm has become the standard format for motion picture production. 35mm film may be on a cellulose nitrate, cellulose diacetate / triacetate or polyester base. The actual image frame size of 35 mm may vary but each frame nominally extends over 4 perforations. There is a wide range of projected image formats based on the image size and whether anamorphic lens attachments have been used.
35mm 8-perf (VistaVision)
Vista-Vision is a 35mm film system in which the film runs horizontally through the gate. The aspect ratio of the horizontal frames was generally 1.66:1. An anamorphic lens could be used to compress an image at 1.85:1 or 1.96:1. Understandably it required special cameras to shoot and special projectors to show a Vista-Vision film and consequently not all cinemas were equipped to show these films.
55mm
(54mm??) In early November 1895, almost two months before the Lumiere Brothers presented their Cinematograph, Max and Emil Skladanowsky publicly presented motion pictures (the Bioscop) in Berlin using a film that was 54mm wide with 4 perforations per frame.
65mm
65 mm is generally used as a camera negative, either for large-format contact printing for wide-screen exhibition or to serve as an original from which 35-mm prints can be produced by reduction with less grain and better definition than from 35-mm. The frame interval is normally 5 perf. Details are defined in SMPTE 145-1999.
70mm
A large screen film format defined in SMPTE 119-1999 which shares the same KS-type perforation dimensions as 65 mm neg. This 'upright' version of 70 mm is different to IMAX™ which has a lateral feed.
8mm
Regular 8mm film, known popularly as 'Standard 8' was introduced by Kodak in 1951 as a more economical format for home use. It was produced by slitting a 16mm film in half, and runs at 18 frames per second.
9.5mm
This film format is easily recognised by the distinctive central row of sprocket holes.
AAF
Advanced Authoring Format
Acclimatization areas
A room or storage space that allows film, recordings and other material to adjust between ambient conditions [i.e. room temperature] and cold, dry storage, with minimal stress, and without condensation forming. The process may last days or weeks.
Ampex DCT (Digital Component Tape)
Compressed, 10-bit digital component format with similar specifications to Digital Betacam but not as popular. Introduced by Ampex in 1993. Cassette sizes and running times same as D-2, 13 micron tape thickness. Many users of this format claim that it has the best quality of the compressed formats. Machines are solidly built with gentle tape handling, and many are still in use ten years after their introduction.
Audio cassette
Compact audio cassette developed by Phillips and used worldwide for consumer entertainment and some professional use. Tape stock is 1/8" wide. Speeds include 15/16" inches-per-second, 1-7/8" ips (consumer) and 3-3/4" ips (semi-pro 4-track). Tapes may be recorded with Dolby B or C noise reduction, and formulations include hi and low-bias metal or metal-particle tape.
Audio recordings
Sound recordings can take many forms, such as audio tape, magnetic film, discs, wire recordings, and wax or resin cylinders. Audio tape on reels may be from 1/4 to 2 inches in width, recorded with one track (mono) or up to as many as 32 tracks, using analog or digital encoding. Audio recordings in cassette form include compact cassettes, micro-cassettes, and DAT. Motion picture soundtracks may be recorded on magnetic film (16mm or 35mm gauge). Discs include vinyl, acetate or shellac phonograph recordings as well as optical discs containing digital audio.
AVI
Audio/Video Interleaved file format.
Betacam (SMPTE type L)
[SMPTE 229, 230 & 238] based upon the original Betamax footprint, but with higher tape speed [118.582 mm/s], and seperate luminance and chrominance tracks for recording higher quality component video. Small cassette is the same size and shape as Betamax [96 X 156 X 25 mm], while the large cassette is 145 x 254 x 25 mm.
Betacam SP
A 'Superior Performance' version of Betacam was achieved by using a finer, higher coercivity metal particle recording layer, instead of oxide. The small cassettes [96 X 156 X 25 mm] use a safety plug, rather than the tab in oxide cassettes. Cassettes and boxes are often dark grey, and usually have the words 'Betacam SP', 'metal particle' or MP imprinted on them.
