[info]
FEEDING YOUR MEDIA FACTORY, BY JAY BATISTA, TEDIAL’S GENERAL MANAGER, US OPERATIONS
Today’s smart media companies recognize the value of quality ingest processes that properly gather assets and metadata into a MAM and support better delivery and export processes at the end of their media factory line.
It is important to note, however, that enterprise systems will need uniquely configured ingest processes to maximize their particular business results. Tedial has been leading the industry in providing industrialized ingest processes for over 17 years. We’ve recently launched our Evolution Version Factory that supports special workflows such as end-to-end IMF solutions, and VOD and OTT publishing.
Following are some actions to contemplate, and steps to consider implementing when building and automating today’s specialized acquisition workflows:
- Metadata “Placeholders”
Metadata Placeholders can either be created manually by a work order or form, or automatically by the system upon reception of qualified metadata files from trusted sources. These placeholders are asset “shells” that can hold some pre-supplied data and wait for matching media to complete the asset in the MAM.
- Work Orders
Work Orders are both internal and external forms with required metadata fields so that suppliers and internal customers can pre-load metadata or trigger a workflow.
- Media Pre-Analysis
A technical analysis will ensure that the incoming files are an accepted format, not carrying computer viruses or other malware, and the system can process them properly with appropriate escalation responses upon media failure.
- Ingest and Proxy Generation
These are the core functions that will bring media into the system and create a frame-accurate proxy for MAM use.
- Transcode to a Mezzanine Format
Some companies keep the archive in a certain format that supports specific editing and production tools. The MAM must then normalize all incoming media to the house specifications to support those downstream processes.
- Unidentified Media Workflows
These workflows will manage orphan files and problem metadata that cannot be linked to an existing asset or a placeholder, often with a set of escalation procedures defined by company business logic.
- IMF Identifiers Recognition
With associated proxy annotations, IMF Identifiers make the IMF media more useful inside the MAM.
- Logical IMF CPL Applications
Methods for applying pre-defined company component play lists to incoming media in operations that use SMPTE IMF methodologies, they allow the system to highlight missing components as part of the reception process, and assign business logic to completing the CPLs.
- Links to Automated Quality Control and HDR Tools
Dolby Vision, for example.
- Ingest Metadata Annotations as Supplied by Artificial intelligence Software Tools
Such as X-RAY and GRAYMETA.
These are only some of the considerations for industrializing your media acquisition to better automate and monetize your assets. We recommend you to add these capabilities to your media factory.
