Video Digitization Guidelines

Confirm Assignment & Identifier Technician / Student

Locate the video item on your assignment sheet and confirm the HARC identifier assigned for digitization.

Identify Video Format Technician / Student

Determine which category applies:

• Consumer / Prosumer: VHS, S-VHS, VHS-C, Hi8 / Video8, Digital8, MiniDV, DVD
• Professional: Betacam SP, Betacam SX, U-matic (Low/High/SP), DVCAM, DVCPRO
• Context Only (no student handling): 1" Type C, D1/D2/D3, HDCAM

Risk Assessment Archivist Only

The archivist scores risk based on:

• Format obsolescence and rarity of playback equipment
• Observed cassette condition and evidence of damage
• Age, content value, and prior storage conditions

Technicians may contribute observations but final risk decisions belong to senior staff.

Visual Inspection of Cassette Technician / Student

• Check for cracked shells, missing doors, loose labels, or warped plastic.
• Look at the tape pack through the window: it should be even, not “piled up” or buckled.
• Note handwritten labels: dates, “SP/LP/EP”, “Master/Copy”, or format notes.

Inspect Leader & Tape Edges (If Visible) Technician / Student

For formats where tape is visible near the hubs, check for:

• Torn or wrinkled edges
• Discoloration or powdery residue
• Obvious stretching or crinkling

Deck Path & Heads Ask First

Verify the deck is free of visible debris and that heads, guides, and pinch rollers appear clean.

Deep cleaning, demagnetizing, or mechanical repairs are Archivist Only tasks.

Basic Signal Path Technician / Student

Confirm the full chain:

If separate audio outputs are used, confirm they also route into the capture device.

Time Base Corrector (TBC) Basics Ask First

If your workflow includes an external TBC or frame sync, the archivist or supervisor will:

• Confirm routing: Deck → TBC → Capture Device
• Set any required TBC modes or bypass options

Technicians should not change TBC settings without guidance. When in doubt, ask the supervisor.

Capture Software Input Check Technician / Student

• Select the correct capture device as input.
• Verify video preview appears and audio meters respond.
• Confirm frame size (e.g., 720x480 NTSC) and field order are appropriate.

Set Capture Parameters Technician / Student

Follow HARC’s current standard. A typical preservation-friendly setup:

• Frame Size: 720x480 (NTSC) or 720x576 (PAL)
• Frame Rate: 29.97 fps (NTSC) or 25 fps (PAL)
• Color Sampling & Bit Depth: 4:2:2, 10-bit if available
• Audio: 48 kHz, 24-bit, stereo

Perform a Short Test Capture Technician / Student

• Record 20–30 seconds.
• Play back the test file in a separate player (VLC or similar).
• Check for image stability, sync, and functional audio.

Capture the Full Program Technician / Student

Start recording in software, then press PLAY on the deck. During capture:

• Monitor the image for flagging, heavy jitter, or severe noise.
• Watch audio meters to ensure continuous signal and no clipping.
• Let the capture run past the final image/audio by ~10–15 seconds.

Stop & Save Technician / Student

Stop the deck, then stop recording. Save the captured file and confirm file size is non-zero and reasonable for program length.

Basic QC Review Technician / Student

• Scrub through the file, spot-check beginning, middle, and end.
• Confirm there is video throughout (no long black gaps unless expected).
• Check that audio is present and in sync with the image.

Image & Audio Issues Technician / Student

Note major problems such as:

• Severe tracking errors
• Prolonged dropout bands or “tearing” across the picture
• Audio buzz, hum, or complete channel loss

Log these in your QC notes and notify the archivist if issues are severe.

Advanced QC Metrics Archivist Only

Senior staff may perform deeper analysis (e.g., field dominance, chroma noise, luma levels, waveform/vectorscope review) and record results in technical metadata.

Create Access Derivatives Technician / Student

From the preservation master, export:

• MP4 (H.264/AVC) with AAC audio
• Typical settings: 720x480 or 640x480, bitrate suited for streaming

Optional Light Processing Ask First

With supervisor approval, you may apply gentle noise reduction, brightness/contrast tweaks, or minor audio cleanup to access copies only. Document all processing.

Access File Naming

Use a derivative suffix such as _AC for access:

Server Placement Technician / Student

Copy preservation masters and access copies to their designated locations on the archival server or NAS, following HARC directory conventions.

Redundant Storage & Checksums Archivist Only

Senior staff will ensure that:

• At least two independent copies of each preservation master exist.
• Checksums are generated and validated on a scheduled basis.

Ongoing Preservation Planning

As codecs, storage systems, or institutional policies change, plan migrations that preserve video quality and metadata integrity.