Betacam SX
This low-end digital format was introduced into an already confused marketplace by Sony in 1996. Roughly 10:1 compression and a low data-rate of 18Mb/s based upon a variant of MPEG-2 I-B coding [interframe] gave a low tape speed of 2.345 inches/sec which allows 192 minutes running time in the large cassette or up to 62 minutes in small cassettes. Cassettes and boxes are the same sizes and shapes as other Betacam formats, but normally bright yellow, and labelled as Betacam SX. Some machines play analog SP and SX, allowing backward compatibility.
Betamax (SMPTE type G)
Domestic ½ inch colour format [SMPTE 35M-1997] introduced by Sony in 1975. Supported by several manufacturers in both PAL and NTSC version, but eventually lost the market to VHS. Sony successfully re-introduced Betacam, a professional derivative using the same sized cassette [156 X 96 X 25 mm] with higher coercivity tape running at 3 times the speed 7 years later.
Cineon
A proprietary Kodak format for high-resolution digital film scanning.
Codec
Shorthand for "encode/decode." A set of specifications that define the data structure of a digital tape or file format. The codec is generally implemented as a software or hardware "processor" that determines how analog or digital signals are converted to/from the particular digital format. Example: QuickTime, DV and Avid file formats each have their own, unique codecs.
Cold storage (-18º C to 0º C / -40º F to 32º F and 20-30% RH)
Sub-freezing point storage that significantly reduces the rate of the various chemical decomposition reactions of photographic materials, such as base decomposition and dye fade. The principle of lowering the temperature is based on Arrhenius equation of rate reaction. The Arrhenius equation describes how lowering the temperature slows molecular movement and thus the fewer molecular collisions occur resulting in a lower rate of reaction. The reaction rate approximately halves for each 5 degrees Celcius drop in temperature equating to an approximate doubling of life expectancy
Color restoration
Techniques applied with the objective to restore the color, density and contrast of the original. Over time the dyes used to form a color photographic image deteriorate and fade. This fade causes a loss of image density and a shift in the color balance and contrast. Because it cannot return the faded dyes to their original form, current color restoration technology relies on a variety of duplication techniques to recreate how the color once looked. Digital processes are also available to assist in the restoration of the color image.
Component v. Composite Video
Composite video signals contain the luminance, chrominance and synchronizing information mixed together (encoded). Composite formats include 1", U-matic, VHS and 8mm video. A single cable is used to transport the signal, but the image quality suffers from artifacts caused by the luma and chroma being carried together. Component video uses three wires to carry luminance and two color-channels separately. Component tape formats also keep the luma and chroma separate, which results in better image quality. These include all Betacam flavors, MII and all digital video formats except D-2 and D-3.
Conservation
Actions taken to prolong the life expectancy of a cultural object. Conservation may include cleaning, specialised storage conditions, restoration and active treatments to reduce the rate of deterioration. All conservation treatments must respect the provenance of the object and not place the object at risk.
Cool storage (0º C to 16º C / 32º F to 60º F and 20-50% RH)
Below room temperature storage that will lower the rate of the various chemical decomposition reactions of photographic materials, such as base decomposition and dye fade. More affordable than cold storage, although less effective for very long term storage of photographic materials.
D-1
D-1 is an uncompressed digital component video standard, developed in 1987. Record and playback machines were manufactured by Sony and BTS/Philips. The tape is ¾" [19mm] wide. D-1, D-2 and D-6 cassettes are made in 3 sizes that share the same basic dimensions, described in ANSI/SMPTE 226M-1996. All cassette housings are 33 mm thick. Small cassettes are 172mm long and 109 mm wide. Medium cassettes are 254 mm long and 150 mm wide. Large cassettes are 366 mm long and 206 mm wide. There are 4 coding holes in the underside of the cassette which identify the tape thickness and format. D-1 tapes are 13 or 16 microns thick, and use an oxide coating of roughly 850 Oe. 13 micron tapes have a playing time of 11, 34 or 76 minutes for small, medium and large cassettes. Tape speed is 286.5 mm/sec.
D-10 (IMX MPEG-2)
A mid-range digital format introduced by Sony in 1996. Records and plays MPEG-2 I-frame [intraframe] at 3 data-rates of 30, 40, and 50Mb/s or 3.3 to 5:1 compression. tape speed of 2.345 inches/sec which allows fairly long running times in the same 2 cassette sizes as the rest of the Betacam family. Cassettes and boxes are green. Some machines play analog SP, SX and/or Digital Betacam, allowing backward compatibility.
