Dalet Amberfin 11

August 6, 2015

User Manual

The information provided in this document contains proprietary and confidential information
that is the property of Dalet. Distribution of any information contained in this document to
third parties including, but not limited to contractors, system integrators, and other vendors is
strictly prohibited without prior written consent of Dalet.
Product specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Dalet is a
registered trademark owned by Dalet. All other brands and trademarks are those of their
respective owners.
Software Version Amendments
This document refers to Dalet AmberFin software and also systems that have been upgraded
to Dalet Amberfin
Use of this product in any manner that complies with the MPEG-2 standard for encoding video
information for packaged media is expressly prohibited without a license under applicable
patents in the MPEG-2 patent portfolio, which license is available from: MPEG LA, 250 Steele
Street, Suite 300, Denver, Colorado 80206.
Copyright
Copyright protection claimed includes all forms and matters of copyrightable material and
information now allowed by statutory or judicial law or hereinafter granted, including without
limitation, material generated from the software programs which are displayed on the screen
such as icons, screen display looks etc.
Reproduction or disassembly of embedded computer programs or algorithms is prohibited.
Quality Control PAR technology is a patented Snell & Wilcox technology protected by US
patent 6898321 and European patent 1119978.
Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
QuickTime and ProRes are registered trademarks of Apple Corporation.
Dolby E and Dolby Digital functionality is being provided by SurCode for Dolby E and SurCode
for Dolby
Digital. SurCode for Dolby E and SurCode for Dolby Digital are manufactured under license
from Dolby Laboratories. Dolby and the double-D symbol are trademarks of Dolby
Laboratories. Confidential unpublished works. 2003-2012 Dolby Laboratories, Inc. All rights
reserved. SurCode is a trademark of Minnetonka Audio Software.
AVCHD Intra (AVC-I) is a registered trademark of Panasonic.
Hyperion is a registered trademark of Snell.
Aurora is a registered trademark of Tektronix.
Information in this manual and software are subject to change without notice and does not
represent a commitment on the part of Dalet AmberFin Ltd. The software described in this
manual is furnished under a license agreement and may not be reproduced or copied in any
manner without prior agreement with Dalet AmberFin Ltd. or their authorized agents.
Copyright Dalet AmberFin Ltd. All rights reserved 2015.
Version
1
2

Date
December 9,
2014

Comment
Document adaption from
former iCR

Author

August 6, 2015

Update to Dalet Amberfin 11

GFN-Documentation

GFN-Documentation

Table of Contents
1.

About Dalet AmberFin............................................................................................................................ 11

The Dalet AmberFin Product Range .................................................................................................................. 11
New Features in Dalet Amberfin 11 .................................................................................................................. 12

2.

Prerequisites and General Information .................................................................................................. 13

Foreign Language Support ................................................................................................................................ 13
Operational Variances .................................................................................................................................. 14
Prerequisites ..................................................................................................................................................... 14
Software ....................................................................................................................................................... 14
Hardware ...................................................................................................................................................... 14

3.

Installation ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Installation (Standalone) .................................................................................................................................. 15
Installing Matrox Drivers .............................................................................................................................. 15
Getting Ready for Dalet AmberFin................................................................................................................ 15
Uninstall Dalet AmberFin .......................................................................................................................... 15
Save Job Records ...................................................................................................................................... 15
Install Apple QuickTime ............................................................................................................................ 15
Enable the Desktop Feature for Win 2008 R2/2012 R2 ............................................................................ 16
Installing Dalet AmberFin version 11 ........................................................................................................ 16
Select Optional Components ........................................................................................................................ 17
License Manager Options ............................................................................................................................. 19
Applying Workstation Licenses ................................................................................................................. 19

4.

Using the Dalet AmberFin GUI ................................................................................................................ 22

Running Dalet AmberFin and Using the GUI ................................................................................................... 22
Using the Side Bar ......................................................................................................................................... 23
Setup maximized over other panels ......................................................................................................... 23
Docking and Undocking Panels ................................................................................................................. 23
Creating custom layouts ........................................................................................................................... 24

5.

Understanding the Dalet AmberFin Workflow ....................................................................................... 25

Understanding Dalet AmberFin Workflow ........................................................................................................ 25
UQC and the Unified Timeline ...................................................................................................................... 25
Transferring QC data to the UK DPP Plugin .................................................................................................. 25
Flexibility and Control ............................................................................................................................... 26
Where to Find More ................................................................................................................................. 26

6.

Tutorials ................................................................................................................................................. 27
Tutorials ............................................................................................................................................................ 27
Tutorials in this help file ............................................................................................................................... 27
Where to get more ................................................................................................................................... 27
Recording Input Video....................................................................................................................................... 27
Performing Ingest with Transcode .................................................................................................................... 30
Using a File-based QC Template ....................................................................................................................... 33
Creating a Standalone QC Template in Dalet AmberFin ............................................................................... 33
Running a File-based QC Template ............................................................................................................... 36
Panel Positioning .............................................................................................................................................. 38
Working with DPP Assets .................................................................................................................................. 39
DPP Metadata Structure ............................................................................................................................... 40
Saving Metadata ........................................................................................................................................... 41

Using the Time Code Calculator ........................................................................................................................ 41

Time code from the VTR ............................................................................................................................... 42
7.

Using the Main Menu ............................................................................................................................. 43

Using the Main Menu ....................................................................................................................................... 43
File ................................................................................................................................................................ 43
Windows ....................................................................................................................................................... 44
Panel selector ............................................................................................................................................... 44
Plug-in Folder ................................................................................................................................................ 44
Appearance ................................................................................................................................................... 44
Layout ........................................................................................................................................................... 44
Available Layouts .......................................................................................................................................... 45
QC Settings ................................................................................................................................................... 46
Help............................................................................................................................................................... 46

8.

Hotkeys .................................................................................................................................................. 47
Hotkeys ............................................................................................................................................................. 47
Clip/QC Player Hotkeys ................................................................................................................................. 47
Recorder (VTR) Hotkeys ................................................................................................................................ 48
Modifier Codes ............................................................................................................................................. 48

9.

Understanding GUI Panels...................................................................................................................... 49

Understanding GUI Panels ................................................................................................................................ 49
Using the Recorder Panel .................................................................................................................................. 49
Recorder Controls ......................................................................................................................................... 49
The Record Button ........................................................................................................................................ 50
VTR Selection Box ......................................................................................................................................... 50
VTR Shuttle Bar ............................................................................................................................................. 50
DeVTR Status Window .................................................................................................................................. 50
Time code Fields ........................................................................................................................................... 51
Time code Field Submenu............................................................................................................................. 51
Mark out time code field shown: .............................................................................................................. 51
Frame-Rate Pop Up Info Box .................................................................................................................... 51
Reel Number Field .................................................................................................................................... 51
Clip Number Field ..................................................................................................................................... 51
Selecting the Recorder Source Mode ....................................................................................................... 51
Using the Batch VTR Record Panel.................................................................................................................... 53
Performing a VTR Batch Record.................................................................................................................... 53
Setting the Source..................................................................................................................................... 53
Entering the Batch Data ............................................................................................................................ 53
Batch Record Selections ........................................................................................................................... 53
Batch Record Confirmation ...................................................................................................................... 54
Importing EDL Files ................................................................................................................................... 54
Using the Player Panel ...................................................................................................................................... 56
Playing Clips .................................................................................................................................................. 56
Player Controls.............................................................................................................................................. 56
Player Shuttle Bar ......................................................................................................................................... 56
Player Timeline Scrub Bar ............................................................................................................................. 56
Entering time codes ...................................................................................................................................... 56
Player Timeline ............................................................................................................................................. 57
Viewing Long GOP Video .............................................................................................................................. 57
Player Fields .................................................................................................................................................. 57
Creating Subclips .......................................................................................................................................... 57
Using the Timeline Panel .................................................................................................................................. 58
Progress Numbers ........................................................................................................................................ 59
Track Sorting Order ....................................................................................................................................... 59
Detailed Timeline Scroll Bar .......................................................................................................................... 59

Detailed Timeline Zoom Scroll Bar ................................................................................................................ 59

Playback Boundaries ..................................................................................................................................... 60
Segment Track .............................................................................................................................................. 60
Using the Library Panel / Clip Info Panels ......................................................................................................... 61
The Library Panel .......................................................................................................................................... 61
Loading clips in the Player ............................................................................................................................ 61
Modifying Library Fields................................................................................................................................ 61
Working with Library Files ............................................................................................................................ 62
Clip Panel Information .................................................................................................................................. 63
Clip Panel Video Information ........................................................................................................................ 63
Clip Panel Audio Information ........................................................................................................................ 63
Launching Jobs from the Library ................................................................................................................... 63
Using the Setup Panel ....................................................................................................................................... 65
Global Preset ................................................................................................................................................ 65
Ingest Configuration ..................................................................................................................................... 65
Profile Groups and Workflow Templates ..................................................................................................... 65
Using the Job Status Panel ................................................................................................................................ 66
Job Status ...................................................................................................................................................... 66
Jobs Submenu ........................................................................................................................................... 67
Dalet AmberFin Controller Details ................................................................................................................ 67
Topology ....................................................................................................................................................... 67
Adding Transcode or QC Groups/Engines..................................................................................................... 68
Adding Transcode or QC Engines Manually .................................................................................................. 68
Using the Transcode Engine Discovery Tool ................................................................................................. 68
Viewing Repurposing Topology Logs ............................................................................................................ 68
Reload - Cloning configurations and Recovering from Disaster ................................................................... 69
Monitored Folders ........................................................................................................................................ 69
Using the UQC Status Panel .............................................................................................................................. 70
Using the QC Queue Panel ................................................................................................................................ 71
Using the File Explorer Panel ............................................................................................................................ 71
Using the UK DPP Template Panel .................................................................................................................... 72
Saving the UK DPP Panel Template Data ...................................................................................................... 76
Using the Console Panel.................................................................................................................................... 77
Filter Field ..................................................................................................................................................... 77
SDI Board Genlock ........................................................................................................................................ 77
Using the Pulldown Detection Helper ............................................................................................................... 78
Using the File Cutting and Splicing Panel .......................................................................................................... 79
Using the Transcode Scheduler Panel ............................................................................................................... 80
10.

Managing Transcode and QC Jobs ...................................................................................................... 81

Using Templates ............................................................................................................................................... 81

Transcode or file-based QC........................................................................................................................... 81
Baseband QC during ingest ........................................................................................................................... 81
File-based QC ................................................................................................................................................ 81
Launching Jobs Manually from the Library ............................................................................................... 81
Using a Watch Folder........................................................................................................................................ 82
Using the Transcode Scheduler ......................................................................................................................... 83
Using LST Files ................................................................................................................................................... 83
11.

Unified Quality Control....................................................................................................................... 85

Unified Quality Control ..................................................................................................................................... 85

UQC Management Components ................................................................................................................... 85
UQC Installation ............................................................................................................................................ 85

Tektronix Aurora ........................................................................................................................................... 85

The Unified Timeline Panel ........................................................................................................................... 86
Performing QC Review .................................................................................................................................. 86
QC Progress Stages ................................................................................................................................... 86
Manually Overriding a QC Event ............................................................................................................... 87
Adding Comments .................................................................................................................................... 87
Working with QC Templates ..................................................................................................................... 87
Using Watch Folders and QC on the Fly.................................................................................................... 88
Monitoring QC Progress............................................................................................................................ 88
Marking Up Files ............................................................................................................................................... 88
Viewing QC Reports .......................................................................................................................................... 90
12.

Segmentation, Splicing and Joining .................................................................................................... 91

Segmentation, Splicing and Joining .................................................................................................................. 91

Segmentation................................................................................................................................................ 91
File Cutting and Splicing ................................................................................................................................ 91
Loading Clips ................................................................................................................................................. 92
Loading From the Player ........................................................................................................................... 92
Loading the File from its Storage Location ............................................................................................... 92
Converting the Clips .................................................................................................................................. 92
Using Time Slices............................................................................................................................................... 94
13.

Workflow Setup ................................................................................................................................. 95

Workflow Setup ................................................................................................................................................ 95

Avid Interplay ................................................................................................................................................ 96
Ingest Settings .................................................................................................................................................. 97
Ingest ............................................................................................................................................................ 97
The SDI Encoder ........................................................................................................................................ 97
SDI Video Settings Source ...................................................................................................................... 98
SDI Video Settings Wrappers ................................................................................................................. 99
SDI Video Settings - Time Code ............................................................................................................... 101
VTR QC Parameters................................................................................................................................. 103
Baseband QC Parameters ....................................................................................................................... 104
Video QC parameters.............................................................................................................................. 105
Storage Templates .................................................................................................................................. 106
Naming Pattern Templates ..................................................................................................................... 106
Proxy Editor Templates ........................................................................................................................... 108
QuickTime ............................................................................................................................................... 108
Windows Media 9 ................................................................................................................................... 109
MPEG-1 ................................................................................................................................................... 110
Router Control ........................................................................................................................................ 111
Output Settings ............................................................................................................................................... 111
Output Settings ........................................................................................................................................... 111
Output Template Options ....................................................................................................................... 112
Copying Profiles ...................................................................................................................................... 119
Creating Transcode + QC Templates ........................................................................................................... 124
Mark Up Templates ................................................................................................................................ 126
Timecode Templates............................................................................................................................... 127
14.

Template Configuration Reference ................................................................................................... 130

Template Configuration Reference ................................................................................................................. 130

Audio Offset ................................................................................................................................................ 130
File Wrapping / Demultiplexing .............................................................................................................. 131
Using Auxiliary Data ....................................................................................................................................... 131
VBI Data ...................................................................................................................................................... 131
Closed Captions .......................................................................................................................................... 131

Teletext and Subtitles ............................................................................................................................. 131

DVB Subtitling ............................................................................................................................................. 131
MXF Mappings for VBI and ANC ................................................................................................................. 132
Timed Text .............................................................................................................................................. 132
Captions and User Data in MPEG2.......................................................................................................... 132
Configuring Data Source Options............................................................................................................ 132
Input Configuration Example: File Wrapping / Demultiplexing .............................................................. 133
Output Configuration Example: MPEG2 Generic .................................................................................... 133
Example MPEG2 Generic Output Auxiliary Template Settings ............................................................... 134
VBI Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic) .................................................................................................... 135
Ancillary Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic) ........................................................................................... 135
MPEG-2 ES User Data Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic) ....................................................................... 136
File Wrapping/Demultiplexing; Additional MPEG2 ES Data Output Settings ......................................... 137
Captioning....................................................................................................................................................... 138
SCC Captioning Options .............................................................................................................................. 138
WST (Western Standard Teletext) Options................................................................................................. 139
Time Code Selection ................................................................................................................................... 140
Input Time Code Selection ...................................................................................................................... 140
Scaling ............................................................................................................................................................. 141
Scaler Mode ................................................................................................................................................ 141
Disabled .................................................................................................................................................. 141
Advanced ................................................................................................................................................ 142
Auto Width ............................................................................................................................................. 143
Auto Height ............................................................................................................................................. 143
Manual (Absolute) .................................................................................................................................. 143
Output Format Options ................................................................................................................................... 147
Using Standards Conversion ........................................................................................................................... 148
Choosing a Conversion Mode ..................................................................................................................... 148
Output Video Encoding Configuration ............................................................................................................ 150
MPEG4 AVC (H.264) .................................................................................................................................... 150
MPEG4 ........................................................................................................................................................ 152
MPEG4 Advanced Settings (Custom Preset only) ................................................................................... 153
H.264 MXF Proxy ........................................................................................................................................ 154
MPEG2 Generic ........................................................................................................................................... 155
MPEG1 .................................................................................................................................................... 156
QuickTime ................................................................................................................................................... 157
DV ............................................................................................................................................................... 157
AppleProRes ............................................................................................................................................... 158
Avid/Pinnacle Mediastream ....................................................................................................................... 158
MPEG2 IMX ................................................................................................................................................. 159
Windows Media 9 and Windows Media 9 Advanced Profile ...................................................................... 159
Windows Media 9 ................................................................................................................................... 160
Windows Media VC-1 ............................................................................................................................. 160
Windows Media VC-1 ............................................................................................................................. 161
DNxHD ........................................................................................................................................................ 161
VoD Transport Stream ................................................................................................................................ 162
Inserting Logos ............................................................................................................................................ 163
Burning in Text ............................................................................................................................................ 164
The Choose Color Tool ............................................................................................................................ 166
Timecode Burn-in ................................................................................................................................... 166
Using Thumbnails ........................................................................................................................................... 168
Thumbnail Modes ....................................................................................................................................... 168
Audio Gain ...................................................................................................................................................... 169
Audio Gain Example .................................................................................................................................... 169
PCM Routing ................................................................................................................................................... 169
Audio Temporal Settings ................................................................................................................................. 171

Audio Output Encoding .............................................................................................................................. 172

SurCode for Dolby Digital Encoding Options .............................................................................................. 173
Audio Service .............................................................................................................................................. 174
Bitstream Information ............................................................................................................................ 174
Advanced ................................................................................................................................................ 175
Extended Bitstream Information ............................................................................................................ 175
Track orders for discrete AES inputs: ...................................................................................................... 176
Track orders for embedded audio input: ................................................................................................ 176
Using Wrapping Options ......................................................................................................................... 177
Output Processing ........................................................................................................................................... 178
Watermarking................................................................................................................................................. 180
Civolution .................................................................................................................................................... 180
Civolution Teletrax ...................................................................................................................................... 181
15.

Dalet Amberfin Workflow Engine ..................................................................................................... 182

Installation and Activation .............................................................................................................................. 182

The Design Tab ............................................................................................................................................... 183
Creating a Workflow ................................................................................................................................... 183
Saving, Opening, Exporting a Workflow ..................................................................................................... 184
Stencil Sets .............................................................................................................................................. 185
Limitations .............................................................................................................................................. 186
The Manage Tab ............................................................................................................................................. 188
Managing Workflow Designs ...................................................................................................................... 188
Importing Workflow Profiles .................................................................................................................. 188
Disable/Enable Workflows ...................................................................................................................... 188
Running Workflow Instances .................................................................................................................. 189
Deleting a Workflow /Deployment ......................................................................................................... 189
The Monitor Tab ............................................................................................................................................. 190
Deleting, Retrying a Job .............................................................................................................................. 191
16.

Amberfin Dark .................................................................................................................................. 192

17.

Trouble Shooting .............................................................................................................................. 194

Trouble Shooting ............................................................................................................................................. 194

Using Logging .......................................................................................................................................... 194
Start/Stop Metashare Services and Dalet AmberFin Servers ................................................................. 195
Recovering the Database ........................................................................................................................ 196
Checking System Software Versions ....................................................................................................... 197
Recovering from a Failed Installation ..................................................................................................... 198
Solving Dalet AmberFin License Problems .............................................................................................. 199
18.

Frequently Asked Questions ............................................................................................................. 200

19.

High Availability ............................................................................................................................... 202

Overview ......................................................................................................................................................... 202

Basic Architecture ........................................................................................................................................... 202
High Availability Farm ................................................................................................................................. 202
Planning a Transcode Farm ............................................................................................................................ 203
Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 203
Transcode Farm Considerations ............................................................................................................. 203
Deploying an HA Farm .................................................................................................................................... 205
Preparing to Install an HA Farm .................................................................................................................. 205
Windows Firewalls and Ports .................................................................................................................. 205
Fixed IP Addresses .................................................................................................................................. 206
Granting permissions .............................................................................................................................. 206

Creating profiles...................................................................................................................................... 206

HA Farm Installation ................................................................................................................................... 207
HA Farm Testing.......................................................................................................................................... 213
Installation Verification (Communication) .............................................................................................. 213
Example Profile Configuration ................................................................................................................ 213
HA Farm Recovery Operations ........................................................................................................................ 217
Upgrades, Backups, Rollbacks and Recovery .............................................................................................. 217
Verifying the upgrade or roll back .......................................................................................................... 217
Controller Database Recovery ................................................................................................................ 218
Job Database Recovery ........................................................................................................................... 218
HA Farm Failure Mitigation ..................................................................................................................... 218
Cluster Timeouts and Settings ................................................................................................................ 219
Network and Environment ..................................................................................................................... 220
20.

Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 221

AmberFin Tachyon Installation Guide ............................................................................................................. 221

Installing the Hardware .............................................................................................................................. 221
Installing Tesla Drivers ................................................................................................................................ 221
Check Tesla Install and Activate TCC Mode ................................................................................................ 221
Install Code Meter Dongle .......................................................................................................................... 222
Automating Dalet AmberFin ........................................................................................................................... 222
External Control of Dalet AmberFin ................................................................................................................ 222
VDCP Control .............................................................................................................................................. 222
VTR Emulation ............................................................................................................................................ 222
AmberFin Gateway ..................................................................................................................................... 223
Gateway Services .................................................................................................................................... 223
iCRControl Supported Methods .............................................................................................................. 223
Standard Port Configuration ................................................................................................................... 224
Dual Port Configuration .......................................................................................................................... 224
Configuring the Gateway to use Dual Ports ............................................................................................ 224
Standalone Configuration ....................................................................................................................... 225
Gateway Service Logging ........................................................................................................................ 226
Load Balancing Configuration ................................................................................................................. 227
Web Services .............................................................................................................................................. 228
Supported VDCP Commands .................................................................................................................. 229
AVC Encoding Level Numbers ..................................................................................................................... 230
Sync References .......................................................................................................................................... 231
Creating a Windows Stripe ............................................................................................................................. 231
Pre-requisites .......................................................................................................................................... 234
Installation .............................................................................................................................................. 234
Installing the Full Application ................................................................................................................. 235
EBU R 123/48 Audio Track Layout .................................................................................................................. 238
HA Farm Terminology and Redundancy Methods .......................................................................................... 239
21.

Glossary............................................................................................................................................ 240

1. About Dalet AmberFin

The Dalet AmberFin Product Range
There are many products and options, and not all of the topic sections may apply to your
system.
The current differences between main and DPP (Digital Production Partnership) variants are
as follows:
Format
Converter

Standards
Converter

Main Model
Number

1101

1102

DPP Model
Number

iCR-100
DPP

DA Product

Player

200

Ingest

3102

UQC Server

Works

6103

5102/3

iCR-300
DPP

File Transcoding

Transcoding* and
Video and file
Standards Conversion playback +
markup

Soft play to XGA

Option

Option

SDI play to HD/SD Mon

Option

Option

Option

Ingest from HDI/SD SDI

Option

Option

Upgrade to
3102

Option

Option

Video and file

ingest, playback
+ markup

iCR-500 DPP
Server for
scaled UQC
environments

Transcoding*, Video and

file ingest, playback,
markup + QC

Pre Encoded File Ingest

Content Markup
Transcoding*
HD Standards
Conversion

Option

Included QC Bundles

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option

Option
Aurora or
"unbundled"
for other QC
tools

Either Aurora Standard or

Hyperion Hardware

Main products support a wide range of file formats and wrappers; DPP products are optimized
to support the AS-11 vendor-neutral MXF subset for delivery of finished programming to
broadcasters.
Transcoding* or Repurposing when used in this manual refers to Format Conversion; i.e.
changing the file format but not the frame rate. Only Standards Conversion changes frame
rate.
In addition to these differences, there are various options that can be added to main systems.

Dalet Amberfin
Additional
Options

Details/Comments

SurCode for Dolby

Digital (AC-3) support

Dolby Digital (AC-3) 2.0/5.1 audio support. Realtime ingest, playback and
transcode

Captioning Advanced
US Option

Advanced Captioning for US Market including support for Transcoding captions

to ATSC A/53 and Cable Labs deliverables.

Captioning EU STL
Option
VoD TS

Advanced Captioning for European STL workflows

JPEG-2000 support

JPEG 2000 codec support

Wrap AVC+AAC to ATSC, DVB or CableLabs SD/HD compliant Transport Stream

files for VOD. Includes full license of Manzanita. Needs Amberfin transcoder
option.

Watermarking

Watermarking option for Transcoding. Needs AD transcoder option.

AD Cart Control

Software for controlling legacy Sony or Odetics cart machines

Aurora Standard QC
Bundle

View + UQC plugin + Controller + VU (Verification Unit)

Aurora Pro QC Bundle

View + UQC plugin + Controller + VU + Additional Metrics

Aurora Verification
Unit

For additional remote workstations. Aurora Server required in system.

Hyperion Hardware
QC Bundle

Chassis + Card + Viewer + Plugin

Training and
Commissioning

On-site operator and engineering training by AmberFin qualified trainer and onsite installation and commissioning

For further details or additional options, please refer to your Dalet AmberFin representative.

New Features in Dalet Amberfin 11

Workflow orchestration engine and its web-based interface to design, manage and
monitor workflows

Extend ProRes support to cover resolutions up to 4K on transcode output (YUV

formats only)

Extend ProRes support to cover resolutions up to 4K on transcode input

UHD/4K Profile and Optimise 4K workflows

DPX YUV/RGB File Bundle support on transcode input

HEVC Support on transcode input (MP4 wrapper)

Sorting of Transcode Profiles

2. Prerequisites and General Information

Foreign Language Support
The most recent Dalet AmberFin versions can display the GUI in a language other than
English. Presently Chinese (PRC) is supported. To change to a new language, you need to set
the language in the Regional and Language Options window in the Microsoft Windows
Control panel.

Click on Install/uninstall languages and select the required language

.
If necessary, go to the Microsoft Local Language Program website and download the required
LIP (Language Interface Pack). Help should be available from Microsoft by clicking on How
can I install additional languages? from the Regional and Language Options menu - see
screen shot above.
When you restart the GUI, it will display its labels in the new language.

If you require the GUI in your local language and are able to help Dalet AmberFin with the
translation, then please email cto@AmberFin.com with your details.

Operational Variances
This document describes and gives operational information about the group of software
products collectively titled Dalet AmberFin. There are different products under this collective
term with distinctive features and specific applications. This publication provides pertinent
information about system use regardless of any specific configuration. It is recommended to
check against the specification of your system and any options fitted.

Prerequisites
Software
Version 11 requires the following drivers and/or pre-installed software to support all features:

Software / driver

Version

Dependent
Functions

Source

Matrox driver
QuickTime

DSX V9.4.0.9028

ingest, play

Dalet AmberFin Installer

V7.69.80

QT, ProRes

Download from QuickTime

site

Wildform Flix
exporter

Latest

VP6 Outputs

Purchase

Operating System
Updates

See Release
Notes

Tektronix Aurora

Contact
AmberFin

Microsoft
AmberFin UQC

Contact AmberFin

64 bit operating systems are recommended for all current versions as there are features that
will not work on 32 bit Windows OS. Please refer to the latest release notes, for a list of
features that are no longer supported on 32 bit operating systems.

Hardware
The following hardware may be required to support all features:

Hardware
Matrox PCI-Express card

Model
X.mio2 8500/DSX LE3

Dependent Functions
Apple ProRes ingest, play

Source
Matrox supplier

3. Installation
Installation (Standalone)
This is a short guide aimed at evaluators and others who need to perform a first-time
installation on a single Windows 64 bit workstation; please refer to the HA Farm Installation
topic for enterprise or multi-server systems.
Install Dalet AmberFin workstation software on a clean installation of one of the
recommended and commonly used platforms such as Windows 7 Pro 64bit or Win2008 64bit
R2 Std Ed. If a copy of Dalet AmberFin is already installed, it has to be removed using the
Uninstall a Program tool under Programs in the Control Panel.

Installing Matrox Drivers

This section can be skipped if no Matrox card will be used (i.e. the install is for evaluation
purposes only).
Dalet AmberFin version 11 can support two types of Matrox cards, the X.mio.2 or the cost
effective DSX LE3 with integral BNCs. The required drivers are included with the Dalet
AmberFin installer and are not available from the Matrox site.
Native Apple ProRes ingest support is provided from version 10.5 and no longer requires
specific Matrox cards.
The installation must be clean and not performed on top of existing drivers.
Please remove any previous Matrox drivers via Add/Remove Programs prior to any upgrade
otherwise the drivers will not be upgraded correctly.
Proceed with the Matrox card already installed as follows:
Run the "dsx.utils.exe" to install the driver set
A progress bar will show the drivers being installed on the PC
When asked, choose a standard installation with no onboard compositor There
should be a confirmation message once the installation is complete
Reboot the PC.
Verify the Matrox tray tool icon is present in the lower right of the task bar
Right click on icon & choose Open X.info
The installed Matrox driver version & hardware status can now be verified.
Right click on the Matrox tray tool icon in the lower right of the task bar and choose
Open X.info
Select the required display information

Getting Ready for Dalet AmberFin

Uninstall Dalet AmberFin

The Dalet AmberFin installer may ask that any existing Dalet AmberFin installation be
uninstalled prior to a new installation; if so, then uninstallation is required; it is also generally
recommended.

Save Job Records

In case, the uninstall/install removes Job Records from a previous installation, save them
before proceeding.

Install Apple QuickTime

Certain conversions need QuickTime; the most recently verified version is currently QT V7.7.4.
If this is not currently available from Apple, please contact Dalet AmberFin Customer Services.
It may be installed before or after installing Dalet AmberFin.

When QuickTime is installed uncheck Update Automatically.

Enable the Desktop Feature for Win 2008 R2/2012 R2

If Windows Server 2008 r2/2012 r2 is used, please enable the Desktop Feature, prior to
installing Dalet AmberFin.
Always check the Release Notes that came with your software for an up-to-date list of Setup
Prerequisites; an updated list of supported Operating Systems can be obtained from Dalet
AmberFin Customer Support.

Installing Dalet AmberFin version 11

Unzip the supplied zip file and extract the Dalet AmberFin_Vx.X.X.XXXX_setup.exe file, then
click on it to run it and start the installation.
The installation will need to be attended to progress through various simple options.

Confirm Installation of the displayed software version

Click on Next after the Welcome screen to confirm installation of the displayed version
Make Application Specific choices and Plugin selections at the Optional Components prompt.

Select Optional Components

An indication is given on this screen of the available and required disk space
Helpful text will appear explaining the available options when they are highlighted.

Option

Description

Notes

Adds GUI Plugin and

required components to
support DPP metadata
interchange in DPP files

Installed GUI plugins are selected

from Window menu

Application Specific
Options

UK Digital
Production
Partnership (DPP)
MXF AS-03
GUI Plugins

GUI plugins can also be installed

manually to \Amberfin\iCR\plugins
by copying them from
\Amberfin\iCR\PlugingStore)

Transcode
Scheduler

Provides GUI panel to run

transcodes at predetermined times

Amberfin System
Configuration

These options
automatically configure
Microsoft Windows during
the installation

Platform Power
Scheme

Select to maximize
performance

Recommended for High Availability

Farms

Configure Amberfin
Services Login

Enables entry of
alternative authentication
for certain services

If unchecked, services will be

installed with default LocalSystem
log-on

Install RMS
Network Licensing

Installed GUI plugins are selected

from Window menu

Click Next when done. Depending on various elements of the computer, the setup process
may include additional non-Dalet components (Sentinel, Microsoft Visual C+). Just click next
till finish.

Read and accept the License Agreement

Read the End-user License Agreement when it appears and select I Agree to be bound and to
proceed
The installer will prompt for permission to install C++ software. If earlier versions are found
they will be updated. If later versions are present, the later version should be displayed and
the installer should skip to the next step.
Specify a domain user for managing the Amberfin Windows services.

The final install option relates to the Network License Manager. After that click and wait for
the Finish button to appear.

License Manager Options

If this is a stand-alone workstation installation, this option can be left unchecked.
If prompted at the end to restart the system, select yes and wait for the system to reboot.
If the install process stops before completion, try uninstalling and re-installing Dalet
AmberFin. If this does not work or there is no uninstaller installed yet, try the Recovering from
a Failed Installation procedure in the Trouble Shooting topic.
When Dalet AmberFin is first run, an error message will appear saying Info Details: No Valid
License Found. If an unlicensed copy is run, a message will appear saying Dalet AmberFin
Application Server not running and after clicking Quit, Unable to start the application / Device
initialization error appears. Dalet AmberFin will shut down after clicking OK.
To remove these error messages and run Dalet AmberFin, a trial or full license must be
applied.

Applying Workstation Licenses

Licenses are unique to each computer where a copy of Dalet AmberFin is installed and to the
range of features available.
Before requesting a license, please contact your Dalet AmberFin representative to make sure
you have:
Checked Dalet AmberFin version 11Hardware Specification
Downloaded the latest Dalet AmberFin version and read the accompanying release
notes
Please contact your Dalet AmberFin representative if you are unsure of any of the above.
Installing a Dalet AmberFin License
This installation procedure deals with installing a single workstation license,
A license is supplied as a file called lservrc (without any extension).
A software installation can complete without a license file, but will not run. An Info Details
message will be displayed indicating that there is No Valid License; Please Run the License
Manager. The License Manager can be run from the Dalet AmberFin Program Group or from
the Dalet AmberFin Tray Monitor.
Non-enterprise Dalet AmberFin licenses are node locked only. Floating licenses are only
available for enterprise systems.
To simplify licensing and to ensure that the required files are up-to-date, the required
licensing utilities are installed in the Dalet AmberFin program group.
To obtain and use a license file, proceed as follows:
Go to Start >> All Programs >> Dalet >>AmberFin >> Licensing >> License Manager
(or right click on the Dalet AmberFin Tray Monitor) and from the License Manager UI,
click on File >> Save lock code as.
The lock codes displayed in the License Manager will then be saved to the file name
and location specified.

Send this file back to Dalet AmberFin support requesting the license required; a file
called lservrc (without any extension) will be supplied by return.
The lservrc file has no extension and is normally distributed using the zip format to
prevent certain email systems from appending (.dat) which could prevent the license
manager from accepting them.
Place this file in a temporary folder.
From the License Manager click on File >> Install License From and select the
location of the lservrc file
If you are installing a trial license, you will need select Trial License >> Trial preenable from the License Manager before installing the license. It should also work
after installing a trial license.
Reboot the PC
Right click on the Dalet AmberFin Tray Monitor in the lower right corner of the screen
- Check that the Dalet AmberFin Application services are shown as Started
o If not, then start them; if the license is correct, this process should start
Verify that the license is correct by starting Dalet AmberFin and ensuring that the
features requested are active If Dalet AmberFin reports it cannot find a valid license,
check the lservc file is in the correct windows folder.
If it is necessary to locate 'lsinit' or the lock generator directly, the executables are
installed under C:\Program Files (x86)\ Amberfin\iCR.
Also check that your primary Ethernet network port is active. Internet access can be
checked by connecting to the internet, or self-pinging 127.0.0.1 in a DOS command
prompt window.

Updating Permanent or Trial Licenses

Licenses can be updated by clicking on File >> Install License From and selecting the location
of the new lservrc file. This should overwrite the old file with the new file.
When upgrading from any release prior to V5.5.0, a new Dalet AmberFin license is required.
Please refer to the release notes for details.
Activating the GXF Option
Obtain a GXF SDK (v1.0.0.17) license from MOG Solutions.
Insert the license into registry, by double clicking the license reg-file.
Start the "MOGLicensingClient.exe" application.
Click the "Go" button to go to the www.mog-solutions.com/activation website.
Copy the activation code, and paste it into the corresponding field on the website.
Copy the activation code, from the website into the corresponding field in the
application.
Click Activate.

4. Using the Dalet AmberFin GUI

Running Dalet AmberFin and Using the GUI
In order to run Dalet Amberfin GUI application, identify its icon
desktop, or folder and double click it.
A splash screen will appear and the GUI will open.

in the start menu,

The Dalet AmberFin GUI is a flexible collection of panels that can be positioned and resized to
create any desired layout.
A docking and undocking feature is provided to allow focus on selected panels of interest
while minimizing others. A space saving minimized side bar is provided as a vertical strip at
the right hand side. This may seem awkward at first, but does in fact provide a quick way of
displaying panels to enter or read data and then dismiss them.
There are a range of pre-configured layouts and custom layouts are fully supported. For
example, in a QC Review layout, the player panel could be enlarged for easier viewing and the
detailed timeline might be more prominently displayed in the lower portion of the screen. This
configuration might be useful for somebody reviewing clips and checking the QC events that
occurred during ingest.
The following layout is the Mastering Layout.

The Mastering configuration has record and player panels side by side at the top, while the
timeline, library and clip information all have separate panels.
In the default layout the timeline is minimized and the lower half of the screen is occupied by a
Library/Clip Info panel group. To quickly activate the default layout, go to Dalet AmberFin
Windows >> Preferences >> Layout and click on Default.
The default color of the GUI is a charcoal gray background with white text with dark gray
highlights in the library and light gray highlights in all input fields.

This color scheme may be suited to high quality viewing areas where extraneous light (i.e. from
computer LCD screens) needs to be kept to a minimum. While some users may find this color
scheme easy to view, others may not. For this reason, Dalet AmberFin also provides a light
grey colored configuration (shown above) and a color scheme that is tied to Windows current
settings. These parameters are set in Dalet AmberFin Windows >> Preferences >>
Appearance.
The Microsoft Windows color scheme menu is accessed by right clicking on the PC desktop
and selecting Properties >> Appearance.

Using the Side Bar

If a panel is not displayed but is minimized with its tab arranged vertically at the right hand
side it can easily be displayed without changing the current layout. To quickly display a
minimized panel on top of the current layout, simply click its tab on the vertical Side Bar at the
right hand side of the GUI. When a panel is maximized from this bar, it will be displayed on the
right half of the GUI over other panels in that area.

Setup maximized over other panels

A maximized panel is not a docked panel or a floating panel that can be moved to any
position.
Vertical tabs allow more of the real estate of a typical widescreen display to be reserved for
content.
To dismiss the panel back to the side bar after entering or reading data, just click on its
vertical tab again.
To place or dock a minimized panel actually in the layout, so that space is made for it amongst
the other panels, just drag-and-drop its tab into the layout.

Docking and Undocking Panels

When a panel is docked or locked into position in the layout, an arrow pointing up and right
indicates that it can be undocked by clicking on the arrow.

When a panel is undocked or floating and free to position anywhere in the layout the arrow
changes to a down and left arrow. Clicking on this arrow will dock it again. When an undocked
panel is re-docked, Dalet AmberFin remembers where it was previously docked and positions
it there.

If panels have been grouped, group docking arrows will be shown as well as docking arrows for
each active tab.

Creating custom layouts

Starting a new layout

To create a custom layout, process as follows:
Select a desired panel from Dalet AmberFin Main Menu >> Windows - the panel will
be added to the existing tabs on the right side of the GUI.
Click on the tab and drag it to a desired position - it will be highlighted with a black
outline as the left mouse button is held down and dragged around the GUI see the
Panel Positioning tutorial.
Release the mouse button once the desired position is found - the panel will now
occupy this space on the GUI.
Continue until the required panels are positioned as required
To remove a panel from a group, undock it and click on its close (X) icon.
To re-insert panels, simply select them from the Windows section on the main menu
To save the work done on the layout so far, go to Windows >> Preferences >> Layout
>> Save and enter a name
Grouping Panels
To group two panels together, select one of them and drag its tab (left mouse button)
over the tab of the other until, the GUI shows their tabs aligned alongside each other
Release the left mouse button
Further panels can be added in a similar manner

Panel groups can be handled as single panel objects and can be docked, hidden or removed.

