Files, Formats & Codecs

Files, Formats and Codecs

Course Description

Aimed at a non-technical audience, this course will demystify the ever-expanding range of file formats in use, and explain the principles of the compression techniques that underpin them. The course then moves on to explore the workflow techniques and issues of file-based production, from ingest to delivery.

Who Should Attend

Directors, Producers, Production Managers, Media Managers and other production support staff who need to understand the media  and processes that are needed in TV Production.

Course Duration

The course is divided into two 3-hour modules which can be taken individually or as a complete course in one day.

Course Outcomes:

At the end of the course you will be able to:

  • identify and understand different media file formats
  • work with media of various compression types
  • understand the issues, challenges and rewards of file-based production

Course Outline

The topics covered will include:

Module 1 – Video and Audio Formats and Compression

Introducing Video Formats

  • What is a format?
  • File-based formats vs videotape formats
  • Anatomy of a file-based format: QuickTime, MXF and AVI
  • Wrappers and containers
  • Metadata

Introducing Video Codecs

  • What is a codec?
  • Why so many?
  • Overview of common compression systems: Inter-frame, Intra-Frame and Wavelet compression
  • A look at AVC Intra, XDCAM HD, H264 and H265 video codecs
  • Compression artefacts and concatenation

Introducing Audio Formats and Codecs

  • Common audio formats – BWAV, WAV, AIF
  • Overview of audio compression and perceptual coding
  • Common audio codecs – mp3, AC3, FLAC, PCM

Module Cost: £80

Module 2 – File-based Production

Introduction to File-Based Cameras

  • Advantages and potential problems of file-based working
  • Overview of common broadcast cameras, including Canon C300, Sony XDCAM HD, Panasonic P2, etc
  • Near-broadcast cameras, including DSLRs, Go-Pro, iPhone
  • Comparison of storage media and codecs used

File-based Workflow

  • Shoot, Store, Ingest, Edit, Export: The file-based workflow
  • Linked workflows with Avid Media Composer and Premiere Pro
  • Transcoding versus native workflows
  • File-based delivery as AS11

Module Cost: £80

Whole Course Cost: £150