D-11, HDCAM
Yet another Betacam format, this time designed for recording compressed high-definition video.
D-12 (DVCPro HD)
Panasonic DVCPro format for Hi-Def recording. Cassettes
are labelled DVCPro HD.
D-2
D-2 [SMPTE 245M-248M] is a digital composite video standard, introduced in 1989. Record and playback machines were manufactured by Sony and Ampex. The tape is ¾" or roughly 19mm wide. D-2 cassettes are made in 3 sizes that are all 33 mm thick. Small cassettes are 172mm long and 109 mm wide. Medium cassettes are 254 mm long and 150 mm wide. Large cassettes are 366 mm long and 206 mm wide. There are 4 coding holes in the underside of the cassette which identify the tape thickness and format. D-2 tapes are 13 microns thick, and use a metal particle coating of roughly 1500 Oe. 13 micron tapes have a playing time of 31, 93 or 207 minutes for small, medium and large cassettes. Tape speed is 131.7 mm/sec.
D-3
D-3 [SMPTE 245M-248M] is a digital composite video standard, introduced by Panasonic in 1991, which performs a similar function to D-2, but in a totally different format which solves some of the tracking problems of the former. The tape is ½" or roughly 12.65mm wide. Cassettes are made in 3 sizes that share the same basic dimensions as D-5, described in ANSI/SMPTE 263M-1996. All 3 sizes of cassette housings are 25 mm thick. Small cassettes are 161mm long and 98 mm wide; medium cassettes are 212 x 124 mm and large cassettes are 296 x 167 mm. There are 3 identifying holes in the underside of the cassette which identify the tape thickness and format. D-3 tapes are 11 or 14 microns thick, and use a metal particle coating of 1600 Oe. Small cassettes run for 32, 40, 50 or 64 minutes, depending on hub size and tape thickness. Medium cassettes run for 80, 95, 100 or 125 minutes. Large cassettes have 44 mm hub diameter, with running times of 185 and 245 minutes for 11 and 14 µm tapes. Tape speed is 83.88 mm/sec. In 525-line/60Hz systems [US, Japan] each field covers 6 tracks and the scanner or head drum rotates at just under 90 rpm as defined in SMPTE 264M. 625/50 systems use 8-tracks and 100 rpm SMPTE 265M.
D-5
D-5 is a 10-bit digital uncompressed component video system, introduced by Panasonic in 1991. The tape is ½" or roughly 12.65mm wide. Cassettes are made in 3 sizes, all 25 mm thick, that share the same basic dimensions as D-3, described in ANSI/SMPTE 263M-1996. Small cassettes are 161mm long and 98 mm wide; medium cassettes are 212 x 124 mm and large cassettes are 296 x 167 mm. There are 3 identifying holes in the underside of the cassette which identify the tape thickness and format. D-5 tapes are 11 or 14 microns thick, and use a metal particle coating of 1800 Oe. Small cassettes run for 16, 20, 25 or 32 minutes, depending on hub size and tape thickness. Medium cassettes run for 40, 47, 50 or 62 minutes. Large cassettes have one hub diameter, with running times of 93 and 123 minutes for 11 and 14 µm tapes. D-5 has the same scanner diameter and rpm as D-3, but has twice the number of heads and twice the tape speed [see ANSI/SMPTE 279M-1996]. It is thus possible to play back D-3 tapes on many D-5 machines, producing a digital component output. D-5 has two sets of 4 heads, and the tape speed is 168.228 mm/sec. There is also a compressed, high-definition version of D-5.
D-6 (Voodoo)
D-6 [SMPTE 277M & 278M] is the first high-definition digital uncompressed component video standard, introduced in 1996. Record and playback machines are manufactured by Philips/Thompson. The tape is ¾" or roughly 19mm wide. D-6 cassettes are made in 3 sizes [SMPTE 226M] that have the same basic dimensions as D-1 and D-2. All 3 sizes of cassette housings are 33 mm thick. Small cassettes are 172mm long and 109 mm wide. Medium cassettes are 254 mm long and 150 mm wide. Large cassettes are 366 mm long and 206 mm wide. There are 4 coding holes in the underside of the cassette which identify the tape thickness and format. D-6 tapes use designation F [1 0 1 0] are 11 microns thick, and use a metal particle coating of 1700 Oe with a playing time of 8, 28 or 64 minutes for small, medium and large cassettes. Tape speed is 497.419 mm/sec.
