Working inline with The National Archives Standards, which is recognised for long-term preservation, video files must be created and maintain files in these preservation-quality formats as follows:

• non-proprietary, so the format is not tied to one piece of software or the platform developed by a single company
• “open,” in that key characteristics and specifications of the format are well-known and documented so that anyone can use or implement the format
• widely-used so that the format will not soon become obsolete.
• recognized as a standard by groups like the ISO, ECMA International, and OASIS as well as the Library of Congress

By employing sustainable, preservation-quality formats, video tape digitisation will greatly increase the likelihood that content will remain accessible and fully functional into the foreseeable future.

FORMAT RECOMMENDATIONS BY MEDIA TYPE

MPEG-1/2: Moving Picture Experts Group
AVI: Audio Video Interleave File (uncompressed)
MOV: Quicktime Movie (uncompressed)
MP4: Moving Picture Experts Group (with H.264 encoding)
MJ2: Motion JPEG 2000
DV: Digital Video File (non-proprietary)

What should the final product be delivered in?

Our company will prepare a preservation copy to be stored for the long-term and for an access copy to make your content readily accessible.

• The purpose of a preservation copy is to create a high quality duplicate of the original record. This way, if the original record deteriorates beyond use the preservation copy will be able to take its place. A preservation copy should last for years or decades – at least long enough to plan for making subsequent copies once these become outdated.

• The purpose of an access copy is to create a copy of your record that you can play back easily. For example, if you have a VHS tape that is difficult to play back, you can have a DVD or mp4 file created to allow you to play back that content on a computer or DVD player. An access copy should be a well-supported format that is easy to play back.

Video preservation copies generally have the following characteristics:

• High resolution
• High bitrate
• No or very little compression
• Open or non-proprietary formats

Video access copies generally have the following characteristics:

• May be reduced resolutions
• Low bitrate
• Fairly compressed

Files may be delivered on hard drive, digital transfer or flash drive; whichever method you select you should be prepared to make a second, or backup, copy to help ensure the safety of your records.

Acceptable Formats