Overview
After a movie or TV episode has passed through the ingestion process, there's one last check before it can go live: quality control. Our QC team checks each file to make sure that it meets our quality standards from a technical and content policy point of view. You can check the Partner Portal to see where a file is in the QC process.
Regularly check if any of your files have a status of "FAILED" or “REJECTED” so you can address any problems quickly.
Reach out to your PPH and work with them on re-delivering the corrected files.
Standards
QC checks for the following standards, the majority of which would prevent a title from publishing. Some more minor issues may be resolved via the appropriate channels of communication with your Partner Operations Contact.
Issues that may prevent publishing content
Artwork| Issue | Description |
| ASPECT-RATIO |
Aspect ratio of the image does not meet specification in platform requirements. |
| TITLE-MISMATCH |
Title included in Artwork does not match title included in the Metadata. |
| BORDERS | Artwork contains uncropped borders |
| CONTENT-POLICY |
Content does not adhere to platform's policy due to sexual content, violence, drug use, or other problematic imagery. |
| RESOLUTION |
Resolution of Artwork does not meet specification in platform requirements. |
| MISSPELLING |
Misspelled words or misspelled proper name in text, missing accents/diacritics, punctuation, etc. |
| ARTWORK-MISMATCH |
Artwork does not match title / description included in the Metadata. |
| CALL-TO-ACTION |
Artwork contains release dates, timeframes or information regarding alternate distribution platforms. |
| OTHER | Artwork contains watermarks |
| OTHER | No legible title present in artwork |
| OTHER | Artwork is not bundle specific |
| Issue | Description |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT-DUB | Audio is flagged as dubbed when audio is OV or vice versa. |
| POP-CLICK-TICK | Audio contains an out of place pop, click or tick. |
| INCORRECT-LANGUAGE | Audio language does not match language flag in manifest |
| MIX-BALANCE |
Issue in the mix, either from the balance or volume on certain channels. |
| DISTORTION | Audio sounds overmodulated. |
| POOR-QUALITY-MAIN |
Audio quality of main mix audio is not crisp and clear, but muddied, garbled, or dialogue cannot be distinguished from music / sound effects within the mix |
| LEVEL-SHIFT |
The audio has an abrupt shift in volume unmotivated by picture. |
| CONFIGURATION |
Audio channels are not in correct order or missing per specification in platform requirements. |
| AGE-APPROPRIATE |
Content of audio is not appropriate for all audiences due to profanity (trailers only) |
| SYNC-OFFSET |
Audio is out of sync with video for a consistent duration throughout program (e.g., 2 seconds out at all points). |
| CONFIGURATION |
Audio channels are not in correct order or missing per specification in platform requirements. |
| CONFIGURATION | LFE Channel is missing or silent |
| DROPOUTS |
Audio contains one or more unintentional sections of silence. |
| CONFIGURATION |
Audio channels are not in correct order or missing per specification in platform requirements. |
| MISSING-TIMEDTEXT |
Package was delivered without a set of expected timed text tracks or files - forced subtitles |
| MISSING-DIALOG |
Audio mix is incomplete with no dialogue present in some or all sections. |
| POOR-QUALITY-COMMENTARY-DESCRIPTION |
Audio Description mix does not accurately describe the scene for the blind/visually impaired |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT |
Mix does not contain Audio Description, Commentary or Dialog-centric audio as intended. |
| Issue | Description |
| MISSING-INFORMATION | Description in metadata is incomplete. |
| TYPOS |
Title or description contains incorrect formatting, grammar, spelling and/or punctuation within metadata file. |
| AGE-APPROPRIATE |
Content of description or title is not appropriate for all audiences. |
| LOCALIZATION |
Title or description is not translated into language of country/region. |
| INCORRECT-GENRE |
Genre in Metadata is missing or does not match actual content of program.. |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT |
Metadata does not match corresponding video (e.g., title, description, file name, etc.). |
| OTHER | Description contains Call-to-Action. |
| OTHER | Title contains resolution info (e.g. "in 4K"). |
| OTHER |
Cast and crew is not legible due to incorrect localization or formatting. |
| OTHER | Description contains illegal characters. |
| OTHER | Title or description is not bundle specific |
| INCORRECT-PRODUCT-HIERARCHY |
Product(s) not tied the proper version or "umbrella" intellectual property. Issue exists with parent/child hierarchy (e.g., TV Episode included in the wrong season or incorrect order). |
| Issue | Description |
| SYNC-OFFSET |
Timed Text is consistently out of sync with audio/video for a consistent duration throughout program (e.g., > 3 seconds out at all points). |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT |
Contents of Timed Text file do not match title, description, file name or ID expected for corresponding video file. |
| INCORRECT-LANGUAGE |
Timed Text language does not match language flag or language indicated by metadata or filename. |
| MISSING-CONTENT |
Timed Text is missing events where dialog or forced narratives are required. |
| ILLEGAL-CHARACTERS |
Timed Text contains characters that cannot be interpreted or rendered by the platform. |
| TYPOS |
Timed Text includes events with misspellings or incorrect punctuation. |
| POSITION |
Position of on-screen text events conflicts with other on-screen text, mattes, etc.; or is otherwise incorrect" |
| DURATION-SHORT-EVENT |
Duration that Timed Text events are visible on-screen is too short. |
| LINE-COUNT |
Number of lines in Timed Text events exceeds specification in platform requirements. |
For the best customer experience, Timed Text should generally be 2 lines of text, as it is harder for customers to read if the text: moves too fast, is too long, or begins stacking (covering more of the video).
