Leading UK independent broadcaster ITV is developing a connectivity strategy which allows it to share large capacity media files between its bases in London, Manchester and Leeds, together with key contractors including ITFC and the playout centre operated by Technicolor, now taken over by Ericsson. As part of this file exchange network, it has implemented the AmberFin Unified Quality Control (UQC) system which runs on its iCR platform. This automated QC product ensures that files are guaranteed top quality and fit for purpose before being exchanged across the network. Working with systems integrator ATG Broadcast, the UQC systems have been implemented as pilot exercises on the broadcaster’s two highly popular soap operas Emmerdale and Coronation Street. “These two pilot projects are part of a long-term strategy that sees us refreshing the way we share, manage, distribute and exploit content throughout ITV’s operations,” said Andrew Ioannou, director of technology strategy for ITV. “We need rigorous quality control in our workflow to ensure that any media file is fit to broadcast. We selected AmberFin as our partner since their technology is a great fit for the business as we move forward into file-based workflows.” UQC uses the power of the AmberFin iCR platform to implement in software two industry-leading tools: Snell’s Hyperion and Digimetric’s Aurora. This allows all aspects of quality control to be integrated in a single timeline process to give users an instant and accurate visual display of any potential issues through the ingest and transcoding process. The workflow allows QC to be applied at any point in the lifecycle of an asset, using the most appropriate technique. Reports are designed to be easy to understand, with graphics to help operators identify the source, nature and position of any identified errors, with a thumbnail of the frame where it occurred.
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