Our Transcoding Platform

Our audio/video transcoding platform, the heart of AberFast, resides in the industry-leading AWS Cloud. With redundancy at every level and the industry’s best software, AberFast has become the proven provider of broadcast-ready video files with embedded-closed captioning.

Technical Review & Correction

Upon upload, all programs are reviewed by dedicated Account Managers for appropriate video specs and program completeness. Next, all client files are passed through intelligent and automated correction software to certify that files are broadcast-compliant and safe, while also meeting the station’s playout server specifications. Human eyes review programs at least twice through this process as well.

Our technical review will help ensure that your program passes the most stringent broadcast standards set in place by the major broadcast groups. Catching errors before the final transcode and delivery to the stations helps prevent station rejections, which lead to lost days and possibly missed airdates as a result.

Technical Review of the Video

Most common video issues we catch:

• Low bit rate
• Non-drop frame timecode
• Field dominance/interlacing issues
• Wrong total run time
• Aspect ratio issues
• Luma/chroma & black levels
• Title-safe media & postage-stamped content
• Graphic errors & misspellings
• “Media offline” segments
• Video glitches & pixelated artifacts

Technical Review of the Audio

When it comes to checking the quality of any audio file, it is important to note that checking the quality is not only listening to it but also a visual process as well. This visual aspect includes, but is not limited to, checking the levels in which the audio is being projected, whether the audio has any peaks that go above the acceptable limit or ceiling for broadcast standards and more.

Common audio issues:

• Unbalanced audio –higher levels on the left or right channel
• Overall loudness
• Audio peaks
• Mono audio –on only the left channel
• Audio phasing
• Out of CALM Act range (-24 LKFS +/-2dB)
• Static audio
• A/V sync

Broadcast Transcoding

A MPEG file may be the closest format to a universal standard, but because of varying bitrates, GOP structures, and other varying file essences, no two MPEGs are alike. Stations may also require a different duration of leader and tail elements, disclaimers, black/slug, etc. added to programs that create multiple end files of varying durations.

So, will one single file work for all my stations? Not likely since each station typically has its own unique, preferred file specification. But for AberFast, it does.

Conversions

• SD <--> HD
• 24fps --> 29.97fps
• ATSC <--> PAL

Advanced Customizations

• Trim to program or slate without bars and tones.
• Add expansion frames at the head, tail, or both so play servers can detect the start of the program
• Captions can be embedded, overlayed, or passed along as side-car files.
• Renaming client files to meet station naming conventions.
• Program metadata delivery alongside media files to enable stations to automate their ingest processes.
• Provide custom QC proxies for station ingest operators to verify content.

Our Internet Pipe

Hi-resolution broadcast files are often 20+ GBs. Our file transfer solution maintains high data speeds over long distances for dependable connections and transfer times up to 80% faster than traditional FTP.  AberFast's  automated transfers provide email notifications for receipt and delivery to ensure every client knows exactly when their program has been successfully delivered. See more details on  how we deliver files.