If 3 lines of text are visible in a couple of instances throughout the video, it is acceptable, but if there are 3 or more lines constantly throughout the video, our QC Team may ask you to redeliver.
| Issue | Description |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT |
Incorrect type of promotional content (e.g. EPK instead of Trailer) |
| PROMO-CONTENT |
Calls to action to specific sites/platforms, formats, or dates (e.g., "On Blu-Ray 7/2012") that are not relevant to the platform the content was delivered to. |
| POST-ROLL |
Trailer contains scrolling credits, which does not meet specification in platform requirements |
| ALIASING |
Visible stairstep pattern on diagonal lines/objects usually caused by resolution resizing, improper deinterlacing or over-compression. |
| BLENDED-FRAMES |
Progressive frames that display 2 overlapping images from the combination of different fields or frames. Also known as "Ghosting" or "Interpolation". |
| CONTENT-POLICY |
Content does not adhere to platform's policy due to sexual content, violence, drug use, or other problematic content |
| INTERLACING |
Field artifacts such as horizontal lines still present in deinterlaced content. |
| PRE-ROLL |
Contains warning prohibiting commercial distribution of content |
| PRE-ROLL |
Video program contains extra content at the beginning of the file, which does not meet specification in platform requirements (e.g., slates, academy leader, trailer, etc.). Also known as "Incorrect Head Format". |
| POST-ROLL | Excessive black at tail exceeding 60 seconds |
| POST-ROLL |
Video program contains extra content at the end of the file, which does not meet specification in platform requirements (e.g., MPAA Rating Cards, Advertisements, etc.). Also known as "Incorrect Tail Format". |
| DROPPED-FRAMES |
Video appears to have missing sequential frames, which results in jerky motion upon playback. |
| MACROBLOCKING |
Video is excessively blocky due to low bitrate or overly compressed source |
| MISSING-MATERIAL |
Video is missing content at the beginning, middle or end of program. |
| NON-NATIVE-ASPECT-RATIO |
Image is either squeezed or stretched usually resulting from content encoded incorrectly at 4x3 or 16x9. |
| JUDDER |
Motion in picture is inconsistent due to a mismatch between transmission frame cadence and source frame cadence. Excludes reverse 3:2 pulldown |
| INCORRECT-ASPECT-RATIO |
Aspect Ratio does not meet specification in platform requirements (e.g., Windowboxed, 4x3 Letterboxed, Full Frame pre-roll on pillarboxed feature, etc.). |
| RATING-CARDS-REQUIRED |
Rating Cards are not included with package or stitched to the feature when required. |
| DUB-CARDS-REQUIRED |
Dub Cards are not included with package or stitched to the end of program when required. |
| INCORRECT-CONTENT |
Program video does not match title, description, file name or ID expected. |
| HITS |
Video Hits - Colored blocks or checker patterns that appear for one or multiple fields/frames in the video and are commonly associated with (but not limited to) issues during tape capture or file transfer/corruption. |
| FRAMING-ERROR |
Mattes or black borders are not to spec (e.g. Pillar-boxing) or inconsistent throughout program. |
| COMMERCIAL-BLACKS |
Black segments between acts in episodic or feature content that are longer then 5 seconds. |
| OTHER | Unnatural or unintended cut or fade to black |
| OTHER | Multiple programs stitched together unexpectedly |
| OTHER | Missing Credits |
| OTHER |
Preview comprised of multiple edited clips instead of one continuous clip from feature |
| OTHER |
Video contains burned-in subtitles when textless is required for multregional experiences. |
A note on content quality: Convert assets from the highest quality master possible. Ask your PPH to test your existing masters.
Example: If your content was shot or mastered in HD, you should deliver the HD content. But if your content is SD, deliver the SD content. Don't convert SD content to HD, just for the purpose of making it HD.
Unless otherwise specified, content should be delivered picture-to-picture.
Content that should be removed includes:
Ratings cards
FBI logos
Piracy warnings
Slates
Countdowns
2-pops
Bars or tone
Bumpers
Textless content
Making sense of rejection notes in the Partner Portal
Notes for each title from your encoding review will appear in the Partner Portal. Review any rejection notes, and if you have any questions — whether about the notes or in general — reach out to your Partner Operations contact.
Appeal QC failures or rejections
If you’d like to appeal a QC rejection, please email your regular support alias, providing us with any useful information, and our team will look into this.
Please note that we can not guarantee that the content in question will be published after you’ve contacted us with an appeal.