In an attempt to protect important archive materials and to update their digital infrastructures, The police of the United Kingdom announced a plan of approximately 87 million euros (75 million pounds) for the conversion of thousands of VHS video tapes in digital formatStill present in their archives today.
The project will be carried out under the supervision of Bluelight -commercialNon-profit organization made in 2020 by the British Ministry of the Interior to support emergency services. The plan is divided into different phases, each intention Both the use of internal technologies and the use of external companies.
As reported by The registerThe first fate of the agreement offers The purchase of hardware, software and training To enable the police to independently carry out the conversion of magnetic ribbons to digital files. This segment of the initiative, which lasts four years, could absorb so far 50 million pounds (66% of the budget).
The second party, on the other hand, concerns the complete outsourcing of digitization services. In this case, specialized companies will take care of the process, Restoring the digitized content in electronic formatwhich will then be integrated into the digital management systems of the tests. For this process, however, the remaining sum of 25 million pounds.
In addition to the digitization of the VHS, the initiative will also have the conversion of other legacy formats, such as decks, such as microfilm” CD one DVDFor further potential investments Up to 25 million extra pounds.
Converting digital video tapes is not a simple or fast operation: it requires the use of functioning video recorders, analogue to digital converters and special software. Moreover, the process takes place in real time: A two -hour box, for example, requires two hours of reproduction to be digitized.
The VHS format, introduced in 1976 by the Japanese JVC, met its peak between the 80s and 90s before it was replaced by more modern sizes such as the DVD. Although the VHS are out of production and almost disappeared from the market, They still retain judicial and evidence of historical and research relevance.
The initiative follows the trend of the British public administration, historically slowly in leaving outdated technologies, to gradually update its systems: just think of the NHS initiative, only arrived in 2020, To replace the hospital and more advanced communication systems.
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