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File-based Workflows in TelevisionTERENA - 5th TF-Media Task Force meeting & Workshop

Pedro Ferreira – pedro.ferreira@mog-solutions.com

In the beginning… everything was simple

Then man made it more… interesting.

Still, push only…Still, push only…

M lti l t ib tiMultiple contribution sources

Many distribution channelsMany distribution channels

MobileMobile

Web

VOD

Pull!

How did TV evolve to cope with this?

How is TV evolving to cope with this?How is TV evolving to cope with this?

Which formats?

Which workflows?

Which system designs?

Some time ago, television productionSome time ago, television production moved towards digital.

But handling uncompressed material was complex.

Broadcasting products startedBroadcasting products started using compression

t h ltechnology.

IT equipment performance increased and prices droppedincreased and prices dropped.

IT technology started to invade the professional market.p

It became clear that file-based production was the future.

But several incompatible file formats were in usewere in use.

1996

EBU/SMPTE T k FEBU/SMPTE Task Force for Harmonized Standards

for the Exchange of Programme Material as BitstreamsBitstreams

Essence

Not a single compression technology willNot a single compression technology will prevail

Systems must handle various formats

Metadata

A ne class of program related dataA new class of program-related data

Should be easily translated between systemsShould be easily translated between systems

Should be available electronically and linked to the essence

Content = Essence + Metadata

Need to proceed work on standards,p

namely on Essence and Metadata

Wrapperspp

Replace sneakernetsReplace sneakernetsand tapeand tape

With networks and filesWith networks and files

…but, what kind

of files?

Material eXchange Format

a standard file format for the interchange offor the interchange of

Essence and Metadata

Defined in SMPTE S377M

Expandablep

Coding format independentg p

Agnostic to metadata schemeg

Provides technical descriptionsp

Efficient

Useful for ingested or finished materialg

888

Picture Source Clip Picture Source Clip

Picture Source Clip

Sound Source Clip

Sound Source Clip

DM Segment DM Segment

I t d ti f T h lIntroduction of a new Technology

Euphoriap

Disillusionment

Real product and real work

Rockley Miller – Multimedia Monitor

Euphoria Disillusionment Real WorkEuphoria Disillusionment Real Work

“Once I have a file with a ‘.mxf’ extension, I will be able to use it anywhere...”

“It doesn’t work since each t does t o s ce eacproduct has its own MXF...”

Real products in the market today 

interchanging with MXFinterchanging with MXF

Slow initial adoption, but backed by p ystrong vendors

Rise in adoption around 2007

Currently MXF is pervasive in production, post, archive, play-outp p p y

And in other industries…

STATE-OF-THE-ART:

CAPTURE AND POST FORMATSCAPTURE AND POST FORMATS

Professional Wrapperspp

Legacy: GXF LXF AVILegacy: GXF, LXF, AVI

Professional video formatsMPEG-2 I-Frame, Long GOP

DV variants

JPEG2000

AVC-Intra AVC Long GOPAVC-Intra, AVC Long GOP

ProRes and DNxHD

JPEG2000

Professional audio formatsPCMPCM

Multi-resolution Workflows

Hi-res

Proxies

S h ff li diti i /d iliSearch, off-line editing, preview/dailies

Typical Workflow:Typical Workflow:

News ProductionNews Production

Prepare rundown

Prepare story:Capture (ENG)p ( )

Ingest

R t di f hiRequest media from archive

Edit

Write script

Voice over

CG

Pl tPlayout

FROM ONE TO MANY,

TO ANY TO ANYTO ANY TO ANY

ContributionDedicated links

S t llitSatellite

IP-based: low-res high-resIP-based: low-res, high-res

ENGENG

Tape

Disk

SSD

Mobile, handheld devices

Oth SOther Sources

Archive

News Agencies

Stock footage

Internet

Distribution

Terrestrial

Satellite

CableCable

Web: Live & VODWeb: Live & VOD

M bilMobile

How is TV adapting to p g

these new challenges?these new challenges?

How to deal with today’s pace andHow to deal with today s pace and interactivity?

Agility

How to deal with multiple sources?

New interchange channels

Rewrap

T dTranscode

How to deal with multiple targets?p gWith different formats

With multiple languages

AccessibilityCl d tiClosed-captions

Audio-descriptionAudio description

Interoperable Master Format(IMF)(IMF)

AS-02

A t M tAsset Management&

Archiving

Most TVs have one or moreMost TVs have one or more

Media Asset Management systemsMedia Asset Management systems

MAMs are typically integrated with the archive

MetadataInsertion

Extraction

Interchange

Distribution

System DesignIncreased flexibility

N d l k iNo vendor lock-in

SOA

Thank youThank you

CONTACTSCONTACTSPedro Ferreira – pedro.ferreira@mog‐solutions.com