The Anatomy of a Good QC Solution Tv-Bay Magazine, Nov 07, 2011
- Krishna Uppuluri, VP Marketing, Interra Systems As the media transitions from tape-based analog to file-based digital content, the existing workflows and operational methods of media companies will need to be updated. File-based workflows are being widely adopted as mainstream solution by Broadcasters, Post-production houses, IPTV, satellite and archiving companies. A file-based content can be stored on traditional IT infrastructure, modified & analyzed by software and transferred via high-speed networks to Connected-consumers across multiple-screens for increased revenues. The pace and the freedom to change the file-based content can lead to various problems in content. Hence the content needs to be verified after every change. New generations of Quality Control (QC) solutions such as Interras Baton fulfill this need to verify the content at every stage. This article discusses the anatomy of a good QC solution.
File-based Content - QC Solution requirements File-based content is processed through many stages from creation to archival. These stages are collectively called Content lifecycle stages. Content lifecycle stages commonly include Ingest, Edit, Transcode, Playout and Archival. At each stage, the content may be represented in certain formats and processed by a specialized infrastructure for a specific purpose. The subtle differences in formats support and the methods of processing at each stage can lead to unexpected problems in content. The QC solutions are expected to analyze such issues and ensure the content is verified to be ready at every stage of content lifecycle.
QC Across Content Lifecycle - At each stage of content lifecycle, the content needs to be verified (QC) for its internal details (formats, regulations, quality). Also at each stage, the type of content transformation is different - Editors change the content, Transcoders re-generate content and MAM solutions change header information. Hence there is a need for QC at every stage of content lifecycle for stage-specific verification. Also as the content size & volume grows, the efficiency of QC becomes an important requirement. Hence QC solutions have become a critical component throughout the file-based workflows as shown in the figure below:
For media companies that have multiple sites/business units, consistent QC methods across their business units help maximize their operational efficiencies. The growing global market of connected consumers also creates opportunities for media companies to consume content from any global supplier or supply content to any global consumer. The expanded content diversity and exchange further adds to the depth & breadth of QC requirements.
Anatomy of a good QC solution - A good QC solution needs to address multiple requirements in step with growing content and the diverse needs of media companies:
Content-specific requirements - Does the QC solution offer a complete solution to verify a wide-range of content formats, delivery standards, regulatory compliance and quality at every stage of content lifecycle
Efficiency & throughput requirements - Can the QC solution offer facilities to improve verification efficiency as the content size & volume increases?
Enterprise-wide scalability requirements - Can the QC solution enable enterprise-wide groups achieve consistent and reliable QC methods?
Global supply-chain requirements - Can the QC solution help expand content monetization in global markets as a trusted content certifier for suppliers and consumers
The following figure illustrates the four categories of requirements of a good QC solution: QC Solution requirements - Details QC Solution requirement - 1: Content-specific requirements
A good QC solution should be able to support a wide-variety of content-specific requirements so the media companies can deal with any content at any stage of content lifecycle. The content-specific aspects include the following:
Formats check - to make sure the content is in the formats it is supposed to be? The formats include the Container (MXF, LXF. Mov etc), Video essence (MPEG-2, H.264, J2K, DV etc) and Audio essence (AC-3, Dolby-E, WAV, MP3 etc). The QC solution should be able to handle format variations from various sources and still be able to check for format compliance to standard. An example of a standard format with many variations across infrastructure is MXF.
Delivery check - The content needs to comply with delivery standards such as CableLabs VOD and ARIB depending on the region.
Regulatory compliance check - In some regions of the world, content must be compliant with certain regulations. Notable regulations include loudness and flashiness control. Regulatory compliance checks are easy to support as they are well-defined in standards and are enforced only in some regions. For content targeted to broader global regions, regulatory compliance is not a major issue.
Quality checks - As the content is transformed from each stage to another, its quality can be impacted. Common quality problems include freeze frames, black frames, blurriness, audio silence and many more. Some quality problems impact the viewer experience while others can lead to operational glitches (freeze frames). A good QC solution should be able to handle a multitude of quality problems and assess the problems correctly. Many QC solutions offer quality checks but few are able to offer correct assessment of the quality errors.
QC Solution requirement - 2: Efficiency & throughput requirements
File-based content is growing rapidly and QC of the growing content needs to be optimized with the customers existing computing resources. The QC solution should offer facilities so the verification can be made efficient. These facilities include partial verification (verify only problem areas), growin
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
15/06/2026
Detach from Direct-Attached: How Remote Editing with EVO Keeps Creative Teams Mo...
14/06/2026
Library captures 1960s R&B/pop drum sound
Following on from their recent wave of plug-in effects, Iconic Instruments have just launched an all-new virtual d...
