Video and Audio Archives
Broadcasters’ archives contain material which captured contemporary history and is thus of incalculable value to society. The digitalisation of these archives and the incorporation of digital material into production processes constitute new challenges for broadcasters. Appropriate technical solutions must be developed without making the conversion processes financially unfeasible.
Video Archives
Flexible interfaces are essential to the realisation of video archives. Suitable metadata models such as MXF and BMF provide the means for universal exchange and the linking of archives.
IRT provides advice to broadcasters on selecting storage formats, storage concepts, and appropriate data models. We also help our clients decide which browsing and preview tools are ideal for their needs.
Furhter information on MXF and BMF
Integrated Rights-Information Systems
IRT plays an active part in designing and realising interfaces for information systems regarding archives and rights. These rights-signalling and agent systems make it possible to retrieve information on a given rights-related issue. All in all, we strive to effect uniform modes of access to different database structures.
Non-Tape-Based Acquisition Formats in TV Production
The advent of non-tape-based recording and storage systems (disk drives, optical disks, memory cards) has created new opportunities for acquiring and producing programme content. Our principal concern is the unrestricted access to and exchange of programme material and corresponding supplementary data (metadata). In conjunction with broadcasters, IRT’s experts generate the requirements for the operational integration of new, non-tape-based acquisition systems into production workflows. Findings ultimately become international standards via the EBU:
- EBU R-14 User Requirements for non-tape-based camcorders for broadcast production
- EBU Tech 3301 Metadata for non-tape-based camcorders for broadcast production
Further information on Content Management
Audio Archives
Conventional audio archives consisting of individual pieces of media demand considerable attention from staff and are hardly adaptable to modern programme technologies. In addition, under these circumstances it is not financially feasible to conduct regular quality checks to maintain such archives. A solution to this problem lies in the conversion of conventional audio media to "eternal" data records, or audio files, which are archived on mass-storage drives in robotic archives. This enables not only the automatic back-up of content, but also enhanced utilisation of audio archives by linking them with digitally networked broadcasting studios.
