Media Quality

Note: the short URL jandp.biz/mq – located directly under the root – for short format and to allow for easy and somewhat discrete use in references, in docs, emails, et c.

Introduction

This page is about efforts to formalize different levels of curation, et c.

  • Example, to discuss materials, individual media and/or sets of media in term like:
    • Curation: C00, = uncurated level 0, very much raw materials w/o any work done what so ever, aside shooting it.
    • Resolution: A90s, = analog media with quality corresponding to 1990s.
  • on workflow of media in 7 phases: 1.Capture, 2.Collate, 3.Organize, 4.Curate, 5.Share, 6.Archive, 7.Find

 

 

Curation Levels – C00, C01C1, …

Coo (C-zero-zero) and C01 (C-zero-one) are essentially raw materials with possibly limited time spent on removing obvious similar-looking, closed-eyes, et c shots.

Level: C00 C01 C1, C1X C2 C3 C
Short Name: Uncurated 0 Uncurated 1 Basic Curation Minor Curation Details Curation
Applies to: Set of media Set of media Set of media Inside media file Inside media file
Where: File system File system File system Tools (Apps) Tools (Apps)
Description: Completely raw shots, including lots of similar shots, for handling blinking people, … At least some efforts to remove ‘duplicates’ and obviously bad media Made an at least somewhat more serious effort to remove ‘duplicates’, narrowing down media to a set of media we want to keep. (On set of files, not inside any media itself.)

C1X: As above on OWN media (some cleanups of duplicates) BUT in this case a set include media from other parties, “3rd parties” like friends et c, and for courtesy of such sources, may end up with actually more possibly similarly looking media.

Of/inside media file itself, using some tool, for tweaking some aspect(s), like sharpen/soften, modify brightness, contrast, colors – tweaks on whole photo/frame. Of/inside media file itself, using some tool, for tweaking some details – removing/fixing red-eyes, remove some glares, et c. (For possibly future use)
Filename fixings (date&time naming) √√
(The sooner the better)

(Especially C1X may need some work.)
Time spent on curation: Zero Seconds to minutes per up to some 10 files More like minutes to even 10s of minutes per each 20-50 files Some minute+/- per each file More ‘Some minute+ per each file’
Level: C00 C01 C1, C1X C2 C3 C
Workflow Phase (on set of media) (on set of media) (on set of media) (inside media) (inside media)
1.Capture
Shoot media

(“Day 1”)
TRY to NOT allow too many similar

(“Day 1”)
Make effort to APPLY C01!
(Sometimes may happen, despite typically small screen) (Some may happen, e.g. turn media 90 deg.) (So far extremely rare, as prefer working on computer w larger screen)
2.Collate No curations during collation, gathering of media. Of course. Some examples of processes:
Apple eco system: Automatic (incl. deletions, edits and propagated bi-directionally)
Dropbox -“-: Typically have to open (iOS) app to transfer media into eco system)
GoPro: example of more complicated process …
(C1X: when getting media  also from friends et c.)
3.Organize
Folders…

(“Day 1+”)

(“Day 1+”)
I.e. in process of organizing media into folders, curation C01 and C1 may be performed
4.Curate
Cleanups

(“Day n+”)

(“Day n+”)

(“Day n+”)
5.Share
Make Accessible
(Never sharing C00, strictly internal, work-in-progress) (Never sharing C01 directly.) Sharing C1 materials
is most common in 2026. Sharing C1X materials (Media from multiple sources, friends et c) is common in 2026
Sharing C2 materials
is relatively rare, in 2026.
Sharing C3 materials
is relatively rare, in 2026.
Commonly sharing (2026) using one of the following:
1. Apple email, Large (SLA3L), up to some 10+ files, with Apple’s Mail Drop as required
2. Apple message, (SLAMS) – a few files
3. JAlbum-created (SLJAL) – larger sets of files
6.Archive
(Internal)
Avoid storage C00/C01 level materials (waste of storage space) Most commonly stored. Any C2 and higher should always be backed up.
7.Find
(Internal)
One – of course – should be able to find any / all media, independently of curation level, sizes, ….
Problem here is more what tool(s) to use, that covers variants of online and offline storage solutions(s).

 

MQ.R Media Quality Resolution (Indication) Levels

(See The J&P Private Collection (/mlabs/collection/) for examples of use.)

  1. Axxs and Dxxs: idea to indicate resolution based on time era where xx is decades
    1. Analog: 1800s, …
    2. Digital: 2000s, and so on
  2. Dy…M: idea for indicated quality on digital materials using actual resolution info, like
    1. D0,3M = for 0.3MP

But… older materials, with Analog indications can be a little bit better at giving at least some some hint of quality but digital materials are more difficult. Especially actual resolution indications. A D48M (48MP) doesn’t need to be any better what so ever than a good 12MP or even 8MP but depend so much more on quality of camera or smartphone. Why era-indications may still be a better indicator.

