Newsreels of years gone by

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While we're on the subject of free films online, surfers also have a resource in the Prelinger Archives. Part of the larger Internet Archives (home of the Internet Wayback Machine), the online Prelinger collection contains over 1200 out-of-copyright, "ephemeral" films. (The term refers to advertising, educational, industrial, and amateur productions, and the archive includes everything from personal hygiene and civil defense films to wartime propaganda and vintage TV ads.) While the collection may not number as high as the Pathe catalog, the films' public domain status means that they can be used -with very few restrictions- as the surfer sees fit. (So, if you'd like to drop some Eisenhower campaign ads or a spot for MUM brand creme deodorant into your trip to Disneyland video, feel free.)

Films can be found through either a keyword search or a browsing option which uses a catalog format not unlike Google. Each title has a synopsis, reviews and viewer ratings, and various ways to view the content, and at this point, we encounter a classic good news/bad news scenario. The good news is that the files are so big - the bad news is that the files are so big. (A common file size is over 200MB for MPEG files - 30 to 90 MBs for DIVX and VCD formats.) Even broadband surfers may find themselves giving up during high traffic periods, and -unbelievably dedicated- dial-up users might want to crack open that annotated copy of "War and Peace" while they wait.

The large file size is due to the fact that these films have been recorded as full television screen, DVD quality video, and unfortunately these admirably high quality files aren't accompanied by smaller sized versions for those who might just want to see the production in a corner of the computer screen. The only alternative for those unwilling to make a long-term download commitment are high- and low-bandwidth RealVideo streams for each title. The quality won't match a typical downloadable QuickTime clip, but a pixellated screening of "Duck and Cover" is better than none at all.

And, you won't have to pay for the privilege of watching a commercial.

British Pathe can be found at http://www.britishpathe.com with the Prelinger Archives at http://www.archive.org/movies/prelinger.php.

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