REQUEST FOR INFORMATION The Library of Congress has a requirement for a large Analog/Digital Audio Visual Switchers/Router. The Library is currently seeking information from knowledgeable sources only. The response date and time for submission of this information is 20 December 2003 at 4:00 pm. The following information is provided: Note: Location: National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) Culpepper, VA It will be the contractor’s responsibility to be knowledgeable and compliant with all state/local licensing required as they pertain to the requirement. All interested contractor’s wishing to do business with the Government must be registered in the Central Contractor Registration (CCR) Database. A copy of the Statement of Work and attachments (A) Video Material List and attachment B is attached, to provide you with background information pertaining to this requirement. IMPORTANT NOTICE: THIS IS A RERQUEST FOR INFORAMTION ONLY. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT PROMISE OR IMPLY THAT A TASK ORDER WILL BE AWARDED AS A RESULT OF INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM THIS REQUEST. Mailing Instructions: All information is to be mailed to: The Library of Congress Contracts and Grants Management Branch 101 Independence Avenue, SE, Adams Bldg. Room 325 Washington, DC 20540 Attn: Napoleon Jasper/Donna Phelps-Webster If you have any questions regarding this Request for Information (RFI), you may e-mail your questions to myself Donna Phelps-Webster or Mr. Napoleon Jasper via e-mail. For Mr. Napoleon Jasper, Contracts Supervisor at [email protected] or Donna Phelps-Webster, Contract Specialist at [email protected]. Statement of Work Large Analog/Digital Audio Visual Switchers/Routers Elkwood Project C.1. BACKGROUND The Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center (NAVCC) is currently under construction in Culpepper, VA and will be the first centralized facility in America especially planned and designed for the cataloging, storage and preservation of the nation’s heritage collections of moving image and recorded sound materials. It is expected to be the largest facility of its kind, a state-of-the-art conservation and preservation facility dedicated to the preservation of our audio-visual heritage, which will ensure that the heritage is accessible to generations to come. The Library is interested in exploring the technologies and systems that could be used for central and local switching/routing of analog and digital AV signals in the NAVCC. C.2. SCOPE The Library of Congress specifically seeks the following information: 1) Conceptual technical alternatives and assessments. 2) Approximate cost information (i.e., order of magnitude, ballpark estimates, etc.) for alternatives. In addition The Library of Congress requires the ten elements describe in more detail in section C.3.1. The contractor shall provide required information in written format. C.3. GENERAL REQUIRMENTS C.3.1. Additional issues that the Library wishes respondents to address are 3) fail over issues. What happens when a segment fails or has its quality compromised? Discovery, diagnosis, substitution and notification, etc. 4) Cabling requirements and wiring for multiple formats/forms of audio and video. Outlets and wall plates. 5) SMPTE time code handling, test signals, and automation/machine code handling. 6) Monitoring and managements of system, ease of use, inclusion in other databases as metadata. 7) Local (within room) vs. building-wide wiring/switching/routing, control, and user interface(s). 8) Installation of routers/switchers and pathway verification. 9) Maintenance issues. 10) What issues would arise if implementation of one of more media formats were deferred? 11) Any other issues relating to analog/digital AV routing that the Library should explore in order to assure that the NAVCC can effectively fulfill its goals. C.4. SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS C.4.1. Currently the Library’s motion picture and sound recording holdings include more than 3,500,000 items. The collections to be housed at the NAVCC have grown at an average rate of 120,000 items annually. In addition, off-air online capture of broadcast and born digital media represent other significant collections growth areas. The Library estimates that 10,000-20,000 hour of such content will be acquired annually. C.4.2. Obsolete formats/media continue to be received and added to the Library’s