[AT] OT... sort of - negatives

[Larry Goss]

[Enter soapbox mode]

Some of what you are saying, Hank, is similar to the official stance of one of the library archiving societies.  Unfortunately, that particular group is still operating under the assumption that once an item is archived, it's been done and doesn't need anything additional done to it.  They also propose selecting items out of collections rather than archiving everything, and that the archived media has to be protected to make it last, rather than to migrate the media as technology changes.

These guidelines were proposed a few years ago when media and storage were expensive, but they no longer are.  They proposed using archive quality media so they would last for a significant time, etc.  But the use of expensive media only makes significant decisions about archiving harder -- because the media can very easily outlast the viability of the technology. No one is proposing dubbing materials to magnetic tape in any format.  The technology is gone.  Similarly, investing in archive quality CD's is an exercise in futility because CD's will disappear very soon as a viable format.  Even though I am giving CD's of tractor materials away to fellow collectors, their long-lasting value as archive media is low because the CD technology has already been replaced by other formats with better fidelity, higher information density, and more flexible recording and playback conditions.

A fellow collector has already taken my files and converted them to a DVD format (with my blessing).  Somebody HAS to do it to keep the media in a viable format so it can continue to be used.  Otherwise, we enter into a situation that is similar to the U S Census.  There are at least two censuses whose original files are unavailable because they were stored on nine-track computer tape -- but that whole technology has disappeared, so the tapes are basically worthless.

And, just who is going to be interested in listening to or watching the music that we so zealously work to keep in a viable format?  Our kids?  Our grandkids?  I think not.  Our music dies with us.

[End of a major rant]

Larry

----- Original Message -----
From: hank at millerfarm.com
Date: Monday, October 19, 2009 8:43
Subject: Re: [AT] OT... sort of - negatives
To: at at lists.antique-tractor.com

> 
> I suggest you re-think your local photo lab.   
> Generally they will do  
> this for something like $.25 each (and discounts if you have a 
> large  
> amount to do), with much higher quality equipment than you will 
> buy as  
> a consumer.    Retail negative scanners run at 
> least $50, and  
> generally closer to $100, and require a lot of labor to 
> switch  
> negatives and scan each...    You can get a lot 
> of negatives  
> professionally scanned for $50.   Retail scanners 
> generally are not  
> high quality, I wouldn't be surprised if they break before you 
> break  
> even over having this professionally done.
> 
> Someone mentioned they burn all this to CD and spread them 
> around.   I  
> suggest you look for archival grade CDs - they are rare (and 
> cost $1-2  
> each instead of $.15), but cheap CDs tend to only last a few years.
> 
> Good luck.
> 
> Quoting Ernie <cchopper at centurytel.net>:
> 
> > I have not tried what you are doing but I have another 
> technical question.
> >
> > A few years ago I lost a photo album of many pictures of many 
> Samson Model M
> > tractors.  I do have some of my 35 mm negatives.  
> Does anyone know of a low
> > cost way of getting them developed and made into a jpg file?
> >
> > Is there something I can buy to use with my printer and/or computer?
> >
> > I don't want to take all of my negatives to a photo lab if I 
> don't have to.
> >
> > Thank you,
> >
> > Ernie
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com
> > [mailto:at-bounces at lists.antique-tractor.com] On Behalf Of 
> Dick Day
> > Sent: Sunday, October 18, 2009 8:43 PM
> > To: ATIS
> > Subject: [AT] OT... sort of
> >
> > I'm sitting here "ripping" my old albums to digital MP3 files 
> and having a
> > blast. It got me to wondering if anyone on the list has ever 
> done this?  I
> > have 100's of vinyl albums that I fear might one day get 
> damaged, so I am
> > preserving the songs on the computer.
> >
> > It's inexpensive and easy to do.  A $70 USB turntable and 
> some free software
> > is all you need. They didn't have "She thinks my tractor's 
> sexy" back when
> > vinyl was popular (please note the obligatory reference to 
> tractors).>
> > Anyone else tried or thinking of trying this?
> >
> > Dick
> >
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> >
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> >
> 
> 
> 
> 
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