digital storage from the ny times

[bigtoe]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/10/techn ... r=homepage

eeeeeeeeenteresting.

Mike

[Wild Bill]

It's far worse than that. This article speaks only of the physical backup mechanisms. What about data structures and formats?

We can probably count on CDs as a common media exchange for another 20 years, but then what? What will decode and play the Redbook format 50, 75, 100 years from now... Will a computer 100 years from now know what a wav, jpg or any ther data structre is? Will they have Pentium 4 or even Intel (or Mac) emulators with appropriate OS's?

I'm thankful I can still play some of my 78's on my Thorens turntable, for example, but how many new turntables play those... or 16 rpm lps.

My head hurts even thinking about the digital archiving mess we are presently in. Hell we have trouble bringing stuff from one platform to another right now (eg entire projects in and out of pro-tools). It took me a week to work out the details so my MX2424 will tranfer projects via ethernet to my computer for archival/DAW work, and it's currently available technology.

I'm sure they'll work it out, but I'm glad it's not me....

[Piotr]

I can say that the Library of Congress backs everything up to little two-minute shellac discs. If the program material is too long they use multiple discs.

This method is purported to last a hundred years without degradation. I haven't heard of any other substance that works so well.

[twitchmonitor]

Are there companies that offer archiving services? Like, they have playback mechanisms and controlled storage facilities for 78s, 33s, cds, ADATs, DATs, minidisks, analog tape of various sizes, SACDs, AIFFs, WAVs, SDIIs, etc.?

Sounds like a niche someone needs to fill...

[fillmoresound]

another reason for everyone to keep your tape machines. maybe 'long-live-analog' has another meaning...

[object88]

another reason for everyone to keep your tape machines. maybe 'long-live-analog' has another meaning...

But when happens when the tape machine dies? It's the same problem, just slightly smaller. With digital media, say, a CD, you have a laser which reads data off the disc, and some spec that says how to decode it. With tape, you have a tapehead which reads the data off the tape... and that is the audio, so no spec required. But in mumblemulble years, will you be able to get a tapehead that reads 24 tracks off 2" tape? What about 8 tracks off 1", or any of the other formats?

Media is only as good as the media player, regardless of whether it's analog or digital.

[bigtoe]

Media is only as good as the media player, regardless of whether it's analog or digital.

tell that to my box of da38 back up tapes!

Mike

[object88]

tell that to my box of da38 back up tapes!

Only if they're buying the whiskey shots.

[Mark Alan Miller]

At least, if we can keep data files around somehow, I'm quite sure that someone will be able to decode linear PCM at the very least for a very long time to come. Some future computer hacker kid could program a utility to convert 'last century's digital' into 'this century's digital' while eating a burger and talking on the phone, for sure.

[Scodiddly]

Are there companies that offer archiving services? Like, they have playback mechanisms and controlled storage facilities for 78s, 33s, cds, ADATs, DATs, minidisks, analog tape of various sizes, SACDs, AIFFs, WAVs, SDIIs, etc.?

Sounds like a niche someone needs to fill...

There's a guy (I've forgotten if I actually know him, or just read about him - I know some interesting characters) who's become a specialist in old computer backup formats. Just for fun he'd accumulated obscure old backup drives and software, and then discovered that companies with old archive media and a pressing need to look at old backups (lawsuits!) would pay really good money.

I myself am not going to worry about this too much. I've got some old family photos scanned on CDR, and since it's approaching 5 years I'll probably dig the CDs out and burn fresh copies. But there's no point in saving absolutely everything I do, just a few things for the grandkids.

[bigtoe]

tell that to my box of da38 back up tapes!

Only if they're buying the whiskey shots.

i usually take care of that!

see ya.

Mike