What is AS10 and Why Do You Need It?
A nice video introduction to AS10 by Bruce Devlin.
A curation about new media technologies
As broadcast facilities and post-production houses implement new workflow and media management systems, they deal with an array of new IT-based technologies and are inundated with acronyms associated with those technologies, as well as the best practices concerning their use. Adoption of IT-based technologies continues apace with continued convergence across the media industry.
Despite this rapid shift of operations into the IT realm, however, the industry as a whole has not been as fast in providing engineering staff with an education on the meaning of terms such as XML, WSDL, SOAP, SOA and REST, the technologies underpinning them, and the role they play in present and future media-focused operations. This article will review the most relevant acronyms, their fundamental principles and their typical applications.
XML and XML Schema
Complex control systems depend on a reliable interchange of information in order to make the myriad business decisions that guide material through workflow. This is made simpler if individual systems can swap information in the form of structured data — that is, documents that contain both content and an indication of the content's role in the document.
The concept of structured data is not new; humans have been dealing with information formatted this way for centuries. Examples include published (human-readable) books and magazines, as well as web pages displayed by a browser. In both cases, these systems indicate to the consumer the relevance and importance of any particular item on the page through the use of typographical hints — such as underlining text that hyperlinks to other documents. HTML achieves this by including “tags” in the document, and the browser uses those tags to determine how to emphasize the relative value of the associated data.
As a markup language, HTML represents a fairly limited set of standardized tags intended for the presentation of web content, so its utility beyond that scope likewise is limited.
XML, however, offers flexibility that makes it more suitable for commercial use. This is true because, unlike HTML, XML allows users to define their own tags. Rather than defining the tags themselves (or the semantics of the tags), XML provides a facility for defining tags and using them within a document. As with HTML, data is then bracketed within opening and closing tags, which the receiving device can read and act on as appropriate.
Here is an example of the use of a tag “author” to identify a book's author in a library document:
<author>William Shakespeare</author>
Because XML tags are user-definable, an XML Schema is used to define which tags are valid in a particular document. Such definitions describe, for example, elements that can appear in a document (along with their attributes), whether an element is empty or can include text, and the data types for elements and attributes.
Thus, a document can be compared to an XML Schema — acting much like a blueprint, style guide or template — to ensure the document is valid and contains all relevant information. Again, this idea is not a new concept solely used by XML. Most databases have some sort of schema. Also, textbooks have used schemas for years, generally referring to them as “style guides.”
Here is an example of an XML schema for a memo:
SOAP and SOA
Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) is a lightweight protocol for the exchange of information. It describes three main elements: an envelope, the encoding rules, and a convention for the representation of remote procedure calls and responses. SOAP is no longer used; however, the technology remains very much in use.
Though it isn't used, the SOAP acronym is sometimes confused with Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Though SOAP standards may be part of an SOA application, the acronyms are not related.
SOA is a design philosophy that separates the core functions of a business into independent modules. These modules are referred to as services — essentially software functions — that are called by one or more other services in the overall workflow. (Media transcoding is an example of a service that could be invoked as part of an overall workflow management system.)
Operating on the principle of loosely coupled systems, SOA abstracts the functions of a service from the low-level substructures of that service, leaving the calling service to use much higher-level language to drive the process. In doing so, SOA can make it easier to choreograph multiple business activities and processes among multiple complex software systems, all working under the control of a central process to achieve the required goal.
Consider the operation of a typical media enterprise: Material comes into a facility on tape, via satellite or as a file transfer, and content from each of these sources must be processed before it can be used. Tapes must be ingested, satellite feeds must be fed through some sort of IRD, and files must be received and error-corrected. Some form of transcoding may then be applied in order to provide the material in the house format. A QC stage may then be applied to ensure technical compliance. In the software world, each of these would be software modules in a SOA-based system.
Without SOA, setting up such systems is a time-consuming process that likely will demand customization so that one vendor's automation/asset management system can talk to another vendor's software module or hardware processor. Any operational or technical changes may require replacement of a module or augmentation with another vendor's module.
For example, in a traditional workflow, the automation system must have deep knowledge of the proprietary API calls required to tell a transcoder to transcode a particular piece of material to another format. Every time a new format is added to the transcoder by its manufacturer, that interface must be modified (or in the worst case, completely rewritten). The custom integration software capable of addressing systems from different vendors thus presents a high-potential investment in time and money.
In a more agile SOA-based architecture, the automation system would simply send an XML message that says, “Transcode file X to format Y, and store the result as Z.” This message remains consistent, even if a new transcoder or format is added. Regardless of the vendor, equally equipped systems will perform the same basic transcode when given the same command. Knowing this, engineers can take a more flexible approach to workflow design. This model depends on the fact that each service describes itself and its capabilities to the rest of the system. Web Services Descriptive Language (WSDL) facilitates this exchange of information.
WSDL is an XML-based language used for describing features and capabilities of a particular service. Provided to the central controlling system, this information ensures all other services and applications are aware of a particular service's capabilities.
