The role of Netflix Branded Content QC is to ensure the highest quality content is provided on service to our subscribers. We examine all delivered content and report back on any objective, technical issues that exist for correction and redelivery. It is our mission to continue to drive our brand as a source of premium level content that creates an experience that both encourages and retains customer subscription.
Context for this glossary:
This document’s goal is to better align ourselves and our partners in regard to image and audio quality expectations and quality control strategy. While we intend this glossary to be comprehensive and act as source of truth, as technology continues to develop, improve and evolve, this glossary will as well.
Our goal is to have the best quality assets we can produce, ensuring the customer’s experience is the best possible we can provide while protecting creative intent and continuing to foster the level of quality the Netflix brand is associated with.
The best action for information is always to reach out to pto-specialists@netflix.com for further clarification.
[001] Audio Clipping/ Distortion
[019] Audio Level Shift/Change
[020] Loudness LKFS Out of Spec
[025] Ident Audio True Peaks Out of Spec
[035] Extraneous Audio Description
[041] Incorrect Asset - Language
[042] Incorrect Asset - Asset Type
[073] Pixelation/ Quantization
[074] Blown-out/ Clipped Whites
[076] Luminance Shift/ Flicker
[087] Dolby Vision Metadata Erro
[096] Visible Production Crew/Equipment
[098] Animation/ VFX Intersection Error
[099] Animation Incomplete Outline
[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error
[101] Text Graphics HDR/ SDR Error
[001] Audio Clipping/ Distortion
Description:
"Audio Clipping/ Distortion" is the effect in which the amplitude of an audio sample exceeds the maximum peak playback level. (Sometimes also associated with or classified as over-modulation).
Impact:
Audio Clipping/ Distortion impacts both the Content and Technical Quality of the Asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by audio playback that may sound “crackly” or “fuzzy” due to decreased dynamic range. Typically not creatively intended, anything derived from this source will produce poor or unusable downstream audio deliverables.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - A significant portion of the audio appears to peak above allowable playback levels. Audio sounds loud and over-modulated across music, dialogue, and/ or sound effects. Audio waveform appears extremely wide, but also “flattened out” across the peaks, indicating the audio is clipping.
How to Prevent:
Monitor audio levels closely on set in order to avoid recording over-modulated audio. During mixing stage, use limiters to avoid clipping.
May also be a normalization error. Review the re-recording mix session to verify if it occurred in the normalization process.
Solution:
Adjust/ limit audio levels and redeliver a new print master. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[002] Audio Hiss
Description:
"Audio Hiss" is additional noise in an audio track caused either by an elevated noise floor or analog source material.
Impact:
Audio Hiss impacts both the Content and Technical Quality of the asset. At best, audio hiss is distracting to the customer experience. At worst, it can make it difficult to hear or completely obscure the creatively intended dialogue/ music/ effects.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Archival footage is shown, along with period specific audio (i.e. it can be discerned that the audio hiss is inherent to the archival mix or used for creative effect).
Issue - Hiss is loud, either partially or completely obscuring the dialogue/ music/ effects. Audio has been gained up and shows apparent artifacts as such.
How to Prevent:
Record audio signal loud enough that gain will not have to be boosted to the point of introducing additional hiss.
Solution:
Decrease gain in the sections noted. Consider using a wild track or foley elements to achieve desired creative intent. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[003] Audio Static
Description:
"Audio Static" is a crackling sound present on the audio track caused either by capture equipment or a corruption in the audio data itself.
Impact:
Audio Static impacts both the Content and Technical quality of the asset. Can either partially or completely obscure creatively intended dialogue/ music/ effects, impacting customer experience. Unintended signal noise or file corruption compromises the asset.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Static is present but matches on-screen action or inherent-to-scene creative element (e.g. CB Radio is visible in frame).
Issue - The static obscures dialogue or occurs during music/ effects but is very noticeable/ distracting. Static occurs over what should be silence.
How to Prevent:
Audio static frequently stems from a microphone or incidental sound during recording. It is important to monitor for these on the recording stage in order to ensure clean audio is captured.
Solution:
If dialogue is affected, replace with either alternate production audio or ADR. If music/ effects are affected, replace with foley effects, room tone or clean music tracks. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[004] Audio Tick
Description:
"Audio Tick" is an audible artifact usually caused by edits that cut in between samples or peaks of an audio track and cause the output speakers to change voltage abruptly.
Impact:
Audio tick impacts the Technical quality of the asset. The jump in voltage and resulting artifact may be an annoyance to the customer.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Audio Tick may be a mouth noise (lip smack) from the actor. May also be a sound effect inherent to the scene (e.g. footstep, hand tap, paper movement, etc.)
Issue - Audio tick is very noticeable, either in silence or over dialogue/ music/ effects, and does not appear to be related to anything creative in picture.
How to Prevent:
Full review of all audio elements as they interact with each other in the final mix. Manually “clean up” any anomalous audio ticks.
Solution:
If dialogue is affected, replace with either alternate production audio or ADR. If effects tracks are affected, audio tick should be masked with foley effects or room tone. If music is affected, should consider replacing with clean music tracks.
Isolate audio tick, and perform a decrackle/ depop to remove. Keep in mind, this should not significantly alter the final mix. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[005] Abrupt Audio Edit
Description:
"Abrupt Audio Edit" refers to an abrupt signal drop off or incomplete transitional effect.
Impact:
Abrupt audio edits impact the Content quality of the asset. The creative intent of the content may have been inadvertently altered, and this can be distracting/ jarring to the customer.
Severity Structure:
FYI - There is on-screen action or contextual cues that it is creative intent.
Issue - Audio cuts abruptly mid-scene in a way that does not appear to be creatively motivated by an inherent element in the scene.
How to Prevent:
Review all edit points. Check for any abrupt, incomplete or awkward audio transitions.
Make sure file is to Netflix spec with 1 second of black and silence at head and tail. Ensure that video and audio are matching lengths to verify that no extraneous edits were introduced into the audio.
Solution:
Audio edits must be reconfigured to make them more seamless.
Extend/ trim edits as needed, and re-export. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[006] Audio Hum/Buzz
Description:
Electrical noise or signal interference typically caused by an electrical ground-loop in the recording signal chain.
Impact:
Hum impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Can either partially or completely obscure creatively intended dialogue/ music/ effects, impacting customer experience. Unintended signal noise also compromises the asset.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Hum is low level in the mix or can reasonably be to creative intent or an inherent element in the scene (i.e. there is equipment visible that is clearly the source of the audio hum).
Issue - Hum is loud enough that it obscures dialogue or occurs during music/ effects but is very noticeable/ distracting. Hum occurs over what should be silence.
How to Prevent:
Isolate and eliminate noise caused by a ground loop in an audio circuit with ground loop isolators. This ensures that the shield ground on each audio cable is isolated from any equipment ground, which could cause extraneous noise when amplified.
Solution:
Replace the affected audio with wild track tone underneath to remove hum. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[007] Audio Pop
Description:
"Audio Pop" is an audio artifact that manifests as a non-diegetic signal amplification. It is visible on the waveform as a spike in signal.
Impact:
Audio Pop impacts the Content and Technical quality of the asset. Loud pops can be distracting to the customer experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Pop is under dialogue, not distracting or is a mouth noise from the actor.
Issue - The pop is very loud, stands out in the mix and distracts from the creative viewing of the content.
How to Prevent:
Be aware of inadvertently inducing pops during mix/ edit. Run through automated de-pop. Also, complete full review of all audio elements as they interact with each other in the final mix. Manually “clean up” any anomalous audio pops.
In some cases audio pops are caused by vocal performances. These can be avoided by placing the mic further away from the actor’s mouth, placing the mic above or to the side, and/ or making sure to use a pop stopper.
Solution:
Isolate pop and add a 3-4 frame constant power fade to smooth out the anomaly. Keep in mind, this should not significantly alter the final mix. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
If pop is loud/ distracting in the dialogue, replace with either alternate production audio or ADR.
[008] Audio Upcut
Description:
"Audio Upcut" is an audio edit that happens mid-dialogue, music and/or effect resulting in audio that does not match the rest of the scene in audible level/ sound quality.
Impact:
Audio Up Cut impacts the Technical Quality of an asset. The creative intent of the content may have been inadvertently altered, and this can be distracting/ jarring to the customer.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Audio upcut is inherent to an actor’s vocal performance.
Issue - Audio levels jump abruptly mid-scene or sound quality of dialogue/ music/ effects changes abruptly mid-scene. Upcut is very noticeable and would be jarring to the customer experience.
How to Prevent:
Review all edit points. Check for any abrupt changes mid-scene in the final mix.
Solution:
Audio edits must be reconfigured to make them more seamless, minimizing any abrupt changes in level/ sound quality compared to the rest of the scene. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[009] Missing Audio Treatment
Description:
"Missing audio treatment" is the lack of expected effects/ enhancements to an audio track that should be motivated by on-screen action or comparison to primary audio source.
Impact:
Missing audio treatment impacts the content quality of an asset. Audio does not match on-screen visual cues or primary audio source. Secondary language dubs sourced from M&E with missing audio treatments will also be missing the required audio treatments and thus, will not match the primary audio source.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The primary audio was not treated in a manner that aligns with on-screen action, or the M&E audio was not treated in a manner that matches the primary audio source. (e.g. Dialogue panning is missing from secondary language audio/ or does not match the primary language source, or reverb audio effect is missing from a scene that takes place in a setting where the audio would be expected to have an echoing quality).
How to Prevent:
Review audio with picture to ensure audio aligns with the visual story being told. Make sure all necessary treatments have been applied to the M&E.
Solution:
Audio returns to sweetening for proper treatment.
[010] Audio Channel Bleed
Description:
"Audio Channel Bleed" is an error where information from one or more audio channels is mixed into (an)other existing audio channel(s).
Impact:
Audio Channel Bleed impacts both Content and Technical Quality of the Asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by audio playback mixing into another channel, effectively “cancelling out” creative spatial effects.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Significant portions of an audio channel appear to be either partially or completely present across multiple audio channels with no apparent creative on screen motivation.
How to Prevent:
Review all audio busing before printing.
Solution:
Likely the audio track/sample was dual bused into two or more separate channels, thus printing the audio across multiple channels. Re-print the audio with the correct busing to avoid the channel bleed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[011] Audio Channel Mismap
Description:
"Audio Channel Mismap" is the incorrect implementation of the audio track or audio channel order, which dictates the desired speaker assignment or channel arrangement of an audio mix.
Impact:
Audio Channel Mismap impacts both Content and Technical Quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by audio playback occurring out of the wrong speaker assignment.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The majority, if not all audio appears to be mis-mapped and routes to the wrong speaker assignment.
How to Prevent:
Use templates with correct audio mapping.
Review channel mapping on timeline prior to exporting.
Solution:
Please refer to the technical specifications for the correct Audio Channel Mapping order, reorder the channels accordingly, and redeliver. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[012] Audio Mixdown Error
Description:
"Audio Mixdown Error" is a discrepancy stemming from the process of folding tracks from one/ multiple mixes together to create a new mix (i.e. creating a stereo fold down from the 5.1 mix). This can result in overall levels or specific elements not matching between the mixes.
Impact:
Mixdown error impacts both the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Crucial mix elements may be low level or missing from one of the audio streams, negatively impacting the customer experience. Both 5.1 and 2.0 mixes should be a similar experience for the customer with regard to content and quality.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Audio elements are missing from one mix but verified to be present in another (i.e. the 2.0 mix is missing elements, which are present in the 5.1).
How to Prevent:
Review mixes to ensure consistency. Ensure individual track levels are properly adjusted prior to completing the mixdown.
Solution:
Replace missing elements in affected mix and/ or adjust levels.
[013] Mono Audio
Description:
"Mono Audio" refers to the duplication of an audio track, effectively eliminating any stereo or surround panning.
