Challenge
Convert all legacy media into digital formats for preservation and access
Thousands of pieces of media needed to be moved as soon as possible
No current inventory records existed
Some media was stored under poor conditions
A major-league ball club’s history was locked up in aging media – inaccessible to the club or fans, vulnerable to damage or loss, and occupying valuable space. The media held irreplaceable footage of the club’s all-star games, player development, in-house productions, concerts, events, and even construction of the club’s original field and stadium.
Audio formats converted: ¼” reel, cassette, CD/DVD, and DAT
Video formats converted: 1” Type-C reel, ¾” Umatic, all forms of Betacam, VHS, 8mm, DVCam, DVCPro, XDCam, and DVD
Solution
Lacking inventory records and sufficient time to barcode each piece at the club’s site, Ovation took a brief inventory during the packing process. After the transfer to its own secure facility, Ovation subsequently conducted a meticulous inspection and detailed inventory and retained all media for the duration of the project. Due to previous storage conditions, the 16 mm film was affected with “vinegar syndrome” and was unrecoverable. However, Ovation found duplicates on tape within the set of healthy media and was ultimately able to:
Results
More than 25,000 pieces of media (about 15,000 video hours) are now digital. Speed of video access is from seconds to minutes. Multiple storage rooms have been transformed into usable office space, and the project produced a preservation master copy of the club’s historical footage.
The club’s quality control checks did not reject a single digital object.
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