For various reasons there are some formats, codecs, or combinations of the two that are not allowed to be uploaded to Fig. Typically these restrictions are in place due to the inability of many broadcast systems to air files with unconventional container and codec combinations.
Although other combinations may work, our File Format Specifications detail which containers and codecs we recommend to upload to Fig. In addition, we have a variety of tutorials and presets that can be used to export spots to successfully upload.
Examples and Possible Solutions
QuickTime/MPEG-4
H.264 is the only codec supported for .MP4 and .MOV files in Fig. Other codecs may not be supported by many broadcast systems.
Example:
Invalid format/codec: MPEG-4 HDV (1080i60). QuickTime/MPEG-4 files should utilize the H.264 (AVC) video codec.
Possible Solution:
.MOV files using the HDV codec may play fine on most Mac based machines but could have issues playing on machines running Windows.
Solution: re-encode this spot using the H.264 video codec.
MXF
MXF containers must use an XDCAM codec. Other codec combinations may not play properly or at all in some broadcast systems.
Example:
Invalid file format. [2] The following codecs are accepted for MXF: XDCAM EX 1080i60 35 Mb/s VBR, XDCAM HD422 1080i60 50 Mb/s CBR, XDCAM EX 720p60 35 Mb/s VBR, XDCAM EX 720p30 35 Mb/s VBR, XDCAM HD422 720p60 50 Mb/s CBR, XDCAM HD422 720p30 50 Mb/s CBR
Possible Solution:
In this example the spot was 1080i and created using a Pro Res codec that would have not been able to be read by the broadcast play out server.
Solution: Re-encode this spot to be .MXF using the XDCAM EX 1080i60 35 Mb/s VBR codec.
H.264 profiles
Some H.264 profiles have large bitrates that may not be supported by some broadcast systems. We recommend using Main/4.1 but also support High/4.1, High/4.0, and Main/4.0
Example:
H.264 profile ‘MAIN@L5.2’ is not accepted at this time. We recommend using one of the following profiles: High/4.1, Main/4.1, High/4.0, or Main/4.1.
Possible Solution:
The 5.2 profile has a maximum bitrate of 240 Mb/s which could cause play out glitches with some broadcast systems.
Solution: Re-encode this spot to use the 4.1 profile which has a maximum bitrate of 50 Mb/s.
Avid
Some but not all stations are able to accept DNxHD codec spots without issue.
Due to the large file size required for the Avid DNxHD codec it is not ideal for many broadcast environments. The large bitrate of these files could also cause errors in playback for some older play out servers.
Example:
Video codec not allowed: ‘Avid DNxHD’.
Possible Solution:
The file in this example has a .MOV container and a large bitrate of 220 Mb/s which may not be supported by many systems.
Solution: Re-encode this spot to use the H.264 codec with a bitrate of 30 Mb/s.
Example:
Video codec not allowed: ‘Avid DNxHR’.
Possible Solution:
The DNxHR codec is not widely supported in all broadcast systems.
Solution: Re-encode this spot to use the H.264 codec with a bitrate of 30 Mb/s.
Apple Pro Res
Pro Res 422 is an allowed codec but we recommend re-encoding any ProRes spots to use the H.264 codec since it is more widely supported.
The Apple Pro Res codec will allow for high quality spots but due to their large file size they are not ideal for broadcast environment. In addition to the storage requirements needed to store Pro Res files, many play out servers used by stations may not be able to handle the amount of information needed to air the spots. This could cause visual or audio glitches or the spot may fail to play at all.
Example:
Video codec not allowed: ‘Apple ProRes 422 (HQ)’. Currently, the codec ProRes 422 is allowed, which should have a bitrate of around 100 to 147 Mbps.
Video codec not allowed: ‘Apple ProRes 4444 (ProRes)’. Currently, the codec ProRes 422 is allowed, which should have a bitrate of around 100 to 147 Mbps.
Possible Solution:
Apple ProRes 422 (HQ) and Apple ProRes 4444 are not allowed in Fig due to their large size and bitrates. These files must be re-encoded using another codec.
Solution: Try exporting the spot using the H.264 codec instead.
Example:
ProRes files should utilize the PCM audio codec.
Possible Solution:
Solution: ProRes 422 should always contain PCM audio as many broadcast systems will not be able to handle ProRes files using AAC audio.
GXF
The GXF file type is similar to MXF but is much less supported in many broadcast systems. For this reason we do not allow GXF files to be uploaded to Spotloader.
Example:
Video format not allowed: ‘GXF’.
Possible Solution:
Solution: Try exporting the spot as an MXF file with the XDCAM codec.