Sustainability of Digital Formats: Planning for Library of Congress Collections |
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Introduction | Sustainability Factors | Content Categories | Format Descriptions | Contact |
Full name | EBU Broadcast Wave Format, Version 2 |
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Description |
File format intended for the exchange of audio material between different broadcast environments and equipment based on different computer platforms. Based on the Microsoft WAVE audio file format, Broadcast Wave adds a required "Broadcast Audio Extension" (bext) chunk to hold the minimum information considered necessary for broadcast applications. Additional metadata chunks have also been developed; see Notes. More information is provided in the format description for WAVE_BWF_1 (version 1). The most significant new element in version 2 is the inclusion of metadata pertaining to the measurement of loudness in the file. Additional information about this, and links to related standards and other informative documents, will be found on page 12 of Embedding Metadata in Digital Audio Files: Introductory Discussion for the Federal Agencies Guideline. |
Production phase | Used for content in initial, middle, and final states. |
Relationship to other formats | |
Modification of | WAVE, WAVE Audio File Format |
May contain | LPCM, Linear Pulse Code Modulated Audio (LPCM) |
May contain | MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Layer I Audio Encoding, not described at this Web site |
May contain | MPEG_layer_2_audio, MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Layer II Audio Encoding |
Has subtype | WAVE_BWF_LPCM_2, Broadcast WAVE File Format, Version 2, with LPCM Audio |
Has earlier version | EBU Broadcast Wave File Format (1997, sometimes called "Version 0"), not described at this Web site. |
Has earlier version | WAVE_BWF_1, Broadcast WAVE Audio File Format, Version 1 |
Has extension | MBWF / RF64: An extended File Format for Audio, not described at this Web site at this time. |
Used by | MXF_RDD48, MXF Archive and Preservation Format Registered Disclosure Document (SMPTE RDD 48) |
LC experience or existing holdings | When reformatting analog sound recordings, the Broadcast WAVE format (either version), wrapping LPCM, is used as the archival master format for mono and stereo audio at the Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation and by the American Folklife Center. |
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LC preference |
The Broadcast WAVE format (either version), wrapping LPCM, |