Date   : Sat, 23 Feb 2002 17:10:28 +0000
From   : Paul Wheatley <p.r.wheatley@...>
Subject: Re: BBC Domesday on the telly

rpsprowson@... wrote:
> 
> > On Wednesday JISC (Joint Information Systems Commitee) is
> > holding a press launch for the Digital Preservation
> > Coalition
> (http://www.jisc.ac.uk/dner/preservation/prescoalition.html).
> 
> > As part of the launch I produced a press release
> > describing BBC Domesday as
> > an example of the loss of digital materials thru hardware > and software
obsolecence (and hence the need for digital > preservation work).
> 
> With the exception of the huge laser disc players,I wouldn't count them
as obsolete!

Well that depends on how you interpret the word obsolete. The fact they
stopped manufacturing them a long time ago is a good pointer...

The Domesday system requires not just the Videodisc player but a specially
modified Master as well. Given that not many were manufactured and hence not
many are still around today (and even less that are still working) I think my
description is pretty accurate. Give it 5 or 10 years and its going to be
lost forever. Unless someone preserves it...

> 
> There were some nutters in NZ still using them,but I can't remember the
URL.My sister's secondary school used to have one too,but I guess that went
in the bin a few years ago...
> 
> There are a good few still about and working,I'd imagine it wouldn't be
too hard to suck the image >off the laser disc and hack something together
in an emulator,

Not necessarily as easy as you think, but I'm hoping we'll have it done by
the summer. The problems aren't just technical tho - the first obstacle is
legal. We certainly won't be able to give access to anyone. It'll be up to
someone else (maybe the BBC or the British Library perhaps) to pay the
relevant people and then provide access...

Paul
-- 
UK Project Manager
CAMiLEON
http://www.si.umich.edu/CAMILEON/
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/camileon
0113 233 5830