Audio Visual Collections

In addition to digitising still image archives, we also offer an expert digitisation service for scanning audio visual material; including cine film and other legacy video formats. Digitising audio visual material is not easy and requires specialist equipment, which is why few archives undertake AV digitisation in-house.

Problems with degradation of many analogue AV archives (as a result of conditions such as vinegar syndrome, mould and sticky shed syndrome) and technical obsolescence of formats are two key threats to audio visual cultural heritage material.

Converting analogue film and tape collections to digital formats can preserve their precious content and enable opening up of access to the material online through digital collections management systems such as PastView. Digitisation can also allow for the video footage to be restored and enhanced using grading and digital restoration techniques (see below).