Primary Digital Asset Specifications for Original Content

Primary Digital Asset Specifications

IMF Packaging

All deliveries to Netflix must be compliant to either SMPTE ST 2067-21:2016 or SMPTE ST 2067-21:2020 Interoperable Master Format (IMF) Application #2E. Packages containing immersive sound must additionally comply with SMPTE ST 2067-201:2019 Immersive Audio Bitstream (IAB) Level 0 Plug-in.

IMF packages must be created from the Video Display Master (VDM), or directly out of a capable color grading tool, and must be delivered in the highest quality and resolution including High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD). Netflix may explicitly request other resolutions.

The final IMF package must contain the following:

1 Asset Map XML file
1 Packing List XML file
1 or more Composition Playlist (CPL) XML file(s), representing a single audio language each, containing

For titles mixed in Dolby Atmos®

1 image virtual track
1 IAB virtual track
0 or 1 surround audio virtual track (6 channels)
0 or 1 stereo audio virtual track (2 channels)

For titles mixed in 5.1 surround

1 image virtual track
1 surround audio virtual track (6 channels)
0 or 1 stereo audio virtual track (2 channels)

All MXF Track Files referenced from the ingested CPL, that have not previously been delivered
Volume Index and Output Profile List XML files may be present, but are not required

For Dolby Atmos® titles delivered in IMF, 5.1 and 2.0 are optional tracks to be delivered within the IMF. 5.1 audio is required as a separate Content Hub delivery for dubbing reference only. Deliveries containing only image and IAB tracks, i.e. no stereo/surround audio track(s), must be compliant to SMPTE ST 2067-21:2020 (since the absence of channel based audio tracks is not supported by the 2016 edition of the standard).

Special consideration must be taken for 29.97 or 59.94 IMF deliverables. The total number of frames contained within a 29.97 or 59.94 IMF CPL Segment must be divisible by 5 to preserve integer value audio samples. If necessary, trim the picture and audio by the required number of frames (1, 2, 3, or 4) before wrapping IMF to ensure total frames per Segment are divisible by 5.

Note: Track files containing timed text essence are not currently supported.

Video

General

Video must consist of the feature program with one (1) second of black and silence at the head and tail of the program.
Video must not contain commercial blacks.
Video must not contain color bars, bumpers, segment recaps or previews, advertisements, slates, ratings cards, FBI warning cards, VITC time code, placards, overlay branding or website link callouts before, during and/or after the program. URLs present during end credits are permissible.
Video must be non-subtitled. Netflix defines “non-subtitled” as the presence of main titles, end credits, narrative text, location call-outs, and other supportive/creative text, but no burned-in subtitled dialog, regardless of the language in the primary video. This does not apply to textless IMF deliveries (see Section 7).
Track files containing image essence mastered in Dolby VisionTM must embed dynamic metadata for color volume transform within a single track file. At a minimum, L1 Dolby VisionTM metadata must be present for every frame in the track file. Note: We do not support material mastered only for HDR-10 distribution.

UHD

UHD Image Track
Image Frame Width	3840
Image Frame Height	2160
Color Encoding	RGB / 4:4:4 / Full Range
Frame Rates	23.976 / 24 / 25 / 29.97 / 30 / 50 / 59.94 / 60
Frame Structure	Progressive
Stereoscopy	Monoscopic
JPEG 2000 Profile	Frame rates up to 30 fps use: 4k IMF Single Tile Lossy Profile Mainlevel 6 Sublevel 3 (max 800 Mbit/s) Frame rates above 30 fps use: 4k IMF Single Tile Lossy Profile Mainlevel 7 Sublevel 4 (max 1600 Mbit/s)
Dynamic Range	Dolby VisionTM HDR	SDR
Colorimetry	P3 D65 / SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)	ITU-R BT.709 / D65 / ITU-R BT.1886 (Gamma 2.4)
Pixel Bit Depth	12-bit	10-bit
Mastering Display Color Volume Metadata	SMPTE ST-2086	n/a
Dynamic Metadata for Color Volume Transformation	Dolby VisionTM CM 2.9 or CM 4.0 mastering metadata.	n/a

HD Image Track
Image Frame Width	1920
Image Frame Height	1080
Color Encoding	RGB / 4:4:4 / Full Range
Frame Rates	23.976 / 24 / 25 / 29.97 / 30 / 50 / 59.94 / 60
Frame Structure	Progressive
Stereoscopy	Monoscopic
JPEG 2000 Profile	Frame rates up to 30 fps use: 2k IMF Single Tile Lossy Profile Mainlevel 4 Sublevel 2 (max 400 Mbit/s) Frame rates above 30 fps use: 2k IMF Single Tile Lossy Profile Mainlevel 5 Sublevel 3 (max 800 Mbit/s)
Dynamic Range	Dolby VisionTM HDR	SDR
Colorimetry	P3 D65 / SMPTE ST 2084 (PQ)	ITU-R BT.709 / D65 / ITU-R BT.1886 (Gamma 2.4)
Pixel Bit Depth	12-bit	10-bit
Mastering Display Color Volume Metadata	SMPTE ST-2086	n/a
Dynamic Metadata for Color Volume Transformation	Dolby VisionTM CM 2.9 or CM 4.0 mastering metadata.	n/a

Audio

Immersive Audio

Audio Track (Atmos®)
Sample Rate	48 kHz
Bit Depth	24-bit
Channel Mapping	All bed configurations are acceptable For all series/doc/unscripted/comedy content, beds and objects must be separated by Dialog, Music and Effects. For film content, DME separation should be maintained whenever possible

Surround Audio

Audio Track (5.1 Surround)
Sample Rate	48 kHz
Bit Depth	24-bit
Channel Mapping	Channel 1 – Left Channel 2 – Right Channel 3 – Center Channel 4 – LFE Channel 5 – Left Surround Channel 6 – Right Surround

Stereo Audio

Audio Track (2.0 Stereo)
Sample Rate	48 KHz
Bit Depth	24-bit
Channel Mapping	Channel 1 – Stereo Left Channel 2 – Stereo Right

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