5. Understanding the Dalet AmberFin Workflow

Understanding Dalet AmberFin Workflow
The secret to Dalet AmberFins flexibility is not only in its advanced architecture and its potential to use
multiple transcode and QC engines, but also its use of a wide range of repurposing profiles for each
workflow template. Templates are provided for ingest parameters such as video and audio encoder
profile, storage options, naming conventions, multi-vendor QC options and mark up categories, while
further templates are provided for conversion and proxy profiles.

UQC and the Unified Timeline

Dalet AmberFin Unified QC (UQC) takes Dalet AmberFins solution for ingest and transcoding operations
and adds a unique, non-vendor specific solution, for applying quality control. It is designed to allow the
seamless integration of many industry-leading QC tools.
For example, Snells Hyperion and Tektronix's Aurora can be combined so that all aspects of QC are
integrated within a single unified timeline to provide an instant and highly accurate visual display of
potential quality issues throughout the ingest and transcoding process.
This new approach to quality control combines multiple tools for baseband checks during tape ingest,
filebased QC after ingest, and overall operator-controlled QC, including annotation and markup in one
single unified timeline. It gives an accurate and easy to display potential issues of any kind such as
simple video and audio problems, file wrapper abnormalities, artifact detection, Harding and loudness
violations and potential content-related editorial issues. QC processes can be implemented at any point
in the life cycle of an asset, using the most appropriate technique. Human readable reports with time
code and thumbnail references can be created and exported, simplifying the decision-making process,
while machine readable XML reports can be exported to DAM, MAM and automation systems.

Using the hypothetical workflow illustrated above it is possible to show how combining UQC and one or
more powerful repurposing engines in Dalet AmberFin can ensure every clip made is a good one. Here
the clip is QC'd before and after ingest and again after the audio is added and the clip is transcoded.
The reports from all the QC stages are shown on timeline, allowing users to quickly see that while ingest
and encode processes have no errors; miss-configuration or other errors have caused problems in the
file in the last stage of the workflow. Operators can therefore fix the errors in the process rather than
individual clips, ensuring all future assets moving through the workflow do not exhibit the same errors.

Transferring QC data to the UK DPP Plugin

Files that already have QC data associated with them or files passed through Dalet AmberFin UQC will
have QC data in the timeline. This can easily be used to populate the UK DPP plugin template so that

audio and video comment data can be saved with the currently loaded mxf file or as an xml side-car.
Refer to Working with DPP Assets for more help.

Flexibility and Control

Dalet AmberFin setup is understandably very powerful, and not all of the setup controls need to be left
live once a system has been commissioned for a specific workflow set. A special Lock Down facility,
provided by Global Presets, is now available to prevent inadvertent mis-configuration. There is also a
facility to create master templates that can enforce a common setup across multiple Dalet AmberFin
workstations.

Where to Find More

This user manual was initially designed to be used a reference book and there are still many in-depth
descriptions of each GUI element or panel in Understanding GUI Panels and the use of Templates and
Profiles are discussed in detail in Workflow Setup.
Since some readers may prefer more of a tutorial approach this has now been provided. The following
section provides starter tutorials which we hope will be of benefit to those learning the system for the
first time. It is also planned to provide more tutorials on-line at www.dalet.com.

6. Tutorials
Tutorials
Tutorials in this help file
For those readers who want to learn by doing, some tutorials can be found in the following sections.

Where to get more

There are white papers, blogs, free training videos, support and on-site training portals and more at
http://www.dalet.com.

Recording Input Video

This section shows how to record clips from a VTR Source.

Choose a layout with a Recorder Panel and Player Panel in it, such as the default layout: Main
Menu >> Windows >> Preferences >> Layouts >> Default.
In the above example, the player and recorder panels have been grouped.
Although only one video window, (i.e. recorder or player) can display video at a time, it can be
useful to have both panels displayed as the player shows time code activity during ingest.

In the Recorder Panel, set input mode to VTR in the Mode drop down box.
Any VTRs that adhere to the Sony Control Protocol can be controlled.
Use the VTR controls to find the correct mark in position and then click on the Mk In button
Alternatively right click with the cursor on the Mark In time code and select Mark-In.
The time code in Pos is now displayed in the Mk In and Mk Out fields.
Then find the required mark out position using the VTR controls. The mark out can be entered
with the VTR stopped or on the fly.
Click on the Mk Out button and enter a value; or click on Dur and enter the required duration
the duration must be > 0.

Time code numbers can also be entered using the Time Code Calculator.
A similar procedure can be used to ingest live video by selecting Scheduled mode (though VTR controls
will be grayed out).

Enter the reel and clip number data.

A bar code reader can be used to enter this data.
When installed, position the cursor in the Reel or Clip field and scan the reels barcode. The
info will automatically be added to the fields.

Click on the Start Record Button.

The VTR prerolls to a position determined by the VTR pre-roll setting before the Mk In time.
The Pos (position) field displays the current time code while the status field shows Prerolling.
The stop button will be inactive and set against an amber background.

At the end of the preroll, the Record Button background changes to red and also displays Stop
Record. The Status window displays Recording.
When the Mark In time is reached, audio preview is heard. The Pos field in the Player is
updated with the same time codes as in the Recorder. The time code gradations in both the
Player and detailed Timeline panels adjust to show the time code range being recorded.
Recording stops at the Mark Out time code.
The VTR continues to play for a period of time determined by the VTR post-roll setting after the
Mark Out value is reached and then stops.
If there is an error during the recording process, the console panel will display error. These
errors are not available when using web services.
At the completion of the recording, the clip is loaded into the Player Panel and the recorder
panel video window will be blank.

The clip can be saved to the Library directly by clicking the green Save button.
Create any required subclips and Export them to storage as required.
Dont forget to Unload the clip when done.
The format of the saved file will be determined by the currently active Encoder format at the
top of the Setup tab. See the Ingest topic.

The clip must be unloaded from the Player, to allow any further recording or viewing other clips. The
Setup panel will also be grayed out until the clip is unloaded.
The function of the Export button is discussed in Using the Player Panel.

Performing Ingest with Transcode

When an ingest task is performed either by an operator doing it manually or scheduling it as an event,
the use of ingest and conversion templates can greatly simplify the task. For an operator, there is no
need to enter source, encoder and output format choices if a template has been created to define the
required parameters and made active.
In this tutorial we are going to select both an Ingest Profile and a Transcode Profile.
The objective will be to ingest SDI NTSC video file with embedded audio and convert this to an
H.263+AMR file while the ingest is performed.
Start by opening the Setup tab.

Leave the Global Preset at its default of Manual.

Click on the SDI tab and select NTSC 4:2:2 CBR 50Mbps from the Video drop down box in the
Source Selection area.
Leave the Audio template as Two Pairs, Embedded, PCM24.
Ensure that the SDI Signal Status is Detected and Valid.
To select an output folder for the resulting ingest file, click on the [ ] tab next to Storage
and select a suitable location.
The next step will be to select and make active a transcode profile for a Mobile H263 format.
This output format will already exist within the Mobile group of Conversion templates.
In the Active Profile Groups area of the Setup tab, select Mobile from the Transcode +QC drop
down box.

Just selecting this group wont make any particular transcode profile active for conversion during ingest
or when using a watch folder, but it will allow us to enable a profile from those available in this predefined group.
An existing individual transcode profile does not need to be selected or enabled here to enable on-thefly transcode from the Library.

With Mobile selected in the Active Transcode+QC Profile Group, click on [ ] and select Edit.

In the list of profiles place a tick in the Run during Ingest field against Mobile H.263+AMR
(176x144, 32 kbps).
Leave the QC fields unchecked for now; QC operations are explored in the next Tutorial.
Save the transcoding group changes using Save As and provide a suitable name such as
Mobile Ingest.

Ensure that this edited group is selected as the current Transcode +QC group.

Ingest any video source (except elementary stream).

When the ingest stops, the ingested clip is transferred into the Player, where it can be saved or
deleted. If save is chosen, it will appear in the Library transcoded according to the parameters
checked as active in the newly created transcode group.
To view the progress of the transcoding process, click on the real time Job Status tab.

Typically, the transcode job will appear in the Job Status panel after a delay of approximately 15
seconds.

Configuring Conversion Templates is discussed in detail in Managing Transcode and QC Jobs and
Creating a New Transcode Template.
It is not possible to save an edited template group over an existing group i.e. with the same name.
Always use Save As and choose a new name.

Using a File-based QC Template

This tutorial is based on Aurora QC software and assumes that it has been successfully installed and
licensed.

Creating a Standalone QC Template in Dalet AmberFin

To select and enable a QC only template in Dalet AmberFin proceed as follows:
Click on the Setup tab.
Click on the [ ] button next to Transcode + QC in the Active Profile Groups section.
Choose New.
Only choose Edit to add QC to existing transcode profile(s). For this tutorial select New.
The Transcode + QC Group window appears.

Click on the QC tab and click on Add.

The QC Profile Editor window appears with Local QC Group in the Group field.
If no QC tab is found, check that your system is licensed for UQC and contact Dalet AmberFin support if
not.
If there is more than one QC group, select the appropriate one from the Group drop down box. The
Vendor Template box will be blank until a QC template is selected.

Click on a QC vendor tab.

There will be tabs for currently supported third party QC vendors. Any third party QC tools not installed
will not function.
The following example is based on Aurora.

To create or customize Aurora templates, click on Launch Browser to Manage Aurora.

For this tutorial, just use the Vendor Template drop down box to select an Aurora supplied
default template i.e. Quick Scan.
There might be a slight delay while the templates load.

Click on Save

Choose a Profile Name in the Input form, i.e. Quick Scan and click OK.

An entry under the Profile Name of the QC tab of the Transcode+QC Group window appears with the
default name, New Profile.
Type a descriptive name such as Aurora Quick Scan and press enter (or click in another text
field) to save the new name.
Click on the Transcode tab and click on Add.
No Transcode will be selected by default. It will remain red until a QC Profile has been selected.

Click on the QC Profile to Execute heading and select the Aurora Quick Scan profile just
created.
Rename the Transcode profile with a descriptive name (i.e. Aurora Quick Scan No Transcode)
and press enter (or select another text field).
Check the Propagate Upstream QC? tick-box for clips that already have a QC profile to add any
new software QC test results to its QC report.

Click Save and choose a template name such as Quick Scan QC, Quick Scan QC_No Transcode
or any name that better describes the function to be performed in your workflow.

To ensure that this template will be active, check that it is selected in the Transcode+QC
dropdown box in the Active Profile Groups area of the Setup panel.

Although this procedure may seem a little complicated, once mastered it can easily be repeated to
create other Transcode and/or QC jobs.
Tip: If a transcode is also required then return to the Transcode + QC Group transcode tab, highlight the
Profile heading, click on Edit and select the desired transcode.

Running a File-based QC Template

Although file operations within Dalet AmberFin can be run on media imported into the library or on files
in any attached local or network storage by using the Repurposing File Explorer, there are advantages
to running QC on files in the library. When files imported into the library have QC reports associated with
them, Dalet AmberFins UQC engine can append any new QC data to existing reports, allowing Upstream
QC to be verified and/or amended.
To run the Quick Scan QC No Transcode on an imported file, right click on the file in the library and
choose the QC Job profile saved in step 10.

As this job completes, its status can be checked in Dalet AmberFin in the Job Status and UQC Status
panels.

The Job Status Panel

The UQC Status Panel

The UQC Status panel will only be present if the Dalet AmberFin Unified (UQC) plug-in has been installed
and Web Services Control has been selected in the Dalet AmberFin File menu.
The Detailed Timeline will also show any QC errors for a QCd file loaded in the player. This may well be
the first place to look for such errors during operations that involve combined Transcode and QC or
Ingest, Transcode and QC.

In addition, QC job status can also be checked by logging in to http://localhost/auroa and looking at the
Home tab.

Panel Positioning
For this tutorial, start with a blank layout; Windows >> Preferences >> Layout >> Blank >> Load >> OK.
Select the Player from the Dalet AmberFin Windows menu and it will fill the Dalet AmberFin work area.
Follow the screen shots and guide notes to continue.

Start with a blank layout and add a Player panel

Add a Recorder Panel

Hover the cursor between the panels and click to resize Add a Timeline Panel
Dalet AmberFin has grouped the Timeline panel with the Recorder. This isnt what you want so, grab the
Timeline panel and move it around the GUI. To do this, click on its tab, hold the left mouse button down
and move the mouse. As you do, a black outline will appear in various positions.
If you want it to place the Timeline panel so as to fill the entire lower area of the GUI hover the cursor
carefully between the Player and Record panels at the bottom of the GUI. When ready, release the
mouse button.

Drag the Timeline panel around using its outline as a guide Drop it in place.
Youll have noticed that the Setup panel is in the layout minimized in the left side bar, even though it
wasnt individually selected. This is good news as its an essential panel. Just click on its side bar tab
when you want to use it and click again on its side bar tab to minimize it.
To minimize a panel to the side bar just drag-n-drop its tab to the side bar.
Now add a Clip Info panel.

The Clip Info panel is using too much GUI real estate

Group Clip Info with the Timeline panel.

To group panels drag-n-drop the tab of one of them over the tab of the other panel.

Working with DPP Assets

The Digital Production Partnership is an initiative formed by UK public service producers and
broadcasters that use a constrained subset (known as a shim) of the MXF file wrapper format to
facilitate common interchange and particularly contribution of completed audio and video
programming.
There are two DPP shims; one for HD delivery and one for SD material, both are based on the AS-11
contribution format produced with AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association). DPP files can only
contain one completed program or multiple hard (completed) parts of a single program.
The basic specifications are as follows:
HD

1080i50 Video AVC Intra codec @100Mb/s; High Intra 4:2:2 profile at level 4

AS-11 shimmed to UK DPP HD

4 or 16 channels of PCM audio

SD

576i50 Video, D-10 @ 50 Mb/s; MPEG-2 4:2:2 P@ML

AS-11 shimmed to UK DPP SD

4 channels of AES3 audio

Common

Metadata embedded within the MXF file

Go to http://amwa.tv/projects/application_specifications.shtml for the latest published AS-11
specification which should include details of UK DPP metadata (Appendices D, E and F when
downloaded at 18/06/2013).
The DPP workflow within Dalet AmberFin uses a UK DPP plugin that provides a template Panel with
defined metadata and editorial information fields. Metadata for some of the technical fields is read
from the mxf file automatically when the asset is loaded into the player. Metadata can also be read
from an xml side-car file normally located in the same directory as the mxf file. For free entry fields
metadata can also be entered manually or edited.

DPP Metadata Structure

Metadata within the DPP plugin can be organized under the following headings:
Metadata Class

Examples

Descriptive or
Editorial

Series Title*, Program Title*, Episode Title/Number*, Production Number*,

Synopsis*, Originator*, Copyright Year*, Other Identifier + Type, Genre,
Distributor

Technical
Shim type

SD* or HD*

Video

Bit Rate*, Codec* + Parameters*, Picture Format*, AFD, Picture Ratio*, 3D* +
Type, Product Placement, FPA / FPA Pass + Manufacturer + Version, Video
Comments (from UQC)

Audio

Sampling Frequency*, Bit Depth*, Codec Parameters*, Track Layout*, Primary*,

Secondary* + Tertiary* Language, Audio Comments (from UQC)

Timecodes

Line Up Start*, Ident Clock Start*, Total Number of Program Parts*, Number of
Parts in Currently Loaded File*, Total Program Duration*

Access Services

Audio Description Presence* + Type, Open Captions Presence* + Type* +

Language*, Closed Caption Presence* + Type* + Language*, Signing Presence* +
Language,

Additional

Completion Date*, Textless Elements Presence, Program Text Presence +

Language,
Filename*, File Checksum Type* + Value* (file data not shown in plugin but
present in xml file)

Contact Information

Email* + Telephone*

Main video, audio and timecode parameters are determined automatically and cannot be edited. Fields
with asterisks are required (mandatory).
If the UK DPP template panel isnt loaded, open it from Windows >> Plugins >> UK DPP.

The plugin will only be available if the UK DPP option was selected when Dalet AmberFin was installed.

Context sensitive help can be found in the Dalet AmberFin GUI by hovering the mouse or other
controller over each metadata field in the UK DPP template panel.

Saving Metadata
Any new or edited descriptive and technical metadata can be kept by pressing Save. The file
destination used when saving metadata depends on the Metadata File Mode. In Auto mode, it is saved
to the same directory as the currently loaded mxf file, using the same name bit with an .xml extension.
In Manual mode, and name or directory can be chosen. In the MXF_AS02 mode metadata is saved to
a folder named extra created in the same directory as the currently loaded mxf file. This is similar to the
way the AS-02 versioning delivery format stores xml data.
The need for an xml side-car is expected to be dropped when the UK DPP AS-11 shim specification is
next revised
Operators will be alerted if any normally required fields are missing (highlighted in red when saving) and
certain data is constrained to specific types to prevent the entry of non-compliant data.
If any normally required UK DPP data is not present in the metadata template when Save is pressed a
warning will be given and the missing item categories will be highlighted in red. The warning can be
overridden by clicking on OK in the Save Metadata warning box, but a non-compliant DPP file will be
produced.
All UK DPP required metadata should be entered before a file is used as a contribution source.
A list of the UK DPP metadata fields with explanatory text, can be found in the Using the UK DPP
Template Panel topic.
For any file loaded into the player, video and audio specification data needed by the UK DPP template
can be found in the Clip Info panel while audio and video QC data may already be present in the
Timeline having been read from an associated QCML file.
Refer to the Performing QC Review topic for more information on UQC. There is also a good tutorial on
using the Segment Track to collate QC data for transfer to the DPP template on the Dalet AmberFin
website in the Dalet AmberFin Training Academy entitled 3 Steps to using the Dalet AmberFin Segment
Track to Assist Population of Digital Production Partnership Metadata.

Using the Time Code Calculator

A time code calculator allows you to more easily manipulate time code values. You can enter time codes
in the correct format and easily convert them from frame count to time code with the click of a button.
Invoke the time code calculator by simply clicking on the time code field or by positioning the mouse
over the time code field, right clicking, and selecting the Edit Timecode field from the menu. The
calculator supports the most commonly used frame rates. A drop down menu displays these values.
Enter time code values by either clicking on the numbers using the mouse or by entering them from the
keyboard numeric pad.

Time code from the VTR

In order for Dalet AmberFin to correctly record clips from a VTR, it needs to receive the time code
information from the VTR. Therefore, this function needs to be enabled on the VTR; that is, the time
code information needs to pass through the VTR to the Dalet AmberFin mainframe on the SDI video
input.
For most Sony VTRs, this parameter is found on menu item 703. Set the All Line parameter to Throu
to allow all lines to pass through the VTR.

7. Using the Main Menu

Using the Main Menu
The Dalet AmberFin main menu provides access to system-wide functions, panel selection
and GUI configuration.
File

Windows

Help

Underlined first letters indicate that Alt + First-Letter can be used as a quick-access keyboard
code.

File
Import
files in
the
library
Remove
missing
entries
Web
Service
Control
Publish
Template
Master
template
location
Allow
template
updates
Exit

Import files in the library select this to choose clips not stored in Dalet AmberFins library
and import them into the system. If the target files location is visible to Windows, it can be
imported into Dalet AmberFins library.
Remove missing entries when Dalet AmberFin clips are moved out of their original storage
location, a File Not Found entry in red text is shown in the library. To remove these entries in
one step and clean out the library, select Remove missing entries in the main menu.
Web Service Control select the web service function to put the PC into a mode where it can
receive various commands over an internet connection. Once this is selected, a check mark
appears next to the name and Dalet AmberFin remains in that mode until de-selected.
When Web Service Control is activated all pop-up messages are disabled.
Publish Template name and save the current template at a chosen location for other users
Master Template location choose a location for Master Templates
Allow template updates allow templates to be updated from the Master Template location
specified Exit closes the application

Windows
Repurposing File Explorer
QC Queue
Job Status
Library
Player
Record
Setup

List of available panels

Console
Batch VTR Record
Timeline
Clip Info
Pulldown Detection Helper
File Cutting and Splicing
Plugins
GUI Preferences

Shows contents of the

plugin directory
Preferences sub-menu

Panel selector
A list of all the Dalet AmberFin panels is displayed under the Windows menu. If a panel is
inadvertently closed, it can be recovered by selecting it here. When recovered in this manner,
the panel returns at the side bar.

