DPP Announce New Standards for File-based Delivery

The Digital Production Partnership have released details of their agreed standards for the metadata, format and codec quality for delivering content in digital formats.

A working group of broadcasters and post houses that includes the BBC, Channel 4, and ITV, the DPP has been around since 2009, and aims to maximise the potential benefits of digital production, while minimising the strain the transition puts on producers and broadcasters.

What does this mean for you?

"The DPP's announcement should be taken seriously by any companies currently delivering content for broadcast, or those who are planning to start in the next few years," said Jamie Allan, one of our M&E Solutions Architects. "This decision will reduce the cost of delivery and the speed at which you can create the files required, but in order to provide the files correctly, companies will need to look at the precise technical specifications required by their client. The BBC have already added their requirements to their delivery standards whitepaper and will be accepting these files later in 2012, with the other network broadcasters soon to follow.

"By 2014 it's planned that all UK broadcasters will prefer digital format delivery, so it's a good time to start looking at transcoding servers to replace HDCAM decks so you can output the required files quickly and efficiently. It will also be key to include the correct metadata which can be output from various asset management tools, but this will require some customisation in order to include all the mandatory fields as detailed in the AMWA standards. If you'd like to discuss the options for hardware/software combinations that can output the correct file formats, then get in touch and we can advise on the best solution for your workflow. This is a very exciting time in the world of digital broadcasting, and we're hoping that this will also encourage better standards for web and IPTV-based delivery, to ensure that content quality is ensured no matter what platform you're using."

The standards in brief...

If you deliver for broadcast, we recommend taking a look at the full documentation on the DPP website and the AMWA website, as well as the BBC's outline of the new delivery standards. For those of you in a hurry, here are the key bits of the BBC document you need to be aware of:

• The files must conform to AMWA Specification AS-11 v1.0 constrained to the UK DPP AS-11 shim.
• Each programme should be delivered as a single principal MXF file containing the audio and video, plus a single XML file (see 4.11 Metadata below). There must be only one programme in each file, although a programme may be either soft or hard-parted within that file, as specified by the broadcaster.
• Each high definition programme must be delivered as a single MXF OP1a file which conforms to the AMWA specification AS-11 v1.0. The AS-11 file must use the 'UK DPP HD shim specification' that describes exactly how the file must be constructed to meet DPP requirements.
• As described by the AS-11 specification (and the UK DPP HD shim), the video essence in the file must be encoded at a nominal bitrate of 100Mbit/s using the 'AVC Intra' codec. It must use the High 4:2:2 Intra profile@level 4.1. AS-11 gives full technical details of how the file should be constructed.
• HD video must be recorded with an active picture area of 1920 x 1080 pixels. This must normally be structured as interlaced at 50 fields per second, described as System 2 in EBU-TECH 3299. Material may be originated as progressive scan, but should be delivered as interlaced. Also note the requirement in 2.1.1 above that moving graphics and effects, such as credit rollers, DVE moves etc, are always interlaced.
• In some cases, only where specifically required by the broadcaster, material which has been originated entirely progressively, described as System 3 in EBU-TECH 3299, must be delivered as a progressive structured file.
• The audio must be frame interleaved with the video as described by AS-11. All audio tracks must be encoded as PCM with a sample rate of 48kHz at a depth of 24bits/sample.

It's also a good idea to take a look at this DDP advice on delivery platform options.

If you have any questions or concerns about how this will effect your current setup, get in touch with us on 03332 409 306 or at broadcast@Jigsaw24.com

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