The topic archiving/preservation is involved in research and experimentation on the backup of and access to content in the widest sense of that term. When audiovisual content is stored in analogue format on shelves, it runs the risk of both a deterioration of the material itself and the technical obsolescence of playback equipment. Being able to digitalise and transfer that material towards long-lasting formats is therefore of crucial importance. In this context, work has been carried out on the challenging issue of playback for audio and video tapes. A contactless machine (optical) is currently being developed to allow audio recordings to be played back on discs.

Once the documents are digitised, it is then necessary to ensure that the data is appropriately secured and made accessible. Work has been carried out in this area within the project, PrestoPRIME, in conjunction with our partners. An application is currently being tested that will improve access by detecting repetitions in audiovisual streams.