In Broadcast - In Show Guide 2016 - 78


78

www.inbroadcast.com | IBC2016 InShow Guide | 9-13 September

Vidcheck Adds Advanced
Media Player and AS-10
File Handling to Vidchecker
Vidcheck is a major innovator in the design and production of software for automated
quality control and automated correction of file-based media...

V

idcheck, a globally active producer
of advanced applications to check
and correct file-based video and audio
content, is demonstrating the latest
version of Vidchecker plus the opexlicence-based Vidchecker OnDemand
at the show.
"Vidcheck has a wealth of experience
in providing cost-effective and easyto-deploy solutions that perform
compliance for a wide range of
delivery standards," comments Global
Sales Manager Joe Newcombe. "The
latest version now incorporates a
template for the AS-10 file format.
Chosen by French broadcasters,
AS-10 is designed for transmission
of LongGOP MPEG-2 video and PCM
audio. It is essentially the format used
for XDCAMHD, carrying content in an
OP-1A wrapper. Our support for AS-10
demonstrates Vidcheck's sustained
agility in responding both to evolving
technology and specific national
requirements."
Content Viewer
Also at IBC2016 will be an entirely
new version of the Vidcheck Advanced
Media Player (Vamp). Vidchecker
comes with its own player to show
content that has been tested or
corrected.
Some
environments
require a more sophisticated view of
the content. Vamp guides the user
through any alerts raised as part of
the automated quality control process.
Alerts are displayed along a timeline
representation of the content.
The user can navigate to each alert
in turn or randomly jump though
scene by scene. Navigation is via
standard industry transport controls.
Adding a hardware graphics output
card it is possible to take an HDMI or
SDI output from a workstation to a
second monitor. As well as playing
out the video and audio, Vamp's main
features include timeline display of
video keyframes and all audio tracks;
location and description details of all
alerts from Vidchecker/Vidfixer auto

QC; file metadata display and audio
codec details for each track.
New Additions
Other major additions to Vidchecker
since IBC2015 include:
* Automatic
video
segment
detection. This identifies and reports
back as timecode the start and
duration of any segments bordered by
black positionals. These are routinely
placed in media files to accommodate
commercials relevant to specific
viewer categories;
* Advanced validation of IMF
metadata and essence. IMF files carry
a relatively large amount of metadata
to support multi-language, multireel, subtitles/closed-captions, video
inserts and after-the-fact delivery of
content with 'supplemental packages'.
IMF also includes metadata relating
to audio and timed text essence
formats, basic descriptive metadata,
complex playlists, and delivery. A
typical application will specify video
codecs plus image characteristics
and can specify additional descriptive
metadata, for instance. Vidchecker
V.7 is designed to check all this data
and draw attention to any potential
operational issues;
* Multi-lingual alerts. Vidcheck
users can now access quality-control
alerts in practically any language
rather than being restricted to English.
Languages can be assigned within
quality-control templates;
* Peak attenuation. Adding to the
loudness level normalisation of earlier
Vidchecker iterations, Vidchecker now
incorporates a new audio correction
algorithm which provides transparent
adjustment of abnormally high audio
peaks.
Vidchecker now works faster
than any previous version, taking
advantage of the parallel processing
architecture employed in modern
digital microprocessors.
Most of the new Vidchecker
features will also be available on

Vidchecker-post. The key difference
is that Vidchecker is the faster of
the two applications, capable of
testing and correcting multiple files
simultaneously.
Uniquely Powerful
The automated error correction
options being introduced to Vidchecker
mean that detection and correction are
combined in a single uniquely powerful
application:
* Layout Changes - allowing
automatic addition of bars and black
to a file without interruption. These
changes in layout are user-defined in a
normal Vidchecker template;
* PSE Correction - (the ability to
correct luminance flashes known to
cause problems for people prone to
photosensitive epilepsy). This feature
allows users to correct content
automatically for delivery to UK DPP
broadcasters, ensuring conformance
with OFCOM guidelines for luminance
flashing, which is the most common
problem for PSE;
* Transcoding
-
Vidchecker
users can now pre-define an inhouse file format. Vidcheck can then
automatically perform quality control
as well as intelligent level correction
and layout changes to a common file
format regardless of input format.
Designed for checking file-based
video, audio and related metadata
before
and
after
distribution,

Vidcheck Task Monitor GUI

Vidchecker
is
also
used
by
broadcasters for checking files
received
from
post-production
companies and content owners to
ensure that file, video and audio
parameters and levels are correct
and ready for general transmission.
Vidchecker provides a highly efficient
server-based alternative to checking
conformance by eye and hand. It can
also automatically and intelligently
correct video and audio levels.
Sub-SD, SD, HD, UHD, 4K, 8K and
mixed workflows are supported. The
Vidchecker GUI is accessed through
a web browser either on the local
machine or remotely over a network.
Full Featured
Vidchecker-post is a full-featured
version of Vidchecker designed
for low-volume users such as
post-production
houses,
content
distributors and smaller broadcasters
who do not have the file-testing
throughput requirements of larger
companies. Like Vidchecker, it is
easy to install and use, performing
thorough checks of video and audio
parameters, and checking video
and audio quality. It intelligently
corrects video luma, chroma and RGB
component, and conforms audio peak
and audio loudness levels to ATSC/
CALM and EBU requirements.
www.vidcheck.com
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.vidcheck.com
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