collections: the need to read old and obsolete formats/media will persist long into the future. Past and present preservation practice for older media has been to make an analog copy of the item on current media. Digital archiving, however, is seen as the future of preservation. A switch to an emphasis on digital archiving is planned for the NAVCC, with digital streams being output from preservation copying rather than solely analog. The Library has every video media type from the 1950s to the present. Independent analog and digital audio channels will be required. Refer to Attachment A for matrix of all commercial and consumer based video products. C.4.3. Current estimates for the number of channels required: - 640 Analog Audio - 640 Digital Audio - 128 Analog Video (w/associated audio) - 256 digital Video (w/associated audio) - RS-422/232 Control over IP and/or standard routing C.5. DELIVERABLES: Not yet established. C.6. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: Not yet established. C.7. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTATION: See attachments A and B. C.8. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT/PROPERTY C.8.1. In the NAVCC, the following rooms have been designated and designed to facilitate productivity and quality: - Nine to ten Audio Expert/Standard/Production Transfer Nodes (A1); - Two Audio Production/Standard Transfer Nodes (A2); - Three Video Duplication Nodes (non-robotic) (V1); - Up to four Robot-assisted Production Nodes (central Machine Room): - One Video quality monitoring and review room (QA); - Five (estimated) Born Digital processing Nodes (possible); - One Video Off-satellite Recording Node “Sat cast” (possible); - Four Digital Restoration of Film Nodes and Two Dateline Nodes; - One theater with several film projectors, two sound systems including FOH speakers for speech amplification and a programmable cinema system with surround; - Various listening/viewing stations throughout the facility. Video Materials List – Attachment A Media Manufacturer Model First Year in Service 2” Quad Ampex AVR-3 1956 2” Helical Ampex VR-1500 1962 2” Helical Sony SV-201 1962 1” Helical Machtronics MVC-10 1962 1” Helical Precision Instruments PI-3V 1963 1” Linear Sony EV-200 1964 1” Helical Phillips EL-3400 1965 1” Helical Ampex SMPTE Type A 1965 ½” Sony CV 1965 ½” 3M/Wollensack VTR-150 1965 1” Helical IVC IVC-700/800/900 1967 ½” Concord VTR-600 1967 ½” Sony / Panasonic EIAJ Type 1 1969 ¼” Akai VT-100 1969 ½” Cassette Phillips N1600 1970 ¾” Cassette Sony / Phillips / etc… U-matics 1971 ½” Cassette (EIAJ) Panasonic NV-5110 1971 ½” Cassette Cartvision AVCO 1972 ½” Cassette Sanyo V-Cord I/II 1972 2” Helical IVC IVC-9000 1973 1” Helical Bosch SMPTE Type B 1975 Beta Sony Betamax 1975 1” Helical Sony BHV-1000 1976 VHS JVC 1976 VX Panasonic/Quasar 1976 1” Helical Ampex/Sony/etc… SMPTE Type C 1978 ½” Cassette Phillips V2020 1979 ½” Cassette Panasonic/RCA Type M 1981 Beta Sony Betacam 1982 8mm/8Video Sony/etc… 1984 CVC Technicolor CVC 1984 1” Sony HDV-1000 1984 M-II Panasonic/JVC 1985 ¾” Cassette Sony U-Matic SP 1986 Beta Sony Betacam SP 1986 D-1 Sony/BTS DVR2100SP 1986 S-VHS JVC 1987 D-2 Ampex/Sony/etc… 1988 Beta Sony ED-Beta 1988 Sony HDD-1000 1988 8mm Sony Hi-8 1989 D-3 Panasonic 1990 ¾” Sony UniHi 1990 19mm Ampex DCT 1992 Beta Sony Digital Beta 1993 D-5 Panasonic 1994 D-6 Phillips 1994 ¼” Cassette Multiple DV 1995 ¼” Cassette Panasonic DVCPro / D-7 1995 W-HVS JVC 1995 ¼” Cassette Sony DVCam 1996 Beta Sony Beta SX 1996 HD D-5 Panasonic 1996 Beta Sony HDCAM 1997 ¼” Cassette Panasonic DVCPro 50 1998 ¼” Cassette Panasonic DVCPro 50/P 1998 8mm Sony Digital8 1999 D-9 HD JVC 2000 ¼” Cassette Panasonic DVCPro HD 2000 Beta Sony MPEG IMX 2000 Attachment B: The following spaces will have up to 2 digital video with 4 channel audio inputs from the Central Machine Room: - Third floor conference room – about 192 Ft - Second floor conference room – about 800 Ft - First floor conference room – about 1750 Ft The following spaces will have up to 2 digital video with 4 channel audio inputs and 2 digital video AES audio inputs from the Central Machine Room: - Second floor Multipurpose room – about 704 Ft - First floor Multipurpose room – about 1150 Ft First floor Theater (about 1350 Ft) would have the following inputs: - 2 digital video, each with 4 channel audio - 2 digital video AES audio - 2 analog video, each with stereo audio (possible)

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