SD Video

We require the following files for every SD

1. ProRes encode
2. MPEG-2 encode
3. Screengrab 

Video Stream

Technical specs

• The encode format (codec) must be Apple ProRes 422 HQ
• The file must use the .mov container
• Acceptable pixel dimensions

• The overall bitrate mode must be Variable (ie VBR)
• Frame rate must be 23.976, 24, 25 or 29.97 frames per seconds. Keep the frame rate the same as original source
• ITU-R BT.601 colour space
• Long GOP
• Pixels aspect ratio must be embedded in the file to produce the desired display aspect ratio (preferably 16:9 or 4:3)
• Progressive scans versus interlaced considerations

• Overall bitrate must be acceptable for the encode format. This will vary based on:

              - The pixel dimensions

The below table indicates an example target of bitrates according to this criteria 

Audio Streams

Technical Specs

• Audio format must be PCM (MP3, AAC, or any other compressed formats are not acceptable)
• Must have one audio track with two channels (ie one stereo track)
• Sample rate must be 48kHz or any standard sample rate greater than that (eg 96kHz). 44.1kHz is not acceptable
• Bit depth must be 16 or 24
• Audio must be normalised to EBU R128 broadcast standards (-23 LUFS program loudness overall for the track) 

Technical specs

• The encode format (codec) must be MPEG-2 main profile
• The file must use the .mpg container
• Acceptable pixel dimensions

            - 720 x 576 (PAL)

            - 720 x 480 or 720 x 486 (NTSC)

• Bitrate mode must be 15 to 16 Mbps
• The overall bitrate mode must be Variable (ie VBR)
• Frame rate must be 23.976, 24, 25 or 29.97 frames per seconds. Keep the frame rate the same as original source
• ITU-R BT.601 colour space
• 4:2:0 chroma subsampling
• Long GOP
• Pixels aspect ratio must be embedded in the file to produce the desired display aspect ratio (preferably 16:9 or 4:3)
• Must be progressive scans. Interlaced content is not accepted for this encode 

Audio Streams

• Audio format must be MPEG-1 layer II
• Bit rate must be 384kbps
• Sample rate must be 48kHz
• Must have one audio track with two channels (ie one stereo track)
• Audio must be normalised to EBU R128 broadcast standards (-23 LUFS program loudness overall for the track) 

Technical Specs

• Pixel dimension must match the video itself (eg 720 x 576, 720 x 480)
• Document type must be JPG/JPEG with .jpg extensions, or PNG with .png extension
• Colour space must be RGB

Quality consideration for all files

Visual stream

• No perceivable defects or visual degradation. Content must have been converted correctly from the source material and must not have been upconverted during editing. No digital artefacts, pixelation, or interlacing issues from an analogue source. No dropouts or corruption in the video stream
• The video must begin and end with black; at least one frame of 100% pure digital black at the start and finish
• Visible text; some are acceptable (e.g. key credits) but some are not (e.g. logos, URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, advertising or up-selling to any website or service). Any text that promotes any brand or service beyond simple crediting that is directly related to the video itself, is not permitted
• Explicit material is acceptable if the product metadata denotes its content as explicit. Pornography is not acceptable
• See Apple’s style guide for further video quality concerns

Audio Streams

• Music video must contain one sound recording (ie track or song) only
• Ensure there are no perceivable defects in the audio stream, for example, unintended sound, static or dropouts

Screengrab

• The screengrab must be still taken from the actual video, not an image from any other source
• Areas of black or inactive pixels must be removed from the screengrab. This may require zooming in on the active image area to ensure it fills the visible dimension. When doing so, ensure that the artefacts are not introduced and that image quality is maintained to the highest degree possible
• The image should contain little or no motion blur
• It is preferred that the image is aesthetically pleasing or flattering (eg not an image that has the artist with their eyes closed or contorting their face or on the middle of fast movement and blur)
• Explicit material is not accepted 
• No image degradation or fuzziness that may have been caused by upscaling from a smaller resolution source
• No blur, pixelation or file corruption or damage
• If the video is interlaced ensure that the screengrab has been deinterlaced