New DPP guidance makes IMF implementation easier
July 17, 2019
The DPP, the media industry’s business network, has released four documents to support the industry’s deployment of IMF for Broadcast & Online. The documents will benefit implementers that acquire, master and distribute content using the DPP’s technical specification, SMPTE TSP 2121-1:2018 IMF Application DPP (ProRes).
The four documents are:
- Recommendation DPP003: Carriage of User Metadata in IMF
- Guidance DPP004: Best Practice for IMF QC Workflows
- Guidance DPP005: IMF Operational Guidance v2.0
- File Delivery using IMF: Programme Delivery Document template
This collection of documents has been developed to provide implementers with a common set of working practices in order to help simplify the global exchange of content. Each document is based on business needs identified by DPP member companies when planning their practical implementations.
“Practical support for implementers is a hallmark of DPP technical work”, says DPP Head of Delivery and Growth, Rowan de Pomerai. “By defining the carriage of key metadata, recommending best practice for QC, and offering a common format for delivery requirements, our members are working together to build a truly interoperable content supply chain using IMF.”
The IMF Programme Delivery Document template defines a common framework for broadcasters and content providers to define their specific technical and operational requirements when commissioning content for delivery in IMF.
Bill Brown, Head of Media Standards, ITV, commented “ITV is committed to driving the adoption and implementation of the SMPTE TSP 2121-1:2018 Specification. The new IMF Delivery Requirements document will enable us to communicate clearly with our suppliers our exact delivery requirements relating to IMF deliverables.”
The DPP Guidance document, Best Practice for IMF QC Workflows and has been designed for anyone looking to deploy practical IMF workflows in their organisations. It offers best practice for choosing when, where, and how QC is undertaken, and how the results can be stored and exchanged.
“Successful implementation of IMF has to include changes to the QC processes. The DPP’s guidance on QC Best Practice in IMF will make it easier for A+E Networks UK and other organisations to identify the correct QC steps that will enable us to deliver efficiencies from the migration to IMF, while ensuring the best possible quality”, says Jan-Hendrick Hein, Director of Media Operations UK, A+E Networks.
Carriage of User Metadata in IMF is a DPP Recommendation that defines a common approach to the carriage of editorial metadata in IMF for Broadcast & Online. It specifies a dictionary of metadata elements and the preferred methods for carriage of these elements.
Finally, the DPP’s Operational Guidance v2.0 is an updated release of the DPP’s practical guidance for using IMF in the content supply chain. It is a great starting point for those considering IMF deployment, and can be used alongside the other documents or as a standalone guide.
These documents, and the DPP’s wider IMF work, benefit the whole content supply chain. From producers needing to understand how to deliver an IMF package to the broadcaster, and post production companies seeking efficiencies in QC, to distributors seeking a common methodology for exchanging content.
The DPP continues its support for the global adoption of IMF for Broadcast & Online through upcoming work on access services in IMF, provision of a common API for IMF Media Management, and guidance on IMF for advertising and other short form content.