Designation(s) Description xx
A18s Analog media shot in/around (later) 1800s.
A19s Analog media shot in/around (earlier) 1900s.
A40s,A50s,A60s,
A70s,A80s, A90s,
Analog media shot in later decades in 1900s, e.g. use A40s to indicate 1940s, A50s to indicate 1950s, and so on.
D00s Digital medias from the 2000s (2000..2009) but more refer to earlier years of the decade, like 2000, 2001, 2002.
The kind of Initial/Beginning years of digital photography. (For us.)
D05,D09,D23,… Digital medias from device from 2005 era, from 2009 era, and so on.
D0.3M Digital media around 0.3MP, (e.g.) 640×480 (e.g. Treo 600 (2003) Treo 650 (2004))
D1.3M Digital media around 1.3MP, (e.g.) 1280×960, 1280×1024
D5M Digital media around 5MP (e.g. 2560×1920, 2592×1944 like Canon PowerShot SD450 (2005)
D8M Digital media around 8MP (e.g. 3264×2448 like Apple iPhone 4S (2011)
D12M Digital media around 12MP (e.g. 4000×3000, 2592×1944 like Canon PowerShot SD780 (2009)
Apple iPhone6s (4032×3024) .., iPhone 12/Pro, iPhone 13/Pro, iPhone 14,
D48M Digital media around 48MP (e.g. 8064 x 6048 like iPhone 14 Pro (2022), iPhone 15 Pro (2023), iPhone 16 Pro (2024), iPhone 17 Pro (2025)…

 

Sharing Levels / Storage Levels

Level Sh./
Sto.
Description Width Height Aspect Ratio Notes
SL01S Sh+Sto Thumbnails, small 75 .. 200 75 .. 200 1:1 (1.00) As references to ‘actual’ media
SLA1S Sh. Apple #1, Small (emails) 320 240 4:3 (1.33) (E.g. ‘Small (48.0 KB)’)
SLA2M Sh. Apple #2, Medium (emails) 640 480 4:3 (1.33) 480p (E,g, ‘Medium (130 KB)’ )
SLA3L Sh+Sto Apple #3, Large (emails)
Strongly recommended for sharing when send emails.
(So receivers gets at least “some” decent resolution mtrls.)
1280
2016
 720
1512
16:9 (1.78)
4:3 (1.33)
720p
(E.g. ‘Large (1020 KB)’)
SLA4A
SLAMS
Sto+Sh Apple #4, Actual (emails)
Apple, Messages
x
4032
y
3024
depend on device
4:3 (1.33)
depend on device
(E.g. ‘Actual (2.9 MB)’)
   
SLJAL Sh+Sto JAlbum-created, details depend both on source materials (inputs) and settings in JAlbum. Goal is however to try balance: good quality (~SLA3L, Large) and reasonable size/bandwidth requirements (especially important for video).
Resolutions are EXAMPLES –>
16oo
1600
1280
900
852
900
1200
720
1200
480
16:9 (1.78)
4:3 (1.33)
16:9 (1.78)
4:3 (1.33)
16:9 (1.78)
Photos
Photos
Photos
Photos, portrait
Movies (480p)
SLTV0 Sh. TV screens – VHS-level (only include here to show this low-quality level) 320 240 4:3 (1.33) 240p, wikipedia Low-definition television
SLTV1 Sh. TV screens – (DVD), DVD Video disks (up to 8.5 GB, 4 hrs at typical bit rates).
This is typically the largest format used for (regular) Sharing (via email / JAlbum / similar due to bandwidth and other limitations.)
720
704
720
704
854
480
480
576
576
480
NTSC, 3:2 (1.5)
removed overscan
PAL, 4:3 (1.33)
removed overscan
16:9 (1.78)
480p,
SLTV2 Sto TV screens – HD TV, Blu-ray disks (from 25 GB single-layer, 50+ GB on other variants) 1920
1280
1080
720
16:9 (1.78)
16:9 (1.78)
1080p, 1080i
720p
SLTV2K Sto TV screens – 2K, … 2048
2048
1080
1556
256:135 (1.9)
~4:3 (1.32)
DCI 2K native res.
2K scan from 35mm film
SLTV4K Sto TV screens, 4K, .. 3840
4096
2160
2160
16:9 (1.78)
256:135 (1.9)
2160p

Legend:

  • Sh./Sto. If primary use is for Sharing and/or Storage.
    • Thumbnails are good for both general sharing AND storage, latter as reference and in index databases
    • Actual size is of course absolutely Storage level primarily
    • Large is ok for materials received for own Storage.

 

 

WIP! TR!

###More advanced forms of Curation, with ADDITION and/or REMOVAL of meta info, et c.

  • Timestamp info: Add / Remove / Correct
  • Geoloc info: Add / Remove / Correct
  • Description info/CC: Add (unlikely to have any part of media files themselves, at least in June 2024 when write on this section)

Apple email apps (macOS, iOS, …)

  1. Please use (at least) Large when asked/change settings
    • Small and Medium doesn’t give receivers any possibilities to look at any details, no real zooming
    • Actual is nice but may be overkill.
  2. Use Mail Drop when/if asked.
  • https://jandp.biz/mlabs/lib/Aspect Ratios/
  • Apple iPhone, Mail, Messages; SMS/MMS
  • JAlbum

2024-06-29 WIP:

x x x
Original: D###12M ddd
Curation: C00 ddd
Sharing
Timeinfo Correct
Geoloc NO/Yes ###Included