Transfer Services

BAVC rigorously maintains endangered analog equipment in order to provide high quality transfers to preservation standard formats. BAVC’s tape storage and transfer facility follows the Association of Moving Image Archivists (AMIA) guidelines for magnetic tape storage and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) care and handling practices for extended usage.

Currently, BAVC only transfers tape formats manufactured for the North American NTSC video system, including:  1" Type C Open Reel Video, 1/2" Open Reel Video (AV and CV), U-Matic, U-MaticSP, Betamax II/III, VHS/SVHS/VHS-C, Hi8mm/Video8mm, Betacam, BetacamSP, MiniDV, DVCam, Digibeta, 1/4" Open Reel Audio, Audiocassette, DAT. 

Preservation transfer services include:

Upon arrival

• Inspecting, evaluating and itemizing each asset
• Cleaning and Conditioning of tapes
• Treatment for tapes with Sticky Shed Syndrome and Binder Hydrolysis
• Re-housing of tapes as required
• Storage in moisture- and heat-controlled environment.

At transfer

• Cleaning and inspection of playback machine before each transfer
• Video signal passes through time base corrector for signal correction as required
• Real-time, fully supervised transfer
• Digitization to uncompressed, high quality digital file format
• Documentation of signal issues to transfer log by technician
• Quality control checks of every file

On delivery

• Archival quality files
• Access files upon request
• DVDs/ CDs upon request
• Detailed transfer logs
• MD5 checksum
• Necessary codecs and instruction

To request a quote for preservation transfer services, please fill out the preservation transfer inquiry form.