Impact:
Mono audio impacts both the Technical and Content Quality of an asset. If mono audio is not creatively intended, the missing panning effect provides the customer with an incomplete/ inaccurate experience. Any subsequent assets derived from this mix will also be incorrectly mono.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Mono audio can clearly be discerned as creative (i.e. accompanies archival footage where mono audio would be expected or all that is available).
Issue - 2.0 tracks are identical or 5.1 does not contain any surround panning between channels. Mono is also visually represented on a phase scope, where the audio signal exhibits zero phasing or panning between the left/ right channels.
How to Prevent:
Label tracks correctly in metadata.
Be sure to properly mixdown the 5.1 to derive the 2.0 (do not simply duplicate tracks).
Solution:
Replace mix with a mixdown of the 5.1 to preserving the panning effects and redeliver. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[014] Audio Panning Error
Description:
"Audio Panning Error" refers to an incorrect balance between left and right channel pairs that does not match the on screen action. This can happen through a limited duration, or audio may favor one channel through the entire program.
Impact:
Audio panning errors impact the technical and content quality of an asset. Unintended left or right heavy audio may be distracting to the customer experience when it does not match the action on screen.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Audio panning can be reasonably attributed to creative intent (i.e. occurs while on screen action indicates that it is a creative panning effect).
Issue - Audio panning is distracting, due to it not matching on screen action. Audio favors left or right channel for an extended duration/ through majority of program, indicating a mixing error.
How to Prevent:
Apply proper stereo balancing during mix to avoid incorrect panning.
Solution:
Adjust the stereo balancing to properly reflect the creatively intended mix. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[015] Audio Phase Error
Description:
“Audio Phase Error" occurs when different recorded signal frequencies are identical but partially or completely inverted, effectively delaying or cancelling out certain elements of the mix. If two frequencies are a full 180 degrees out of phase, it’s usually referred to as “destructive interference” or “phase cancellation”.
Impact:
Audio phase errors impact the Technical and Content Quality of an asset. Customer experience will be negatively affected as intended audio will be obscured as the result of any phase error. If the signal is 90 degrees out of phase, it will result in an unintended hollow or “tinny” quality to the audio. If the signal is 180 degrees out of phase, it will result in complete silence.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Portions of the mix sound hollow, and/ or there are drop outs in dialogue/ effects indicating a possible phase error. The phase error should also be visually represented on an oscilloscope Lissajous display.
How to Prevent:
When shooting, avoid the overuse of multiple mics in order to prevent the pick up of one sound source in the microphone intended for another source. Be aware of reflective surfaces on set that might cause sound to bounce off and be picked up in an unintended mic. Ensure that mics are properly spaced out following the 3:1 rule.
Solution:
Slip affected stems on the timeline slightly to bring them in phase, or apply a phase alignment plugin to correct the issue.
[016] Audio Drop Out/ Mute
Description:
"Audio Dropout/ Mute" is the complete lack of audio signal in an audio mix, channel or track.
Impact:
Audio Dropout impacts both the Content and the Technical Quality of the Asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by any missing audio or sections of unintended silence.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The audio across one or more channels goes completely silent with a lack of any signal on an audio waveform/ meter. This occurs abruptly and without any contextual cues that it is creative. Can last anywhere from a few samples to several seconds.
How to Prevent:
Review audio to picture to monitor for discrepancies. Check waveforms/ audio meter for complete dropouts in audio during mixing. This is a good indication that this is not a simple creative “dip” in levels.
Solution:
Likely a print master re-recording error, check the print-master and fix. Repackage and re-deliver if necessary. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[017] MOS Audio
Description:
The total lack of information in an audio channel.
Impact:
MOS audio impacts the Technical Quality of an asset. Customer experience is severely affected as audio information will not be available.
Severity Structure:
FYI - The program is a period piece, or meant to be in the style of a silent film.
Issue or Blocker - A full channel from the 5.1 or 2.0 mix is lacking any signal/ waveform information.
How to Prevent:
Always review export settings, and spot check audio tracks after exporting. Lock audio track into place when not modifying in order to avoid moving or deletion of tracks unintentionally.
Solution:
Replace channel with the intended information.
[018] Audio Skip
Description:
"Audio skip" is the irregular interruption of audio signal in an audio mix, channel or track.
Impact:
Audio Skip impacts both the Content and the Technical Quality of the Asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by an unintentional dip/ break in the audio levels. Not typically Creative Intent given context of the scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The audio levels across one or more channels dip momentarily, but signal is still visible on an audio waveform/ meter. Can also refer to an extraneous dip in the levels of a single element in the mix (dialogue, music or effects).
How to Prevent:
Review audio to monitor for discrepancies. Check waveforms/ audio meter for “dips” in signal.
Solution:
Likely a print master re-recording error, check the print-master and fix. Repackage and re- deliver if necessary. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[019] Audio Level Shift/Change
Description:
Any abrupt change of base or peak audio levels that could be considered unintentional.
Impact:
Level Change impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be negatively affected if the dialogue level drops below an audible level. If audio levels rise abruptly, it may take the customer out of the seamless viewing experience. In some cases, may be creative intent on the part of the content producer.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Level shift is indiscernible in playback or can reasonably be attributed to the creative intent of the scene.
Issue - Level shift happens abruptly on a cut or audio levels are very noticeably different from their previous level.
How to Prevent:
Monitor audio on timeline, and double check exports. Netflix will use Dolby Media Meter, Nugen LM Correct, or Baton Auto QC to check levels. Please use the same tools to measure/ verify for consistency. Review audio at cuts for any induced fluctuations in levels.
Solution:
Re-adjust the base audio levels so there are no abrupt changes. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[020] Loudness LKFS Out of Spec
Description:
“Loudness LKFS Out of Spec" refers to an audio mix that does not conform to the overall loudness average specification. M&E mixes do not need to adhere to this specification and should be excluded from measurement.
Impact:
Loudness Out of Spec impacts the Technical Quality of the asset. The asset does not meet the Netflix Delivery Specification.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - LKFS measurements are outside of BOTH the ITU-R bs. 1770-1 and 1770-3 specified parameters/ tolerances.
How to Prevent:
Monitor audio on timeline, and double check exports. Netflix uses Dolby Media Meter, Nugen LM Correct, or Baton Auto QC. Please use the same tools to measure/ verify for consistency.
Solution:
Loudness must be adjusted to bring file into spec. Lower or raise overall level average and re-export.
[021] Low Level Audio
Description:
“Low Level Audio” refers to audio tracks or segments peaking at dramatically low levels.
Impact:
Low level audio impacts the content quality of the asset. Levels that are much lower than creatively intended can result in dialogue or effects not being heard, resulting in a poor customer experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Lower audio levels do not impact the customer experience in playback or are creatively motivated based on the context of the scene.
Issue - There are audio tracks or segments peaking at noticeably lower levels, making portions of the intended mix partially inaudible.
How to Prevent:
Accurately capture the performance with a good signal level, but without clipping.
Balance elements in relation to one another to achieve consistency in mix.
View content from the perspective of the customer, ensuring the audio is at a level that will provide a pleasant and clear experience.
If you are dealing with Netflix Original content please ensure you follow the audio mixing requirements, which specifically detail the required average loudness and peak levels.
Solution:
Correct the audio levels to ensure a consistent level across the content.
[022] True Peak Out of Spec
Description:
“True Peaks Out of Spec” refers to program audio true peak maximum amplitude values that do not meet the specification guidelines.
Impact:
True Peaks Out of Spec impacts the Technical quality of the asset. The peak levels of the asset do not meet the Netflix Delivery Specification.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Audio true peaks are above -1dBFS (+19dB above -20dBFS reference).
How to Prevent:
Audio gain should also be monitored on set to avoid peak issues down the line.
When mixing audio, ensure peaks are being normalized to spec.
Monitor audio on timeline, and double check exports. Netflix will use Dolby Media Meter, Nugen LM Correct, or Baton Auto QC to check levels. Please use the same tools to measure/ verify for consistency.
Solution:
Overall gain must be lowered to bring peak levels into spec compliance. Peaks must be limited and audio re-exported.
In cases where peaks are inconsistent throughout, re-mixing may be required. Also check audio peaks for M&E and redeliver as necessary.
[023] Ident Audio Mismapped
Description:
"Ident Audio Mismapped" refers to the Netflix Ident source audio tracks not being arranged to the expected audio channel order.
Impact:
Ident audio mismapped impacts Netflix's Brand Identity, as it does not meet the expectations of correct implementation.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Either the 5.1 and/ or the Stereo audio mixes are mapped to an incorrect channel orientation.
How to Prevent:
Avoid including the Ident on the timeline during mixing/ editing, where there is the potential it will be inadvertently altered. Drop in un-altered ident right before export.
Netflix is working toward automating the Ident stitching post delivery within our internal pipeline to eliminate the need for fulfillment partners to include it as part of their delivery.
Solution:
Replace with original, un-altered Ident, and re-export.
[024] Ident Audio Mix Down
Description:
"Ident Audio Mix Down" refers to Netflix Ident 2.0 audio that has been generated by mixing down the 5.1 audio to stereo tracks.
Impact:
Ident Mix Down impacts Netflix's Brand Identity, as it does not meet the expectations of correct implementation.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The Ident stereo audio contains the incorrect implementation of the mix.
How to Prevent:
Avoid including the Ident on the timeline during mixing/ editing, where there is the potential it will be inadvertently altered. Drop in un-altered ident right before export.
Netflix is working toward automating the Ident stitching post delivery within our internal pipeline to eliminate the need for fulfillment partners to include it as part of their delivery.
Solution:
Replace with original, un-altered Ident, and re-export.
[025] Ident Audio True Peaks Out of Spec
Description:
"Ident True Peaks Out of Spec" refers to the incorrect audio peak level implementation compared to the expected reference level.
Impact:
Ident true peaks out of spec impact Netflix's Brand Identity, as it does not meet the expectations of correct implementation.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - True peak levels do not match the expected implementation of the Netflix Ident.
How to Prevent:
Avoid including the Ident on the timeline during mixing/ editing, where there is the potential it will be inadvertently altered. Drop in un-altered ident right before export.
Netflix is working toward automating the Ident stitching post delivery within our internal pipeline to eliminate the need for fulfillment partners to include it as part of their delivery.
Solution:
Replace with original, un-altered Ident, and re-export.
[026] Ident Audio Out of Sync
Description:
"Ident Out of Sync" is the incorrect placement of the Netflix Ident audio in relationship to the corresponding Netflix Ident animation.
Impact:
Ident out of sync impacts Netflix's Brand Identity, as it does not meet the expectations of correct implementations.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The Ident “knocks” are not timed correctly with the expected implementation of the Netflix Ident.
How to Prevent:
Avoid including the Ident on the timeline during mixing/ editing, where there is the potential it will be inadvertently altered. Drop in un-altered ident right before export.
Netflix is working toward automating the Ident stitching post delivery within our internal pipeline to eliminate the need for fulfillment partners to include it as part of their delivery.
Solution:
Replace with original un-altered Ident, and re-export.
[027] Dialogue Out of Sync
Description:
“Dialogue Out of Sync” refers to lip movement that does not match on screen performance.
Impact:
Dialogue out of sync impacts Technical and Content quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted if an actor’s lip movement does not align with their voice performance. It can take them out of a seamless viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Spoken dialogue is either 1 or more frames earlier or later compared to on-screen actor’s lip movement. Sometimes dialogue sync issues can be attributed to necessary ADR, but they should always be flagged for review.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with lip movement, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
Solution:
Dialogue mix elements must be synced to video. Re-export audio as needed.
[028] Music Out of Sync
Description:
“Music Out of Sync” refers to music timing that does not match on screen coincidence.
Impact:
Music out of sync impacts Technical and Content quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted if timing of music is noticeably offset from on-screen cues. It can take them out of a seamless viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Music is noticeably incongruous with on-screen visual cues or the visual pacing of a scene. Music that is directly tied to an on-screen character’s performance (playing an instrument) is out of sync by 2 frames or more.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with on-screen action, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
M&E QC will help prevent out of sync music tracks from being duplicated in all dubs sourced from the M&E assets.