Plug-in Folder
The plugins window showing contents of the plug-in folder is not present if the folder is empty.
GUI Preferences
This displays another window that allows you to change the color scheme of the template, or
to retrieve saved user-specified configurations.

Appearance

Color Scheme select the GUI color scheme; Dark, Light, Windows
Lock Windows checkbox that locks the current configuration. Note: Not persistent between
reboots.

Layout
Allows the selection of previously saved GUI configurations.

Default load the default configuration acts instantaneously

Load load the selected template in the window above
Using the Main Menu
Delete delete the selected template
Save save the current configuration to a template
OK click to activate selected layout (not required for Default) Cancel back out of this
menu without making any changes

Available Layouts
At installation these can include:
Default includes Recorder, Player, (Timeline, Library, Clip Info; also includes Setup, Batch
VTR Record, Console, Repurposing Status and QC Queue. Panels in brackets are grouped.
Blank a good start for those wishing to customize their own layout; includes Setup
Mastering includes Recorder, (Player, Batch VTR Record), Timeline, (Repurposing Status,
Clip Info, QC Queue) and (Library, Pulldown Detection Helper); also includes Setup. Panels in
brackets are grouped.
Production Encoding includes Recorder, (Player, Batch VTR Record), Timeline, (Repurposing
Status, Clip Info, QC Queue) and (Library, File Explorer): also includes Setup. Panels in
brackets are grouped.
Pulldown Removal includes Setup, Player, Repurposing Status, Clip Info, Pulldown Detection
Helper, and (Library, File Explorer). Panels in brackets are grouped.
QC Review includes (Library, QC Queue), Player, Clip Info and Timeline; also includes Setup.
Panels in brackets are grouped.
Repurposing includes Setup, Player, Repurposing Status, Clip Info, and (Library, File
Explorer). Panels in brackets are grouped.
Virtual VTR includes Recorder, Player, Library and Clip Info; also includes Setup. Panels in
brackets are grouped.
Any custom layouts created will appear in this list.

QC Settings
Enables or disables real-time rendering of QC events during ingest.

Enabling this option with a large number of QC event instances may slow down DALET
AMBERFINs user interface and it may appear unresponsive for a while. The setting has no
effect on the generated QC reports.

Help
User Manual a link to the Dalet AmberFin Users Manual in PDF form.
About Dalet AmberFin displays the activated features of this version of Dalet AmberFin as
well as relevant version numbers and plug-in authoring information.

8. Hotkeys
Hotkeys
Dalet AmberFin has hot keys that can be used to control the Recorder or Player viewing
windows. The hotkeys for the Player are only active if a clip is loaded in it, whether
immediately after ingest or loading a clip from the library.
Upper or lower case letters can be used interchangeably for all hotkeys.

Clip/QC Player Hotkeys

Player Command

Hotkey

Edit
Key?

Play / Stop

Space
(toggle)
Shift P
(p)
End
X (x)
Home
Right
Arrow
Z (z)
Left
Arrow
C (c)
I (i)
O (o)
ALT A
(a)
Alt X (x)
Alt I (i)
Alt O (o)
Shift I (i)
Shift O
(o)
Ctrl Z (z)
K (k)
Ctrl K
(k)
Alt K (k)

Yes

L (l)
Ctrl L (l)
Alt L (l)
Alt S (s)
Alt E (e)
Alt U (u)
F1
F2

Yes
Yes
Yes
No
No
No
Yes
Yes

Play clip
Go to end of clip
Fast Play*
Go to start of clip
Jog Forward
Reverse Fast Play *
Reverse Jog
Reverse Play
Mark IN
Mark OUT
Add from IN and OUT
Clear IN and OUT
Clear Mark IN
Clear Mark OUT
Cue to segment IN
Cue to segment OUT
Undo Last Change
Previous Event
Previous Error or Warning
Event
Previous Keep Segment
Event
Next Event
Next Error or Warning Event
Next Keep Segment Event
Save Clip
Export Clip
Unload Clip
QC Annotation Menu
QC Add Annotation

* Successively hitting these keys increases the speed to 48x normal

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Hot key assignments with Yes in the Edit Key? Column can be changed by editing the entries
in the xml file at (C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\iCR\config\HotKeyDefaults.xml).

Recorder (VTR) Hotkeys

Command

Hotkey

Edit
Key?

Go to end of tape

Ctrl End

Yes

Fast Play *

Ctrl X (x)

Yes

Go to start of tape

Ctrl Home

Yes

Jog Forward

Ctrl Right
Arrow

Yes

Play / Stop

Ctrl Space

Yes

Reverse Fast Play *

Ctrl Z (z)
Ctrl Left
Arrow

Yes

Reverse Jog

Yes

Reverse Play

Ctrl C (c)

Yes

Mark In

Ctrl I (i)

Yes

Mark Out

Ctrl O (o)

Yes

Increase Shuttle *

Ctrl W (w)

Yes

Decrease Shuttle

Ctrl Q (q)

Yes

Increase Slow Shuttle

Ctrl S (s)

Yes

Decrease Slow Shuttle

Ctrl A (a)
Ctrl Alt-R
(r)

Yes

Toggle Record

No

* Successively hitting these keys increases the speed to 48x normal.

Hot key assignments with Yes in the Edit Key? Column can be changed by editing the entries
in the xml file at (C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\ AmberFin\config\HotKeyDefaults.xml).
If the HotKeyDefaults.xml file at your facility has been edited or is custom, or if a later version
of Dalet AmberFin or the HotKeyDefaults.xml file is used than the version used to write this
document, some of key strokes and their function may vary from the information presented
here.

Modifier Codes
The following table lists modifier codes used in the HotKey.xml files.

Modifier

Code

Shift

64 (Player)

Ctrl

128 (Player) / 130 (VTR/Recorder)

Alt

512 (Player)

All other codes are those normally associated in Windows with standard keyboards.

9. Understanding GUI Panels

Understanding GUI Panels
This section introduces each panel that can make up the user interface in more detail.

Using the Recorder Panel

The record panel contains controls and a viewer to record from either a VTR or from a live
source. If time code is available in the stream, this is shown in the Pos(ition) time code field.
When the record Mode field is VTR, VTR Batch, or Scheduled, the Mk In, Mk Out, and Dur time
code fields become active and display these time codes.

Recorder Controls
The Recorder VTR controls, with the exception of the record button, are located just below
the video input viewer and provide control of a selected VTR. The VTR can also be controlled
using specific key combinations known as hot keys.

The play button also acts as a toggle: it stops a playing clip, or starts a stopped clip.

The Record Button

The record button is located to the right of the viewer, immediately below the status window.
The background color indicates the current operational mode (Prerolling, Recording, Ready).
Record Start/Stop

Indication

Stop Record
(prerolling)

Stop
Record

Stop Record

Stop
Record

Start Record

Start
Record

VTR Selection Box

A drop down list box that contains the different models of VTR currently connected to the
system. Normally only one VTR is connected to the system.
Any VTRs that adhere to the Sony Control Protocol can be controlled by Dalet AmberFin.

VTR Shuttle Bar

The shuttle bar allows you to move the VTR at various speeds in either direction by moving the
slider bar either forwards or backwards. As the slider bar is moved closer to either end, the
video moves faster. When the mouse is released, the shuttle bar button returns to the center
of the bar.

DeVTR Status Window

The status window to the right of the shuttle bar gives the current VTR status. See the table
below.

VTR Status Message

Interpretation

OK

VTR stationary with tape inserted

Playing

VTR in forward or reverse play mode

Playing 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 48x

Fast forward speeds

Playing 0.5x, -1x, 2x, -48x

Fast reverse speeds

Playing 50x

Go to end of tape

Playing 50x

Go to start of tape

Playing 0.25x, 0.5x

Shuttle forward speeds

Playing 0.25x, -0.5x

Shuttle backward speeds

No tape inserted

No tape in deck

Offline

Remote mode on VTR is off

Prerolling

VTR cueing to mark-in point

Turning off the remote feature of the VTR will display Offline in the VTR status window. In
this state, the VTR cannot be controlled from Dalet AmberFin. The VTR controls on the Dalet
AmberFin GUI will be grayed out and the Recorder Panel Pos time code field will turn to the
italic font to indicate read only.

Time code Fields

Click on the time code fields and enter data using the time code calculator. The calculator
will enforce correct time code frame rates for the specific field. Once the complete time code
is entered in the calculator, click OK, and this time code is entered in the field.
Time code values can also be edited by right clicking on the active time code field and making
a selection on its submenu. Copying, pasting and editing time code are some of the options
available in this menu
When a tape containing time code starts playing, Dalet AmberFin automatically detects if the
tape is drop frame or nondrop frame. Simply position the cursor over any of the VTR time
code fields and a pop-up information box will appear displaying the time code field name, the
frame-rate, and whether the tape is drop or non-drop frame.
Recorder Panel Fields
Pos current cued VTR position
Mk In mark-in time code
Mk Out mark-out time code
Dur duration of the record
Reel reel number of the source
Clip clip number of the source
Mode drop down box indicating the source mode
I/O Status recording status (Offline, OK or Recording)
Start Record This field is only active when an valid input is
connected and valid time code values a

Time code Field Submenu

Mark out time code field shown:

Frame-Rate Pop Up Info Box

Reel Number Field

The Reel Number field can have data entered directly or with a barcode reader.

Clip Number Field

The Clip Number field associates each clip with a user-specific clip numbering system. Data
can be entered in the clip number field in a similar manner as for the Reel Number field.

Selecting the Recorder Source Mode

Mode Drop Down Box
Select the recorder source mode from the drop down list Live the ingest
occurs from a live source.
Scheduled a specific time code range is recorded from a live input source
VDCP the record process is controlled by an external device using the VDCP
protocol.
VTR video data comes from a videotape recorder.

VTR Batch
the input is from a VTR and the record process is controlled by the clip
mark-in and mark-out points batch record panel. These values may be manually entered or
imported in an EDL file.
VTR Emulation clips within the Dalet AmberFin library are controlled, or live video input can
be recorded by an edit control command protocol.
Quality Control the quality control engine can QC files in the library or those copied to a
designated watch fold
An easy-follow tutorial showing how to record from a video source (VTR) try Recording Input
Video.
See External Control of Dalet AmberFin and Supported VDCP Commands in Appendices for
more information on VTR Emulation and VDCP protocol.

Using the Batch VTR Record Panel

The batch VTR record mode allows multiple clips to be collated before ingesting them. They
are entered manually or imported from an EDL file and then displayed in the batch VTR record
panel. This list stores clips in reel number order and the ingest parameters remain the same
for any set of clips while the batch record is processing.

Performing a VTR Batch Record

Setting the Source

Set the input video source to VTR Batch in the Mode drop-down box in the Record Panel and
then select the VTR Batch recorder panel from its docked location.

The columns of this panel start with Reel number on the left side and proceed to Status on
the right side, but they can be re-ordered by clicking on them and dragging them to another
position.
Before the clip or clips with the same reel number are ingested, Dalet AmberFin prompts you
if you want to ingest this clip, skip it, or abort the entire process. Once all of the clips have
been ingested, skipped, or the process terminated, a summary screen displays giving the
results of the batch process. Clip entries can be requeued or removed by selecting the
appropriate choices in this screen.

Entering the Batch Data

Manually enter clip mark-in and mark-out points by clicking on Mk-In and Mk-Out buttons in
the VTR recorder and then clicking on Add button in the VTR batch record panel. The clips are
sorted in ascending order by reel number.
If you need to edit information already added to the batch record window, simply double click
on the field in the batch record panel and edit it directly. The field in this row updates once
the cursor is moved to another field.
Select Eject reel at reel end if you want Dalet AmberFin to eject the reel from the VTR once
the clips on it are finished ingesting.
Once all the required clips have been added to the batch record window, click on the Start
Record button in the VTR record panel to start the batch record process.
If you have selected Eject reel at reel end, you will have to manually change tapes between
different reel numbers to continue the batch record process.

Batch Record Selections

For each unique reel number, Dalet AmberFin will ask you if you want to record this clip, skip
this clip, or abort the record. Insert the required tape number in the VTR and click OK to
record clips from this reel number. Skipping the clip does not record the clip but keeps it in
the queue, while aborting the clip ends the recording process for all clips.
As the recording process occurs, the Status field in the VTR Batch panel shows the current
status of that clip.
In the Comment column, you can enter extra information about the clip. This information can
be used as part of the clip filename. See the section on file naming patterns for more details.

Batch Record Confirmation

When the batch record is finished, a confirmation window displays any skipped clips or clips
that incurred an error during ingest.

By default skipped clips are re-queued for the next batch recording session while successfully
ingested clips are removed from the list. However, de-selecting the appropriate boxes in the
confirmation window can change this. The following selections are possible:
Re queue Failed Clips clips that encountered an error during ingest will be left in the queue
to be ingested with the next group of clips.
Re queue Skipped Clips clips that were skipped will remain in the queue to be ingested with
the next batch of clips.
Clear Successful Clips all clips ingested successfully are removed from the batch queue.
Only one output file type and one set of encoding parameters can be used for all the files in
any one batch recording session.
If all clips are ingested successfully (no skipped or failed clips), a simple acknowledgement
dialog box is shown.

Importing EDL Files

To import clips from EDL files, click on the Import button and select the EDL file you want to
import. The clips are displayed in the Preview panel to more easily verify them.
Once youve selected the file to import, click on the Import button on the VTR Batch Record
screen. A frame-rate confirmation message box will then be displayed. Choose the framerate of the files you want to import and then OK. These files will now be loaded to the batch
recorder window.
To append more clips from another EDL file, simply click on the Import button again and
select the EDL file. Dalet AmberFin will ask you if you want to append to the existing entries
or if you want to remove them and add these new ones.

EDL Frame-rate Confirmation Window

EDLs containing content with 29.97 frame rates can be imported at 30 fps and vice versa.
The background color of the status field changes color during the record cycle to show the
current record status:
OK = default color
OFFLINE = default color
RECORDING = red
PREROLLING = yellow ARMED = yellow

Preroll

Recording

Recording Complete

Using the Player Panel

The Player panel plays clips, either newly recorded or from a storage location. The Player can
also be set to loop mode, so that a selected portion of the clip can be played repeatedly.

Playing Clips
A clip is loaded into the player in two ways:
By completing an ingest (except when ingesting in VTR Batch Mode)
By double-clicking on a selected file in the Library

Player Controls

These buttons control the playing of the clip much like VTR controls do.

Player Shuttle Bar

Click and drag the shuttle bar to move the clip forwards or backwards at different speeds.
The further from the midpoint the shuttle bar is moved, the faster the clip moves. Releasing
the mouse button will move the shuttle bar back to the middle position.

Player Timeline Scrub Bar

Use the scrub bar to perform spot checks by moving it to random places in the clip. Click and
hold the cursor on the scrubber icon and drag it across the timeline to the desired location.
Alternatively, click at a point on the timeline to advance the clip and scrubber bar to that
position in the file.

Entering time codes

When the clip is first loaded to the player, the Pos(ition) time code field shows the first
frames time code. It will continuously update, as the clip plays or is scrubbed. When the
Playback mode is set to Loop, the Mk In, Mk Out, and Dur fields become active. Mark in and
mark out points are set to the current scrubber position either by clicking on the Mk In or Mk
Out buttons or by right clicking on the timeline and selecting Mark In or Mark Out. The Dur
field automatically calculates the duration between the mark in and mark out points.
The Time Code Calculator can also be used to enter and edit time code data.
Long GOP encoded files will only loop between I frames. As a result, to accurately set the
mark-in or markout point of a Long GOP encoded file, first move the scrubber to the
approximate location and then use the jog key to get the exact location.

Player Timeline
When the clip is first loaded, a timeline below the VTR controls shows the clips full time code
range, the start time code at the left end and the end time code at the right end of the
display. As the clip plays, the scrub bar moves along the Player timeline until the clip is
finished or playback is stopped.
The timeline includes a bar that changes color depending on the QC errors that occur at each
particular point. A gray bar represents info messages, a yellow bar gives warnings, and a red
bar shows errors. Since errors are most important, they are displayed over the other two.
These different types of messages are discussed in the section dealing with the detailed
Timeline panel.

Viewing Long GOP Video

When scrubbing a file that was ingested in Long GOP, the time code displayed in the Pos field
may not correspond to the time code seen overlaid on the video tape. This is because the
broadcast monitor only displays I frames. It will always show the first I-frame before the scroll
stop point while the Dalet AmberFin Pos field will show the first B frame in the series that
immediately precedes this I-frame. This is due to the nature of the GOP structure and how
the stream is displayed. If you cue to an I-frame in the clip the Position field time code will be
the same as that shown overlaid on the monitor.

Player Fields
Pos current cued VTR position
Mk In mark-in time code
Mk Out mark-out time code
Dur duration of the record
PC Audio PC audio settings, stereo, mono
Filename name of the file playing
Status shows either Playing or Paused Playback Normal, or Loop
Normal the mark-in and mark-out points define the c
between these two points.
Loop the clip plays repeatedly between the mark-in a
Save, Export, Unload: Clicking on the Save button will
save the clip along with file format in the library. Export
aids exporting and Unload without saving either metadata or the clip.
The Player time code fields are like those in the VTR panel showing current position, the markin point, mark-out point, and the duration of the clip.
The Save button leaves the loaded clip in the player, so that it can be marked up easily
without reloading.
A tutorial on the use of the Time Code Calculator that pops up when any editable time code
field is clicked on can be found in the Tutorial topic.
An action submenu is also available if you right click on the time code fields. Time codes
shown in italics indicate read-only fields.
In any clip the end time code shown in the Pos field is exclusive of the mark out time code
shown in the Mk Out field. Therefore, it is impossible to move the clip to exactly the mark out
time code.
Cueing a clip beyond the mark-out point resets the clip to the beginning

Creating Subclips
Subclips can easily be created by applying Mark In and Mark Out points.

For each subclip, click on the Export button and chose a destination folder and name for the
clip.

Export is particularly useful when ingesting from tapes with discontinuous time code. Start by
setting QC to detect time code discontinuities during ingest. Upon completion of an ingest,
any detected time code discontinuities would then be transformed into time slices, which
would be made to appear as yellow events in the timeline window. The export function can
then be used to create the time slices. Upon exporting, the ingested clip is automatically
saved.
The Switch to Time Slice button then allows the original time code of these clips on tape to be
retained instead of using the Dalet AmberFin timeline time code. See Using Time Slices.
Unload will remove a clip from the Player. If an ingested clip hasnt been saved before Unload
is selected, a prompt appears asking the used whether or not they want to save the clip.
The Player is limited to the frame rates 29.97i, 25i, 59.94p, and 23sF. Clips with other frame
rates may not play in the Dalet AmberFin Player.
Some file types are decoded internally and do not require the on board video board to decode
them for play in the Player. Consequently, a playback-only system does not require the onboard video card.

Using the Timeline Panel

The detailed Timeline panel provides more information than is shown by the summary
timeline in the Player. It is a larger panel, which displays QC error events and their
corresponding thumbnails. When a clip is loaded, the scrubber bar on this timeline moves in
unison with the summary timeline scrubber bar.