D-7 (DV, DVC-Pro)
The DV or Digital Video family uses ¼ inch tape cassettes over a range of formats from domestic (consumer) to high definition. D-7 is Panasonic's professional format based on the DV cassette. Available in data rates of 25 Mb/sec and 50Mb/sec. DVCPro 25 uses 4:1:1 sampling at a compression ratio of 5:1. DVCPro 50 is 4:2:2 sampling at 3.3:1 compression. DVCPro machines will generally also play consumer DV and Sony DVCam tapes. Cassettes are clearly labelled as DVCPro or DVCPro 50. SMPTE 306 covers 25Mb/s video, SMPTE 307 describes the physical cassette; SMPTE 314 describes the data structure for Audio, Data and Compressed Video at 25 and 50 Mb/s; SMPTE 321M-2002 and SMPTE 322M-1999 cover the transmission and exchange of DV compressed video, audio and data over serial data transport interfaces, while SMPTE 374-376 deals with mapping ancillary data.
D-9 (Digital-S)
Just as the Betacam family evolved and devolved, so did the VHS family. The digital successor to M-II was a low-cost 10-bit 4:2:2 system with 3.3:1 DCT intraframe compression giving 50Mb/s data rate. Although Digital-S, manufactured by JVC, was adopted by some large broadcasters, it hasn't proven to be as popular as the numbers would suggest.
D-12 (DVCPro HD)
Panasonic DVCPro format for Hi-Def recording. Cassettes are labelled DVCPro HD.
Data migration
Cloning, copying or conversion, usually from one format, or format version, to an updated one, or into a new system or technological environment. The term "migration" is usually used in reference to digital files, but increasingly is used to describe reformatting from a video format such as Betacam to video data. Migration is performed in a controlled way for a specific purpose, such as improved data management and data preservation. Automated migration implies a large system with software-controlled robotics for batch processing large quantities of material, usually of a consistent type. Manual migration implies a process performed on an as-needed basis by humans instead of scripts.
Digital 8
Consumer digital video format based on 8mm tape cassette. Uses the DV codec but cassettes are neither DV-size nor DV-compatible.
Digital Betacam
10-bit digital component format with relatively modest 2.3 to 1 DCT compression. Still the most popular of the higher-quality formats. Introduced by Sony in 1992 as the successor to Betacam SP. Some Digital Betacam machines play back analog Betacam tapes. Large and small cassette sizes have running times similar to Betacam SP. 13 micron tape thickness. Cassettes and boxes are often dark blue, and labelled as Digital Betacam
Digital files
In MIC, the term "digital files" refers to any archival material encoded digitally and stored on a physical medium that is not specific to the format of the recorded information. For example, a Quicktime movie is a digital file in this sense because it can be stored on any computer storage media, such as a hard drive or a DVD-R, whereas a Digital Betacam video is a digitally-encoded video format that can only be stored on Digital Betacam tape stock.
Digital restoration
Techniques applied with the objective to create a new version of an archival material which resembles as closely as possible the appearance of the original item when it was first produced. Processes may be used to reverse color dye fading and scratches in the film emulsion, for example, or in the case of video, to correct drop-outs.
Double-system sound
Audio content for a film is recorded on a separate piece of magnetic tape or mag-film stock which must be played in sync with picture.
DPX
Digital Picture eXchange format SMPTE 268M.
DV, DVC-Pro
See D-7
DVCam
Sony's DV-based professional tape format. Sampling is 4:1:1 at a compression ratio of 5:1. A range of DVCam decks and cassettes is available. Most decks will also play consumer mini-DV, but not DVCPro tapes.
