Norway’s NRK has used BATON for many years to automate QC, check and analyse content, now with greater format support, direct image sequence analysis, and improved diagnostics.
Norway’s public service broadcaster NRK, state-run and government-led, operates three national TV channels and 13 national radio channels via digital terrestrial services as well as an online VOD and podcast streaming service, and produces online and broadcast news. NRK is also a founding member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Ahead of transcoding and publishing content, NRK needs to check its finished programs and analyse its file sets. For these fundamental tasks, the company uses BATON, Interra Systems’ QC platform for audio and video. As a long term user of BATON, NRK has adapted along with the software as it evolves with shifting industry conditions and demands from users.
Interra's Automated QC
“We have worked successfully with BATON for many years. These days, we use it internally to check the high-res files of finished, edited programs. For several years we have used it externally as well to analyse the ABR MP4 file sets that we transcode and publish to our origin partner – and further, to our web service,” said Kjell Ove Nordlien, Senior Engineer from the Technology Division of the Production Systems Department of NRK. “Our engineering team depends on BATON for our video quality.”
At the origination stage, live, linear and VOD content are prepared for final delivery and streamed into delivery networks – where broadcast playout and VOD asset publication systems deliver content to various device types, according to the required bit-rate and format.
BATON automates QC processes, supporting specific standards for quality and compliance. NRK has deployed the most recent 9.2 version of the software, which includes framework updates, optimized MXF file verification, quality checks upgraded for 4K files and an updated API. Users can directly analyse image sequence formats, and have improved diagnostic tools for system health monitoring.
Updated IMF, Format and Cloud Support
Also, BATON now supports the SMPTE and DPP RDD59 specifications, issued to help more companies adopt IMF in their workflows through simplification and efficiency. The specifications allow greater automation of the content supply chain, and avoid duplication when creating, storing and processing multiple versions of content.
Interra’s technology stack for BATON operates on Python 3.x with a Postgres database and the Django rapid-development web framework, resulting in a more responsive interface, increased scalability, and optimized resource management. As well as the optimsed IMF analysis mentioned, it also features better performance for UHD content QC, support for Sony 360 RA (reality audio) analysis, and comprehensive Dolby Atmos support. More generally, cloud and format support have both been expanded.
“NRK is a highly respected broadcaster in Europe and among the preeminent members of the EBU. An early adopter of BATON, NRK has broadened its use of our software over the years,” said Ashish Basu, executive vice president of global sales and business development at Interra Systems. www.interrasystems.com