The left-most side of the Timeline panel displays the baseband, QC Vendor specific, or VTR
errors encountered during ingest with each detected error occupying a horizontal line across
the timeline. The name of error is given on the left column, while its adjacent colored bar
shows where the error begins and ends throughout the clip. As the scrubber moves over the
timeline, the exact position where an error is detected is displayed on the left-most column.

Progress Numbers
These numbers (0, 1, 2, 3 etc.) show the progress of a multifunction QC event. See Unified
Quality Control.

Track Sorting Order

The Default icon can be used to sort tracks in the following order: Vendor, QC Process No,
Metric Name or UQC Severity.

Detailed Timeline Scroll Bar

To move along the timeline range, use the scroll bar underneath the scrubber bar. This
allows you to move to a specific section of the timeline and is particularly useful when a
section of the clip is zoomed in.

Detailed Timeline Zoom Scroll Bar

The zoom control allows you to concentrate on a specific portion of the timeline. Moving the
zoom scroll bar to the right will zoom in on the scrubber bars current location using the
scrubber bar as the center point of its zoom. Conversely, moving the zoom scrubber bar to

the left will zoom the timeline out from the current scrubber bar position. To get the currently
displayed clip duration, hold the cursor over the zoom bar and a pop up with this information
will appear.
At maximum zoom, only every third frame is labelled with a time code. For this reason
scrubber bar positions between frames do not sit exactly on a gradation mark. Also note that
Dalet AmberFin shows a maximum of 1000 thumbnails on the timeline for any one ingest.
The detailed timeline shows status bars of various colors across its length. Each color
represents something different.
Color meanings
Gray

Info
Only

Dark
Yellow

Warning

Dark
Red

Error

Light
Yellow

Time
Slice

The status bar colors depend on how the baseband error parameters are set in the QC
template.

Playback Boundaries
To properly set the playback boundaries, the clip must not be playing. They are also only
respected in play mode, in fast forward, or fast reverse, for example playback boundaries are
not used.

To find out how the Timeline is used in QC and QC Review operations see Unified Quality
Control.
Hotkeys do not function in the detailed timeline if the window is in an undocked position.
Right click menus function whether the panel is docked or not.

Segment Track
Sections created using Mark In and Mark Out points can be transferred to the Segment Track
and then sent to the Cut & Splice Engine.
See File_Cutting_and_Splicing for further details.

Using the Library Panel / Clip Info Panels

Once a video and audio essence has been ingested it is stored in Dalet AmberFins library. In
the default window configuration, the library is located at the bottom of the screen grouped
with the Clip Info panel.

The Library Panel

The library has a flat file structure and contains no directories or sub-directories. This
provides direct access to imported files and data associated with a selected file is
immediately displayed.

If the filename is shown in red, then Dalet AmberFin has detected that this storage location is
not currently accessible. Check that the drive is accessible by reading these files using a
Windows explorer window. A FILE NOT FOUND entry indicates that the file does not exist in
the indicated storage location. This could be due to an error during the ingest process or an
incompatibility between Dalet AmberFins database and the files in the storage locations. To
clear all of these File Not Found entries, click on File selection in the main menu and select
Remove Missing Entries.

Loading clips in the Player

Clips are loaded to the Player by double clicking on them. You should be able to see the first
frame on both the Player in the GUI and, if available, an attached broadcast monitor. To play
the clip, click the play icon on the Player. Once the clip has loaded in the Player, all of its
VTR controls are activated. To unload this clip, click on the Unload button. After the clip is
unloaded, whatever input is present on either the ASI or SDI inputs (depending on the
encoder selected) is shown on the broadcast monitor and in the Recorder viewer window.

Modifying Library Fields

The default setup for each clip in the library is as follows:

Column
Heading

Description

Field Format

File Name

Clip name

User selectable

Import Time

File creation
date/time

dd mm yyyy
hh:mm:ss

Start TC

Clip start time

code

hh;mm;ss;ff

Duration

Clip duration

hh;mm;ss;ff

For greater flexibility, user-selectable columns are displayed. To modify field columns, right
click anywhere in a heading bar and select the column headings from the following menu:

Select the data you want to view in the library and then Ok. These columns now display in
the library.
The display order of the files is also user-selectable. By clicking at the top of any one of the
columns, the data is sorted according to the data in that column. For example, to sort the
data by creation time, click next to the creation time label in that column.
A small arrow pointing up will appear next to the label when the data is sorted in ascending
order (smallest to largest). To get descending order, click in the same place again. The small
arrow will now point down and the data in that column will appear in descending
alphanumerical order (largest to smallest).

Working with Library Files

Main Submenu Highlight one of the essence files and right click on it for a submenu:

Delete removes the clip and associated metadata from the library. If Delete associated
essence is checked at the delete confirmation prompt, the clip and associated metadata will
be permanently deleted from the file system. It may be possible to restore deleted library files
if other copies exist.

If a proxy is created, it will NOT be removed by deleting its corresponding entry in the library.
The proxy file must be deleted separately.
Browse file opens a Windows Explorer window at the location where this file is stored
Rename renames the essence file and all its associated files
Show QCML report opens the HTML QC report if one is available in a separate browser
window
Launch Job- contains a submenu to start transcode and/or QC job jobs using predefined
profiles. The rename operation cannot be done while a file is loaded in the player.
QC Queue is not available in this version of Dalet AmberFin.

Clip Panel Information

Click on the Clip Info tab to view the following clip information for a selected file in the library.

Clip Panel Video Information

File Name file name for entire clip
Path path to file
File Format the file format of the file
Codec the codec used to create the file
Bitrate the nominal encoding bitrate of the file
Stored Height number of lines in the picture
Stored Width number of pixels per line in the picture
Aspect Ratio the ratio of picture width to height
Frame Rate the picture field or frame frequency
Profile & Chroma MPEG-2 coding profile
Frame Type the frame type

Clip Panel Audio Information

Audio Format the encoding format
Bits per sample encoding word size
Channels number of stereo pairs
Sample Rate rate at which the signal is sampled before being digitized

Launching Jobs from the Library

The Launch Job submenu allows files in the library to be transcoded or QCd on the fly using
transcode and/or QC profiles in a Transcode + QC template.

Launch Job displays all the available group profiles in the systems.
The Repurposing Template Editor discussed in Creating_a_New_Transcode_Template does
NOT have to have its repurposing profiles checked to use them in the Launch Job submenu.
The following diagram shows an example of the necessary steps in sequence.
Highlight file in the Library
Right click to display submenu
Click on Launch Job
Select Profile Group from list
Select All in Group or an individual profile in the group

Using the Setup Panel

This panel is divided into three areas, Global Preset, Ingest Configuration and a number of
tools to manage Profile Groups and Conversion Templates.

Global Preset
Global Presets allow a subset of the available parameters and templates to be defined for a
particular workflow. When a particular preset, other than Manual is active, the source
selection parameters and Template settings will be grayed out. This allows the Dalet
AmberFin interface to be effectively locked down with only an authorized range of parameters
available.
A new Global Preset should be created once all of the source selection parameters and
Template settings have been completed.
To create a new Global Preset proceed as follows:
Complete a Setup configuration
Click on the [ ] button next to the Global and select Save As
Choose a suitable name for the new preset
The new preset can be edited and new presets can be created from it by clicking on the [
] button and choosing either Edit or Save As. The Delete option will remove the preset.

Ingest Configuration
This panel allows the following ingest parameters to be configured; current encoder, local
storage and any connected hardware based SDI quality control.
Encoder Settings - the current encoder can be SDI (default) or the optional Memphis type. The
SDI panel allows encoders to be selected and configured.
When Dalet AmberFin finds a valid input signal, the SDI Signal Status window should show
Detected and Valid.
Ingest SDI QC- this allows any attached quality control hardware to check the applied signal
during ingest.
Storage - the storage location used to hold ingested files.
Naming the file name conventions to be used for ingest.
Proxies the viewing quality encoder to be used in the network for ingest monitoring.
Router Control a control panel for selecting inputs available on an optional IQ router.
This subject is treated in more detail in the Ingest topic.

Profile Groups and Workflow Templates

Workflow configuration templates define how ingest is performed and what output formats
the ingested assets can be converted to. A dedicated conversion template configuration tool

allows any acquired asset to be repurposed by transcoding to another format to suit various
markets and/or by changing the frame rate rendered appropriate for use in other countries.
Conversion or repurposing can only include standards conversion (different frame rates
between input and output), if that option is present.
Some of these templates have default settings, which may be suitable in many situations.
However, normally upon installation, these templates are set to suit your specific applications
and are only occasionally modified after that.
The subject of repurposing and template configuration is discussed in more detail in
Managing Transcode and QC Jobs and Workflow Setup. The Using the Job Status Panel is
discussed in Understanding GUI Panels.

Using the Job Status Panel

The Job Status panel shows a list of the transcoding or QC jobs sent to one or more
transcoding or QC engines.
It is accessed by clicking on the Job Status tab on the right side of the GUI. There are two
tabs, Job Status and Monitored Folders.

Job Status

In this view all the jobs submitted to transcoding or QC engines at IP address 127.0.0.1 are
shown. To show only the jobs submitted to a specific transcoding or QC engine, click on its
entry in the Topology map.
The jobs list shows all queued, waiting, completed or cancelled repurposing jobs that have
occurred in the past 24 hours for the selected group/engine.
If an error occurs, it displays here and in the messages section below. Job entries are kept in
a database and information is not lost if Dalet AmberFin is stopped and re-started.
Job entries can be saved to a file or printed.
The Status column shows the current state of each repurposing job.
Untick Show Completed or Failed Jobs to remove clutter and focus on current jobs only.
The list of possible status entries are as follows.

Job Status
Entry
Waiting

Interpretation
Entry waiting to be dispatched by the controller

PreProcessing

Job being dispatched to a specific repurposing engine

Queued

Job waiting in the specific repurposing engine queue

0< % N <
100

Job completion status indicated by %N

Complete

Repurposing Job finished

Connection
Lost

Amberfin lost communication with the repurposing

engine

Failed to
Initialize

Invalid initial job parameters prevented job from

starting

Cancelled

A job was terminated by the user

Jobs Submenu
Highlight one of the job entries and right click for a submenu:

Remove / Cancel remove a finished repurposed file entry from this panel or cancel the
active job.
Show output directory open Windows Explorer showing the directory where this repurposed
file is stored.
Import in Library import this transcoded/QCd file into the Dalet AmberFin library.
The Run Post Conversion Script selection will always be active if a script was set when the
conversion process was done. The active state of this selection does not depend on the
current state of the transcode profile, only on its state when the transcode job was
performed.

Dalet AmberFin Controller Details

The Controller details section in the upper part of the panel shows the repurposing server
host IP address, the connection status between Dalet AmberFin and the repurposing server,
and the time from which to display the previous repurposing jobs. Select the Host IP address
or computer name to see its repurposing jobs.
Host the PC name or IP address of the repurposing controller
Status the connection status between the host and the repurposing controller
History size the database viewing history; can be set to Last Week, Last Hour, or Last Day.

Topology
The term Topology, in the context of a network, refers to the way constituent parts are
grouped or arranged. Although, most installations have only one repurposing engines, it is
possible for one Dalet AmberFin GUI to control several Dalet AmberFin repurposing engines
(also called servers or controllers) and/or QC engines arranged in one or more groups.

Adding Transcode or QC Groups/Engines

To add new groups to a host configuration proceed as follows:
Click on the Configure Topology button in the Topology sub-panel.
The Topology Editor appears.

Follow the Manual or Automatic procedures below for adding engines, then check
that the group and engine structure is as expected and test the configuration.

Adding Transcode or QC Engines Manually

Click on Add and then start by entering an appropriate Engine Name.

Then enter the appropriate data for the Port and select the Repurposing/QC Group
and Engine Type.
If necessary, edit the IP Address and click on Add.
If the engine name remains red, check that the data entered is correct.
When all the required topology data has been entered, click OK.

Using the Transcode Engine Discovery Tool

To get Dalet AmberFin to find new Transcode Engines click on Transcode Engine
Discovery

Tick the engines to add from the discovered list and then click OK.
A standard single Dalet AmberFin engine can only carry out one transcoding or standards
conversion at a time. Multiple Dalet AmberFin/QC engines must be installed and licensed to
carry out multiple transcodes or QC operations simultaneously. Multiple channels of QC also
require multiple CPU cores.
If there are any problems check that the required services are running and any required third
party software is installed, licensed and running.

Viewing Repurposing Topology Logs

The logs from the same controller or repurposing group can all be collated into this one
display. Simply click on the controller IP address or engine name to view the status of current
operations.

Reload - Cloning configurations and Recovering from Disaster

Topology definitions are stored in the ControllerConfig.xml file. The Reload function can be
used to load this file and has a number of uses. It is particularly useful to clone multiple
configurations is a system where there are many identical or similar setups by copying the
config file to other systems and (re)loading it. It can also be used to recover from a
configuration disaster and lastly, if the config file has been edited manually or by another
process, it may need to be reloaded to reflect changes.
To reload a controller configuration click on the Reload button in the Configure tab of the
Topology Editor.
Then check that the required topology has been updated.

Monitored Folders
The second tab displays the monitored folders that are active. These are folders that the
transcoding and/or QC engines regularly examine to check for new jobs.

When files are copied to these folders, the transcode/QC engines process them according to
set parameters. When a job is initiated by copying the appropriate file in a watch folder its
real time status is shown in the job status panel, along with other jobs. A watch folders
parameters only display here if the Enable column is set to true in the applicable template.
Monitored folders are the same as Watch Folders the setup of which are discussed in detail in
Repurposing from a Watch Folder.
See also: Using the UQC Status panel.

Using the UQC Status Panel

The UQC Status Panel is where QC status is shown for every file in the library.
The UQC Status panel will only be available if the UQC plug-in has been installed in the Dalet
AmberFin plug-in directory and Web Service Control has been enabled under the File menu.
QC jobs will also only be shown here if a compatible software QC engine has been installed.
See Installing the UQC Dalet AmberFin Plug-in in the Appendices for installation instructions.

The following data is displayed:

File Name the name of the file submitted to the QC Engine.
Location - the location of the file.
Last QC date the date of the last QC operation performed.
UQC Status the status can be one of the following:
Status

Icon
Color

Details

No QC
Data

Gray

No QC data present

Passed

Green

Passed

Warning

Amber

One or more non-critical errors have

occurred

Failed

Red

One or more critical errors have

occurred

Double click a file to load it into the player and detailed timeline.
See also Using the Job Status Panel.

Using the QC Queue Panel

The QC Queue panel shows all of the QC jobs submitted to the QC engine. These include
finished jobs, currently running jobs, and jobs that are idle and are waiting to run.

The Status column updates as the jobs are processed.

Using the File Explorer Panel

This panel provides access to files that are not in the Dalet AmberFin library but are
accessible from the Dalet AmberFin mainframe. It works like Windows Explorer except that
it has a filter that displays only video essence files and only accesses drives which are
mapped to a letter in Windows.

File extensions such as .mpg, mxf, or m2v are displayed, but not those with .txt, .doc, .xls, etc.
Right clicking on an essence file entry shows a submenu with three options:
Open play the essence in the default media player
Open With choose another program to open the file
Import into Library place a copy in the library
Launch Job transcode or QC the file using a programmed profile The Profile category, All in
Group is only available from the Library.

Using the UK DPP Template Panel

If the UK DPP template panel isnt loaded, open it from Windows >> Plugins >> UK DPP.

Context sensitive help can be found in the Dalet AmberFin GUI by hovering the mouse or other
controller over each metadata field in the UK DPP template panel.
Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory.
The plugin will only be available if the UK DPP option was selected when Dalet AmberFin was
installed.
Fields marked with an asterisk are mandatory; indented fields are dependent on selections
made in preceding fields. Fields marked with ReadMXF are generated automatically from the
loaded MXF file.
The Data Element Definitions used below are based on those published in the following AS-11
specification, AMWA_AS-11_10_2012-06-25.pdf, downloaded on 18/06/2013.

Name

Value

Descriptive Metadata (Manual Entry)

The final title of a grouping of publishable assets with
Series Title*
shared identification and branding linked by common
characters, subject matter, style or story. This could be a
series, serial or themed grouping. Titles of 'One-Off'
programs with a single title should be entered here and in
'Program Title' below.
Program Title*

The title of a Program Version for a specific purpose.

Notes:
Must indicate the version where applicable e.g. pre/post
watershed. Title may change between the point of
commission/production and final delivery.
Titles of 'One-Off' programs with a single title should be
entered here as well as in 'Series Title' above.

Episode
Title/Episode No.*

Final episode name and or number used to identify an

individual episode.

Production
Number*

A unique number used to identify an individual Program

Version. Also known as Program Number, Clock Number
or Material ID.

Synopsis*

Descriptive summary of the content of no more than 250

characters potentially suitable for EPG/billings purposes.

Originator*

Company responsible for creating the asset.

Year in which production was completed should be 4
digit number

Copyright Year*
Other Identifier

A unique code that can be used to identify a piece of

content.

Other Identifier
Type

Description of other Identifier, for example: ISAN.

Genre

A class type categorizing the whole asset.

The name of the person of company/companies providing
the content. May be a 3rd party for secondary distribution
rights.

Distributor

Technical
Shim Name

Technical Video
Video Bit Rate *
ReadMXF

The name of the AS-11 shim specification to which the

associated MXF file conforms. UK DPP HD (default) or UK
DPP SD.
The total video bit rate of the encoded file in bits per
second.
This is a read only, non-editable field.
Typical values are: 100 (For HD), 50 (For SD)

Video Codec *
ReadMXF

The video codec employed for the creation of the file.

This is a read only, non-editable field.

Video Codec
Parameters * ReadMXF

The detailed codec profile and level information used to

create the file. This is a read only, non-editable field.

Picture Format *

The picture structure; uses pre-defined codes derived

from the MXF file. This is a read only, non-editable field.

ReadMXF

AFD *

Active Format Description code; describes the intended

display aspect ratio of the material. This is a user select
value field. Values are 9 for 4:3, 10 for 16:9 and 14 for
14:9 (including Title and Caption Safe Area).

Picture Ratio *

Used in addition to the AFD field and the Picture Format

to further determine the editorial aspect ratio of the
Program. This will cater for ratios greater than 16:9 and
vertically shifted images with open subtitles below the
active image.
This is a read only, non-editable field.
Typical values are: 4:3, 14:9, 15:9, 16:9, 16.65:9, 21:9,
21.6:9.

ReadMXF

3D *

This will be set if the material is 3D (SMPTE working group

are yet to ratify the spec on 3D for enumeration therefore
a new property of '3D type' is to be used in the interim).
Values are Yes or No.

3D Type

This allows the description of the type of 3D being

delivered but does not define how the 3D was created,
e.g., CGI, shot in 3D, derived from a 2D image etc. Values
are Side by side, Dual, Left eye only or Right eye only.

Product Placement

Indicate if the content contains product placement. Select

Yes or No.

FPA Pass

Status of any flashing and pattern analyzer test carried out

on the material for PSE (Photosensitive Epilepsy). Values
are Yes, No or Not tested.

FPA Manufacturer

Maker of PSE analyzer. Values are Harding FPA or BRR

Gordon.

FPA Version

Version of algorithm used to carry out the PSE analysis.

Examples are FPA V2.5, FPA V3.4 or Gordon V1.0.0.

Video Comments

Comments about subjective quality and any known

unintended or intended video defects discovered during
production, post production, or any subsequent technical
QC review process.

Audio Sampling
Frequency * ReadMXF

The frequency used in kHz to sample the loaded file (must

be the same for all audio tracks). This is a read only, noneditable field.

Audio Bit Depth *

ReadMXF

Number of quantization bits in the audio signal within the

loaded file (must be the same for all audio tracks). This is a
read only, non-editable field.

Audio Codec
Parameters * ReadMXF

The audio codec used to create the loaded file. This is a

read only, non-editable field.