Film Cleaning
Film cleaning is the removal of dirt, film dust, oil, fingerprints and other soil from the surface of a film. The process may be “wet” and use aqueous solutions or solvents that are proven to be safe for the fall parts of the film (i.e. the base, emulsion and image forming material) or “dry” with methods ranging from a simple “dusting back” with a clean cloth to the slightly sticky Particle Transfer Rollers (PTR).
Film or magnetic tape rejuvenation (e.g., tape baking, unblocking)
Processes or techniques applied to materials which may have become difficult to playback due to improper storage, media deterioration, etc. Very basic facilities may conduct simple tape baking without accurate temperature or humidity regulation. Advanced restoration labs may offer low humidity rejuvenation with accurately controlled temperature, and sometimes, vacuum processing or interleaving which minimises risk to original material.
Films
A generic term for a flexible strip of cellulose (usually nitrate, acetate or polyester) coated with a layer of light sensitive emulsion or a magnetic coat capable of carrying a signal. The record on the film may be photographic image, sound image, magnetic sound or a combination of these. Motion picture film has perforations along its length by which it is driven through a camera, projector or other apparatus.
Film base
The carrier, or substrate, upon which the emulsion and image forming materials is transported. Film base is a tough, transparent polymer often an ester of cellulose. There is a trend to using polyester for laboratory stocks and release materials.
Glass
Early in photographic history, glass was used as a supporting base for light-sensitive emulsion.
GXF
General eXchange Format [SMPTE ]
Hi 8mm
Improved version of the 8mm videotape format. Tape formulations differ from Video-8. Most Hi-8 decks will play Video-8 tapes, but not vice-versa. Sony produced some professional Hi-8 editing decks, such as the EVO-9800.
Imax (15/70 and 8/70)
Both these formats use 70mm wide film. The 8/70 frame has 8 perforations per frame and runs vertically through a projector gate, while the 15/70 has 15 perforations per frame and runs horizontally through the projector gate. Both formats have similar image aspect ratios on the film; approximately 1.36:1.
Lab
A laboratory, or technical facility, for editing, conserving, preserving, and transferring film, video, audio, and/or digital files
Lab equipment for creating preservation and access copies
Refers to any equipment employed in the process of creating duplicates of original materials.
Lab equipped for conserving or restoring original materials
Refers to any equipment employed in the process of cleaning, repairing, stabilizing or reversing the effects of damage and deterioration on original archival materials.
M format (Recam)
May have been a challenger to Sony's Betacam as a serious analog component format, starting in 1982, but RCA [co-developer with Panasonic] dropped out of broadcast video shortly afterwards, and the format never gained much market-share. Same cassette housing as VHS, but just over 8 inches/sec.
M II (Panasonic component analog)
Analogue component format with separate luminance and chrominance tracks [SMPTE 249M-252M, 1996] introduced by Panasonic in 1987? as a competitor to Betacam SP, but not as popular. Cassettes are slightly larger than VHS, and use higher coercivity tape running at twice the speed.
Magnetic (acetate)
Magnetic full-coat or stripe with a cellulose acetate base.
Magnetic (polyester)
Magnetic full-coat or stripe with a polyester [PET] base.
Magnetic (unknown)
Use this value for media with a magnetic coating on an unknown base material.
Mag-Vue solution
Chemical which can be brushed onto magnetic tape to visually expose the magnetic recording tracks.
Mini DV
The domestic version of Digital Video which has a similar data rate to DVC-Pro, but a much lower tape speed of just over 8mm/sec. This uses less tape but does not leave much margin for error in case of tape damage or other problems.
M-JPEG
Motion-JPEG is a format for digital images based upon a series of JPEG still images. It generally produces poorer quality for a given bit-rate than MPEG.
MP3
An abbreviation for MPEG-1, Layer 3.
MPEG-1
Introduced in 1993, MPEG-1 is a standard for the compression of moving pictures and synchronized audio signals for storage on, and real-time delivery from optical disk and magnetic media. It defines the behaviour of decoders, allowing for future compatibility and improvement in quality as digital video encoding techniques evolve.
MPEG-2
A further development of MPEG-1 which covers interlaced video, surround sound and other refinements which enable higher quality for broadcast at bit rates up to 50 Mb/s. Used for digital television broadcast and digital versatile disk (DVD).
