Article Overview

VectraCom Adopts Snell Archangel Ph.C – HD for Real-Time Film Restoration

Internationally Renowned Archival Restoration Firm Praises New System's Ability to Cut Time for Restoration Jobs to One-Third

Snell today announced that VectraCom, a leading provider of restoration services for audio/visual archives in France, has added Snell's Archangel Ph.C – HD real-time video restoration system to its arsenal of state-of-the-art post-production tools. Powered by Snell's patented Ph.C motion compensation technology, Archangel Ph.C – HD allows VectraCom to meet the quality demands of customers who require remastering and delivery of historic film footage in HD formats.

"A large part of our work is focused on restoration and digitization of very old archival footage, such as black and white films from the 1930s and 1940s. These assets are often filled with noise, instability, scratches, dust, and other defects and require significant restoration in order to meet the high standards of today's viewers," said Bruno Burtre, commercial director for VectraCom. "Because Archangel Ph.C – HD works in real time, we're able to complete restoration jobs in a third of the time once required, which results in significant savings for our customers."

A longtime user of the Archangel system for SD restoration, VectraCom served as the second beta test site for the Archangel Ph.C – HD and provided significant input into the development of the new system. Prior to adopting Archangel Ph.C – HD, VectraCom relied solely on a software-based restoration system for HD projects, which often required up to three weeks to complete restoration on a typical feature-length film.

advertisment

In addition to the time savings, Archangel Ph.C – HD offers VectraCom a real-time window into the restoration process by enabling technicians to monitor the output continuously to ensure optimal restoration and to guard against introducing artifacts.

"While the restoration is in process, our technicians can view the results on-screen and determine whether adjustments and filters are set properly. If not, they can quickly make corrections," said Burtre. "With a software-based solution, this type of real-time monitoring is simply not possible. Technicians would have to wait at least a day for the project to be rendered."

"VectraCom has a stellar international reputation in the world of archival content restoration, so we were very pleased when the company agreed to serve as a beta site for Archangel Ph.C – HD. We knew VectraCom would provide invaluable input that would help us deliver the highest quality restoration solution," said Paola Hobson, product manager for conversion and restoration at Snell. "VectraCom is a perfect case study of a restoration service provider that needed to keep pace with the growing demand for historic films, features, and dramatic series to be remastered for sale in such formats as DVD and Blu-ray. With Archangel Ph.C-HD, VectraCom is able to do so in a high-quality and cost-effective manner."

advertisment

About VectraCom

VectraCom is a one-stop-shop solutions provider for video archive transfer and storage, telecine transfer and color correction, DVD premastering, media asset management, and real-time digital video and audio restoration. With a specialty in A/V archival restoration for public institutions, private companies, broadcasters, and producers, VectraCom has more than 15 years' experience in the preservation of magnetic or film-originated material.

VectraCom

advertisment

About Snell

Snell is a leading innovator in digital media technology and provides broadcasters and global media companies with a comprehensive range of solutions to create, better manage, and streamline the distribution of content for today's multi-screen world. Snell provides the tools necessary to transition seamlessly and cost-effectively to HDTV, stereoscopic 3D, and 3Gbps operations. Headquartered in the U.K., Snell serves more than 2,000 broadcasters, post facilities, and global media companies in more than 100 countries through its worldwide team of sales and support personnel.

Snell

advertisment