ABC Commercial Video Specifications

This document provides technical specifications to serve as a guide to those producing commercial and public service material for playback on the ABC Television Network.

1.References

1.1.Normative References The following standards and recommended practices are referenced in this document. In those cases where a referenced document disagrees with this document, this document will be considered to be correct.

• ITU-R BT.601-5 Studio Encoding Parameters of Digital Television for Standard 4:3 and Wide-Screen 16:9 Aspect Ratios.
• SMPTE 12M Time and Control Code
• SMPTE 226M 19-mm Tape Cassettes
• SMPTE 256M Specifications for Video Tape Leader
• SMPTE 229M Television Analog Recording – ˝ inch Type L -- Records
• SMPTE 230M Television Analog Recording – ˝-inch Type L – Electrical Parameters, Control Code and Tracking Control
• SMPTE 238M Television Analog Recording – ˝ inch Type L – Tapes and Cassettes
• SMPTE 244M System M/NTSC Composite Video Signals – Bit Parallel Interface
• SMPTE 246M D-2 Composite Format Magnetic Tape
• SMPTE 247M 19-mm Type D-2 Composite Format – Helical Data and Control Records
• SMPTE 248M 19-mm Type D-2 Composite Format Cue Record and Time and Control Record
• SMPTE RP 148 Relative Polarity of Stereo Audio Signals
• SMPTE RP 155? Audio Levels for Digital Audio Records on Digital Television Tape Recorders

• EIA-608B Recommended Practice for Line 21 Data Service
• SMPTE 125M Component Video Signal 4:2:2 – Bit-Parallel Digital Interface
• SMPTE EG 1 Alignment Color Bar Test Signal for Television Picture Monitors

2.Delivery Format

2.1.Commercial and PSA tapes must be delivered in the Betacam SP format.
2.1.1.For detailed specifications of the Beta SP Tape footprint, see SMPTE 229M; for detailed specifications of the Beta SP electrical signal format, see SMPTE 230M; for detailed Beta SP cassette specifications, see SMPTE 238M.
2.2.Commercial and PSA tapes shall be delivered on the appropriate Sony stock or equivalent stock of another manufacturer. Acceptable Sony cassettes include:
BCT-5MA, BCT-10MA, BCT-20MA, BCT-30MA in the small cassette format.

3.Format Specifications

3.1. Video Requirements – Betacam SP and Digital Betacam
3.1.1.Luminance and chrominance levels recorded on tape shall be maintained such that a properly calibrated playback machine will output an NTSC signal with a peak luminance level absolutely no higher than 105 IRE, and a combined chrominance and luminance peak level absolutely no higher than 110 IRE.
3.1.2.Tapes containing excessive chrominance levels sufficient to generate artifacts in the encoded NTSC output of a properly calibrated playback machine will be rejected.

3.2.Video Requirements – D-2
3.2.1.Video signal shall conform to the specifications in SMPTE 170M.
3.2.2.SCH phase (subcarrier to horizontal timing) shall be maintained continuously across all edits (color-framed edits) and shall be maintained +10 Degrees.
3.2.3.Commercial or PSA luminance level (maximum white level) shall nominally be 100 IRE with an absolute maximum of 105 IRE as measured with an IRE filter.
3.2.4.The commercial or PSA video level (luminance and chrominance) shall have an absolute maximum of 110 IRE.
3.2.5.The video signal color burst shall be 40 IRE +1 IRE.
3.2.6.The set-up level shall be 7.5 IRE +2 IRE.
3.2.7.The differential phase of the video signal shall not exceed 4 degrees.
3.2.8.The differential gain of the video signal shall not exceed 4%.

3.3.Audio Requirements
3.3.1.Track Configurations
3.3.1.1.For mono audio material, the track configuration shall be:

Ch. 1 Mono Program

Ch. 2 Mono Program

Ch. 3 Mono SAP Audio (if included)

Ch. 1 Stereo Left or Left Total (LT)

Ch. 2 Stereo Right or Right Total (RT)

Ch. 3 Mono SAP Audio (if included)

3.4 Other Signal and Recording Media Specifications
3.4.1.For detailed specifications of the 525/60, 4:2:2 component digital signal, see ITU-R BT.601-5.
3.4.2.For detailed specifications of the D-2 recording format and detailed D-2 cassette specifications, see SMPTE 247M, 248M, and 226M respectively.