MPEG-4
First released in 1999 with a follow-up version in 2001, MPEG-4 is a standard for multimedia applications intended for use by an array of industries and employs advancements in compression coding.
MXF
Material eXchange Format [SMPTE ]
Nitrate
This first successful, flexible, resilent, and transparent film base was made in 1889, and used in the manufacture of most professional 35mm film up to 1950. Nitrate sheet films (4x5, 8x10, etc.) were used until early 1940's. Due to the serious fire hazards in the handling of this material, its application in photographic films was replaced by various types of low-flammability safety bases, principally cellulose diacetate, cellulose triacetate, and polyester.
Noise and scratch removal
When film is transferred to video, scratches or other blemishes may show up on the transferred image as unwanted artifacts. To reduce or remove the effects of these artifacts the video image may be processed one frame at a time through specific algorithms that examine the image structure over the preceding and following frames to make a high probability estimation of the image areas obscured by the artifacts.
Noise reduction
Process used to reduce tape hiss on audio recordings. Most systems (Dolby and dbx) are double-ended, meaning that a recording is encoded with a particular noise reduction type and must be played through a compatible decoder to return accurate reproduction.
NTSC
The television standard used in the US and Japan, developed by the National Television Systems Committee. Specifies number of scanlines (525), fields per second (60) and color encoding method for capture and display of standard-definition "broadcast" television signals--which also means signals recorded on videotape. Not compatible with PAL or Secam.
OMF
Open Media Format is a file format developed mainly by Avid, with collaboration from a number of other manufacturers. It includes video and audio, along with time-code and other data such as editing and compositing information.
Other 1/2-inch cassette: V2000, NV1500
Includes ED Beta, introduced in 1987 as a competitor to S-VHS; similar to consumer Beta, but using metal tape.
PAL
The television standard used in Europe and most of the world. Comes in several flavors, some of which are compatible with each other. Specifies number of scanlines (625), fields per second (50) and color encoding method ("Phase Alternation by Line") for capture and display of standard-definition "broadcast" television signals--which also means signals recorded on videotape. Not compatible with NTSC.
Paper
In early motion picture history, creators of motion pictures commonly produced contact prints of their works (in whole or in part) on light-sensitive paper because this was a relatively inexpensive way to make a copy or record of the work, and as such, it was suitable, for example, for submission to the Library of Congress for copyright protection.
Perforation repair
Perforations are precisely punched holes at the edge of film used for film transport and location during exposure. Wear and tear may occur to the perforation preventing the safe transport of film through playback equipment. Perforation repair attempts to restore the integrity of the perforation to enable the safe transport of the film once more.
Photo-chemical: wet-gate
A technique used in the duplication of original film materials. Wet gate printing involves temporarily coating the film to be duplicated, by either a thin layer or total immersion, in a liquid with a similar refractive index to the film at the time of exposure. This layer of liquid reduces the tendency of light to diffract around any scratches and reduces the appearance of the scratch on the copy.
Preservation facilities
Refers to any facilities within the organization dedicated to the preservation of archival materials, including regulated and monitored storage environments as well as areas for staff who work with physical materialsin an effort to improve their condition and to extend their life.
QuickTime
Compressed video file format introduced by Apple. Quicktime is a platform-independent codec which can work with compressed or un-compressed video files. It is the "native" codec for Media100 and Final Cut Pro non-linear video editing systems.
RealVideo
Compressed video file format commonly used on the Internet.
Restoration
The process of recreating, in whole or in part, the original appearance (and, in some cases, the original soundtrack or other sonic accompaniment) of an archival material when it was first produced.
Safety (acetate)
Acetate was used as a film base as early as 1909, yet its was not widespread until around 1950 when the manufacture of nitrate stock, the predominant film medium, ceased due to a number of fires fuelled by this highly-combustible material. After 1951, base film for 35 mm was made from cellulose acetate, and then, more recently, polyester. Amateur formats such as 16 and 8 mm were normally made from safety base. Safety means that the film base is non-flammable, but it does not necessarily mean stable in the long-term.
Safety (polyester)
Polyester is an alternative film base that is gaining popularity for film archiving applications due to its superior chemical stability compared to cellulose-based film. The polyester used for film manufacture is essentially nonflammable and satisfies the criteria demanded of a “safety” base.
