TV station format

[John Rofrano]

[Carl Johnson] “Format B: XD Cam HD
File Wrapper: MXF or MOV
Video Resolution: 1440 X 1080i 29.97
Compression Codec: XDCAM HD
Bitrate: 35 Mb/s 8 Bit”

Render using Sony MXF with the HD 1440×1080-60i template.

[Carl Johnson] “Audio: Integer (Little Endian) 24 Bit 48 KHz Sample Rate”

Press the Customize Template button, go to the Audio tab and change the Bit depth to 24. Then save it under a new template name like “Broadcast TV”.

[Carl Johnson] “Audio Level: -20 fsd (-20 full scale digital = +4 dbm analog)”

This you’ll have to do in your project by keeping your audio average loudness at -20 dbFS. Adding the Wave Hammer compressor/volume maximizer on the master audio bus can help here. Unfortunately Vegas Pro doesn’t have a loudness meter so you’ll have to use an RMS meter like Voxengo SPAN or a loudness meeter like ToneBooster’s EBU Loudness meter.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Carl Johnson]

The only issue with mxf is that I can’t put it into 4:3 aspect ratio.

[John Rofrano]

[Carl Johnson] “The only issue with mxf is that I can’t put it into 4:3 aspect ratio.”

Why not? It has templates for 4:3 and 16:9. Are you delivering SD?

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Carl Johnson]

When I go to the template you suggested, under Aspect ratio it only says 16:9.

I delivering an HD copy but am being told to make it 4:3 Center=cut safe.

From TV station
“• Due to the preponderance of 4:3 viewing, all Content should be “Center-Cut Safe” HTV is not responsible for non center-cut safe Content. See Exhibit A for a representation of “Center Cut Safe”.

•Only the HD Copy of the Commercial is required. The HD Copy of the Commercial will be “Down-converted” and Center-Cut for broadcast on the SD Channel where a SD channel is still present.”

[John Rofrano]

[Carl Johnson] “When I go to the template you suggested, under Aspect ratio it only says 16:9.”

I never suggested a “template”… I only suggested a render format (Sony MXF). All of the “NTSC DV …”, “NTSC MPEG IMX …”, “PAL DV …”, and “PAL MPEG IMX …” templates under Sony MXF are 4:3 aspect. Only the HD ones are 16:9.

[Carl Johnson] “•Only the HD Copy of the Commercial is required. The HD Copy of the Commercial will be “Down-converted” and Center-Cut for broadcast on the SD Channel where a SD channel is still present.””

What that means is that when you shoot the commercial, make sure that all of the action is within the 4:3 center of the frame. They still want a 16:9 video file from you. They are telling you that they are going to down-convert it to 4:3 and when they do, it had better not cut off any talent on the sides of the video. These are “shooting” instructions not “render” instructions. I hope you don’t have anyone standing on far left or right side of your video or else you will need to re-shoot it to be 4:3 safe.

There is no such thing as 4:3 HD. HD is 16:9 by definition. You need to deliver an HD 16:9 video that is safe to cut into 4:3 when the station down-converts it to SD. That is what they are referring to.

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com

[Carl Johnson]

Thank you.

[John Rofrano]

You’re welcome. 🙂

~jr

http://www.johnrofrano.com
http://www.vasst.com