4.Ancillary Material and Signals

4.1.Time Code
4.1.1.Continuous drop-frame 59.94 Hz linear time code (LTC) as specified in SMPTE 12M shall be recorded on the LTC track of all delivered video tapes.
4.1.2.Continuous drop-frame 59.94 Hz vertical interval time code (VITC) as specified in SMPTE 12M shall be recorded on Line 14, Line 16 and optionally Line 18 of all delivered video tapes. VITC time code shall match LTC.
4.1.3.Time code shall be synchronous with recorded video.

4.2.Leader
4.2.1.The video tape leader shall conform to SMPTE 256M and shall contain a minimum of 50 seconds of color bar test signal.
4.2.1.1.Color bars shall be 75/7.5 bars for Betacam SP and D-2 formats (75/0 bars for Digital Betacam format) unless otherwise indicated. 100% reference white and 0% black (7.5 IRE black for Betacam SP and D-2 formats) shall be included in the color bar test signal.
4.2.1.2.Signal-to-noise ratio measurement of signals output from a properly calibrated playback machine, using a unified weighting filter, shall be at least 54 dB relative to 100% reference white.
4.2.2.The video tape leader shall contain 1000 Hz audio setup tone at reference level as specified in 3.3.2.2 above for digital formats or 3.3.3.1 above for Betacam SP format for at least 30 seconds, followed by the sequence of audio tones for stereophonic audio channel identification as specified in SMPTE 256M, Table 1, or other method to definitively identify stereo channels. When matrixed surround sound is present, the following sequence of test tones shall also be included on both channels:
a. Ten seconds of silence (at least 46 dB below operating level).
b. Ten seconds of 1000 Hz tone at reference level.
c. Ten seconds of 400 Hz tone on both channels at 8 dB below reference level.
d. Ten seconds of 10 kHz tone at 16 dB below reference level.
e. Ten seconds of pink noise at 10 dB below reference level.
4.2.3.The audio signal-to-noise level relative to the reference level tone measured off-tape shall be at least 70 dB for digital formats; 60 dB for Betacam SP format; 55 dB for D-2 format.
4.2.4.Relative interchannel audio phase difference measured with sine wave tones shall not exceed 10 degrees at any frequency within the audio pass band of 20 Hz – 20 K Hz?.
4.2.5.The video and audio test signals in the leader shall accurately represent the program material with respect to video and audio levels, weighted video signal-to-noise ratio, relative audio phase, and audio signal-to-noise ratio.
4.2.6.Program video and Vertical Interval Test Signal (VITS) levels and phases shall match within a tolerance of ±2 IRE and ±1 degree respectively.
4.2.7.Peak video level of the color bar test signal shall not exceed 100 IRE.
4.2.8.Set-up (pedestal) level of the color bar test signal shall be 7.5 IRE.

4.3.Slate
4.3.1.The slate portion of the leader shall include the following:
a. Sponsor/product name
b. Title of commercial or PSA
c. Commercial (Ad-ID) number
d. Date of recording
e. Audio mode (stereo, matrixed surround sound)
f. Indication of whether the commercial or PSA is closed-caption encoded
g. Length of spot

4.3.2.A slate/countdown of at least 8 seconds duration shall conclude 2 seconds before the start of commercial/PSA material. A video black signal accompanied by silent audio shall be inserted between the end of the countdown and the start of the commercial/PSA material.

Note: If ABC has approved the inclusion of any material which has been embedded in the vertical blanking interval, the horizontal blanking interval, the audio, or the active video (e.g., Web TV interfaces), the specifics must be noted on the slate.

4.4.Closed Captioning
4.4.1.Closed captioning shall be recorded on Line 21, Field 1, and Extended Data Services (XDS) data on Line 21, Field 2.