Safety (unknown)
Use this value if the repository houses film materials which have an unidentified, non-nitrate plastic base.
Secam
The television standard used in France. Specifies number of scanlines (625), fields per second (50) and color encoding method for capture and display of standard-definition "broadcast" television signals--which also means signals recorded on videotape. Not compatible with NTSC or PAL.
Separate storage for materials afflicted with vinegar syndrome
Splice repair
Either during editing or as a later repair to severe damage, two discrete lengths of film may be joined together using a cement, tape or ultrasonic weld to form a single length. Over time the join may become fragile, break or distort and require the join to be remade. The repair can be carried out using the same types of technique as were originally used.
Super 16mm
Super 16 mm has a single row of sprocket holes, as for single perf. release prints, but instead of a soundtrack, the extra width is used for a larger, 1.66:1 image area.
Super 35 (Superscope 235)
Super 35mm/Superscope 235 was designed by Superscope Inc and RKO in 1954 to permit more of the 35mm film to be used for the image area. The image area of the super 35mm film is similar to the full frame used before the advent of sound on film systems encompassing 4 perforations per frame. Films shot in super 35 are reduced optically to an anamorphic format for release.
Super 8mm
Super 8 format was developed by Kodak and released in 1965. The perforations were made narrower and spaced slightly further apart, allowing for an image area that was about 50% larger than standard 8mm film. Super 8mm also differs from regular 8mm by having smaller sprocket holes which line up with the center of the image frame, and a soundtrack area on the opposite edge.
S-VHS
A higher quality version of VHS with the same running speed. Most S-VHS machines replay standard VHS.
Tape Cleaning
Magnetic tape cleaning is usually done on purpose-built machines by rotating tissue-wipes, scrapers and/or vacuum.
U-Matic, High Band
The main development of the U-matic format was a more professional version with 50% greater bandwidth. Many BVU or Broadcast Video U-matic machines were used in professional broadcasting and production for a long period.
U-Matic, Low Band
The original low-end professional, light-industrial U-matic [SMPTE 21, 22, 31M] was widely marketed from 1971 by Sony, JVC,and Matsushita [Panasonic], and took hold in vast numbers through education and porta-pak field recording units..
U-Matic, SP
The final evolution of U-matic was the 'Superior Performance version, with 7 MHz luminance bandwidth. It had greater uptake in NTSC regions.
U-Matic, Unknown
Use this value only if you know that the cassette is U-Matic, but you are unsure of the exact format. U-matic tapes were also the original format used to carry digital audio data for audio CD mastering.
VHS (SMPTE type H)
Introduced by Matsushita in 1976 as a competitor to Sony's Betamax which was released a year earlier, VHS has become the largest selling video format ever. The tape speed is only 33.35 mm/s [1.313"/s], so quite long playing times can be achieved in a fairly small cassette 162 X 104 X 25 mm. Shorter lengths up to 246 metres or 2 hours duration are 19 µm thick, while longer 3 and 4-hour tapes are 15 or 16 µm. A smaller cassette, VHS-C [compact] is used in camcorders.
Video 8mm
From 1983 a consortium of Japaese and North American manufacturers produced this compact alternative to ½", the first of the 8mm cassette-based videotape formats.
Video recordings
Traditionally, video refers to moving images recorded on magnetic tape (with or without sound). Recent developments in digital technology have enabled video imagery to be recorded directly on magnetic disk (no tape). Includes videotapes on open-reel or cassette in numerous formats.
Vivo
A streaming digital format supported by Real Networks which requires the VivoActive Player for playback.
Analog
Traditional modes of recording or transmission
in which levels of audio, light and color are registered onto a medium
in direct proportion to the original source. This includes film and
magnetic media as well as electro-mechanical and acoustic discs and
cylinders. Although signals are a direct "analogy" of the original,
they may be affected also by the resolution, granularity and range of
the medium. This can introduce noise and distortion and limit the frequency
response or bandwidth.
Digital
Digital recording and transmission requires that
continuous signals are broken down into numbers representing measurements
of how the signal changes over time.
Data migration
Preserving digitised content at the bit-level by copying or cloning en-masse, usually with automated or robotic storage systems under software control.