This document defines the technical specifications and general requirements for all video and audio assets processed within the platform. The purpose is to ensure consistent input quality across all machine learning pipelines, enabling reliable analysis, feature extraction, and accurate model performance.
All submitted media files must adhere to the following guidelines regarding file size, structure, and encoding. These requirements are designed to minimize decoding issues, avoid data loss during processing, and maintain visual and acoustic integrity across different workflows.
The specifications are grouped into three main sections:
- General Requirements — Overall file structure and metadata prerequisites.
- Video Criteria — Technical standards for visual data such as resolution, bitrate, and codec.
- Audio Criteria — Audio encoding, sampling, and channel setup requirements.
Adhering to these criteria ensures that assets can be automatically validated, efficiently decoded, and seamlessly integrated into the machine learning and analytics pipelines without manual preprocessing.
Preferred and Supported Formats
While various container and codec combinations are supported, certain formats have proven to be significantly more stable, efficient, and reliable across all processing pipelines.
Preferred Format (Gold Standard)
For optimal performance, compatibility, and processing efficiency, the following format is strongly recommended:
- Container: MP4
- Video Codec: H.264 (AVC)
- Audio Codec: AAC
This combination provides the best balance between quality, file size, decoding performance, and compatibility across machine learning workflows.
Well-Supported Alternatives
The following formats are also supported and generally perform well within the platform:
-
MP4 / MOV with H.265 (HEVC) and AAC
Suitable for high-resolution (e.g., 4K) and HDR content with improved compression efficiency. -
MOV with ProRes (e.g., ProRes 422) and PCM or AAC audio
Commonly used as high-quality mezzanine format in post-production workflows. Note that larger file sizes may impact processing time and storage requirements.
General Requirements
Video Criteria
Criterion |
Recommendation / Value |
Required |
|---|---|---|
Resolution |
≥ 720p |
|
Bitrate |
Minimum 5 Mbps (higher preferred). Avoid excessive compression artifacts. |
|
Container Format |
Various Container Formats supported. |
|
Video Codec |
Various Audio and Video Codecs supported |
|
Framerate |
Constant frame rate (e.g. 24 or 25 fps). No variable frame rate (VFR). |
|
GOP Structure |
Short GOP preferred (e.g. 1–12 frames per keyframe) for frame-level accuracy. |
|
Duration |
Any, but should be >= 10 minutes only for Binge Markers product |
|
Color Space / Depth |
Rec. 709 / 8-bit (standard). Optionally Rec. 2020 or 10-bit for HDR workflows. |
|
Interlacing |
Always progressive (no interlaced content). |
|
Audio Criteria