Audio Track
Layout *
Refer to the EBU
audio track layout
table, EBU R 123/48
Audio Track Layout in
the Appendix on
page 199 for more
information on

In accordance with EBU R 123 (HD) and R 48 (SD).

HD files must have 16 tracks, SD must have 4. Unused
tracks must contain digital silence. Including valid silence
is required.
Values may be:
EBU R 48 2a (Stereo only)
EBU R 123 4b (For Stereo + M&E)
EBU R 123 4c (Stereo + AD)

permitted audio
track layouts.

EBU R 123 16c (5.1 + M&E or AD)

[Following to be used with AD flag]
EBU R 123 16d (two 5.1 languages)
EBU R 123 16f (three languages)
This selection directly also affects Secondary and Tertiary
Language.

Primary, Secondary
and Tertiary Audio
Languages *

Main language used on primary, secondary and tertiary

audio tracks.
Permissible ISO 639.2 values: None, English, Welsh,
Gaelic, Irish,
Dutch, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish.

Compliant Audio
Standard

Details of any compliant audio standard used to constrain

the dynamic range of the stereo audio tracks during
program production. Values are EBU R128 or None.

Audio Comments

QC comments about subjective quality and any known

artifacts or defects. Click to create or edit comments.

Line Up Start *

Timecode for start of line up test signals. Click to display

timecode applet and enter data. This is a read only, noneditable field.

ReadMXF

Ident Clock Start *

ReadMXF

Timecode for start of countdown clock or static slate. Click

to display timecode applet and enter data. This is a read
only, non-editable field.

Part Total *

Enter the total number of parts in the program. May

utilize more than one file.

Total Number of
Parts *

Enter the total no. of 'hard' parts contained within the file.
May not be the total for the program if multiple files are
used.

Total Program
Duration * ReadMXF

Total running time of all part durations. Click to display

timecode applet and enter data. This is a read only, noneditable field.

Audio Description
Present *

Whether the program contains an Audio Description

soundtrack. Values are Yes or No.

Audio Description
Type

Type of Audio Description soundtrack. Values are Control

Data / Narration or AD Mix.

Closed Captions
Present *

Whether the program contains closed captions. Values are

yes or no.

Closed Captions
Type

Type of closed captions used. Values are Hard of Hearing

or Translation.

Closed Captions
Language

Language used in closed captions. Permissible ISO 639.2

values: None, English, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish

Open Captions
Present *

Whether open captions are present.

Open Captions Type

Type of open captions. Values are Hard of Hearing or

Translation.

Open Captions
language

Language used in open captions. Permissible ISO 639.2

values: None, English, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish

Signing Present *

Shows if sign language interpreter is in vision. Values are

Yes, No or Signer Only.

Sign Language

The language used by a sign language interpreter. Values

are BSL (British Sign Language) or BSL (Makaton).

Completion Date *

Date of completion of the edit before delivery of the

program; Click on [] to select date from calendar applet.
This is a read only, non-editable field.

ReadMXF

Textless Elements
Exist

Whether clean textless elements are present after the

main program. Values are Yes or No.

Program has Text

Used to identify if the main program is free of any text.

Values are Yes or No.

Program Text
Language

Language used for program text. Permissible ISO 639.2

vales:
None, English, Welsh, Gaelic, Irish

Contact Email *

The contact details for the person in the company

responsible for delivering the completed commission.

Contact Telephone
Number *

The contact telephone number for the person in the

company responsible for delivering the completed
commission.

Insert DPP
Metadata to
MXF

Insert

Press Insert to take UK DPP metadata from the

UK DPP panel template and put it into the
loaded MXF file.

Extract DPP
XML from MXF

Extract

Press Extract to read UK DPP data from the

loaded MXF file and enter it into the UK DPP
panel template.

Data Element Definitions (seen as Tooltips in the UK DPP Panel within Dalet AmberFin) and
indeed the entire UK DPP layout including all of its fields can be edited using the Metadata
Layout Editor. The active layout is always determined by the metadata schema located at
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\plugins\metadata_layout.xml.
If the UK DPP plugin at your facility has been edited or is custom, or if a later version of Dalet
AmberFin or the UK DPP metadata plugin is used than the version used to write this manual,
some of the fields and their descriptions may vary from the information presented here.
An article entitled 5 Steps to Creating or Modifying a Metadata Schema in Dalet AmberFin,
explaining how to edit metadata plugin layouts can be downloaded from the Dalet AmberFin
Academy on the Dalet AmberFin website.

Saving the UK DPP Panel Template Data

Press Save to retain any data that has been entered selected or edited to an xml file
associated with the currently loaded form.
However, where the UK DPP data is saved to, depends on the Metadata File Mode. In Auto
mode, the data will be saved to the same directory as the currently loaded MXF file, using the
same name bit with an .xml extension. In Manual mode, and name or directory can be
chosen. The MXF_AS02 mode saves the UK DPP xml metadata to a folder named extra
created in the same directory as the currently loaded mxf file.
If any normally required UK DPP data is not present in the UK DPP panel template when Save
is pressed a warning will be given and the missing item categories will be highlighted in red.
The warning can be overridden by clicking on OK in the Save Metadata warning box, but a
non-compliant DPP file will be produced.
No warning is given when saving metadata if the number of audio tracks or required silence is
incorrect.
All UK DPP required metadata should be entered before a file is used as a contribution
source.

Using the Console Panel

The console panel shows the most recent errors diagnosed by the system. For example, if a
system problem such as video SDI signal lost during the ingest process occurs, Dalet
AmberFin will log the error in this window. In this way recent system anomalies can be viewed
to help diagnose potential problems.

The logged severity levels are:

INFO - shows system progress information and is the lowest severity.
WARNING - shows an unusual system condition that does not affect its operation.
ERROR - represents a condition that will negatively impact the systems operation.
This error buffer can be saved to a file for later examination or record keeping.

Filter Field
To get Dalet AmberFin to search this panel, enter characters in the Filter box. Only entries that
match the string entered will be listed. Normally at least two or three characters are required
for it to function correctly.

SDI Board Genlock

Because the SDI encoder can be synchronized to other sources, the bottom portion of the
console panel shows the SDI encoder synchronization status.

Sync
Source

Sync
Status

Interpretation

Input

Free
Running
Locked

No input signal
Locked to input
signal

Internal

Free
Running

Internal signal
always running

External

Recovering
Locked

Cannot find external

reference
Locked to reference
signal

Using the Pulldown Detection Helper

The Pulldown Detection Helper panel is used to set the reference time code on a particular
source essence, usually a tape.

Make sure that the Pulldown Detection Helper window is visible by selecting it from
the Windows menu. Position the panel on the GUI by clicking on its tab with the
mouse and dragging it there.
From the library, load the clip that you want to repurpose into the Player. In the
Pulldown Detection Helper window, set the Src field to Player.
Set the Pattern and First Field parameters to the values for your particular essence.
If you do not know these values, you can determine them.
With the clip loaded in the Player and the SDI output of the SDI encoder card
connected to a broadcast monitor jog through the clip until you see a frame
consisting of two different fields on the broadcast monitor.
Click on the time code on the cadence window that shows two different fields (e.g.
AB, or BC). The time code in this field will change to the current frames time code.
Continue jogging the clip and verify that the cadence in the Pulldown Detection
Helper window corresponds to what you see on the broadcast monitor. If it does not
correspond at all, try another pattern.
When you are satisfied that the cadence pattern on the tape is the same as viewed in
the Pulldown Detection Helper window, then click on the Set Ref button to set the
global time code reference for this tape. Check that this value is placed in the
reference time code field.

The current frame indicator showing green may not correspond to the correct frame until the
Set Ref button is selected.

Using the File Cutting and Splicing Panel

The file cutting and splicing panel allows several clips or clip segments to be joined together.
The clips can be loaded either from the player or from a directory and their order can be easily
manipulated in this panel. Mark in and mark out points can be set directly from this panel or
can be set in the player before loading the clip to this panel.

Add From Player click on this button to add the clip with its mark in and mark out points to
this panel
Add From File click on this button to open a file explorer window to retrieve a file from its
directory
Review in Player click on this button to load the selected clip in the Dalet AmberFin player
panel. This is used if the clip was loaded directly from its directory.
Move Up / Move Down use these directional buttons to move the position of the highlighted
clip or clip segment in the desired direction
Remove remove the highlighted clip or clip segment from this panel
Convert click on this button to open a menu showing the conversion profiles available
Output Mode two possible selections: Create Separate Clips, or Join Clips
Output file duration shows the total duration of the file once all of the clip segments have
been joined together
Start Time code select Use first mark in to allow the first time code of the first segment to
be the starting time code or select Manual and enter the start time code
Output File Name Automatic naming or Manual (type the name in the text field)
The restrictions on file cutting and splicing are: clips must be MXF files, they must be ingested
as I frame only and they must have the same number of uncompressed audio tracks
Auto Import Input(s) checkbox: when checked, files that are dragged into the File Cutting and
Splicing menu will also be imported into the Library at the same time.

Using the Transcode Scheduler Panel

To set up a list of timed transcode only events from any accessible source and to occur at any
future time, use the Transcode Scheduler.

If this panel isnt loaded, select it from Windows >> Plugins >> Transcode Scheduler.
This optional plugin will only be available if has been selected during installation.
See also Using the Transcode Scheduler in Managing Transcode and QC Jobs.

10.

Managing Transcode and QC Jobs

Managing Transcode and QC Jobs

Transcode and Quality Control operations can be performed on files in a variety of different
ways.
The main methods available from the main GUI are:
Automatic File Operations using Templates with active Profiles
Manual File Operations
Using Watch Folders
Using the Transcode Scheduler
Using LST files (only needed for non-compliant elementary stream assets)
Using Templates
Launching Jobs Manually from the Library
Using a Watch Folder
Using the Transcode Scheduler
Using LST Files

Using Templates
Templates can be used to determine the format of ingested files, transcoded files and the
metrics used for both baseband QC during ingest and file-based QC thereafter. It is also
possible to create templates to define simultaneous transcode and QC operations using one
or more transcode and/or QC engines for simultaneous multiple transcode and QC jobs.

Transcode or file-based QC
To create templates using one or more transcode and/or QC engines use a Transcode + QC
template and set the desired profiles active.
For more detailed guides see the Performing Ingest with Transcode tutorial, Using a File-based
QC Template and the Transcode and QC Templates topic in the Workflow Setup Output
Settings.

Baseband QC during ingest

Baseband QC during ingest requires Snell Hyperion hardware and an Ingest SDI QC template.
See Ingest SDI QC for details.

File-based QC
File based QC takes place after ingest and can be performed on newly ingested files, newly
transcoded files, library files or any file accessible within the system.
See Unified Quality Control for details.
A standard single Dalet AmberFin engine can only carry out one transcoding or standards
conversion at a time. Multiple Dalet AmberFin engines must be installed and licensed to carry
out multiple transcodes or conversions simultaneously.
For multiple simultaneous software QC operations, please refer to the documentation that
came with your software QC vendor. If Tektronix Aurora is used, spare cores must be available
to support additional VUs. See Unified Quality Control.

Launching Jobs Manually from the Library

To perform a manual job, right click on a file entry in the library and select the job type in the
submenu.
1. Select a library entry and right click on it.
2. Highlight the Launch Job entry in the submenu.
See Launching Jobs from the Library for more information.

Using a Watch Folder

For unattended operation, set up a watch folder so that when specific files are copied to it,
Dalet AmberFin automatically performs requested operations on them.
At the present time a watch folder cannot be used to configure a transcode and a QC
operation at the same time. A QC operation can only be configured to run from a watch folder
if a No Transcode profile is used.
In the Transcode/QC template, you can set a watch folder so that once a file is copied to it,
and if certain criteria are met, the requested operations commence. These criteria include:
The copied file is compatible with the desired conversion
The copied file has the proper file extension
The watch folder is set in the currently active repurposing template
To create a job watch folder, follow these steps
Create a file folder either on the local machine or on a remote storage device.
In a Transcode + QC template, click on the Watch Folder tab.
In the Watch Folder panel, click on the Add button.

Successively double click on each column and fill each one with the following
information:
Directory to monitor - select the file folder created in step 1 as the watch folder.
Conversion to execute select a transcode template type here.
File extension select the type of source file for the repurposing.
Enabled activate this watch folder by setting it to true
Remove file upon completion set this to true if you want the source file to be
removed once it has been repurposed. Do not set this to true if you want the same
file to be repurposed with different profiles in the same watch folder.
Script fill in the path to the script that runs before the repurposing process starts.
Run Script Asynchronously if selected, the script starts running as soon as the
source file is copied into the watch folder. It does not block the running of the script.

At least one conversion type must be set in a repurposing template before setting the watch
folder Conversion to execute field.
To remove an existing script, double click on the column and select Cancel in the file explorer
window.
When a remote repurposing job is submitted (the repurposing engine is running on another
machine), Dalet AmberFin will set the permissions on host machine hard drives to shared
until the user manually changes them.

Using the Transcode Scheduler

To set up a list of timed transcode only events from any accessible source and to occur at any
future time, use the Transcode Scheduler.

If this panel isnt loaded, select it from Windows >> Plugins >> Transcode Scheduler.
This optional plugin will only be available if has been selected during installation.
Begin by clicking on the Add button to display the Add Entry tool.

Select a Start day by typing an entry in dd-mmm-yyyy format, or by clicking on the

calendar icon to the right of the Start day entry box to display the Calendar applet.
Then select a Start time using the spin controls provided.
Click on the Import button to select a file from available storage to transcode.
Select a Transcode Template (Profile Group) and Transcode Profile, using the dropdown arrows.
Click OK when done.

The selected entry will appear in the scheduler with entries for Start time, Filename/path and
Status.
Continue to add scheduled events as required.
To edit an entry highlight it in the Scheduler and click on Edit.
To delete an entry highlight it and click on Remove.
To remove past events, click on Clean Up.
The display date order of the events can be changed by clicking on the arrow next to Start.

Using LST Files

LST files are only needed to process elementary stream assets whose audio components do
not adhere to the following naming convention:
Video_Asset_Name_A0.wav
Video_Asset_Name_A1.wav
Video_Asset_Name_A2.wav and so on

To get round the problem, the elementary stream components can be repurposed by
encapsulating them in another file type, called an LST (List) file and copying that file into a
repurposing watch folder. The watch folder in Dalet AmberFin must be programmed to
recognize the LST file type (.lst file extension) to apply the repurposing engine to the files
indicated inside the LST file.
To create a suitable watch folder, follow the steps in the previous example except that:
In step 4 ensure that the extension .lst is selected from the File Extension drop down box and
choose a suitable name for the folder (i.e. WatchFolderLST).

Then create an LST file and copy it to the newly created LST watch folder; i.e.
C:\Monitor\WatchFolderLST.
An LST file can be created in a simple text editor such as Notepad, but dont forget to use an
.lst extension.

The LST file contains the paths to the elementary stream essence files to be repurposed. Only
one video essence file along with its corresponding audio essence files should be in one LST
file. This is NOT a batch processing method, and non-related essence files must not be put in
the same LST file. Audio essence files should also be in order of ascending track number; A0
first, A1 next and so on.
The conversion should appear in the Job Status panel and its progress can be monitored
there.

11.

Unified Quality Control

Unified Quality Control

UQC (Unified Quality Control) has been introduced to allow multiple vendor QC solutions to be
integrated under one Dalet AmberFin hood. Specifically it allows specialist plug-ins to be
installed which can then carry out measurements against both preset and custom templates.

UQC Management Components

Dalet AmberFin uses a software QC management component that collates the metric data
from all the various third party plug-ins.

The UQC Unifier manages all QC jobs and performs two-way translation between third party
plug-ins. This ensures that plug-ins are given instructions they understand and that metrics
results are always in a format that Dalet AmberFin needs to display in the Dalet AmberFin
Unified timeline.
This universal format is qcml, and its default viewer is the Dalet AmberFin player and the
detailed (unified) timeline. The returned metric data is also available in qcml for integration
into Dalet AmberFin status panels and detailed reports that can be viewed using appropriate
style sheets in compatible browsers.

UQC Installation
Please refer to the knowledge article Dalet Amberfin UQC Installation Quick Reference
Guide:
https://portal.dalet.com/icarewiki/daletwikiv91a.nsf/dx/UQC_Installation_Quick_Reference_
Guide

Tektronix Aurora
At present the main third party plug-in supported is Tektronix Aurora. The Aurora Controller is
the QC job manager. It has a web interface and is used to configure Aurora templates and
receive jobs from the Aurora plug-in. The Aurora Verification Unit (VU) is the QC engine that
processes each file.
Each VU runs on a single machine core and is licensed separately. Each VU can QC a single
file.
If more processing throughput is required, then additional VUs can be added to spare cores on
the same machine.
Once 3 cores are supporting 3 VUs on a single machine, it becomes more cost effective to
move to Enterprise Architecture with an Aurora server. Please talk to your Dalet AmberFin
representative for more information.

The Unified Timeline Panel

The UQC Unifier presents the collated data in the timeline panel in the form of color coded
alerts if problems are found and also updates the progress of QC jobs in the Job and UQC
Status panels.
The following example has QC results in the unified timeline from Tektronix Aurora file-based
QC and Snells Hyperion baseband QC engine.

Performing QC Review
When ingest completes, the ingest file is transferred to the Player and at this point error
events can be reviewed and if necessary, accepted as OK, before saving and unloading the
file.
Color coding is as follows:
Color

Meaning

Red

An Error

Dark Yellow

A Warning

Gray

Information

Green

Reviewed; OK

QC Progress Stages
However, quality control can be performed at various stages of a job, for example at ingest,
after ingest, but before any transcoding or conversion and after transcoding.
To help operators easily distinguish between these possible phases of a job, progress
numbers are used to identify them.
For example a series of QC checks might proceed as follows:

Progress No.

QC Stage

Example Task

1st

2nd

3rd QC Check

After 1st Transcode

4th QC Check

After 2nd Transcode

QC Check
QC Check

At Ingest
After Ingest

To review error events move through the file and pause where events have occurred.
To display the in-context Review menu right click on an error bar.
To view error status, hold the Alt button down while positioning the cursor over the colored
error bars.
In the example pictured below, the cursor is positioned over the dark yellow Minimum APL
Warning bar while the Alt button is held down to display the pop up info box.

The pop up window displays a summary of the error information for that particular position in the timeline.
Error conditions take precedence over warnings. Therefore, when an error condition exists, a red bar indicating
this will cover the previous gold bar that displayed the warning.

Manually Overriding a QC Event

To change the status of an error or warning, right click on its bar to obtain the QC menu, select Reviewed State
and click the OK button to change its status from Failed to OK. If the events color bar had been red it would
change to green.
In the following example a dark yellow low APL warning has been accepted as OK.

Errors and warnings accepted as normal can have their status reverted back to Fail at any time during the QC
review process.
Events marked as gray for information cannot be changed to another color, but comments can be added.

Adding Comments
By selecting the Review option, a comment may be added to justify this change or to provide more details
about the event.
Simultaneously press the Alt key and Right Click the cursor over the QC event error bar to display the QC
Review window.

Dont forget to save the file in the Player; the QC report will be appended automatically.

Working with QC Templates

Since Dalet AmberFin UQC supports multiple vendors, the range of templates available will be largely
dependent on third party software.
For example, a hardware based QC engine such as Snells Hyperion might be employed to perform QC at Ingest
to check for VTR playback issues as well as common audio, video and time code faults. While a software QC

package such as Tektronix Aurora Pro could be used to check for common file and wrapper issues as well as
compliance violations such as metadata and delivery metrics. Tektronix Aurora, is an example of a
comprehensive QC system that can be used to perform QC at ingest on streams and non-file sources, as well
as during transcode and subsequently on any file in the system.
For a tutorial explaining how to create a No Transcode template, useful for running QC scanning without doing
any transcode, see Using a File-based QC Template.
For a more general approach allowing QC profiles to be added to transcode jobs, see the Transcode and QC
Templates topic within Workflow Setup Output Settings.
For help with getting started with Hyperion baseband templates seethe Ingest SDI QC topic in Workflow Setup Ingest.
For more information concerning creating custom templates, please refer to the documentation that came with
your hardware or software based QC package.

