Automated Quality Control of File-based Content

Cerify^® is an automated file-based QC software product, which integrates into file-based workflows that are processing a large volume of content. The software is scalable from a single instance to a multiple instance cluster for enterprise worklfows requiring higher throughput. Cerify reduces the "human QC" efforts, qualifies the media to pass or fail, and aids operational decisions. This product provides both broadcast and production operations with a fast, cost effective QC solution.

Key features

• Provides exception-based technical compliance to enable QC teams to focus on problem content and subjective requirements
• Performs consistent and thorough checks of incoming video files against user-defined templates
• Ensures compliance to regulatory requirements such as U.S. CALM Act, EBU R128, Canadian Closed Caption mandates, U.K. Ofcom & Japan NAB Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy (PSE)
• Provides HEVC support to address 4K content testing needs
• Ensures quality of all audio tracks contained in the file simultaneously
• Automatically corrects the audio loudness and levels to the desired target levels in a single pass to the original container, increasing workflow efficiency and reducing CapEx/OpEx
• Detects the Photo-Sensitive Epileptic (PSE) seizure-inducing flash/pop pattern in video sequences
• Logs errors, informs automation systems, plus programmable actions such as e-mail user alert, quarantine and move files
• XML-based templates to reduce ingest rejection due to errors
• Integrates with video servers, automation and MAM/DAM systems using SOAP API
• Web-based multiuser interface plus Web-services API
• Flexible Windows software-only solution capable of running on standalone hardware or on virtual machine environments
• Unlimited scalability from Stand-alone (single server) to Enterprise (clustered for higher parallel processing and high availability requirements)
• Human-readable PDF and machine-decodable XML output reports help decisions by operational staff and integrated software
• Partial checks on the file allow you to include or exclude different segments of the file
• Includes profiles for DPP, Netflix, and AS-11 delivery specifications
• Includes comprehensive bitstream, baseband/quality, and container tests
• Supports a wide range of formats and standards for video, audio, and containers

Applications

• Broadcasters and Video Service Providers – Ensuring quality, compliance, and playability of audio and video after encoding, at ingest, after editing, after transcoding, and before playout for terrestrial, satellite, cable, internet, and video-on-demand content, including 4K-HEVC
• Archiving – Ensuring quality, compliance, and playability of archive content before archiving, while in archival or before retrieval from the archive
• Content Providers – Ensuring post production and aggregated content has been correctly encoded and conforms to the required quality and format, including 4K-HEVC

With Cerify you can ensure that your content is ready for delivery

Quality control of file-based video, including 4K-HEVC, that may be ingested from different sources and encoded at different bit rates, formats, and compression standards for SD/HD, VOD, OTT, and IPTV delivery presents considerable operational challenges. Cerify checks for:

• Correct Encoding Syntax: At the digital level, both the audio and video must be correctly encoded without errors in accordance with the compression standard, so that it plays out correctly at the playout server and at the customer’s STB/playout device
• Correct Encoding Parameters: The bit rates, play time, aspect ratio, GOP structure, video color-space, color depth, frame size, frame rate, aspect ratio, and quantization levels
• Correct Baseband and Quality Levels: The analog parameters of signal levels, luma, chroma, gamut, quality levels of black frames, freeze frames, black and color bars, field order, video quality (blockiness), loss of audio, audio clipping, verification of audio loudness and peak level
• Correct Ancillary Data: Closed Captions, Teletext, DVB Subtitles, and Timecode
• Regulatory Compliance: US CALM Act, EBU R128, Canadian CC mandates, U.K. & Japanese PSE regulations

Manual inspection can playout, watch, and listen but is subjective and cannot look inside the encoding to check that the correct syntax and parameters have been used. Moreover, manual inspection is prohibitively expensive, especially given today’s increasing content growth.

Cerify solves these problems, and can be easily integrated with Automation and Asset Management systems using the CeriTalk API; thus feeding them with data required to automatically decide on next workflow steps or drawing attention to the few assets that need review by experts.

The XML-based test templates can be exchanged between Cerify systems, and applied as the definition of the required test standards between suppliers and broadcasters to establish Service-level Agreements and reduce costly churn (rework of content).

The Cerify Developer Community (CDC) is an ever-growing partnership program with over 50 companies working together on integrated solutions that work straight out of the box and deliver higher values by removing interoperability hurdles (www.tek.com/products/video-test/cerify/cdc).

User interface

The easy-to-use Web browser interface shows job status results at the top level.

You can view a summary of each job.

You can view individual alert details.

You can view reports by job, type, date range, file name, etc.

You can view DPP reports.

With just a few clicks, you can quickly "See and Solve" test results.