14/06/2026
HBO Comedy Rooster Shot with URSA Cine 17K 65
Brie Clayton June 14, 2026
0 Comments
Large format brings viewers intimately close to characters.
Black...
13/06/2026
Latest expansion pack includes 252 presets
Devious Machines have recently introduced another expansion for their powerful multi-effects plug-in, Infiltrator...
13/06/2026
Create custom DAW/plug-in controllers using prompts
MetaGrid have recently introduced an all-new AI Builder function to their touchscreen-based control surf...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
YES Network and The Gotham Sports App will air seven Athletes Unlimited Softball...
12/06/2026
The United Football League will host its FAST Innovation Suite at the 2026 United Bowl presented by Credit One Bank on Saturday, June 13 at 3:00 p.m. ET at Audi...
12/06/2026
PTZOptics and LayerJot will present live demonstrations at InfoComm 2026 showing how natural-language AI prompting, robotic camera control, and on-device comput...
12/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026, featuring...
12/06/2026
Ateme has announced that Eurovision Services is using Ateme's software-based frame-rate conversion technology for international live event workflows. The de...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin and Simplestream have announced a partnership with Xperi to simplify the launch of OTT streaming services on TiVo OS smart TVs and devices. The collabo...
12/06/2026
Net Insight has announced that a multinational technology company is deploying a...
12/06/2026
MLB Players Inc., the business arm of the MLB Players Association, has announced a partnership with Athletes First to develop and sell brand partnerships across...
12/06/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D) and VuWall have announced the CommandKeyboard-Advanc...
12/06/2026
Comcast Smart Solutions announces a new smart technology deployment with Major L...
12/06/2026
Elevation Worship completed the initial leg of its Elevation Nights 2026 tour ...
12/06/2026
AJA Video Systems has announced KONA IP25 support for Colorfront Transkoder and ...
12/06/2026
Audinate Group Limited (ASX: AD8) will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7321, Ce...
12/06/2026
Pac-12 Commissioner Teresa Gould has announced the appointment of Scott Adametz as Chief Technology Officer. The Pac-12 describes the hire as the first CTO appo...
12/06/2026
Grass Valley has announced AMPP Edge Live, a production system combining Grass Valley hardware, NVIDIA Blackwell GPU acceleration, and AMPP OS in a single platf...
12/06/2026
At one time a trailblazer with the launch of the Longhorn Network, the Universit...
12/06/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent rating news and is derived from press rel...
12/06/2026
Chyron has announced PAINT 10.4, an update to its illustrated replay and sports ...
12/06/2026
SVP, Production, Mark Gross: With the new schedule, with not having every Sunday night, it has given us an opportunity to take a step back and reimagine what o...
12/06/2026
For Televisa Technical Engineering Manager Roberto N nez Ibarra and the small team of 12 technicians and two production personnel at the IBC things are already ...
12/06/2026
Simple Steps to Better Acoustics - Taming The Small Room
Most of us mix in spare rooms and small spaces, where the acoustics fight us at every turn. At Gear...
12/06/2026
Latest addition expands vintage-inspired effects palette
Meris' Ottobit pedal range draws its inspiration from vintage gaming consoles, and the latest a...
12/06/2026
Soundbox-based chamber strings series expanded
Sonora Cinematic have just announced the launch of the second instalment in their Soundbox-based chamber stri...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
AJA Announces KONA IP25 Integration with Colorfront Software
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Collaboration enables uncompressed SMPTE ST 2110 I/O ...
12/06/2026
URSA Cine 12K LF Used to Create Visuals for STUTS' K-Arena Concert
Brie Clayton June 12, 2026
0 Comments
Organic visuals projected on a giant scre...
12/06/2026
MTI FILM Acquires Mango New Edit, Expanding its Global Post-Production Services ...
12/06/2026
AI Point Tracking Speeds Up Complex VFX Tracks in Mocha Pro
Jessie Electa Petrov June 12, 2026
0 Comments
The 2026.5 release adds automatic point trac...
12/06/2026
Bitmovin, a provider of video streaming solutions, has partnered with Simplestream, a provider of OTT and broadcast solutions, and technology provider Xperi, to...
12/06/2026
Leostream Corporation, creator of the world-leading Leostream Remote Desktop Access Platform, today announced Jigsaw24, a leading B2B IT solutions provider wit...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/06/2026
How Aussie indie games and screen are levelling up with IP 11 June 2026
Ari Harrison, Pro Jank Footy
Head of Games Joey Egger and Ari Harrison of Umbrella sha...
12/06/2026
AgentPerf from Artificial Analysis, the industry's first agentic AI benchmark, gives developers, enterprises and infrastructure providers a clear way to com...
The Anatomy of a Good QC Solution Tv-Bay Magazine, Nov 07, 2011
