Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) @ConnecTechAsia Show News - Day 1 | Page 41
@ConnecTechAsia2018
www.apb-news.com
26 June 2018
TUESDAY 41
IMF a valuable format to the industry
BY BRUCE DEVLIN
The Interoperable Master Format
(IMF) brings essential operational
and business benefits to the media
industry, most notably by enabling
multi-platform, multi-version content
distribution worldwide using a single
format; supporting next-generation
image mastering, and leveraging
automation to make these processes
more efficient and economical.
Formally published as a standard
by SMPTE in 2013, and revised in
2016 to reflect findings from plug
fests and actual implementation, IMF
provides a file-based framework for
the management and processing
of multiple versions of finished au
dio-visual work. Built on well-known
specifications, including Digital Cin
ema Package (DCP) and Advanced
Media Workflow Association (AMWA)
AS-02: MXF Versioning specification,
the format defines an interoperable
set of master files and associated
metadata to facilitate standard inter
change and to automate the creation
of downstream distribution packages.
These capabilities have become
tremendously valuable with the rise
of global distribution, and also with
over-the-top (OTT) platforms and
catch-up TV services, which typically
require transcoding and modification
to address technical parameters such
as resolution, frame rate and aspect
ratio, as well as audio language,
subtitles, and even the standards and
cultural preferences of target markets.
With studio and TV show releases
often being distributed in thousands
of different versions of transcode
profiles, the streamlined and acce
lerated distribution workflow sup
ported by IMF is critical.
IMF introduces incredible effi
ciency by specifying a componentised
workflow, with all file-based elements
— audio, video and data essence
(subtitles/captions, for example) —
in an IMF bundle stored in separable
files that make reuse easy. By storing
only the differences between versions,
rather than flattened linear versions
of content, and supporting use of
mezzanine-level compression, IMF
also introduces significant savings in
storage costs.
The master set of file-based
elements within a given IMF bundle
may be assembled according to
varying Composition Playlists (CPL)
— roughly equivalent to recipes —
for any downstream distribution
target. The IMF CPL is an Extensible
Markup Language (XML) document
that defines the playback timeline
for this composition and includes the
metadata applicable to it. External
Material eXchange Format (MXF)
track files contain the actual essence;
as a result, multiple compositions can
be created without duplication of
common essence files. To generate
content in an array of distribution
formats, IMF users apply an Output
Profile List (OPL) to the composition.
While this workflow is important
in that it brings much greater agility
to multi-platform, multi-version
content distribution, it is also signi
ficant in that it supports next-gen
eration formats and can support
increasingly popular content with
high dynamic range (HDR), wider
colour gamut (WCG), and high frame
rates (HFR). Thus, IMF offers the media
industry a future-proof approach to
worldwide content distribution,
providing content creators, owners
and distributors the efficiency and
flexibility they need to monetise
content more broadly.
SMPTE member volunteers have
spent more than a decade working to
make IMF a powerful and compelling
solution for the broadcast and film
industries. Today, the format is being
embraced within leading studios as
well as OTT companies, and greater
unders tanding
of IMF and its
p o s s ib i l i t i e s ,
is driving in
creased use in
outward-facing
applications as
well.
Bruce Devlin is vice-president, SMPTE
Standards, and also goes by the name of
Mr MXF.
It’s clear, it’s cloud,
and we say it aloud!
BY RITU SHARMA
Content owners and TV broad
casters have for long dealt with the
limitations of traditional managed
broadcast services. These services
are typically asset-heavy with large
hardware deployments and physical
operations. In many cases, they do
not have global operations, making
it difficult for TV networks to scale
overseas operations and optimise
their cost for broadcast services.
Added to this, at most times, TV
networks have no real-time control
of their broadcasts and are left to
make decisions based on end of
the month reports. Furthermore, as
multi-screen viewing takes centre
stage, traditional managed broad
cast service providers are not fully
equipped to deliver both TV and
over-the-top (OTT) playout services
under a common roof.
Amagi SKYLIGHT, a game
changer in the managed
broadcast services industry
In contrast to traditional managed
broadcast services, Amagi has
ushered in a new paradigm shift
by making the entire service layer
cloud-based (public/private). This
means that Amagi SKYLIGHT is
asset-light, scalable, reliable, secure,
geo-agnostic, and easily accessible,
as well as supports both traditional
TV and OTT channel broadcasts.
Simple, transparent, and
automated
The foundation of Amagi SKYLIGHT
is built on being simple, transpar
ent and automated. As the entire
broadcast operation is transitioned
to the cloud, it is much simpler to
manage content, start new linear
and live channels, and collaborate
with third-party service providers.
Broadcasters can access their work
flows from any remote location
through a Web user interface (UI),
allowing greater transparency in
comparison to a traditional man
aged service, which operates like
a ‘black-box’.
Amagi SKYLIGHT offers end-to-
end broadcast services covering the
following:
n Media services: Amagi can
ingest content in multiple for
mats, including live contribution.
Post-production services, subtitle
creation, channel branding, stor
age and archival are many of the
services that Amagi offers to make
broadcast content