Solution:
Fix music sync on timeline and re-export audio as needed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[029] Effects Out of Sync
Description:
“Effects Out of Sync” refers to sound effect timing that does not match on screen coincidence.
Impact:
Effects out of sync impacts Technical and Content quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted if timing of sound effects do not align with on-screen cues. It can take them out of a seamless viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Effects are 1 frame or less earlier or later than on-screen action.
Issue - Effects are 2 or more frames earlier or later than on-screen action.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with on-screen action, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
M&E QC will help prevent out of sync effects tracks from being duplicated in all dubs sourced from the M&E assets.
Solution:
Fix effects sync on timeline and re-export audio as needed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[030] Global Sync Drift Early
Description:
“Global Sync Drift Early” refers to audio sync that drifts progressively earlier through a section or entire program (i.e. Audio starts in sync, is 2 seconds early towards the middle of program, and 5 seconds early by the end of program).
Impact:
Global audio sync drift impacts Technical and Content quality. It will become progressively more noticeable and distracting to the customer, ultimately making the content unwatchable.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Audio drifts early compared to on screen action and dialogue.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with on-screen action, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
Solution:
Adjust frame rate or fix sync on timeline and re-export audio as needed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[031] Global Sync Drift Late
Description:
“Global Sync Drift Late” refers to audio sync that drifts progressively later through a section or entire program (i.e. Audio starts in sync, is 2 seconds late towards the middle of program, and 5 seconds late by the end of program).
Impact:
Global audio sync drift impacts Technical and Content quality. It will become progressively more noticeable and distracting to the customer, ultimately making the content unwatchable.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Audio drifts late compared to on screen action and dialogue.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with on-screen action, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
Solution:
Adjust frame rate or fix sync on timeline and re-export audio as needed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[032] Global Sync Offset
Description:
“Global Sync Offset” refers to audio across a section or the entire program that is out of sync (early or late) by a consistent amount of frames/ seconds.
Impact:
Global sync offset impacts Technical and Content quality. At best, it will be distracting to the customer. At worst, it could ultimately make the content unwatchable.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Audio is 1 frame or less out of sync AND only for a single shot or short duration.
Issue - Audio is 2 frames or more out of sync OR 1 frame or less, but the global sync offset occurs through an entire scene or the entire program.
How to Prevent:
Review audio on timeline and ensure it is properly aligned with on-screen action, as sync can easily shift during an edit.
Verify that audio and video have been recorded at the same frame rate.
Solution:
Fix sync on timeline and re-export audio as needed. Check the M&E for the same issue, and redeliver M&E as well if necessary.
[033] Extraneous Dialogue
Description:
"Extraneous Dialogue" is additional dialogue information in an audio track that does not match with the visuals on screen. This may be a wild track line, a duplication of another line in program, or temporary dialogue that has been left in the final mix.
Impact:
Extraneous dialogue impacts the Content Quality of the asset. The customer experience is adversely affected if there is dialogue unrelated to/ incongruous with on-screen action.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Dialogue is present and cannot be directly attributed to on-screen characters but still makes sense within the context of the scene.
Issue - Dialogue is from another scene or piece of content or scene has dialogue where there should only be music/ effects.
How to Prevent:
Keep temp tracks completely separate from final tracks, and lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid cross contaminating tracks. Review audio against picture to check for out of place or duplicated elements.
Solution:
Extraneous dialogue must be removed and replaced with correct dialogue or music/environmental effects.
[034] Extraneous Music
Description:
"Extraneous Music" is an additional song or ambient music that does not need to be present based on the context of the scene.
Impact:
Extraneous Music impacts the Content Quality of the asset. The customer experience is adversely affected if extraneous music obscures dialogue or if the music interferes with the creatively intended emotional tone of a scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Music is present under characters speaking but is consistent with the emotional tone of the scene/ program.
Issue - Music from program plays over production logos, Netflix Ident or over shots of characters talking and does not appear to be creatively intended based on the context of the scene.
How to Prevent:
Keep temp tracks completely separate from final tracks, and lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid cross contaminating tracks. Review audio against picture to check for out of place or duplicated elements.
Solution:
Extraneous music must be removed and replaced with the intended audio.
[035] Extraneous Audio Description
Description:
"Extraneous Audio Description" refers to any audio descriptive dialogue that is redundant or does not apply to the action taking place in the program.
Impact:
Extraneous description impacts Content quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively affected when description is either redundant, inaccurate or interferes with the dialogue of on screen characters.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Incorrect or redundant descriptive audio is provided, or descriptive audio competes with character dialogue or plot pertinent audio.
How to Prevent:
Keep temp tracks completely separate from final tracks, and lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid cross contaminating tracks. Review audio against picture to check for out of place or duplicated elements.
Solution:
Extraneous content must be removed and replaced with the intended audio.
[036] Extraneous Effect
Description:
"Extraneous Effect" is an additional audio effect (knock, step, gunshot, environmental ambience) present in program where it is not creatively intended and appears out of place within the context of the scene.
Impact:
Extraneous effects impact the Content Quality of the asset. The customer experience is negatively affected as extraneous effects may provide false story cues not creatively intend. Extraneous effects may also obscure the intended dialogue/ music within a scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Effect cannot be directly attributed to on-screen action but aligns with off-screen action based on the context of the scene.
Issue - Effect is present where it clearly should not be. Could change intent or give away plot-pertinent information before the creators intended.
How to Prevent:
Keep temp tracks completely separate from final tracks, and lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid cross contaminating tracks. Review audio against picture to check for out of place or duplicated elements.
Solution:
Extraneous effect must be removed and replaced with the intended audio.
[037] Missing Dialogue
Description:
"Missing Dialogue" is the lack of dialogue within an audio mix, where environmental effects or music is still present.
Impact:
Missing Dialogue impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be negatively affected if no dialogue information is present in a scene or throughout program.
Severity Structure:
FYI - There is no dialogue information, but this can be discerned as creatively intended based on the context of the scene.
Issue - On-screen character's lip movement is clearly visible, but no accompanying dialogue is present. No clear indication that this is creatively intended. Important plot information is lost.
How to Prevent:
Lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid inadvertently deleting track information. Review audio against picture to identify any scenes where there is character lip movement but potentially missing dialogue information.
Solution:
Replace all missing dialogue. ADR as needed if no original intended dialogue is available.
Fix edit with existing audio that was either left out or removed by mistake.
Re-record (dubbed audio) to match picture.
[038] Missing Music
Description:
"Missing Music" is the lack of Music within an audio mix, where environmental effects or dialogue is still present.
Impact:
Missing music impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected if intended music cues are lost, or if scenes meant to only have music are silent. The creatively intended emotional tone of a scene can also be obscured or lost, if music is missing.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Music is not present in a particularly dialogue-driven scene, or other contextual clues point to the lack of music being creatively intended.
Issue - Music is missing, and there are no environmental effects either. Music was clearly supposed to be in the mix based on contextual clues but is not present.
How to Prevent:
Lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid inadvertently deleting track information. Review audio against picture and look for areas where music is intended to be present, prior to export.
Solution:
Replace all affected scenes with the intended music.
[039] Missing Effect
Description:
"Missing Effect" is the lack of individual, multiple or all sound effects, environmental ambience or production effects within an audio mix. Dialogue or music is still present.
Impact:
Missing Effects impact the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected if on screen actions do not have corresponding audio effects or if missing effects cause an important story cue to be unclear. If the effects are not filled throughout program, it can take the customer out of a seamless and natural viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - On screen effect is missing under a particularly dialogue-heavy or music-heavy scene and is not noticeably distracting. Missing effect corresponds to off screen action, which is not directly plot-pertinent.
Issue - Effect is missing where the corresponding on screen action is the focus of the scene, or ambience/ effect fill should be present to make the scene/ program sound natural to the audience.
How to Prevent:
Lock audio tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid inadvertently deleting track information. Review audio against picture to ensure all on screen action is covered with corresponding effects.
Effects are often found to be missing in secondary audio. M&E QC will help prevent missing effects from being carried over to all dubs sourced from the M&E assets.
Solution:
Replace missing elements with pre/re-recorded effects from the stage, foley or sound effects.
[040] Incorrect Asset - Title
Description:
"Incorrect Title" refers to an asset that does not have the correct title in program or was delivered to the wrong source request.
Impact:
An incorrect title creates confusion over what the intended program is, and can create a sequencing issue in episodic content.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Blocker - The wrong asset was received, or the title (or episode #) in program does not match the final approved title specified in the request. This should be treated as a blocker, and a support ticket should be submitted before proceeding.
How to Prevent:
Confirm that package IDs match source request when delivering.
Review filenames against source request when delivering.
Compare expected titles to title in program.
Solution:
If wrong episode was sent or file was delivered to the wrong source request, correct file must be sent or it must be redelivered to the correct source request. If title in program does not match final approved title, it must be updated and redelivered.
[041] Incorrect Asset - Language
Description:
“Incorrect Language” refers to an asset that was delivered with a dialogue language that does not match the expected language of the asset.
Impact:
The asset will not be consumable, as the language was not the intended selection by the customer and will not be understood.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Blocker - The asset does not contain the language specified. This should be treated as a blocker, and a support ticket should be submitted before proceeding.
How to Prevent:
Confirm that package IDs match source request when delivering.
Review filenames against source request when delivering.
Listen for keywords in expected language.
Solution:
Redeliver correct language audio file.
[042] Incorrect Asset - Asset Type
Description:
“Incorrect Asset Type” refers to the wrong file type or format being delivered to a source request.
Impact:
The asset cannot be used on service, as the file delivered does not match the specifications or file type requested.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Blocker - The asset delivered does not match the specifications or file type requested. This should be treated as a blocker, and a support ticket should be submitted before proceeding.
How to Prevent:
Review filenames and extensions in comparison to source request when delivering.
Solution:
Redeliver correct asset.
[043] Animation Error
Description:
"Animation Error" is any artifact or impairment induced by or related to animated content, which is not otherwise covered by a more applicable error code (e.g. “[083] Continuity Error”, “[067] Aliasing”, etc.) or one of the specific Animation/ VFX error codes (“[098] Animation/ VFX Intersection Error”, “[099] Animation Incomplete Outline”, or “[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error”). May encompass many different types of errors that are not creatively inherent to a scene. May also refer to any general inconsistency in the animation itself that is not covered by another applicable error code.
Impact:
Animation Errors impact the Content Quality of the Asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by disrupted animation.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Noticeable inconsistency or anomaly in animation, which is not covered by a more applicable error code or the more specific Animation/ VFX error codes listed above.
How to Prevent:
Review all key-frames and mattes prior to rendering to look for any potential animation inconsistencies. Final renders should also be closely reviewed for technical errors prior to picture finishing.
Solution:
If the animation error is minor or occurs close to the edge of frame, it may be possible to address in online/ color with a reframe or paint fix. For larger animation errors, will most likely need to return to the original animation to correct and re-render affected the frame(s).
[044] Abrupt Edit
Description:
“Abrupt Edit” refers to an incomplete transitional effect or hard cut that is not creatively intended.
Impact:
Abrupt Edit impacts the content quality of the asset. The content producer’s creative intent will be altered as well as taking the customer out of a seamless viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Shot cuts abruptly and in a manner that is inconsistent with the normal flow of a scene. Incorrect frames or entire shots appear out of sequence.
How to Prevent:
Review all edit points and transitions for mis-timed cuts.
Ensure that video and audio are the same duration on the timeline.
Solution:
Incorrect video must be replaced or edits must be adjusted to make transitions less abrupt.
Extend/ trim edits as needed and re-export.
[045] DRS/ Paint Fix Error
Description:
"DRS/ Paint fix error" is the obvious or improperly implemented cover up of an underlying issue.