Using Watch Folders and QC on the Fly

QC profiles can be run on files in the library. Highlight the library entry and select a QC profile in the same way
that that a transcode profile can be applied as explained in Managing Transcode and QC Jobs.
Another way to perform QC on a file is to create a QC watch directory and copy files to it. These copied files, if
they meet the set parameters, will have the QC engine run on them. See Using a Watch Folder.

Monitoring QC Progress
As a QC check completes, its status can be checked in Dalet AmberFin in the Job Status and UQC Status
panels.

The Job Status Panel

The UQC Status Panel

The UQC Status panel shows the QC status of all files in the library. It will only be present if the Dalet AmberFin
Unified (UQC) plug-in has been installed and Web Services Control has been selected in the Dalet AmberFin
File menu.

Marking Up Files
The markup function allows you to define categories within a program. For example in a soccer match Bars
Clock Black Start Kick-off Goal1 Penalty Red Card Break Save Substitution Goal2 Final Whistle
Credits End.
This is useful for a range of versioning and review tasks.

To use markup, in Setup select a Markup template and load the required clip in the player panel.
Enter Mark In and Mark Out points to identify clip segments that you want to apply textual markup to and then
select the Timeline.
Right click on the timeline to show markup options.
The textual categories available are defined in the Mark Up template and must be selected as active before
marking up any files. See Mark Up Templates for more information.
A QCML file is created whenever a file is loaded in the player and a mark up profile is active.
To add a comment to a clip, right click on the marked event in blue and select Add Comment from the
submenu.

Type the user name and comment, click Add Comment, and then click OK. To back out without making any
changes click on Cancel.

Any comments that have been added are displayed as the cursor is hovered over marked up events in the
timeline.

Viewing QC Reports
The QC data collected is saved in a qcml file and can be viewed in a browser. Open the Library, right click on a
file that has been reviewed and select Show QCML report. The file will open in the default browser.
Use a browser that reads and reformats xml to obtain a user friendly view of the contents.
The information is the same as seen on the detailed timeline but is presented in an easy-to-read format. The
QC parameters are displayed on the left of the page with the thumbnail images on the right.

A QC report is generated every time the QC engine is run on the file. This includes QC during ingest, when run
from the library, and when a file is copied into an active QC folder. If the QC process is run multiple times on
the same file, then each series of QC events is appended to the existing qcml report.
Differences seen in QC reports generated during ingest from those generated from the library or QC watch
folders are related to hardware warm up time and that VBI events are only shown during ingest.
Original clips source time code can now be used as a reference point, making it easier to refer back to source
material to see where an error may be present. To support this feature, there are improved methods of
handling time code breaks.

12.

Segmentation, Splicing and Joining

Segmentation, Splicing and Joining

Segmentation
The Segmentation track in the Timeline panel has been provided to quickly allow assemble editing of sections
of a clip or clips. Once sections created with Mark In and Mark Out have been transferred to the Segmentation
Track, the entire EDL can then be transferred to the Cut and Splice Engine for assembly.
To create a segment for transferal, drag the Scrubber Bar to the beginning of the segment and press the (i)
button on the keyboard or right click the timecode track and select Set Markin, then drag the Scrubber Bar to
the end of the segment and press (o) on the keyboard, or right click the timecode track and select Set Markout.
The keyboard short cuts do not work if the timeline panel has been undocked.
Segments can also be quickly created from QC events or manual mark-up by right-clicking on the event and
selecting Copy to Segment Track.

To use the segmentation sub-menus, right click on the Segment Track.

To play the segment, right click it and select Play Segment. To transfer it to the Segment Track, select Add from
Mk In/Out.
The Modify segments sub-menu provides the following commands:
Toggle keep/discard hides the selected segment.
There is no delete command.
Edit Label edit the segment label.
Split Segment splits the selected segment at the Scrubber Bar position.
Merge with previous segment performs the described action.
Merge with next segment performs the described action.
When ready use the Send to Cut&Splice engine command to transfer the visible (not hidden) segments to the
File Cutting and Splicing panel. See File Cutting and Splicing.

File Cutting and Splicing

The File Cutting and Splicing panel enables you to divide a file into separate clips and/or join several files or
clips together.

Loading Clips
A file is loaded into the File Cutting and Splicing panel from the Player panel, from File or from the
Segmentation Track in the Timeline. See Segmentation for help with using the Segmentation Track.

Loading From the Player

Load an ingested file to from the library into the player. Use the scrubber bar to locate the desired clip and set
the Mark in and Mark out points in the player to define its start and end. In the File Cutting and Splicing panel,
click on the Add from Player button. Continue adding new clips, loading new files to the player if desired.

Loading the File from its Storage Location

Click on the Add from File button in the File Cutting and Splicing panel. Highlight a file and click on Select to
load it. It will appear in the File Cutting and Splicing panel with mark in and mark out time codes that
correspond to the first and last frames of the clip.
If the loaded clip in the File Cutting and Splicing panel needs to be trimmed, double click on the mark in or
mark out time code field to invoke the time code calculator. Enter the desired value in the calculator and click
OK.
Alternatively, you can load this clip to the player by selecting the entry and clicking on Review in Player. In the
player set the mark in and mark out points as detailed above and load it back to the File Cutting and Splicing
panel by clicking on the Add from Player button.
The input file must be an MXF file with uncompressed audio.
All the clips must have the same number of audio tracks
The original clip remains in the File Cutting and Splicing panel after youve added a new clip from the player. If
this is not desired, highlight the entry and click on the Remove button

Converting the Clips

Once all the clips have been added to the File Cutting and Splicing panel, select either Join Clips or Create
Separate Clips in the Output Mode field in the File Cutting and Splicing panel. If required, change the clip order
by selecting the clip and using the Move Up or Move Down buttons.

If Join Clips is selected, select the start time code by either using the first mark in value or by manually setting
a beginning time code. Note that the joined file duration is shown in the Output File Duration field.
Set the Output File Name to Automatic or Manual. Automatic will name the file using the naming pattern set up
in the conversion profile used. Manual will use the name specified.
Click on the Convert button and select a repurposing profile.

If Create Separate Clips was selected, each clip will be repurposed to a separate file and saved in the
programmed directory
If Join Clips was selected, all the clips in the File Cutting and Splicing panel will be joined in order and then
repurposed to a single file.

Using Time Slices

The Switch to Time Slice button
in the Player Export menu allows
the original time code of multiple
clips with discontinuous time
code to be used with their
original time code instead of the
Dalet AmberFin regenerated
time code normally shown in the
time line.
In this example a Dalet
AmberFin engine has been set to
loop play mode to output a
single file many times. Upon
ingest in a second Dalet
AmberFin, a file is created with
multiple short clips, each with
the same time code.

The option to use the original

time code of each clip can be
obtained by creating one or more sub-clips with Mark In and Mark Out points and then exporting the clip using
the Switch to Time Slice option.

When the Switch to Time Slice button is clicked, the Start Timecode changes to the original time code.
To save this clip click OK, to revert to the timeline time code, click on Switch to Mark In, to back out without
making any changes click on Cancel.

13.

Workflow Setup

Workflow Setup
The subject of using templates and profiles to define particular workflow setups was introduced in the topic,
Using the Setup Panel.
Templates are used to customize the entire workflow from ingest to output. They provide flexibility and allow
specific needs to be targeted. Rather than manually re-entering many different values for each kind of
deliverable, a template can be used to give the exact values needed for a specific job or client. Templates can
also be invoked from web services.

The setup panel is divided into four sections. The top section provides access to the lock down Global Preset
that can be used to control which parameters are available. The second section is for programming ingest and
includes Encoder selection and configuration, hardware based Ingest SDI QC and four templates categories;
Storage, Naming conventions, Proxies and Router Control.
The Active Profile Groups are the template categories most associated with performing Transcodes and/or
software Quality Control and applying Mark Up in the Detailed Timeline.
Each template editor has a similar format. The name of the template editor is shown first. It identifies the type
of parameters the template sets. Next is a drop down list which displays the currently selected template.
After installation, most templates have at least one default template set with commonly used values. This is
intended to provide a starting set of parameters to get the system running as soon as possible.
To manage templates and create new ones, click on the more icon [ ] following a template name in the
drop down template name box.

A submenu will be displayed with four choices:

Edit

Displays the fields selected for the active template so that you
can change them

New

Provides a blank template, which is used to create templates

from scratch

Delete

Deletes the currently active template. If there is only one active

template, this selection is grayed out

Rename

Allows the name of the template to be changed without affecting

its parameter settings

Selecting Edit will also allow a new template to be created using the existing categories and types.

Avid Interplay
If you want to check-in directly to Avid Interplay, do the following
1. Under Setup Tab, you will find under Active Profile Groups the option - Avid Interplay. Next toit, select the button and
select New
2. Please configure the IP address, username and password.
3. Please configure an Avid Template Settings dialog / profile for the Interplay root URL. This is a requirement, as you can
only connect to interplay// + workgroup, and not just interplay://

4. The Headframe offset value (in seconds) is the position from the start of the media that the headframe will be created
from. (Create Headframe option moved to Output Processing under Avid Settings (see Figure 2). When this option is
enabled it will disable all of the thumbnail options apart from Thumbnail Width and Height.)

5. In the profile, select AAF format under Wrapping, which will enable to configure it for AVID Check In.

6. Configure AVID Check In under Output Processing.

Ingest Settings
Ingest
The ingest encoder parameter templates are located in the upper half of the Setup panel. They determine the
video and audio setup of the SDI encoders. The current Dalet AmberFin software release supports SDI video
input via a Matrox video card. See Prerequisites.
Support for the external MPEG2 Memphis encoder and ASI over SDI has been discontinued.

The SDI Encoder

The SDI encoder tab configures the SDI Video I/O card and associated facilities.

Video a drop down box containing the programmed SDI encoder video templates
Audio a drop down box containing the programmed SDI encoder audio templates Ingest SDI QC
configuration options for PAR & Audio or baseband hardware QC SDI Signal Status the current state of the
input SDI signal to the SDI card. Possible values are:
Detected and Valid - input to SDI encoder and active template are compatible
No signal detected no input to SDI encoder is detected
Detected but invalid input to SDI encoder is not compatible with the active template

SDI Video Settings Source

To access Video settings, click on the [ ] button next to the video drop down list and select either Edit or
New.

The codec options shown in this example depend on the format and frame rate of the connected input and,
which of the installed codecs have been selected.

Parameter

Values

Comment

MPEG2 Profile

DefaultProfile.xml
XDCAMProfile.xml

Allows custom compliant profiles. Select Open File

Location to create a new profile in an xml editor based on
the currently loaded version.

Bitrate (Mbps)

3 to 15 Mbps

Value chosen depends on target decoder capability, input

picture size and bitrate

Average Bitrate
(Mbps)

3 to 15 Mbps

VBR mode only

Mode

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR

Output bitrate varies within a specific range; enables

Average Bitrate

Capture VBI

Enable, Disable

Allow the encoder to capture the VBI

I-Frame Only
Number of BFrames

Enable, Disable

I-Frame only will grey out all GOP and B Frame settings

0 to 5

Increments of 1

Number of frames
in a GOP

3 to 100

Increments of 1

Closed GOP
Interval

Never, or 1 to 20

Use Open GOPs or select length of closed GOP

Adaptive GOP
Length

Enable/Disable

Enabling AGOP can improve coding efficiency

Quantization
Matrix

High bitrate
contoured

Custom Flat
Auto
Higher DC
Precision

Enable/Disable

Insert Omneon
captions in MPEG
user data

Enable/Disable

Insert S328M
timecode in MPEG
user data

Enable/Disable

Allocate more bits to specify the precision of the DC

coefficient. May be required for high motion sources to be
encoded at high bit rates.

SDI Video Settings Wrappers

Wrapper and audio format options are dependent on the video source and codec chosen.
SDI Inputs and Codecs
Video
Codec

MPEG-2
4:2:0
MPEG-2
4:2:2

Uncompr
essed
YUV 4:2:
2
8 bits
Uncompr
essed
YUV 4:2:2
10 bits

SDI
Input

DVCAM /
DV25
4:1:1
(NTSC),
4:2:0
(PAL)

DVCPRO
4:1:1
DVCPRO
50 4:2:2

DVCPRO
HD 100
4:2:2

Apple
ProRes

NTSC
(720x48
6),
29.971

PAL
(720x57
6), 251

D10
(IMX)

NTSC
(720x51
2),
29.971

PAL
(720x60
8), 251

XDCAM
HD

MPEG4
AVC
Intra 10
bit

DNxHD

720p
(1280x7
20), 50P

720p
(1280x7
20), 59P

720p
(1280x7
20), 60P

1080P
(1920x1
080),
23SF

1080P
(1920x1
080),
24SF

1080P
(1920x1
080),
25SF

1080P
(1920x1
080),
251

1080P
(1920x1
080),
29.97 I

1080P
(1920x1
080),
29.97 SF

1080P
(1920x1
080),
301

1080P
(1920x1
080), 30
SF

Codec, Wrappers and Audio Formats

Video Codecs

Wrappers

Audio Formats

MPEG-2 4:2:0
MPEG-2 4:2:2

MXF Op1a interleaved

AES, WAV

Program Stream / Program

Stream
Elementary Stream

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

AVI / MOV (Final Cut Pro)

Uncompressed YUV 4:2:2 8 bits

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)

MOV (Final Cut Pro)

Broadcast WAV

Uncompressed YUV 4:2:2 10 bits

AVI

AES, WAV

DVCAM / DV25 4:1:1 (NTSC), 4:2:0

(PAL)
DVCPRO 4:1:1
DVCPRO 50 4:2:2

MXF OP1a interleaved

AES, WAV

Elementary Streams

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

MOV (Final Cut Pro)

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

P2 MXF
MOV (Final Cut Pro)
Apple ProRes

MXF Op1a (D10/IMX)

D10 (IMX)

MXF Op1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

Broadcast WAV

Transport Stream / Program

Stream
Elementary Stream

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

MOV (Final Cut Pro)

AES, WAV, Broadcast

WAV, AIFF

MXF Op1a(XDCAM)
XDCAM HD

AVI

AES, WAV

MXF OP1a interleaved

AES, WAV

Video Codecs

Wrappers

Audio Formats

DVCPRO HD 100 4:2:2

Elementary Streams

AES, WAV, Broadcast WAV,

AIFF

MOV (Final Cut Pro)

AES, WAV, Broadcast WAV,

AIFF

P2 MXF
MXF OP1a interleaved

AES, WAV

AAF
DNxHD

MXF OP1a interleaved

AES, WAV

P2 MXF
MPEG4 AVC Intra 10 bit

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)

Broadcast WAV

MXF OP1a interleaved

AES, WAV

P2 MXF

Details presented in these tables are subject to change and may not represent codecs installed on any
particular system.

SDI Video Settings - Time Code

Input Line the line number on the incoming SDI signal that contains VITC
Output Line the line number on the outgoing SDI signal that contains VITC
Second Output Line the second line on the outgoing SDI signal that contains VITC
Drop Frame Override select Auto, NDF or DF
Passthrough a button that passes time code through on the same line as is set on the input line. When done
save the video template and provide a name when prompted.
SDI Audio Settings
The SDI audio settings can either be embedded audio or AES / EBU audio received on the XLR connectors from
the audio daughter board. Each has its own set of parameters that need to be set. The input screen contains
parameters that need to be selected according to your specific situation.

Source the source of the audio, either embedded or AES / EBU

Name the specific audio input pair
Enable checkbox to enable monitoring and encoding of this audio input
Output Format the desired format for the output audio. Can be PCM, MP1L2., or SurCode for Dolby Digital.
Output Track the PES track number where the audio is encoded.
If multiple audio inputs are selected, you can group them using the group button on the right of the panel. In
this way, multiple audio inputs can be output on the same channel. To group these audio sources in the same
PES, simply hold the Ctrl button, click on the multiple audio sources to select them and then click on the Group
button. This will move all the audio pairs to the same line. The position of each audio pair can also be
changed by using the Up or Down buttons. This allows you to move any channel pair to any output track.
MP1 L2 audio is incompatible with the AVI or MOV wrapper. If you try to set these formats together, an error
will display either on setup or during ingest.
Options
The audio settings Options button opens another dialog box where additional audio parameters can be set.
For PCM there are three bit rate choices 16, 20, or 24 Kbps.
For MPEG1 L2 the options dialog can set several different encode bitrates: 128 Kbps up to 384 Kbps

For Dolby Digital; there are numerous encoding parameters in the following groups, Audio Service,
Bitstream Information, Advanced and Extended Bitstream Information. See SurCode for Dolby Digital Encoding
Options for further help (the decoder configuration form has similar options to that used for output encoding).
When working with multiple Dolby channels, group them together to configure 5.1 options.
Special D10 IMX Note: From version 4.5 software Dalet AmberFin allows D10 with 4 channels of PCM 24 bit
audio, which is carried through to the ingested file. If you set more than 4 channels of PCM 24 bit audio, a
warning message is given during ingest and PCM 16 bit is substituted for PCM 24 bit audio in the target file.
When done save the audio template and provide a name when prompted.
Ingest SDI QC
Having confidence that the ingest quality is good is very important in the ingest process and can be performed
using both Aurora and Hyperion. However, only the later system can respond to alerts generated by the VTR
transport itself. Hyperion allows quality control parameters to be set and like Aurora, provides real time
feedback in the Detailed Timeline together with QC reports once the ingest is finished. Both video and audio
parameters are monitored.
The default SDI QC templates available are:
None No hardware based QC
PAR & Audio
Picture Appraisal Ratio and Audio
Baseband QC is performed by a hardware baseband device such as IQ, Hyperion. The default settings in these
default templates start with the same identical values.
To configure a selected template to suit your own requirements open the Setup tab and in the top SDI area
either select an existing template (i.e. PAR & Audio or Baseband) or click on the [ ] button alongside
Ingest SDI QC and click on New to begin from scratch or Edit to start with default values. When all tabs have
been configured click on Save to over write the named template or Save As to create a new one. Cancel backs
out without making any changes.

VTR QC Parameters
To enable VTR monitored alarms select the VTR tab from the QC Template Editor.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable the named
functions.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable the named
functions.
Video Reference Missing reference video is not
connected to the reference video in port
Hardware Error hardware anomalies such as tape
sticking to mechanism, tape slack and others
Lost Lock capstan or drum servos have lost lock
when in play, record, or edit mode
Tape Trouble tape transport errors are reported such
as tape broken, tape jam or incorrect tape tension
Servo Alarm abnormalities seen in either servo or
sensor system System Alarm errors in system
monitors are reported
Lack of Video video playback has lacked data for 12
frames or more
Video Error Level and Audio Error Level confidence
head playback is verified against the recording data;
the difference is the error level. Video Data Error Level and Audio Data Level playback data error levels are
good, indeterminable, doubtful, or no good.

