DAVID – Digital AV Media Damage Prevention and Repair

Digital audiovisual content is everywhere: film, television and online media; personal content from cameras and phones; and content from environmental monitoring, corporate training, surveillance and call recording to name but a few. Preserving audiovisual content in these applications target content reuse, regulatory compliance, and archive monetisation – each with differing needs for content quality, safety, storage, access and budget. But there is a common challenge: how to keep audiovisual content usable in the face of adversity: obsolescence, media degradation, and failures in the very people, processes and systems designed to keep this content safe.

For digital audiovisual media DAVID will analyze the origin of potential damage and its consequences on the usability of content, will monitor and restore damage already happened and will develop strategies for avoiding future damage in a way that balances long-term costs, risks of loss, and content quality. Testing, evaluation and demonstration by archive and industrial partners using real-world data ensures high quality project results. As media we target digital video tape, which for many remains the de-facto form of born-digital audiovisual content, as well as the rapid adoption of audiovisual content stored as files in IT based systems.

The consortium includes: a broadcaster and national audiovisual archive, both with experience of research and development in digital preservation; two industrials on the supply-side providing media migration, digital restoration, and quality analysis; and two research partners with long histories in digital audiovisual content analysis and restoration, risk management, and storage technologies. This ensures a solid bedrock for the technical work and provides the influence and reach necessary for widespread promotion and take-up of project results.

A very quick overview on the DAVID objectives and ist tangible results is available on the DAVID_Flyer. More details on the results can be found in the Spotlights section of the website.