Impact:
DRS/ Paint fix errors impact the Content and Technical Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by the obvious cover up of an anomaly. A poorly implemented paint fix draws attention to the location of the error, and in some cases, may be more distracting than the original issue.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Defined outline or “block/ box” shape is visible over area where the fix was applied. Grain/ noise density and color of affected area do not match the surrounding portions of the frame/ shot.
How to Prevent:
Review all paint fixes for obvious mattes or defined outlines indicating a poorly implemented fix.
Solution:
May require additional DI time to “smooth out” the applied fix or an alternative method of addressing the error being painted out.
[046] Compositing Error
Description:
"Compositing Error" is any artifact or impairment induced by or related to poorly implemented VFX/ CGI, which is not otherwise covered by the more specific “[098] Animation/ VFX Instersection Error”, “[099] Animation Incomplete Outline”, or “[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error”. May encompass many different types of errors or extraneous artifacts that are not creatively inherent to a scene.
Impact:
Compositing Errors impact the Content Quality of the Asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted by obvious or poor compositing, which can take them out of a seamless viewing experience.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Noticeable inconsistency or anomaly in VFX or compositing, which is not covered by the more specific Animation/ VFX error codes listed above.
How to Prevent:
Review VFX elements at both reference levels as well as with black levels boosted to expose noticeable compositing.
Solution:
If the compositing error is minor or occurs close to the edge of frame, it may be possible to address in online/ color with a reframe or paint fix. For larger compositing errors, will most likely need to return to VFX to correct and re-render affected the frame(s).
[047] Chroma Contamination
Description:
“Chroma Contamination” is the improper bleeding of color values adjacent to each other in frame or enhanced noise/ over-saturation within elements in a shot.
Impact:
Chroma Contamination affects the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted when colors noticeably bleed into each other or color distortion inadvertently draws attention to unintended portions of a shot/ scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Colors on screen appear over-saturated with enhanced noise/ distortion, or there is noticeable color separation around the edges of characters/ objects.
How to Prevent:
Review color correction to ensure levels are not overly “pushed” inducing unintended noise.
Solution:
Confirm creative intent. If necessary, return to the color bay to adjust levels and saturation.
[048] Contaminated Blacks
Description:
“Contaminated Blacks” refers to black levels that have additional saturation or enhanced noise/ blocking.
Impact:
Contaminated blacks affect the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted when black levels appear unnatural or “noisy”.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Blacks/ shadows are overly noisy, blocky or appear to be “reddish”, “blueish” or “greenish” in hue.
How to Prevent:
Review color correction to ensure black levels are not overly “pushed” inducing unintended noise.
Solution:
Confirm creative intent. If necessary, return to the color bay to adjust levels and saturation.
[049] Enhanced Video Noise
Description:
"Enhanced Video Noise" refers to footage that contains extraneous activity and/ or visible distortion/ pattern in grain structure; may make image appear blurry or overly “soft”.
Impact:
Enhanced Video Noise impacts the Content Quality of the asset. If video noise is severe, then the image quality could be so degraded that on-screen action may be obscured.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Noise has enhanced activity, but appears to be creative/ consistent with the overall “look” of the content.
Issue - Video noise is excessive, overly distracting and obscures on screen elements. Scene has distinct “patterns” in the noise structure or noise is partially frozen in some places indicating a possible noise reduction filter error.
How to Prevent:
Reduce ISO - Recommended ISO for Red Weapon/Dragon is 800 ISO; using ISOs above this value will introduce noise. If ISO is used to manage changing lighting situations, different ISOs will introduce inconsistencies between shots.
Will require more, better lighting during production in certain situations.
Review single quadrant of image, if noise is significantly inconsistent or enhanced.
Solution:
See if shot can be replaced with an alternate shot where lighting/ ISO is more efficient. Otherwise, see if noise reduction filter can be applied in post.
Post production “denoise” usually samples a solid texture for noise and allows the manipulation of the overall noise structure for the image. Be aware that this can soften the image or induce other errors, such as “frozen” grain or distortion/ patterning in the noise structure, which may be more detrimental to the quality of the image.
[050] Placeholder Text
Description:
"Placeholder Text" refers to temporary text burned into or overlayed onto the final image. This can be used to refer to any non-final, non-creative text or watermarks, such as asset filenames, VFX shot numbers, or timecode burn-ins.
Impact:
Placeholder text impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be negatively impacted as plot-pertinent information may be covered by unintended on screen elements. This may also indicate that non-final VFX or color is present in the final deliverable and would need to be replaced.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Burned in text overlay is present, which does not appear to be creatively intended subtitles or forced narratives. This may include a shot number or other identifier text, which is clearly not inherent to the creative intent of the scene.
How to Prevent:
Review all shots for placeholder overlays when inserting. Keep fully finished shots separate from those with temp placeholder overlays to avoid grabbing non-final versions of shots.
Solution:
Fully finished shot without placeholder text must be inserted.
[051] Framing Error
Description:
"Framing Error" refers to the improper matting or scaling of the intended visual resolution & frame.
Impact:
Framing Error impacts the Technical Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be adversely affected if the intended framing/ aspect ratio is altered or incorrect. Creative elements may be cropped out, and key story points may be lost as a result. . In some cases, this may be creative intent for the composition based on the context.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Aspect ratio shift appears to be creative intent based on context (i.e. Documentary archival footage is side-matted or windowboxed).
Issue - Image zooms in/ out or shifts left/ right abruptly mid-shot or immediately before/ after a cut. Frame has clearly been re-sized causing aliasing or a blurry image. Scaling/ framing and quality of image does not match similar surrounding shots.
How to Prevent:
Review any matting. Do not push in further than intended resolution when possible.
Ensure any scaling/ matting changes are applied cut to cut to avoid abrupt shifts mid-shot.
Shoot and finish at higher native resolution than intended final delivery to allow for re-framing without compromising image quality.
Solution:
Affected shot must be corrected or replaced with a shot that matches the visual look of the content around it.
Archival footage should retain as much quality as possible, when appropriate.
If a shot scaling/ framing changes abruptly mid-shot, must be adjusted to have the change applied cut to cut.
[052] Black Frame
Description:
"Black frame" is a frame without any image information.
Impact:
Black frames impact the Content and Technical Quality of the Asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by the image cutting to black without creative context.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Black frames are clearly creatively motivated by a lighting effect or scene transition.
Issue - Image cuts to black without any context that it is motivated by creative intent (i.e. NOT related to inherent lighting flicker or a natural cut/ fade to black for a scene transition).
How to Prevent:
Watchdown final timeline before export to look for any render errors, dropped frames or gaps in the timeline.
Use timeline snapping to avoid introducing unintentional gaps in the timeline.
Adhere to Netflix spec for amount of black at head and tail.
Solution:
Black frames can be the result of a render error, causing a corrupted/ dropped frame on output of the final asset. Can also be the result of two shots having not been properly joined on the timeline leaving a break on the timeline.
Depending on the cause, shot with corrupted/ dropped frames will either need to be re-rendered, or edit will need to be adjusted on the timeline to properly close the existing gap.
[053] Dropped Frame
Description:
"Dropped Frame" refers to a single or sequence of frames which are missing or corrupted in the video essence.
Impact:
Dropped Frames impact the Technical quality of an asset. The customer experience is negatively affected as on screen motion will appear to stutter. In some cases, dropped frames may be inherent to archival footage, consumer camera footage or the result of the animation style.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Playback is choppy and/ or there is noticeable stutter in the motion. Interpolated frames are missing.
How to Prevent:
Dropped frames are possibly inherent to frame rate converted, stock, or archival footage.
Review and use best possible stock and archival footage whenever possible. Use professional quality cameras and hardware/ software standards conversion solution when changing from one frame rate to another.
Solution:
Segment of footage must have missing frames replaced or sequence re-rendered to “smooth out” any choppy or stuttering playback.
If dropped frames are the result of a poor frame rate conversion, footage may need to be re-converted using an alternate method.
[054] Frame Edge Shading
Description:
"Frame Edge Shading" is darkening along the edges or in the corners of the frame due to camera hoods or production flags being partially in frame.
Impact:
Frame edge shading impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by anything that might obscure visual content. This can also be a revealing visual cue to the filmmaking process, removing the suspension of disbelief. This may be creative intent to create a more "film-like" experience or may also be creative “vignetting” implemented during color correction to add depth to an otherwise “flatly” lit scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Noticeable darkening along the edges or vignetting in the corners of frame.
How to Prevent:
Check edges of frame while shooting, and adjust any camera hoods/ production flags, so that they do not encroach on the edge of frame.
Using a radial graduated neutral density (GND) filter can help when the source of darkening is natural vignetting.
Solution:
Review and confirm if this is creative intent. Otherwise, scale the image or apply a VFX fix to conceal the shading.
[055] Freeze Frame
Description:
""Freeze Frame" is a duplicate frame(s) within the sequence that contains no different information than the adjacent frame(s).
Impact:
Freeze Frames impact both the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected if there are stutters or skips in the motion of on-screen action. In severe cases, long sections of freeze frames may make the content unwatchable. Though sometimes creatively intended, freeze frames without creative context cues, may indicate a render or encoding error.
Severity Structure:
FYI - On screen effects or audio provide contextual cues that freeze frames are creatively intended to be part of program.
Issue - Freeze frame or series of freeze frames cause a noticeable stutter or disruption in on-screen action.
How to Prevent:
Freeze frames can often be caused by encoding or frame rate conversions. Use professional grade hardware/ software standards conversion solution when changing from one frame rate to another.
Avoid using a non-native frame rate source clip in a sequence of a different frame rate.
Solution:
Freeze frames must be replaced with correct frames to ensure seamless, smooth playback.
If freeze frames are the result of a poor frame rate conversion, footage may need to be re-converted using an alternate method.
[056] Visible Frame Edge
Description:
"Visible Frame Edge" is related to active image not reaching the expected edge of the frame or matte.
Impact:
Visible frame edges impact the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted when frame edges potentially obscure visual content or when the creatively intended framing of a shot/ scene is altered. In some cases, visible frame edges may be creatively intended to lend a more “film-like” look to a shot or in the case of archival footage to maintain the native aspect ratio.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Active image does not extend all the way to the edge of the frame/ matte.
How to Prevent:
When repositioning/ scaling shots, review frame and matte edges.
Solution:
Confirm if creatively intended. If not, adjust framing/ scaling of shot to eliminate visible frame edges.
[057] Visible Matte Edge
Description:
“Visible Matte Edge” refers to an object layer (animated or composited) that does not extend to the edge of frame or has been poorly composited into the shot, causing a noticeable edge or outline where the layer ends.
Impact:
Visible Matte Edges impact the Technical quality of an asset. The customer experience is negatively impacted, as on screen objects or entire layers are cut off, drawing attention to an animation or VFX inconsistency.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - A character, object or layer has a noticeable edge that does not extend to the edge of frame. Character or object may also have a noticeable outline around it within the frame.
How to Prevent:
Review composited objects/ layers to make sure they have been seamlessly incorporated into the frame. Also review edges when repositioning or scaling changes have been made. Check key frames to make sure all elements extend fully to the edge of frame and are scaled properly within the frame.
Solution:
For minor noticeable mattes that do not extend to the full edge of frame, a reposition or rescale can sometimes be used to crop out the visible matte edge.
Matte edges that are well within safe action or matte edges that outline characters/ objects, may require returning to animation or VFX to address.
[058] Non-Native Aspect Ratio
Description:
“Non-Native Aspect Ratio” refers to one of two issues: Either the image is squeezed or stretched within the frame OR the content does not match the expected/ intended aspect ratio.
Impact:
“Non-Native Aspect Ratio” affects both the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted when the image is not displayed as creatively intended. When the image is squeezed or stretched within the frame, it indicates the content may have been incorrectly scaled from how it was originally shot and/ or finished. When the aspect ratio does not match what is expected/ intended, it may mean there is lost visual story cues. If the original aspect ratio was intended to be 2.40:1, and the file delivered is 1.78:1, the image has been zoomed in and is also missing picture information on the left/ right).
