Episode and DGFastchannel spot distribution
by Craig Seeman
on
Feb 26, 2008 at 4:34:17 pm
There have been various threads here about meeting DGFastchannel spec so I thought I'd post as a new thread to make it easy for people to spot.
As a Mac users I use Episode when I distribute local cable spots via DGFastchannel. Recently DG has been requesting 720x512 encodes.
The folks at Telestream created a patch and gave me a "beta" to test with DG. The patch works. It's not included yet so you have to ask them for it.
Some folks on the forum have had Nielsen Sigma encoded material as source and of course want to keep the Sigma watermark (used for tracking on air use).
For those who are using (or would like to use) the DGFastchannel patch. If your 720x486 source is Sigma encoded, don't use the resize filter (crop). The resultant encode will keep the Sigma encoding and will be 720x512. This has been tested and passed DGFastchannel.
Re: Episode and DGFastchannel spot distribution by Craig Seeman on Mar 2, 2008 at 7:37:22 pm
DG has "grandfathered" in older customers. Actually I'm one of those also. They are asking new customers to use 720x512 though.
16 lines at the top and bottom does not work for DG. They need all the lines on the top. I beta tested a patch that Telestream created and is now part of Episode 4.4.2. The reason for the lines on top is, amongst other things, to accommodate Nielsen Sigma Encoding (tracks use on the air).
If one has Sigma encoded the spot you can now click a button in Episode and the black will be added to the top. If one does not use Sigma encoding one can click the button and meet DG's 720x512 spec.
If you're not using Sigma encoding and DG still accepts your 720x480 encodes than no need to worry. Keep going as you have before.
