NEW DELHI: Conscious of the degradation of archival material and taking advantage of new technologies, different wings of the information and broadcasting have launched ambitious plans to digitize their holdings, some of which has great archival and historical value to the nation.

Doordarshan has already digitized 1400 hours of programmes. DD Archives has so far released 51 titles in the market. The public broadcaster has drawn a detailed plan for digitizing its holdings of approximately 70,000 hours of programme on analogue video tapes in its central archives.

The Films Division has so far digitized 188 informative and educative films, while 480 films have been transferred on High Definition tapes, and 825 films on international tracks (transferred on DVD). This is part of an exercise to digitize 8100 celluloid films and transfer them on high definition tapes. After completion of this work over the next few months, Films Division will embark on its second phase of restoration of all its celluloid material which over the years has suffered different degrees of decay and decomposition.

During the year 2006-07, the National Film Archives of India (NFAI) acquired 1561 reels of picture and sound negatives from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) branches in Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore, apart from about 1500 reels of valuable film material from the Bombay Film Lab and Film Centre and Cine Lab in Mumbai and Rutik Memorial Trust in Kolkata, and Marryland Studios in Thiruvananthapuram. The Children’s Film Society, India , also transferred 684 reels of negatives for preservation.

A total of 600 hours of programmes have been identified for the DD MTNL broadband video on demand project. These are exclusive content relating to culture, travel, personalities, historical places, health, fitness, lifestyles, crafts etc.

The future comprehensive plan in this regard includes digital migration, facilitating broadband convergence, commercial exploitation of the holdings amd preparing DVDs/CDs/VCDs.