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The image is noticeably squeezed or stretched or is any aspect ratio other than what was expected/ indicated in the request.
How to Prevent:
Ensure that the profile used to create the file has the Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR) set correctly.
Confirm either original aspect ratio or native aspect ratio and make sure final deliverable is accurate.
Solution:
Re-deliver in native aspect ratio.
[059] Warping
Description:
“Warping” is usually the adverse effect of image stabilization where the frame compensation causes the image to shift in an unnatural way.
Impact:
Warping affects the Technical and Content Quality of an asset. Poorly implemented image stabilization can be distracting to the customer. In some cases, it produces a worse resulting image than if no image stabilization was used.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Image shifts/ blurs and/ or becomes distorted.
How to Prevent:
Only apply necessary amount of image stabilization. If warping becomes an issue, consider using an alternate shot that requires less stabilization in order to preserve overall image quality.
Solution:
Reduce the amount of image stabilization applied to affected shot to minimize the warping effect.
[060] Extraneous Content
Description:
“Extraneous Content” is any additional, unnecessary content included in the program/ file. This includes any miscellaneous head/ tail build or elements from the DI left in the final file deliverable that do not adhere to the Netflix Delivery Specification.
Impact:
Extraneous content impacts the Content Quality of an asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted when content unrelated to the program is mistakenly included in the stream they are served. Extraneous content can usually be distinguished from creatively intended program content based on the context of the scene/ program.
Severity Structure:
FYI - There are contextual clues that the extraneous content is creatively intended.
Issue - The file contains head/ tail build elements included from the DI and/ or online edit, which should not be apart of the final product (e.g. additional black and silence, slates, color bars, SMPTE Leader, 2-pops or textless material, program bumpers, etc.)
How to Prevent:
Lock video tracks that are not being worked on in order to avoid cross contaminating tracks. Review timeline for potentially out of place elements or format elements left in the final edit by mistake.
Solution:
Extraneous content must be removed or replaced with final content to adhere to the Netflix Delivery Spec.
[061] Commercial Blacks
Description:
"Commercial Blacks" are black frames accompanied by silence for a duration of 4 seconds or longer, indicating a placeholder for a commercial/ act break.
Impact:
Commercial Blacks impact both the Technical and Content Quality of the Asset. Content should not include any commercial blacks per the Netflix Delivery Specification. Customer experience is negatively impacted by any excessive breaks in program or breaks not related to creatively intended scene transitions.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Blocker - Program contains sections of black and silence that are 4 seconds or longer in duration.
How to Prevent:
If content is airing somewhere other than Netflix, where commercial breaks are included, maintain a separate Netflix cut with commercial blacks removed.
Any content that will be exclusive to Netflix should never include any commercial blacks.
Solution:
Remove any and all commercial blacks. Ensure all parties involved receive the updated Proxy, PM and M&E audio adjusted to reflect the updated edit and runtime change.
[062] Censorship
Description:
"Censorship" refers to any edit to the video or audio used to obscure or eliminate content that may be considered offensive or illegal for broadcast.
Impact:
Censorship edits impact the Content quality of the asset. Any obvious edits may be disruptive to a seamless customer viewing experience. In some cases, they may also interfere with/ alter the creative intent of the content producer.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The censorship is not legally required and noticeably interferes with the creative storytelling.
How to Prevent:
If content is airing somewhere other than Netflix, where censorship is required, maintain a separate, uncensored Netflix cut.
Any content that will be exclusive to Netflix should not include any added censorship.
Solution:
Remove any censorship edits that are not legally required and/ or follow the original creative intent of the content producer.
[063] Burned In Subtitles
Description:
“Burned In Subtitles” refers to any subtitle text that is rendered into picture of the primary video asset.
Impact:
Burned in subtitles impact the Content Quality of the Asset. Netflix localizes subtitles for various languages to provide a seamless viewing experience for our customers around the world. Any subtitles that are rendered into picture will compete with Netflix localized subtitles. In some cases, both original and Netflix localized subtitles may be unreadable, if the Netflix localized subs are overlaid on top of the burned in subtitles.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Subtitles are burned into the picture of the primary video asset.
How to Prevent:
Do not include any burned in subtitles to content being delivered to Netflix.
Review content for any on-screen text that is not main titles, end credits, locales or graphics.
Solution:
Remove any burned in subtitles from picture, and redeliver.
[064] Missing Format Black
Description:
"Missing Format Black" refers to an asset missing the required 1 second of black and silence before and after program content on the primary video asset.
Impact:
Missing format black impacts the Technical and Content Quality of an asset. This does not adhere to the Netflix Delivery Specification. As some streams delivered to customers need time to buffer, some portions of content may be lost due to an absence of black at the head and tail of the file. For ident-free workflows, the additional black is required to accommodate a seamless stitching of the Netflix ident within the Netflix internal pipeline.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - One second of black and silence before and after program content is not included in the file, or black and silence is shorter than the required one second duration.
How to Prevent:
Review and adhere to the Netflix Delivery Specifications.
Solution:
One second of black and silence must be added to the head and tail of the file for redelivery.
[065] Truncation
Description:
“Truncation” refers to an incomplete asset, where a portion of the program is missing from the head/ tail of the asset. This results in an abrupt cut out before the end of program, or a cut in after the true beginning of program. This is often the result of export or encoding errors.
Impact:
Truncation impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Depending on the severity of the truncation (i.e. how much program content is missing), could produce a poor customer experience or in severe cases, make the content unwatchable. Key story points may be lost as well as being a potential contractual issue, if required main titles, end credits, or production logos are truncated/ missing.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue (potential Blocker) - A portion of the program is missing or cuts out abruptly. Should be raised as a blocker if a significant amount of program is missing.
How to Prevent:
Review timeline in and out points prior to exporting to ensure full duration of the timeline is included.
Review head and tail to make sure any titles/ credits/ logos are present and complete.
Be extra vigilant when making timeline selections for edits/ deletion.
Solution:
Replace missing content, if needed, and review before and after export to ensure the program content is complete before redelivery.
[066] Missing Logo
Description:
"Missing Logo" is the lack of expected production/ studio logos.
Impact:
Missing logo impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Contractual obligations dictate the appearance and order of logos.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Any or all production logos are not present.
How to Prevent:
Review timeline in and out points prior to exporting to ensure full duration of the timeline is included.
Review head and tail to make sure logos are present and complete.
Be extra vigilant when making timeline selections for edits/ deletion.
Solution:
Re-deliver with expected logos included.
[067] Aliasing
Description:
"Aliasing" is a visual artifact caused by the limited spatial sampling during image processing and/ or poor compression or a bad conversion. Object or text/ graphic edges appear “jagged” or pixelated. Can also refer to a moire (or “screen door”) pattern across certain parts of the image.
Impact:
Aliasing impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by low quality images or text/ graphics. Typically aliasing is associated with poor compression or a bad conversion during file output. Aliasing can be further enhanced on any subsequent deliverables sourced from the asset.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Aliasing occurs in archival or stock video footage.
Issue - Aliasing occurs in what should be high res footage and is not consistent with similar or surrounding shots.
How to Prevent:
Render at the highest quality and resolution available whenever possible. Do not apply any unnecessary compression to source footage.
Solution:
Re-render at a higher sampling rate, if possible.
Apply anti-aliasing filtering. Be aware that this can blur the image, which may be less desirable than the original aliasing issue.
[068] Banding/ Posterization
Description:
"Banding/ Posterization" is when low color bit depth results in defined “stepping” from one color gradation to another versus a smooth, continuous gradation.
Impact:
Banding/ Posterization impacts the Content and Technical Quality of the Asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by low quality images. Banding can be further enhanced on any subsequent deliverables sourced from the asset. The appearance of banding during fades/ dissolves can sometimes be attributed to the refresh rates on some monitors during normal playback. So, it should always be checked in stop/ pause for gradations that are not smooth.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Banding is minor during fades or dissolves.
Issue - Banding/ Posterization is significantly noticeable across portions of or the entire image. Banding pattern shifts or fluctuates during playback.
How to Prevent:
Render at least 10-bit. 8-bit visual effects tend to enhance banding/ posterization.
Solution:
Re-render at least 10-bit and redeliver.
[069] Compression Artifacting
Description:
"Compression Artifacting" is the adverse effect of image degradation where the image complexity exceeds the necessary bit rate/ bit depth.
Impact:
Compression Artifacting impacts the Technical Quality of the Asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by a poor quality image, and any further downstream compression will only enhance any artifacts already existing in the mezzanine.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Enhanced digital activity or macro blocking in portions of or across the entire image.
How to Prevent:
Verify the source clips are of the best possible quality.
Check the export profile of the master asset and ensure that the proper compression levels were utilized.
Solution:
Re-export using proper compression levels or replace with higher quality footage requiring less compression.
[070] Combing/ Ghosting
Description:
"Combing/ Ghosting" is an artifact that is often induced by converting video from one standard/ frame rate to another. If done incorrectly, the conversion will not fully address interlaced frames.
Impact:
Combing/ Ghosting impacts the Technical Quality of the Asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by the poor quality frame rate conversion, which may introduce visual artifacts that obscure or distract from the creatively intended image. It will be visible in normal playback as well as in pause/ frame-by-frame and is enhanced by motion on screen. Any combing/ ghosting will carry over to any assets derived from the source asset, and will possibly be further enhanced in the downstream assets.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Combing/ ghosting occurs in archival/ stock footage.
Issue - Visible interlacing across the image causes a noticeable stutter during normal playback. A “doubling of the image” occurs, visible in pause/ frame-by-frame (also sometimes referred to as frame blending or motion lag). Images overlap across cuts (also sometimes referred to as image lag).
How to Prevent:
Avoid using a non-native frame rate source clip in a sequence of a different frame rate. The editing software will likely perform a substandard frame rate conversion that introduces lag.
If a standards/ frame rate conversion is required, as in the case of documentary archival or mixed-camera footage, always use professional quality standards conversion hardware/ software to minimize combing/ ghosting artifacts.
Solution:
Confirm if archival footage is best available. Replace with alternate footage not requiring a standards conversion, if possible. Re-convert using professional quality standards conversion hardware/ software.
[071] Low Quality Footage
Description:
"Low Quality Footage" refers to an image that exhibits visual qualities lesser than the primary source image.
Impact:
Low Quality Footage impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is adversely affected if integrated footage is of a poorer quality or does not match rest of program. Low quality may make images blurry or overly enhance video noise, and in worst cases may make content unwatchable. Low quality footage will be further degraded in any downstream assets derived from the source asset, if additional compression is applied.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Footage is archival or stock footage integrated into program for creative intent.
Issue - Poor image quality is blatant and does not match the overall quality of the rest of program.
How to Prevent:
Avoid using lower quality archival/ stock footage when possible.
Solution:
Should consider replacing with high quality footage to match resolution and quality of the surrounding shots.
[072] Picture Jitter
Description:
"Picture Jitter" is the shaking of the image due to unintended, unnatural camera movement or image re-positioning. In archival film footage, may be the result of film perfs not being properly aligned with film scanner sprockets/ pins.
Impact:
Picture jitter impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Excessive jitter may take the customer out of a seamless viewing experience, bringing attention to the technical aspects of production. In severe cases, the jitter may make the content unwatchable.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Contextual cues indicate jitter is intentional to provide a “handheld” or “filmic” style to the program.
Issue - Jitter is clearly due to a re-positioning edit mid-scene. Jitter is overly distracting and appears inconsistent with surrounding/ similar shots.
How to Prevent:
N/A
Solution:
Apply stabilization to minimize jitter. Make sure that any stabilization applied does not induce visible matte edges or additional artifacts.
[073] Pixelation/ Quantization
Description:
“Pixelation/ Quantization” refers to visible, individual colored blocks within an image, often due to poor resolution scaling or rendering at lower bit depths.
