ABSTRACT
With all these available digital video channels, it is amusing to note that the main concern for broadcasters is the relative unavailability of content. Holders of large video, film, and photograph archives — for instance, BBC (U.K.), Institut National de L’Audiovisuel (INA France), and Radio Televisão Portuguesa (RTP Portugal) — find that archive material is in increasing demand. However, the material is typically degraded due to physical problems in repeated projection or playback or simply the chemical decomposition of the original material. Typical problems with much of the archived film material are increased level of noise and dirt and sparkle due to the deposition of dust or the abrasion of the material. Of course, there are many more problems specific to the media, e.g., two-inch tape scratches affecting two-inch videotape and vinegar syndrome and moire affecting film and the film scanning process.
