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Which formats will a broadcaster actually accept from us?

Helen Marsh

6 min read

The question we hear most about content distribution: what file or stream format does a news desk want, and how do we find out before the handover rather than after it.

Which formats will a broadcaster actually accept from us?

The question behind the question

Almost every distribution enquiry begins the same way: what format should we send? It sounds like a technical matter, and it is, but the honest answer is that the broadcaster decides, not us. A news desk, a regional channel and a programme maker will each publish their own delivery requirements, and those requirements differ in ways that are easy to underestimate when you are standing in a field with a finished feed.

What we do at zoryli is treat the format as the first line of the brief, not the last. Before a camera crew is booked or a signal path drawn, we ask the receiving broadcaster for their delivery sheet, or ask the producer to request one. It is a short document, usually a page or two, and it saves a great deal of re-encoding later.

If no sheet exists, which happens with smaller programmes, we agree the details by email and keep that thread with the job, so that anyone on the team can see what was promised.

What a delivery sheet normally covers

A delivery sheet is less mysterious than it looks. It names the container and codec, the frame size and frame rate, whether the picture is progressive or interlaced, the audio layout and loudness target, and how the file or stream should be labelled so the receiving desk can find it quickly.

Some broadcasters also state how much leader or black they want at the start, whether captions travel with the picture or separately, and what they expect in the accompanying notes. None of this is difficult on its own. The trouble comes when two requests arrive for the same event and they disagree, because then one feed has to become two deliveries.

Priya Nair, our distribution coordinator, reads each sheet line by line against the job before anything is sent, and flags any mismatch to me or to Daniel Whitcombe in signal engineering while there is still time to adjust the source settings.

  • Container, codec and bitrate
  • Frame size, frame rate and scan type
  • Audio layout and loudness target
  • File naming and accompanying notes

Live stream or finished file

The second thing customers ask is whether the broadcaster wants a live feed or a finished file. Both are ordinary requests and we handle both, but they behave differently. A live delivery depends on a stable connection and a backup route; a file depends on a clean export and a checked transfer.

For a news programme that needs pictures during a broadcast, a live contribution is usual, with a recorded copy kept alongside in case the line drops. For a programme assembling material later, a file delivered after the event is often simpler and gives everyone time to check it.

We would rather you tell us which you need at the first conversation. Changing from one to the other late in the day is possible, but it rarely goes as smoothly as choosing correctly at the start.

Converting without spoiling the picture

Sometimes a conversion cannot be avoided, for instance when the source was captured in one standard and the broadcaster works in another. Done carefully, this is routine. Done carelessly, it produces soft pictures, judder or audio drift that someone downstream has to notice and complain about.

Our rule is to convert once, from the best version we hold, and to check the result on a monitor before it leaves us. We avoid passing a file through several formats on its way, because every generation costs a little quality.

If a broadcaster asks for something that would clearly harm the picture, such as a heavily compressed file for a feature that will be shown large, we say so plainly and suggest an alternative. The decision stays with them, but they make it knowing the trade-off.

Checking before handover

The step that prevents most problems is a check before anything is released. We play the delivery back as the receiving desk would, listen to the audio against the loudness figure on the sheet, and confirm the file opens and the metadata reads correctly.

For live deliveries the equivalent is a short test feed ahead of the real thing, ideally at the same time of day and over the same route. Mid autumn light fades early, so for outdoor events we also test after dusk when the exposure and the compression behave differently.

Once the check passes, Priya sends the delivery and confirms receipt with the broadcaster by name, so there is a written record of what arrived and when. If something fails, we know straight away and not when the programme is already on air.

  • Playback check on a monitor
  • Audio level check against the sheet
  • Test feed before a live delivery
  • Written confirmation of receipt

What to send us before booking

If you are thinking of asking us to distribute a feed, the most useful things you can send are the broadcaster's name and contact, their delivery sheet if they have one, and whether you need a live feed, a file or both. A rough running order and the date also help, so we can plan the transfer around it.

You do not need to understand the technical terms. Describe what the programme wants to receive and we will translate it into settings. If anything is unclear, we would rather ask the broadcaster ourselves than guess.

Pricing for distribution is set out on our prices page, and a written quotation follows your enquiry through the contact page, so you will know what is included before any work begins.

The format question has a simple answer: it is whatever the receiving broadcaster asks for, confirmed in writing and checked before handover. Ask for the delivery sheet early, tell us whether you need live or recorded material, and leave the conversion and testing to us. Most delivery problems come from guessing, so we avoid it. A few minutes spent confirming requirements at the start is what keeps a feed steady at the end.

Written by

Helen Marsh

Head of Video Operations

Helen has directed live feeds for stage and news events for over a decade. She leads the camera and vision teams.

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Email: hello@zoryli.com