Impact:
Pixelation/ Quantization impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be negatively impacted by poor quality images that are noticeably compressed or overly-scaled. If pixelation so degrades image quality, it can make the content unwatchable.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Shot is much lower image and pixel quality than similar/ surrounding shots. Image is noticeably “blown up” and lacks sharpness.
How to Prevent:
Avoid using low quality stock and archival footage when possible. Make sure footage is of equal native resolution to rest of content.
Shoot higher resolution than final delivery format to leave room for scaling without compromising quality.
Render at least 10-bit. 8-bit visual effects tend to enhance pixelation.
Solution:
Shot or scene must be replaced with the same content at higher native resolution or bit depth.
[074] Blown-out/ Clipped Whites
Description:
“Blown-out/ Clipped Whites” refers to an image’s highlights exceeding the maximum reproducible video level. This causes an overall loss of detail in the portions of the image where max luminance approaches true white.
Impact:
Blown-out/ clipped whites impact Content quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by any loss of detail, as creatively intended visuals or story points may be missed.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Substantial portions of the image have minimal detail due to luminance levels clipping.
How to Prevent:
Be aware of camera aperture settings to ensure proper exposure.
Ensure base black levels and max luminance levels do not exceed allowable thresholds.
Find a balance between lows and highs during color grading to maintain as much detail as possible across the image.
Solution:
Confirm if creative intent or best possible. Otherwise review/ address possible conformance issue or Full/Legal Range conversion issue.
[075] Crushed Blacks
Description:
“Crushed Blacks” is when black levels are underexposed causing an overall loss of detail in the shadows/ darker portions of the image.
Impact:
Crushed Blacks impact Content quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by any loss of detail, as creatively intended visuals or story points may be missed.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Substantial portions of the image have minimal detail due to black levels being crushed.
How to Prevent:
Be aware of camera aperture settings to ensure proper exposure.
Ensure base black levels and max luminance levels do not exceed allowable thresholds.
Find a balance between lows and highs during color grading to maintain as much detail as possible across the image.
Solution:
Confirm if creative intent or best possible. Otherwise review/ address possible conformance issue or Full/Legal Range conversion issue.
[076] Luminance Shift/ Flicker
Description:
"Luminance Shift/ Flicker" refers to a change/ multiple changes in the brightness levels within a shot/ scene.
Impact:
Luminance Shift/ Flicker impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. It can distract from the creative on screen action, and in severe instances, potentially obscure plot pertinent elements.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Source of luminance shifting can reasonably be attributed to an on screen element or is understood based on contextual cues (e.g. strobe lights in a nightclub or character turns away from a practical light source).
Issue - Changes in luminance are not reasonably discernible as creative and distract from on screen action.
How to Prevent:
Review for luminance consistency across shots. Apply luminance changes uniformly across similar shots, cut to cut whenever possible to minimize abrupt shifts mid-shot.
Solution:
Confirm if creative intent or best possible. Otherwise, affected shots must be regraded to maintain consistent brightness and minimize unnecessary shifting mid-shot.
[077] Luminance Peaks
Description:
"Luminance Peaks" can be used to describe measured luminance levels either exceeding legal limits or being clipped lower than expected based on the scene content.
Impact:
Luminance Peaks impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be adversely affected if images are so bright or dark that detail is lost on their display. High or low luminance peaks may also indicate a Full/ Legal range conversion issue.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Luminance peaks exceed legal limits or appear low based on scene content.
How to Prevent:
Monitor luminance levels using waveform scopes.
For HDR content, consider analyzing MaxFALL/ MaxCLL for potential inconsistencies.
Solution:
For low luminance peaks, confirm if creative intent. Otherwise, adjust luminance to peak at intended levels.
For high luminance peaks/ levels exceeding legal limits in SDR content, luminance must be adjusted to bring it within legal limits (700mV). This is most likely a Full/ Legal range conversion issue.
For high luminance peaks in HDR content, confirm if creative intent. Otherwise, adjust luminance to peak at intended levels.
[078] Elevated Black Levels
Description:
“Elevated Black Levels” can be used to describe measured setup video level being elevated.
Impact:
Elevated Black levels impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by color that appears unnatural or misrepresented. Severely elevated black levels may also indicate a Full/ Legal range conversion issue.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Black levels are only slightly above baseline, but are not visibly raised with monitor settings in unity/ detent.
Issue - Black levels are severely elevated above baseline causing blacks on screen to appear “gray-ish” or washed out.
How to Prevent:
Monitor levels using waveform scopes.
Solution:
Confirm if elevated black levels are as intended. Otherwise, adjust levels.
[079] Sub-Black Levels
Description:
“Sub-Black Levels” can be used to describe measured setup video level falling below baseline.
Impact:
Sub-Black levels impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively affected by color that appears unnatural or misrepresented. Sub-black levels may also indicate a Full/ Legal range conversion issue.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Black levels dip below baseline 700mV (SDR) or 0 nits (HDR).
How to Prevent:
Monitor levels using waveform scopes.
Solution:
Any sub-black levels must be adjusted to at least baseline, as this is most likely a Full/ Legal range conversion issue.
[080] Shift in Black Levels
Description:
“Shift in Black Levels” is a change in minimum luminance value mid-shot or between similar shots/ scenes.
Impact:
Shift in Black Levels impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. The overall look of a shot or scene will not be consistent with the intended look of program. The customer may also be taken out of a seamless viewing experience if the shift happens mid-shot.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Shift in black is minor, occurs during a fade/ dissolve or other transition, and appears natural within the context of the scene.
Issue - Shift occurs abruptly mid-shot, or black levels are visibly inconsistent within a series of similar shots or scenes.
How to Prevent:
Verify that the color timing is consistent across multiple shots. Ensure any LUTs are applied uniformly across program. Check to make sure individual segments were correctly rendered in final conform.
Solution:
Black levels must be adjusted to eliminate any noticeable shifts and/ or to be consistent across similar shots/ scenes.
[081] PSE Test Fail
Description:
"PSE Test Fail" refers to a specific test used to gauge whether or not an asset is at risk for causing epileptic seizures in individuals with Photosensitive Epilepsy (PSE). PSE tests scan for rapid changes in brightness, color, and patterns in video content.
Impact:
PSE Test Fail impacts the Technical Quality of the asset. Content that fails the PSE test poses a serious risk to those suffering from Photosensitive Epilepsy, as it can trigger seizures while viewing the content. In some cases, viewers may not be aware they are prone to seizures.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Software or firmware with an implemented PSE test determine content has the potential to cause epileptic seizures in individuals with PSE.
How to Prevent:
During editing, try to avoid sequences with more than three luminance/ color changes that occupy 25% or more of the active image in a one second duration. Also, avoid stark patterns (stripes, polka dots, cross-hatching, etc.), especially patterns that flash, oscillate, change direction or reverse in contrast. Try to edit and test against the ITU-R bt. 1702 standard to ensure PSE compliance.
Solution:
Sequences/ programs must be re-edited to remove/ adjust elements that are causing the PSE test fail.
[082] Camera Bump
Description:
“Camera bump” is the unintended movement of the image due to camera operator error or camera support movement.
Impact:
“Camera bump” impacts the Content Quality of the asset. It can be distracting to customer viewing experience and draws unnecessary attention to the production process.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Minor camera shift that appears consistent with a pan, tilt or other intentional camera move.
Issue - Major image shift in the middle of a camera move or a stationary shot.
How to Prevent:
N/A
Solution:
Image stabilization can be used to improve/ minimize unintended camera movement but only if it can be applied without negatively impacting the overall image quality. If the image becomes blurry or warps due to the image stabilization applied, it is more likely preferred to leave the camera bump as is.
[083] Continuity Error
Description:
"Continuity Error" refers to any visual or audible inconsistency with on-screen characters or objects between similar shots/ scenes.
Impact:
Continuity Errors impact the Content Quality of the Asset. Any noticeable inconsistency will disrupt the natural flow of the story. If the continuity error is severe enough, it may cause confusion over creatively intended story points.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Minor change in a character’s or object’s position or any change that can be reasonably attributed to the passage of time from shot to shot/ scene to scene.
Issue - Any major change to a character or object that causes a noticeable break or inconsistency in the story.
How to Prevent:
Reference script supervisor notes on set to avoid shooting continuity errors. Be especially vigilant with problematic props such as liquids in glasses and cigarettes.
During editing, reference previous shots/ scenes often to attempt to minimize impact of a production continuity error.
Solution:
Replace existing continuity error with an alternate shot or attempt to frame out with a shot reposition or VFX, if possible.
[084] Dirt/ Stain/ Scratch
Description:
"Dirt/ Stain/ Scratch" refers to various anomalies in content shot on film resulting from debris/ digs that exist either in the film print (positive/ black) or in the negative (negative/ white). If a dig is in the emulsion, it may show up as a colored scratch (instead of black/ white).
Impact:
Dirt/ Stains/ Scratches impact the Technical and Content quality of the asset. Unless it is archival/ stock footage or purposely induced to create a vintage film look, these film anomalies are an added distraction for the viewer. They also create a substandard level of quality that is typically not representative of Netflix content.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Dirt/ stains/ scratches exist in archival/ stock film footage or were added in post to simulate archival film footage for creative intent.
Issue - Dirt/ stains/ scratches exist and do not appear to be creatively intended based on the type of content or contextual cues.
How to Prevent:
Avoid handling of film.
Store in airtight container when possible.
Solution:
Complete DRS to clean up extraneous film anomalies.
[085] Lens Flare
Description:
“Lens Flare” is the refraction of light through a camera lens, causing a flash or light glare to be visible in frame.
Impact:
Lens flares impact the Content quality of the asset. Customer experience can be negatively affected if a lens flare distracts from the on screen action. If severe enough, lens flares may obscure creatively intended visual elements in a shot. In some cases, creative talent may choose to induce lens flares to achieve a desired “look”.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Lens flare is minor and does not obscure characters or important objects in scene.
Issue - Lens flare is very large or distracting and obscures on screen action.
How to Prevent:
Avoid direct light shining on the camera lens.
Use appropriate camera hoods and production flags to shield lens from light.
Solution:
Confirm if lens flare is creatively intended. If not, footage must be adjusted to minimize the flare. This may require a re-position of the shot or possible VFX fix, depending on where in the frame the lens flare exists and how severe it is.
[086] Lens Smudge
Description:
"Lens Smudge" is dirt, oil, debris, etc. physically on the camera lens causing a visible artifact in the captured image.
Impact:
Lens Smudge impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be negatively affected if the lens smudge distracts from on screen action. If severe enough, lens smudges may obscure creatively intended visual elements in a scene.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Smudge is very minor and not overly distracting.
Issue - Smudge is very noticeable and obscures content on screen.
How to Prevent:
Always replace lens covers and house lenses in protective cases when not in use. Clean lenses often, before/ after use and between shots.
If lens is noticeably dirty, clean and reshoot any affected footage.
Solution:
Use DRS or VFX fix to address, if possible.
[087] Dolby Vision Metadata Error
Description:
"Dolby Vision Metadata Error" refers to any and all issues with the embedded Dolby Vision metadata wrapped in the HDR IMF deliverables. Any color issues that exist only in the SDR (standard dynamic range) version derived from an HDR IMF are directly related to issues in the Dolby Vision metadata .xml.
Impact:
Dolby Vision Metadata Errors impact the Technical and Content Quality of an asset. Since Netflix derives all SDR streams for HDR content directly from this metadata, any issues with this metadata will result in visible errors for customers watching the SDR version.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Image or Canvas Aspect ratio do not match the active image A/R and full frame resolution of the video track as delivered, causing color mapping to be applied incorrectly across the image or in the mattes.
Dolby Vision metadata is missing default image character values (Level 1) for any shot. All shots must be analyzed.
Dolby Vision metadata has image character (Level 1) 0,0,0 values for shots that are not true black frames.
