TECHNICAL GUIDES FOR PUTTING ARCHIVE MATERIAL ON-LINE

The Research Department of the Institut National de l'Audiovisuel, INA, has just published (in French) a study entitled 'Digital Mass Storage'. This document is the first in a series of technical guides concerning 'Tools for the remote consultation and distribution on networks of audio-visual and multimedia material'.

The other technical reports in the series concern:

• Media servers and multimedia databases (available in the 2nd quarter of 1997)
• The performances and effects of compression-decompression systems (3rd quarter of 1997)
• The performance of networks used for the remote consultation and distribution of multimedia material (4th quarter of 1997)
• User-interfaces for the retrieval and remote consultation of multimedia material (1998)
• Case studies

The object of these studies is to constitute reference documents which are essential reading when choosing between technologies and systems. They are aimed at holders of audio-visual or multimedia material (film, video, or media libraries), hardware manufacturers and distributors, programme distributors, telecom and cable network operators, project development companies, consultants etc.

The first study guide, 'Digital Mass Storage', written by Fròdòric Dumas and Jean-Noël Gouyet, was published in December 1996. It offers

• A panoramic view of the state-of-the-art and an evaluation of mass digital storage devices and technologies:
  • magnetic recording on tape
  • optical recording on disc or tape
• Data sheets presenting the characteristics of 30 mass digital storage systems
• Estimated cost of configurations
• Comparative tables (media capacity, tape library or juke-box capacity, data access time, data transfer speed, cost of media, system investment cost)

In order to produce this work INA has done a great deal of documentary research and has carried out numerous interviews with manufacturers and major players in the field.

The situation with regard to the supply of products being in a constant state of flux, this document provides maps as focal points, operational analysis grids and a method of selection that enables the user to locate and update decision-making factors.

To obtain more information on this study contact

NICOLE DEBUT
Tel: +33 1 49 83 23 20
Fax: +33 1 49 83 25 82
E-mail: debut@ina.fr