AV Asset Management - Part I: Physical Container Formats

Professional audio-visual asset management was simpler - in the analog age. 

In the analog age, which I define as pre-2005, the number of physical audio-visual Container formats was easily manageable for two primary reasons.  First, there were not so many of them.  Second, each physical Container only held one (1) type of content.

For now let's focus on my first point, the rapidly increasing number of physical professional audio-visual Container formats.  Ever find yourself saying, "It used to be easy" all you had to do was say "Give it to me on Betacam!"  Think about it, before the switch to digital formats most worldwide professional video production was done on this one format.  How easy was that!

To illustrate, let's list the typical professional container formats, from the analog age:

   1. Celluloid Film
         1. 16mm
         2. 35mm
   2. Magnetic Tape
         1. Audio cassettes
         2. 2" Audio / Videotape
         3. 1" Audio / Videotape
         4. 3/4" Audio / Videotape
         5. 1/2" Audio / Videotape
         6. 1/4" Audiotape

Now compare the list when we add today's digital container formats:

   1. Celluloid Film
         1. 16mm
         2. 35mm
   2. Magnetic Tape
         1. Audio cassettes
         2. 2" Audio / Videotape
         3. 1" Audio / Videotape
         4. 3/4" Audio / Videotape
         5. 1/2" Audio / Videotape
         6. 1/4" Audio / Videotape
   3. Magnetic Disk
         1. Minidisc
         2. SyQuest Disk
         3. Magnetic Hard Drives
   4. Optical Disc
         1. Laser Disc
         2. Magneto-optical
         3. CD
         4. DVD
         5. Blu-ray / HD DVD
         6. Holographic
   5. Solid State Devices
         1. USB Flash Drive
         2. PCMCIA
         3. CompactFlash
         4. SmartMedia Card
         5. Memory Stick Card
         6. MultiMedia Card / Secure Digital Card
         7. SxS Cards
         8. P2 Cards

This list does not delve into the myriad of variables that each format offers, but I trust my main point is understood.  There are substantially more physical container formats to deal with in today's professional audio-visual library. 

In my next post I will explain my second point: "...each physical Container typically only held one (1) type of content."

Comments

[Audio Visual Services]

The past and present audio visual format that we have had indeed change this is due to the rapid development we have when it comes to our technologies in this modern times.