Shot durations in Dolby Vision metadata do not align with actual cuts in program or image character (Level 1)/ trim values (Level 2 or Level 8) change mid-shot, causing visible color timing errors in the SDR version only.
Image character (Level 1) or trim values (Level 2 or Level 8) are all the same across the entire program or across multiple scenes, which do not exist in the same environment/ setting.
How to Prevent:
During color grading, complete the Dolby analysis after the HDR color grade is finalized. Make sure to confirm/ save any additional trim pass information. Review SDR output derived from the Dolby metadata prior to final export.
Solution:
Correct any Dolby Metadata errors and re-export the IMF.
[088] Color Mistiming
Description:
"Color Mistiming" refers to any color grading error that either results in color shifts mid-shot or color being inconsistent between similar shots. This can also apply to shots that appear to be missing expected color correction treatment.
Impact:
Color Mistiming impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the Asset. Customer experience will be negatively impacted by any abrupt shifts in color mid-shot or color that does not appear natural or consistent with the rest of a scene/ program.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Color shifts abruptly in the middle of a shot or before/ after a cut. Overall color of a shot(s) does not match similar shots or the rest of a scene. Color does not seem natural or consistent with the overall look of the rest of the scene/ program.
How to Prevent:
Verify that the timing is consistent across multiple shots during color grading. Check to ensure any LUTs are applied across all shots. Check to make sure all color decisions were correctly implemented in final conform.
Solution:
Fix any color timing inconsistencies and re-render affected shots.
[089] Incorrect File Metadata
Description:
"Incorrect File Metadata" is any data provided with an asset that is incorrect or corrupted.
Impact:
Incorrect information surrounding an asset may result in delivery, encoding or display issues.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - File metadata associated with asset contains incorrect information, which does not match the actual format of the asset.
How to Prevent:
Ensure any tags associated with asset are correctly set prior to export to ensure metadata is accurately populated.
Solution:
Fix any incorrect file metadata tags and redeliver.
[090] Incorrect Timecode
Description:
"Incorrect Timecode" is the improper formatting or corruption of a timecode track or frame rate.
Impact:
Incorrect Timecode impacts the Technical Quality of the asset. Customer experience will not be affected however the interaction with our internal systems may be compromised should an incorrect timecode track be delivered. This would be a timecode track starting at anything not conforming to the Netflix Specification. Assets derived from this piece may contain incorrect timecode.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Timecode of secondary asset does not match primary or is corrupted.
How to Prevent:
N/A
Solution:
Asset must have timecode track correctly formatted and re-delivered.
[091] Video Hit
Description:
"Video Hit" is any corruption in a video file that results in a shift in pixels or visual artifacts.
Impact:
Video Hits impact both the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. They usually represent a render or encoding error. Additionally, customer experience is adversely affected if on screen visual hits obscure the main action of a scene. Any video hits will also be recorded into any subsequent assets derived from a source containing hits.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Video is meant to simulate archival/ found/ consumer video footage with inherent digital anomalies for creative intent.
Issue - Digital blocks, digital line errors/ dropouts or picture breakup occurs anywhere on screen.
How to Prevent:
N/A
Solution:
Determine if video hit exists in the render or is an encode issue. If it exists in the render, go back to DI and re-render affected frames. Then, re-export final deliverable.
If it is encode related, simply re-export final deliverable.
[092] Video Artifact
Description:
“Video Artifact” is any extraneous element in the image that is not creatively intended. Can be used to cover anything that does not fall under one of the other specific error codes.
Impact:
Video Artifacts impact the Technical and Content quality of an asset. Any extraneous visual elements may distract from the creatively intended aspects of a shot/ scene. Video artifacts may also draw unwanted attention to the technical aspects of the production/ post process.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Any extraneous artifacts that do not appear to be intentional are present anywhere on screen.
How to Prevent:
N/A
Solution:
Unintended video artifacts must be removed. Content partner will determine the cause of the artifact and apply necessary fix to remove.
[093] Pixel Error
Description:
"Pixel Error" refers to one or several pixels in a frame which do not display the correct captured information as the pixels surrounding them. Sometimes also referred to as a “Dead Pixel”.
Impact:
Pixel Errors impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Pixel errors are often due to a bad sensor in the camera used to capture. They are distracting to the customer experience, especially when they stand out in darkly lit scenes or on a character’s face.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Pixel error is very faint in a brightly lit scene or is roughly the same color as the surrounding elements in the scene (as long as it does not fall on a character or object that is the focus of the scene).
Issue - Pixel error falls on a character or object that is the focus of the scene. Pixel error is bright against a darkly lit scene.
How to Prevent:
Daily Black Shading Calibration. Calibration Mechanism based on camera sensor exposure time and temperature. Resets noise pattern, reducing pixel errors, should be performed for changing environments or temperatures.
Pixel Check. With lens on camera, point camera at lit white card, causing photosites to electrify, begin recording and swap to black card or reduce exposure on lens til closed; analyze frame for stuck pixels.
Review content in “vivid” mode with all noise reduction and interpolation turned off.
Contrasting elements often exhibit issue. Review darker scenes with camera movement. Pixels will remain bright and fixed in location.
Solution:
Dead pixels must be removed with a VFX paint fix.
Pixels should be painted out in the non-graded archival master (NAM) to ensure the fixes carry over to all subsequent deliverables, including the graded archival master (GAM), video display master (VDM), and final IMF.
[094] Picture Stutter
Description:
"Picture Stutter" occurs when an image sequence lacks motion blur. This can be made worse in encoded streams and during compression, as inter frame coding may further enhance any picture stutter.
Impact:
Picture stutter impacts the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience will be adversely affected if on screen motion appears “jerky” or unnatural.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - On screen motion is not smooth as expected, but instead, appears to jump or “step”.
How to Prevent:
Shoot at the frame rate appropriate for the amount of action.
Avoid frame rate conversions whenever possible to minimize the risk of introducing post processing stutter.
Solution:
Apply motion blur or frame blending to reduce the effect of stutter. This can soften the image, so it’s important to find a compromise between smooth motion and a crisp, in focus image.
[095] Ident Altered
Description:
“Ident Altered” is any manipulation of or treatment added to the video essence of the Netflix Ident.
Impact:
Ident altered impacts Netflix's Brand Identity, as it does not meet the expectations of correct implementation.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - The Netflix Ident appears different than the supplied reference or expected implementation in any way.
Ident does not match the active image of the rest of program.
How to Prevent:
Avoid including the Ident on the timeline during mixing/ editing, where there is the potential it will be inadvertently altered. Drop in un-altered ident right before export.
Netflix is working toward automating the Ident stitching post delivery within our internal pipeline to eliminate the need for fulfillment partners to include it as part of their delivery.
Solution:
Replace with original, un-altered Ident, and re-export.
[096] Visible Production Crew/Equipment
Description:
"Visible Production Crew/Equipment" is the on-set technical personnel or equipment associated with a film/ television shoot being visible in the finished program.
Impact:
Visible production crew/ equipment impacts the Content Quality of the asset. Customer experience is negatively impacted by distracting elements on screen, which remove the suspension of disbelief.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Crew or equipment visible in documentary-style interviews or footage from film/ photography shoots with contextual cues that it is an inherent or creative choice.
Issue - Crew, camera, lights, stands/ flags, boom mics, cue markers/ tape, cables or any other element from the active production shoot is visible in shot or in a reflection. Also, any shadows, which might potentially be from stray crew/ equipment are visible in shot. No contextual cues that would reasonably attribute the presence of these elements to creative intent.
How to Prevent:
Cue markers should be as small and inconspicuous as possible. Avoid neon or high contrast colored markers.
Apply “dulling” spray on reflective surfaces to minimize crew/ equipment reflections.
Shoot and finish DI at higher than the intended final resolution to allow for greater freedom of repositioning/ scaling.
Review each shot in on-set monitors for common problem elements/ locations - reflective surfaces, floors where there might be tape/ cables/ dolly tracks and edges of frame during pans/ tilts/ dolly shots, which might reveal boom mics/ production flags/ set elements.
Solution:
Repositioning/ scaling may be able to size out the crew/ equipment if it exists along the edge of frame.
For reflections or crew/ equipment visible further in frame, a VFX fix may be required to paint out the element.
[097] Text Elements Error
Description:
"Text Elements Error” can apply to any spelling or grammatical typos within on-screen text graphics, main titles or end credits.
Impact:
Text errors impact the Content Quality of the asset. Spelling and grammatical typos are distracting to the customer experience. In the event these occur during main titles or end credits, it may also represent a contractual issue, depending on the severity of the typo.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - On-screen text (main titles, end credits, locales) or text graphics include misspellings, incorrect use of singular versus plural, inaccurate verb tense or missing/ incorrect punctuation.
How to Prevent:
Be mindful of contractual obligations for any main title and end credit creation with regards to how cast, crew and studio personnel are credited. For locale text and any created text graphics, review for proper spelling and grammar.
Solution:
Confirm if the on-screen text is approved as is. If it is not, adjust as needed and re-deliver.
[098] Animation/ VFX Intersection Error
Description:
"Animation/ VFX Intersection Error” applies to instances where objects ( including characters, foreground objects, background images, etc.) in animated content, CGI, or VFX, overlap or intersect in a fashion that is not consistent with their physical position in a shot. This manifests in what should be solid objects passing through other elements , when there should be a natural boundary/ separation between them (e.g. a hand which should be behind an object passing through it, a background layer unexpectedly passing over a foreground element, etc.) .
Impact:
Intersection errors impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. It disrupts the suspension of customer disbelief when any layer(s), which are expected to be solid and separate, pass through one another unintentionally. It also constitutes an animation or VFX technical error.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Any layer or element in the animation/VFX crosses through another in an unnatural way. This can be an instance of a character’s physical body passing through solid clothing or a solid object passing through another solid object in a scene.
How to Prevent:
Close visual review of scenes at multiple stages in the animation and/ or compositing process and the final renders should help identify unintentional intersecting layers.
Solution:
Depending on the scale of the intersection error, it may be possible to address with a reframe or paint fix in online/ color. Otherwise, it may be necessary to return to the original animation or VFX, correct, and re-render the affected frame(s).
[099] Animation Incomplete Outline
Description:
"Animation Incomplete Outline” applies to any unmotivated breaks in the outlines around 2D animated characters, objects, or background elements.
Impact:
Incomplete outlines impact the Content Quality of the asset. Clean outlines create definition and perceived separation between the various elements in a 2D animated scene. Unintentional breaks in these outlines can make certain elements within a scene seemingly blend together or make it difficult to clearly distinguish the action taking place.
Severity Structure:
FYI - Outlines/ borders around characters, objects, or background elements are broken or discontinuous, but action is still clearly discernible, and there is still a well-defined separation between various elements in the scene.
Issue - Outlines/ borders around characters, objects or background elements are broken or discontinuous, and it causes a lack of definition or separation between those elements and others in the scene.
How to Prevent:
Review animated frames prior to adding shading or color for any unintentional breaks in the outlines.
Solution:
Confirm if incomplete outlines are intentional. If they are not, it may be necessary to return to the original animation, fix any breaks in the outlines, and re-render the affected frame(s).
[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error
Description:
"Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error” applies to any unnatural lighting or shading effect in animated content, CGI, or VFX. This can manifest as a misplaced or unmotivated shadow or highlight or a scene appearing too dark or bright based on context cues.
Impact:
Lighting and shading errors impact the Technical and Content Quality of the asset. When light and shadows in an animated environment (including VFX) appear unnatural or unmotivated, it disrupts the suspension of customer disbelief and distracts from the creative intent of the scene. These also constitute a technical error with the shaders and/ or lighting set utilized or a potential render error.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Lighting or shadows appear to fall on elements within a scene in an unnatural or inconsistent manner. Highlights or shadows are unmotivated by the expected light sources or objects within a scene. A scene appears darker or brighter than what would be motivated by the expected light source, time of day, environment, or other contextual cues.