Four critical pieces are supplied:
Today's broadcasters are looking for the highest image quality, flexible delivery formats, interoperability and standardized profiles for interactive video transport and workflows. They also have a vested interest in a common high-end format to archive, preserve and monetize the avalanche of video footage generated globally.
This is the story behind the rapid adoption of JPEG 2000 compression in the contribution chain. Standardized broadcast profiles were adopted in 2010 to match current industry needs (JPEG 2000 Part 1 Amendment 3 — Profiles for Broadcast Application — ISO/IEC 15444-1:2004/Amd3), ensuring this wavelet-based codec's benchmark position in contribution.
In parallel, these broadcast profiles have also filled the industrywide need for compression standards to archive and create mezzanine formats, allowing transcoding to a variety of media distribution channels. The ongoing standardization process of the Interoperable Master Format (IMF) by SMPTE based on JPEG 2000 profiles brings the adoption full-circle.
The U.S. Library of Congress, the French Institut National de l'Audiovisuel (INA) and several Hollywood studios have selected the codec for the long-term preservation of a century of audio-visual contents.
JPEG 2000 is different from other video codecs. MPEG and other DCT-based codecs have been designed to optimize the compression efficiency to deliver video to viewers via a pipe with limited bandwidth. JPEG 2000, with its wavelet transform algorithm, brings features not only for image compression efficiency, but to give also the user better control and flexibility throughout the image processing chain. The codec provides unique features that are not available in any other compression method.
JPEG 2000 under the Spotlight
JPEG 2000 is based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) and uses scalar quantization, context modeling, arithmetic coding and post-compression rate allocation. JPEG 2000 provides random access (i.e. involving a minimal decoding) to the block level in each sub-band, thus making it possible to decode a region, a low-resolution or a low-quality image version of the image without having to decode it as a whole.
JPEG 2000 is a true improvement in functionality, providing lossy and lossless compression, progressive and parseable code streams, error resilience, region of interest (ROI), random access and other features in one integrated algorithm.
Most video professionals are now quite familiar with metadata. But, just to be sure everyone is on the same page, when we use the term metadata in this tutorial, we are referring to information (data) that typically refers to a program, commercial or other video/audio content. Examples of metadata include: the name of a program, the length of a segment or an ISCII code associated with a commercial.
Collectively, video, audio, subtitles, AFD and other things people consume as part of a program are known as essence. Just remember that essence refers to the stuff we are watching when we view a program. Importantly, essence includes data (subtitles, teletext, AFD and so on). If we want to talk about data that is part of the program, we talk about data essence. Data essence is not metadata; data essence is part of the program that is intended for “viewing” by the end consumer.
Technical vs. Descriptive
Metadata tends to be treated as a single topic. But, in our mind, there are several different ways to classify metadata. One way to look at metadata is whether it is technical or descriptive. Technical metadata is metadata that is required to identify and play back essence properly. Examples include: a Unique Media Identifier (UMID), information about compression used and raster size.
Descriptive metadata is typically the sort of information operators in professional media organizations care about — program title, show number, kill date, ISCII code and so on. Descriptive metadata might also include things like shot notes, scripts and music scores.
Some metadata falls into a grey area. How would you classify GPS location, zoom and focus setting, crank rate, or robotic camera position? Is this technical metadata or descriptive metadata? Generally speaking, technical metadata is directly related to the essence or essence coding and does not include these data types.
Another way to classify metadata is to think about how frequently the metadata is expected to change. We would expect some metadata to remain constant for the duration of the content being viewed. For example, we would not expect the title to change halfway through a program. In the United States, we might expect that the technical metadata regarding frame rate would remain at 59.97Hz for the duration of the program. As you can see from these examples, the frequency of metadata change is an orthogonal classification (meaning it is completely unrelated) to the metadata type (technical or descriptive). Not surprisingly, metadata that remains constant is called static metadata.
Other metadata, such as timecode, would be expected to increase monotonically (increase by a count of one, only) on every frame. Timecode and other metadata may, therefore, be placed on a timeline that increases predictably, and should never decrease (run backwards) or unexpectedly jump ahead. This type of metadata might be called timeline-related metadata.
Finally, metadata associated with shot logging, describing actors in scenes or associating a music score to a section of a program may appear fixed for a period of time, may be duplicated in several locations during a program or may even overlap with other similar types of metadata. This metadata can be referred to as event metadata.
There is one other important family of metadata, and that is perpetual metadata. As you can guess, this is metadata that should never change. Systems rely on the fact that these metadata items are immutable. If something is immutable, it means that it cannot be changed after it is created. Examples of this include a unique ID and the location where a program was filmed. Remember, systems will count on the immutability of certain metadata. If you violate the rules, all bets are off.
Why does all this matter? Because, in the end, media professionals build and operate systems, and these systems need to be properly designed to handle all of these different types of metadata.