4.5.Video Tape Trailer
4.5.1.There shall be crystal black, time code, and silent audio following the conclusion of commercial/PSA material.
4.6.Vertical Blanking Interval
4.6.1.The vertical blanking interval must be cleared of all extraneous signals.
4.6.2.Commercials and PS As? may not contain any material which has been embedded in the vertical blanking interval, the horizontal blanking interval, the audio, or the active video (e.g., Web TV interfaces), without prior written approval of ABC. Exceptions to this are listed below:
4.6.2.1.Line 14, 16 and optionally 18, both fields: VITC (including Ad-ID codes in user bits)
4.6.2.2.Line 15 both fields: Vertical interval reference (VIR) signal or Ghost Cancellation Reference (GCR) signal.
4.6.2.3.Line 16 both fields: Vertical Interval Test Signal (VITS)
4.6.2.4.Line 20 Field 1: NTC-7 Composite Test Signal
4.6.2.5.Line 21 both fields: Closed captioning plus XDS signals, per EIA 608A. Signals of the following nature are permitted without prior consent: CC 1? and CC 3?, when these signals track dialogue; XDS signals of the current class except Program Description (packet types 10h to 17h) as described in EIA 608A and except Content Advisory

5.Labeling of Reels and Boxes

5.1.The label on the reel and the box shall include the following:
a. Sponsor/product name
b. Title of commercial
c. Commercial Ad-ID number
e. Audio mode (stereo, mono, surround sound)
f. Indicate whether closed caption encoded

6.Unacceptable Conditions:

6.1.Video and Audio Errors
6.1.1.Milky blacks, chroma bleed, video hum, “breathing”.
6.1.2.Video levels outside industry standard parameters.
6.1.3.Over-saturated or unnatural looking flesh tones.
6.1.4.Dropouts or horizontal streaks in analog recordings.
6.1.5.Audio distortion, pumping, clicks, pops.
6.1.6.Dialog and/or effects which are not in sync with picture.

6.2.Digital Recording Errors
6.2.1.Errors that cause the playback VTR to enter concealment mode.

7.DAT:

1. DAT tapes must begin with 30 seconds of one kHz reference (line-up) tone.
2. This tone is to be set at the zero reference to which the specific DAT machine meter is calibrated (i.e. SONY-20, Technics-18, Tascam-15, etc.).
3. Reference tone must be followed by at least 5 seconds of silence before starting program material.
4. Start ID’s are helpful, especially on DAT’s with multiple music cuts. Indicate on the label which ID’s correspond to which cuts.
5. Time code is helpful, but not essential. It is important that time code remain as unbroken as possible.
6. If recordings made on a previously unrecorded DAT tape are stopped and started, the spaces between segments will contain sync breaks, which will cause machines to discontinue a digital dub. Leave plenty of recorded silence after each cut, then, before recording the next cut, back up a few seconds and press PLAY, then press RECORD once the tape is up to speed. This procedure will avoid breaks in both sync and time code. Please do not permit any signal to reach a level higher than 12dB above the reference tone as indicated on the DAT peak meters. Under no circumstances should levels reach the “Over” marks. On tapes where the levels are excessive, ABC will be forced to hard limit and/or return the material.

8.OPERATING PARAMETERS:

8.1. TRANSMISSION:
A) Stereo
Both tracks of stereo material will be aired to both channels of the transmission system.
B) Mono
Both tracks of mono material will be aired to both channels of the transmission system.
C) SAP
A single, mixed-mono track of the material will be transmitted via one separate audio channel.
8.2. INTEGRATION:
A) Stereo Program
If a stereo commercial is to be integrated into a stereo program, both tracks of stereo commercial are integrated onto the respective tracks of the stereo program.
If a mono commercial is to be integrated into a stereo program, both tracks of the mono commercial will be integrated onto both tracks of the stereo program.
B) Mono Program
If a mono commercial is to be integrated into a mono program, the mono commercial will have both tracks integrated into both tracks of a mono program.
If a stereo commercial is to be integrated into a mono program, the stereo commercial will have both tracks integrated respectively into both tracks of the mono program.
C)Second Language Program (Mono)
If a second language commercial is to be integrated into a second language program, the single mixed-mono commercial audio track will be integrated into the single mixed-mono program audio track.
An English language (non-SAP) commercial will be mixed and integrated into the single mixed-mono second language program audio track.

APPENDIX A

Material sent to the ABC Television Network for non-air uses may be sent on any consumer/industrial format. The audio tracks on these small format videotape cassettes shall be as follows:

2 TRACK FORMATS

• Track 1 Program Audio
• Track 2 Time code or program audio

• Track 1 Program Audio Left
• Track 2 Program Audio Right
• Track 3 Time Code (or second language audio)

• Track 1 Program Audio Left
• Track 2 Program Audio Right
• Track 3 FM Program Audio L (or second language audio)
• Track 4 FM Program Audio R (If second language audio is on Track 3, Track 4 has time code or is silent.)