How to Prevent:
Create/ preview lighting setup in “greyscale” prior to or with color disabled to make it easier to identify any unintentional effects or errors in your lighting/ shading. Be mindful not to move, scale, disable/ enable, or otherwise change the effect of light sets unintentionally prior to final renders.
Solution:
Depending on the scope and scale of the lighting/ shading error, it may be possible to address in online/ color. Otherwise, it may be necessary to return to the original animation, correct, and re-render the affected frame(s).
[101] Text Graphics HDR/ SDR Error
Description:
"Text Graphics HDR/ SDR Error” applies to potential issues with SDR text graphics being inserted into a native HDR finish. Graphics may either skew the Dolby Vision analysis or are omitted from the analysis inadvertently. The resulting final output then includes text graphics that peak significantly above the creatively intended nit level of the rest of the content in the Dolby Vision output.
It may also apply when color grading values are improperly copied from graphics with very different background/ surrounding scene elements. The resulting final output then includes text graphics that have inconsistent color across different scenes (e.g. text graphic appears “grey” or “washed out” compared to similar instances in previous or subsequent shots appearing “white”).
Impact:
Text graphics HDR/ SDR errors impact the Technical Quality of the asset. The resulting Dolby Vision analysis is inaccurate, if SDR text graphics are not properly incorporated into and analyzed as part of the native HDR content. The same is true when color grading values are not adjusted based on the context of the surrounding elements in the scene to ensure visual color consistency in the text graphics.
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue - Text graphics appear overly bright with HDR luminance levels peaking significantly above the MaxFALL of the content, in some cases pushing 10,000 nits. Alternatively, some text graphics appear “grey” or “washed out” compared to similar graphics in other scenes.
How to Prevent:
Adhere to Dolby best practices when managing text graphics either created in online or supplied separately from a title/ graphics house. Regardless of where text graphics are generated, color of the text graphics should be adjusted within the context of the HDR background. The Dolby Vision analysis should be run on a “compound clip” of the text graphics and the background image. Once the analysis completes, switch scopes to SDR, and preview the tone mapped version to ensure the text graphics luminance is consistent between the HDR and SDR derived outputs.
Additionally, it’s recommended that the HDR output be monitored for compliance with the Mastering Display setting peak luminance.
Solution:
Return to online and adjust color of the text graphics as needed within the context of the HDR background. If not done previously, create a “compound clip” of the text graphic and background image, and run the Dolby Vision analysis on this “compound clip”. Switch scopes to SDR and preview the tone mapped version to ensure the text graphics luminance is now consistent between the HDR and SDR derived outputs.
[102] Missing Asset
Description:
"Missing Asset” applies to Printmaster and M&E QC requests where individual file selection is required as part of the issue entry in order to tag the specific files in the delivered mixes that are impacted. In some cases, a delivery will not include all expected or required files for the Printmaster, M&E, or Optional Stems. Therefore, when adding an issue or verifying a fix, it is not possible to select the required files, as they’re unavailable.
Impact:
Missing assets impact the Technical and potentially the Content Quality of the overall delivery. It may be that critical creative and story elements are missing, due to the lack of those assets (e.g. The 5.1 center track of the Printmaster is missing, and therefore most of the dialogue is not present). Alternatively, it may mean our Dubbing studios do not have required elements for proper creative separation and flexibility when mixing our secondary language assets (e.g. The Optional Stems are not provided, and certain character vocalizations or other elements that would be re-recorded as part of the dub actor’s performance cannot be properly incorporated into the secondary language mixes).
Severity Structure:
FYI - N/A
Issue (potentially Blocker) - A previously flagged Issue has been indicated as “Production Will Fix”, but it is not possible to confirm the fix due to the selected files no longer being included in the current delivery version. Required files are missing from a delivery (e.g. the entire M&E mix OR the center track from the 5.1 Printmaster).
How to Prevent:
Review all exports prior to upload to ensure all intended and required files are included.
Solution:
Confirm if the missing assets were intentionally omitted. If they were not, export as needed, and redeliver.
Change Log
v2.6 (8/29/2023)
- Fixed typo with "suspends customer disbelief" to "disrupts the suspension of customer disbelief" in the "Impact" sections of both "[98] Animation/ VFX Intersection Error" and "[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error.
v2.6 (8/24/2023)
- Removed “VFX” from reference to “[99] Animation Incomplete Outline” within the “[46] Compositing Error” description.
v2.6 (6/23/2023)
- Replaced the legacy assetmanagement@netflix.com GG with the pto-specialists@netflix.com GG in the opening “Context” section.
- Added “[098] Animation/ VFX Intersection Error”
- Added “[099] Animation Incomplete Outline”
- Added “[100] Animation/ VFX Lighting/ Shading Error”
- Added “[101] Text Graphics HDR/ SDR Error”
- Added “[102] Missing Asset”
- Updated “[43] Animation Error” language to direct partners to the new, more specific Animation/ VFX errors when applicable. This generic error should only be utilized for issues that are not covered by the new error codes or another more applicable error code.
- Updated “[46] Compositing Error” language to direct partners to the new, more specific Animation/ VFX errors when applicable. This generic error should only be utilized for issues that are not covered by the new error codes.
v2.5 (8/3/2022)
- removed ISSUE description around embedded timecode in an IMF from the "Incorrect Timecode" error code. This is a non-issue as our systems ignore it, if video .mxf track file resources include any embedded timecode.
v2.5 (2/2/2021)
- Updated "True Peak Out of Spec" to reflect a -1dBFS measurement based on discussions with the Netflix Manager of Production & Sound to reduce non-actionable rejections accounting for variances across different audio metering solutions.
v2.5 (8/3/2020)
- Minor grammatical error fixes across multiple sections per feedback from Italian translators.
v2.5 (7/6/2020)
- Removed "... and is inconsistent across multiple angles." from the Issue severity structure for error code [56] Visible Frame Edge, as it was misleading and unnecessary.
v2.5 (6/24/2020)
- Adjusted language around the reference to "inter frame" in the Description of error code [94] Picture Stutter to better clarify that it is directly related to compression/ encoding.
v2.5 (6/10/2020)
- Removed additional specification of what constitutes "creatively intended" on-screen text from the description of error code [50] Placeholder Text. Per feedback during translation, this was self-explanatory. Also, the previous reference to "Chyron locales" proved difficult to translate, as it's UCAN centric language.
- Also, removed some of the more specific language referring to only VFX shots only throughout the [50] Placeholder Text error code. This previously made it seem as if this error is exclusive to temp VFX shots, which it is not.
v2.5 (2/20/2020)
- added "numbers" ahead of each error code to allow for partners completing QCs in a language other than English to be able to more easily cross-reference different errors and communicate with fulfillment partners/ DI facilities/ sound facilities using the number reference.
v2.5 (11/22/2019)
- Merged “Audio clipping” and “Audio distortion”
- Changed “Audio Artifact - Bad Edit” to “Abrupt Audio Edit”
- Changed “Audio Artifact - Hum/ Buzz” to “Audio Hum/ Buzz”
- Changed “Audio Artifact - Upcut” to “Audio Upcut”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Audio Mix Missing” to “Missing Audio Treatment”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Audio Bleed” to “Audio Channel Bleed”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Mixdown Issue” to “Audio Mixdown Error”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Mono Audio” to “Mono Audio”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Panning” to “Audio Panning Error”
- Changed “Audio Channel Issue - Out of Phase” to “Audio Phase Error”
- Removed “Audio Drop Out - Dialogue”
- Added “MOS Audio”
- Added “Audio Skip”
- Removed “Volume Flutter”
- Changed “Loudness LKFS Measurement” to “Loudness LKFS Out of Spec”
- Changed “Volume/ Level - Low Level” to “Low Level Audio”
- Changed “Volume/ Level - Peaks” to “True Peak Out of Spec”
- Changed “Ident - Mismapped” to “Ident Audio Mismapped”
- Changed “Ident Mix Down” to “Ident Audio Mix Down”
- Changed “Ident True Peak Levels” to “Ident Audio True Peaks Out of Spec”
- Changed “Ident Sync” to “Ident Audio Out of Sync”
- Changed “Sync- Dialogue” to “Dialogue Out of Sync”
- Changed “Sync - Music” to “Music Out of Sync”
- Changed “Sync - Effects” to “Effects Out of Sync”
- Changed “Sync - Global Drift Early” to “Global Sync Drift Early”
- Changed “Sync - Global Drift Late” to “Global Sync Drift Late”
- Changed “Sync - Global Offset” to “Global Sync Offset”
- Removed “Extraneous Content” as it pertains to audio
- Changed “Extraneous Content - Description” to “Extraneous Audio Description”
- Removed “Missing Content”
- Changed “VFX Error - Animation Error” to “Animation Error”
- Changed “VFX Error - Bad Edit” to “Abrupt Edit”
- Changed “VFX Error - Concealment Error” to “DRS/ Paint Fix Error”
- Changed “VFX Error - Compositing Error” to “Compositing Error”
- Changed “VFX Error - Chroma Contamination” to “Chroma Contamination”
- Added “Contaminated Blacks”
- Changed “VFX Error - Video Noise” to “Enhanced Video Noise”
- Changed “VFX Shot Number” to “Placeholder Text”
- Changed “Frame Error” to “Framing Error”
- Changed “Frame Error - Black Frame” to “Black Frame”
- Changed “Frame Error - Dropped Frame” to “Dropped Frame”
- Changed “Frame Error - Frame Edge Shading” to “Frame Edge Shading”
- Changed “Frame Error - Freeze Frame” to “Freeze Frame”
- Removed “Blanking Shift”
- Changed “Frame Error - Visible Frame Edge” to “Visible Frame Edge”
- Changed “Frame Error - Visible Matte Edge” to “Visible Matte Edge”
- Changed “Frame Error - Non-Native Aspect Ratio” to “Non-Native Aspect Ratio”
- Changed “Frame Error - Warping” to “Warping”
- Changed “Extraneous Content - Commercial Blacks” to “Commercial Blacks”
- Changed “Extraneous Content - Censorship” to “Censorship”
- Changed “Extraneous Content - Burned In Subtitles” to “Burned In Subtitles”
- Changed “Missing Content - No Black Head or Tail” to “Missing Format Black”
- Changed “Missing Content - Truncation” to “Truncation”
- Removed "Color - Negative Stain"
- Changed “Conversion Error - Aliasing” to “Aliasing”
- Changed “Conversion Error - Banding” to “Banding/ Posterization”
- Changed “Conversion Error - Ghosting” to “Combing/ Ghosting”
- Removed “Combing”
- Changed “Conversion Error - Low Quality Video” to “Low Quality Footage”
- Changed “Conversion Error - Jitter” to “Picture Jitter”
- Changed “Conversion Error - Digitization” to “Pixelation/ Quantization”
- Changed ��Luminance - Loss of Detail in Highlights” to “Blown-out/ Clipped Whites”
- Changed “Luminance - Loss of Detail in Low Levels” to “Crushed Blacks”
- Merged “Luminance Flicker” and “Luminance Shift”
- Added “Sub-Black Levels”
- Changed “Luminance - Shift in Black Levels” to “Shift in Black Levels”
- Changed “Luminance - Harding PSE Failed” to “PSE Test Fail”
- Changed “Production Error - Camera Bump” to “Camera Bump”
- Changed “Production Error - Continuity Error” to “Continuity Error”
- Changed “Production Error - DSR” to “Dirt/ Stain/ Scratch”
- Changed “Production Error - Lens Flare” to “Lens Flare”
- Changed “Production Error - Lens Smudge” to “Lens Smudge”
- Changed “Color - SDR Issue” to “Dolby Vision Metadata Error”
- Changed “Incorrect Asset - Metadata” to “Incorrect File Metadata”
- Changed “Incorrect Asset - Timecode” to “Incorrect Timecode”
- Added "Text Elements Error"
- Added Blocker Severity indications where applicable
- Various updates to descriptions, impact, severity structure, preventative measures and solutions where applicable