Metadata and Essence
How do you tie timecode or program title to a specific copy of a movie? In the tape world, the question was irrelevant. The timecode was either stored in the VBI or in the ANC data, and the program title was printed on a label on the box or the tape itself.
But, things have changed in the file-based world. Associating metadata, especially technical metadata, to a particular program can be critical. Professional file formats must contain not only video and audio, but also the technical metadata necessary to play back the content. When it comes to descriptive metadata, the door was left open as to exactly what types of descriptive metadata were to be included in the file. This is both good and bad. One of the most critical linking mechanisms between metadata and essence is the UMID. The UMID is a unique identifier that is used to identify a particular piece of content.
UMIDs and the Contract
It is important to understand that there is an implicit contract between systems that create content labeled with a UMID and systems that later manipulate the content or rely on the UMID to retrieve the content. Here is the contract: A system will never break the connection between a particular piece of content and the UMID that was originally associated with that content.
If you create a new piece of content, give it a new UMID. Simple, right? But, here is a twist: What if you create a bit-for-bit exact copy of the file? The rule is that you duplicate everything, including the UMID. But, now you have two copies of the content with the same UMID. Is this right? The answer is yes. And, if you ask a media asset management system to retrieve a piece of content using a UMID, you cannot say for certain which copy you will get. The particular instance of a copy of content is not uniquely identified by a UMID. For other reasons, a MAM system may uniquely identify each copy of the same content, but the UMID should not be used to do this.
In a file-based world, metadata becomes key. Understanding how unique identifiers work and treating them correctly is vitally important. Fortunately, manufacturers hide most of this from end users, so you may not even be aware that UMIDs exist.
By Brad Gilmer, Broadcast Engineering
The MSU Graphics & Media Lab has released its eighth H.264 video codecs comparison. The main goal of this report is the presentation of a comparative evaluation of the quality of new H.264 codecs using objective measures of assessment.
The comparison was done using settings provided by the developers of each codec. The main task of the comparison is to analyze different H.264 encoders for the task of transcoding video—e.g., compressing video for personal use. Speed requirements are given for a sufficiently fast PC; fast presets are analogous to real-time encoding for a typical home-use PC.
The overall ranking of the software codecs tested in this comparison is as follows:
Friday, June 22, 2012
This article connects the dots among Serial Digital Interface (SDI), image compression, the invention of the Advanced Authoring Format / Material eXchange Format (AAF / MXF) data model, the MXF wrapper format, the subsequent development of AS-02, AS-03 and other MXF application specifications, developments in high-speed networking technology and network security, the SMPTE 2022 Standard for Professional Video over IP transmission, the recent activities of the Hollywood-based ETC’s Interoperable Mastering Format (IMF), which has recently moved into SMPTE, and the Advanced Media Workflow Association / European Broadcasting Union (AMWA / EBU) Task Force on the Framework for Interoperable Media Services (FIMS), concentrating on service-oriented media workflows.
An atom is a self-contained data unit that contains information about an MP4 file. The moov atom, also referred to as the movie atom, defines the timescale, duration, display characteristics of the movie, as well as subatoms containing information for each track in the movie. The optimal location of the moov atom depends on the selected delivery method.
MPEG-4 Stream Packaging
For Flash Player to be able to play back an MPEG-4 (MP4) file, the file must be packaged in a specific type of container—one that follows the MPEG-4 Part 12 (ISO/IEC 14496-12) specification. Stream packaging is the process of making a multiplexed media file. Also known as muxing, this procedure combines multiple elements that enable control of the distribution delivery process into a single file. Some of these elements are represented in self-contained atoms.
As mentioned at the outset, an atom is a basic data unit that contains a header and a data field. The header contains referencing metadata that describes how to find, process, and access the contents of the data field, which may include (but is not limited to) the following components:
This document has been prepared by the EBU ‘BeyondHD’ Project that is part of the strategic programme on Future Television Systems. It is intended for EBU Members’ senior management and provides a general technical overview about future TV formats.
Friday, June 08, 2012
To get it out of the doldrums it remains in, 3D needs as much help as possible and the latest leg-up has been given by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) the United Nations agency for information and communication technology.
The ITU has drafted a series of recommendations, submitted to its Administrations for accelerated approval, on 3DTV that are intended to promote the further use of this format worldwide and which the ITU hopes will provide much needed tools to evaluate, make, and exchange 3DTV programmes. The ITU’s Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) has developed the standards in collaboration with experts from the television industry, broadcasting organisations and regulatory institutions in its Study Group 6.
In detail, the new ITU-R Recommendations focus on 720p and 1080i/p HDTV 3DTV programme production and broadcasting with recommendations also agreed on the digital interfaces used in studios for 3DTV programme production, and on the general requirements for 3DTV. The ITU-R Study Group 6 also agreed a Recommendation for the methods to evaluate the quality of 3DTV images, which relates to three aspects, or quality factors: picture quality, depth, and comfort levels.
Source: RapidTV News