Baseband QC Parameters
To configure dedicated QC hardware select the Baseband tab from the QC Template Editor.
Baseband QC uses dedicated hardware such as the 1U or 3U QC hardware gateway to monitor the signal
before it goes through the onboard video encoder.
Video characteristics such as stillness and blackness are set at specific thresholds. If the input signal
crosses these set thresholds, a baseband error displays on the detailed timeline and is logged in the qcml error
report.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable the named
functions.
IQ Chassis IP Address the IP address of the
hardware rack. Assigned in the hardware gateway
card setup
Connection Status determines if Dalet AmberFin is
connected and communicating with the hardware
rack
Configure clicking on this button shows all of the
hardware parameters in another window
Module a drop down box that allows the module
used to perform QC to be selected
Memory a drop down box that indicates the active
baseband QC memory profile being applied. There
are two types of configuration memory, in the Dalet
AmberFin GUI and in the Hyperion. Go to Baseband
>> Configure >> Memory 1-16 to setup a memory
slot in the Hyperion card itself.

Hyperion (Baseband) Configuration Menus

Black/Blackish

Log Inp 1 Aud Clipping

Log Inp 1 Monitor 1

Memory 1-16

PID

Ancillary Data

RollTrack

Log Inp 1 Dolby E State

Log Inp 1 Monitor 2

On Screen
Display

Audio Level Indicators

Freeze/Stillish

Log Inp 1 Aud Likeness

Log Inp 1 Aud Bit Depth

Log Inp 1
Aud State

Alarm Enable Summary

WSS/VI AFD

Video Monitor

Log Inp 1 UMD/PID

Log Inp 1
Aud Level

Log Misc

Audio Likeness

Audio Data

Closed Captions

Log Out 1
UMD/PID

Log Inp 1 Aud Type

Setup

UMD

Audio Level Detectors

Please refer to the documentation that came with your Hyperion card for a configuration guide.

Video QC parameters
To set video alarm limits select the MPEG tab
from the QC Template Editor.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable the
named functions.
PAR value set the desired; values outside this
range give an error Encoding bit-rate set the
encoding bit rate range; values outside the
limits give an error

Audio QC parameters
To set audio alarm limits select the Audio tab
from the QC Template Editor.
Check the appropriate boxes to enable the
named functions.
Silence the absence of sound indicated by a
low threshold decibel value and the duration of
the silence
Quietness a low level of sound indicated by a
range of decibel values and its duration
Peak an upper limit of sound indicated by an
upper threshold decibel value and a duration

QC Timecode Parameters
To configure time code options select the
Timecode tab from the QC Template Editor.

Report time code discontinuities:

When enabled, time code
discontinuities will be reported.
Discontinuity Detection Filter: When
enabled, allows the 'Number of
sequential frames' configuration to
be used.
Number of sequential frames: (When
using VITC) How many linear
continuous frames are counted
before reporting a new 'time slice'.
The default for this value is 10. This
means a time code discontinuity
which lasts for 9 frames will not be
reported as a new 'time slice'.
Tolerance: (When using RS422 time
code) How many linear continuous
frames should be allowed before
reporting a new 'time slice'. The
default for this value is 5. This
means a discontinuity which lasts for
4 frames will not be reported.

Storage Templates
Storage templates give the location parameters where ingested clips are saved. The locations can be local to
the machine or on a network. These templates are particularly convenient if the path names are long and
difficult to remember. Since Dalet AmberFin supports Unicode, file folders given names other than English are
recognized as valid storage locations. In addition, Dalet AmberFin verifies that the path is correct and gives an
error if it cannot find the path.

Click on the [ ] button to open the browse panel to find or create an ingest output folder.
The write buffer size can also be set in the storage templates. This determines the maximum number of bytes
that Dalet AmberFin writes to the disk at any one time. Adjusting this parameter allows Dalet AmberFin to be
compatible with various disk storage systems. The default values and restrictions are shown in the table
below.

Field Name

Value Restrictions

Automatic

Default Values:
MXF 1 Mbyte
TS or PS 512 Kbyte

Manual Size

Minimum Value: 1 Mbyte

Naming Pattern Templates

Naming Pattern templates provide a custom file-naming format for ingested files. Numerous format strings are
available for pertinent information such as month, date, or time of day. Simply fill in the file name with the
desired format strings in the text box at the top of the window and save under an appropriate template name.

Format
Symbol

Format Definition

%f

Current Video Input Template

%g

Current Audio Input Template

%a

Abbreviated weekday name

%A

Full weekday name

%b

Abbreviated month name

%B

Full month name

%C

Data input in the Clip Field

%d

Day of month as decimal number (01 31)

%e

Use comment field in VTR Batch Record Panel

%H

Hour in 24 hour format (00 23)

%I

Hour in 12 hour format (01 12)

%j

Day of year as decimal number (001 366)

%m

Month as a decimal number (01 12)

%M

Minute as a decimal number (00 59)

%p

Current locale AM/PM indicator for 12 hour clock

%R

Data input in the Reel Field

%S

Second as a decimal number (00 - 59)

%U

Week of the year as decimal number, with Sunday as first day of the week (00
53)

%w

Weekday as decimal number (0 6, Sunday is 0)

%W

Week of the year as decimal number, with Monday as first day of the week
(00 53)

%y

Year without century, as decimal number (00 99)

%Y

Year with century as a decimal number

Putting %z in the string will display the unit's programmed time zone and placing two consecutive % signs will
display whatever is after the first % sign.
Including %Z at the end adds an incremental number to the end of the file name if an attempt is made to
ingest with an identical file name.
For example, %d%m%Y_%Z allows multiple ingest using the date.
Characters that are considered illegal for Windows file naming such as / or ? will have the underscore
substituted for them in the filename.

Two examples of a naming pattern are given below. In the first, a string, Dalet AmberFin, is used in
conjunction with the month, date, and time. In the second example, the day of the week, month, date and time
are used. The formatted string in each case is what appears in the library after the file is saved.

Proxy Editor Templates

Dalet AmberFin can generate video proxies of the input signal as it is ingested. This provides a lower quality
easily accessible copy of the video asset. Proxies can be viewed anywhere on the network and do not
necessarily demand other instances of a Dalet AmberFin player. For example, if a Windows Media format is
chosen, then all that is needed to know is the file name and its location to monitor ingests with Windows Media
Player.
Currently, Dalet AmberFin generates proxies in the following formats:

QuickTime (Sorenson Video 3)

QuickTime (H.264 / AVC)

Windows Media 9

MPEG-1 (Program Stream)

MPEG-1 (System Stream)

Program a template of your specific proxy format and Dalet AmberFin will create the proxies. Templates of each
type are easily created. The quality of the proxy file is controlled by a quality parameter in the case of a
QuickTime proxy and a bitrate parameter in the case of a Windows Media proxy.

QuickTime

The QuickTime (H264 / AVC) has similar parameter fields.

The relevant fields to program are:
Codec the type of codec that creates the proxy
Width the width in pixels of the proxy output the default value is 352 pixels and the maximum value is 400
pixels.

Naming Pattern the file name pattern to use with the proxy files. The lower half of the panel displays the
naming format characters.
Storage the location that stores the proxies.
Quality the relative quality of the proxy picture with 100 representing the best quality.
Time code Burn-In checkbox to enable time code burn in on the proxy
Vertical Position controls the vertical position of the time code on the proxy (% of proxy height, 100 = bottom)
Size controls the size of the time code characters (% of picture width)
Deinterlacing choice to blend fields together or to use only one field of the pair to form a picture

Windows Media 9

The relevant fields to program are:

Codec the type of codec used to create the proxy
Width the width in pixels of the proxy output the default value is 352 pixels and the maximum value is 400
pixels.
Naming Pattern the file name pattern to use with the proxy files. The naming format characters are given in
the lower half of the panel.
Storage the location where the proxies will be stored.
Bitrate the output bitrate of the proxy picture. Maximum is 3.0 Mbps, and minimum is 0.5 Mbps.
Time code Burn-In checkbox to enable time code burn in on the proxy
Vertical Position controls the vertical position of the time code on the proxy (% of proxy height, 100 = bottom)
Size controls the size of the time code characters (% of proxy picture width)
Deinterlacing choice to blend fields together or to use only one field of the pair to form a picture

MPEG-1

The relevant fields to program are:

Codec the type of codec used to create the proxy
Width the width in pixels of the proxy output the default value is 352 pixels and the maximum value is 400
pixels.
Naming Pattern the file name pattern to use with the proxy files. The naming format characters are given in
the lower half of the panel.
Storage the location where the proxies will be stored.
Bitrate the output bitrate of the proxy picture. Maximum is 3.0 Mbps, and minimum is 0.5 Mbps.
GOP Length size of the GOP
Time code Burn-In checkbox to enable time code burn in on the proxy
Vertical Position controls the vertical position of the time code on the proxy (% of height, 100 = bottom)
Size controls the size of the time code characters (% of picture width)
Deinterlacing choice to blend fields together or to use only one field of the pair to form a picture

Router Control
This facility has been provided to allow sources available at an attached IQSRT00 router to be selected during
ingest configuration.

An available input is selected by first connecting to an IQ chassis, then selecting an input at one of the installed
modules.
For further help with using this option, please contact Dalet AmberFin support.

Output Settings
Output Settings
The Active Profile Groups area at the bottom of the Setup panel provides controls for the following; Output
Options
, Transcode +QC, Mark Up, Timecode/VTR and Sync Source.
For each template category there are four options that appear when clicking on the modify [ ] tab that
follows the template select [V] pulldown arrow.

If Edit is chosen both Save and Save As options are provided; Save overwrites the existing template, but Save
As allows an existing template to be modified and saved as a different template with a new name.

Output Template Options

Output templates specify system actions on output. These include generating an XML file containing metadata,
running a post ingest script, and enabling the display of time code on the displays. There are five tabs in this
template: General, Timecode, Playback, PreRoll and Transcode.
Output Template Editor - General

Under the General tab, the follow parameters can be set:

Start of Ingest Script this script runs during ingest and starts as soon as the first clip information is returned.
The time for this information varies by file type but is signaled by the time code fields updating in the Player.
Post Ingest Script specifies the path of a script that runs after the completed ingest is saved.
Email Notification Recipients the email addresses of individuals who will be notified when the ingest finishes.
Clicking on this selection will show a submenu where specific email parameters need to be entered.
SDI Output Field Dominance determines the field order of the SDI output stream.
Automatic keeps the same order as the input
Bottom Field First encode the output to display the bottom field first
Top Field First encode the output to display the top field first
For the field dominance parameter to take effect, you must stop and restart the incoming video stream. This
can be done by loading and then unloading a clip from the library.
Live Window SDI Aspect Ratio sets the GUI Player aspect ratio
Automatic keep the aspect ratio of the input signal
4 / 3 force the aspect ratio to be 4:3
16 / 9 force the aspect ratio to be 16:9
Output Template Editor Timecode
Under the Timecode tab of the Output Template Editor the following parameters can be set:

Timecode Display in Player / Recorder parameters for the time code position in the GUI viewer
Enable checkbox to enable time code display in player/recorder windows
Vertical Position position of the time code from the top of the picture
Size width of the time code string (minimum 20%, maximum 80% of picture width)
SDI Timecode Burn parameters for time code burnt into the output SDI streams
First SDI output checkbox to activate time code display on the first SDI output
Second SDI output checkbox to activate time code display on the second SDI output
Vertical Position position of the burnt time code from the top of the picture

Output Template - Playback

Under the Playback tab, the following CC (Closed Caption) parameters can be set:

Play Closed Captions (CC) from:

436M file - use this option for SMPTE 436M files such as XDCAM MXF
Omneon MPEG user data captions - use this for option to playback Omneon captions from MPEG user data
A53 captions use this option to playback ATSC A53 captions from MPEG user data
VBI Buffer this option is only applicable to caption playback from tall MPEG in SD
Output Template - PreRoll
Under the PreRoll tab, the following parameter can be set:

Set the Pre Roll (and Post Roll) value in seconds in the box provided.
Output Template (Transcode)
Under the Transcode tab, the following parameter can be set:

Select the Working Directory for storing the output from transcodes. This is not the same as the storage
directory configured under Setup >> Configure Ingest >> Storage which is to store ingested files.
Saving the Template
Click on Save to name and save the new template.
Click on Save As (option present only when editing a template) to save an existing template with a new name.

Transcode and QC Templates

The Transcode plus QC tool within the Active Profile Groups in the main Setup tab offers a number of standard
factory supplied conversion templates together with user created custom templates. It also allows software QC
from multiple QC vendors to be combined with transcode to enable a Unified workflow.
This section builds on the conversion and QC tutorials with additional walk-through help and reference
material. If you are new to this subject we recommend that you follow the Performing Transcode with Ingest
tutorial and the Using a File-based QC Template, tutorial based on using Aurora QC.
See also Managing Transcode and QC Jobs for a general discussion of the subject.

Creating a New Transcode Template

In this section we will explain the process of editing and creating a conversion template with one Repurposing
Profile.
An individual conversion profile does not need to be selected or made active in Setup to enable on-the-fly
conversion from the Library or File Explorer.
The available options depend on Source Selection and Encoder settings. In this section we will discuss the
most important settings and provide a worked example based on the MPEG-4 AVC output profile.
To create a new transcode template and configure the options, proceed as follows:
Open the Setup tab from the Side Bar
In the Active Profile Groups area select an appropriate template in the Transcode + QC drop down box Click on
the [ ] button to the right of the selection.

Select Edit from the submenu to create a new template containing the profiles from the existing template, or
select New to start from scratch.
The Template Editor opens.

Click on the Add button at the bottom of the Template Editor.

Dalet AmberFin can now support both Transcoding and QC in one profile. If UQC has been licensed, a third tab
labelled QC appears between Conversions and Watch folders. Please refer to Creating Software QC Templates
for further details.
A new Profile entry appears with the default name of No Transcode.

Rename the profile to reflect the required task, then hit return (or click in another text entry field) and click on
Edit.

Use the pull-down Conversion Profile selector to choose the required transcode.
The title No Transcode will change to reflect the new profile name when the form has been saved.
Conversion Profile drop down box containing the available target file formats, which may include:
MPEG-4 AVC (H.264)
MPEG-4 AVC Intra

Avid Pinnacle Mediastream

MPEG-2 IMX (D10)

MPEG-4

MPEG-2 IMX (D10) - Video

H.264 MXF Proxy

Windows Media 9

MPEG-2 Generic

Windows Media 9 - VC-1

MPEG-1

DNxHD

QuickTime

File Wrapping /
Demultiplexing

DV

Uncompressed

Apple ProRes

JPEG 2000

Some of the codecs in the above table are licensed and the list may not represent the actual codecs available
on your system.
Dalet AmberFin Controller contains the IP address or PC name of the machine running the controller server.
The controller can send a job to one of many groups. This server must be running on a machine that is on the
local LAN because access across gateways is not possible. By default, the controller is local to the machine.
This can be left as localhost (except when working with HA Farms, see HA Farm Installation).
Group refers to the specific group of repurposing engine servers or HA Farms which can be local to the
machine or on remote machines. The group handles the job allocation to the specific repurposing engines.
The area headed Parameters is used to define a wide range of settings for the chosen Conversion Template.
Global Preset and Source/ Encoder settings that are selected at the top of the Setup panel determine the
options that the Repurposing Configurator will offer.
All of these settings will in turn, affect what is displayed in other on-screen forms and not just what type of
target output is to be created.
Example Transcode Configuration Form

The next section provides an example of the type of configuration available.

New Conversion Template Example
An example of the parameters available for the MPEG-2 Generic conversion profile is included below.
Available transcode parameters may change as software is updated or options are added.

Input

Function

Value

Comment and more values

Video

Field order (Interlace Dominance)

Override

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (Bottom field first)

MPEG2

Checkbox

Tick to remove visible VBI

Lines

QuickTime

Yes/No

Use QuickTime SDK (if possible)

Audio

-250 to +250 milliseconds

Apply time offset to group.

See Audio Offset.

Origin/Precharge Handling

Checkbox

Remove Frames

Auxiliary Data

Source priority for Aspect Ratio signaling

(WSS / AFD) data
Select sources for CEA608/708 caption
data, VBI bypass and Ancillary bypass

See Using Auxiliary Data

Timecode Selection

Manual start time code

Choose timecode stream initialization
sources

See Time Code Selection.

Output

Function
Picture
Compression
Preprocessing

Value

Off, Soft 4. Soft 3, Soft 2, Soft 1, Sharp 1,

Sharp 2

Comment and
more values
A factor applied before
conversion to improve picture
quality for the same bitrate or
the same quality at a lower
bitrate. See note*.

Scaling

Scaler mode, Output Interface and

Conversion quality

Determines how the scaler

function is to be used see
Scaling.

Format

Output Chroma, Color Space Conversion,

Bit Depth, Dithering Mode

Determines quality settings

associated with the profile.
See Output Format Options.

Temporal

As Input, Nearest Frame, Motion

Compensated (SD), Advanced Motion
Compensation (SD/HD)

See Choosing a Conversion

Mode.

Overlays

Logo Inserter: Enable/Disable, choose

location of Image File; define variables
Text Burn-In: Enable/Disable; define
variables
Timecode Burn-In: Enable/Disable;
define variables

See Using Overlays.

Encoding

Select video Codec, Encoding Type,

Bitrate and other options

See Output Video Encoding

Configuration.

Thumbnails

Thumbnail details and naming pattern.

Timed and scene change low

res single frame visual
reference. See Using
Thumbnails.

*Compression preprocessing features a series of softening and sharpening filters that deliver even better
picture quality when performing Up or Down conversion as well as when targeting low bitrates. Soft 1 to Soft 4
can be used to improve low bitrate compression (SD less than 8Mbit/s, HD less than 40Mbit/s). Sharp 1 or
Sharp 2 can be used to enhance detail for higher bitrate compression. It is not recommended to use them on
low bitrate images as they will produce artefacts.
See also AVC Encoding Level Numbers when using scaling with the AVC codec.
See also Time Code Selection for support for Input Time Code Selection, S328M subtitling using the MEG2
Generic template and inserting VITC with the MPEG2 IMX (D10) template.

Output

Function

Value

Comment
and more
values

Sound
I/P Bypass

Checkbox

Tick to enable bypass

Gain

-30 dB to +30 dB

See Audio Gain.

PCM Routing

Number of channels per output

Bits per PCM sample
Channel Matrix to select passthrough or
mute

See PCM Routing.

Temporal

PCM Resampling Quality: Best or Fast

As Input or select from 8,000 Hz to 192,000
Hz range

See Audio Temporal

Settings.

Encoding

Audio Codec: AAC, AMR, SurCode for Dolby

Digital, Uncompressed
AAC Settings: Compatibility, Profile,
Compression Mode, Bitrate, Quality
High-Frequency Cut-Off: In/Out.

See Audio Output

Encoding.

Output

Function

Value

Comment
and more
values

Auxiliary Data

VBI Output Settings for SD and Ancillary

Output Settings for ST-436 and
AFD/CEA608/708 for VANC

See Using Auxiliary Data.

Wrapping

Select file format and other options

See Using Wrapping

Options.

Output Processing

Naming Pattern, Pre conversion script,

Post conversion script, Email notification
setup

See Output Processing.

Watermarking

None, Civolution, Teletrax, NexGuard

See Watermarking.

Captioning

Select SCC Captioning Options

Select WST options

See Captioning.

These parameters may look similar to those used by other profiles however some settings, such as those
related to auxiliary data or audio, can be very different even though many of the parameters for (say) a shared
MPEG encoder are identical. For example, a format that does not include audio compression (such as DV) will
have limited options when Sound Encoding is selected. Whereas MPEG 1 supports MPEG 1 Layer 2 and
MPEG4 AVC (H.264) supports AAC, AMR, Dolby Digital and Uncompressed; these profiles therefore have many
more available audio settings.
When the configuration is complete click on Save, select a conversion name and remember to set it active.

Copying Profiles
Repurposing profiles can be copied from one template to another.
To use these options click on a profile and right click for a sub menu.

The Save option will not be available for factory supplied conversion templates. Either use Save As or select
the New option before entering this menu.
Transcode + QC Template Editor Submenus

Use the submenu to edit or remove the profile or to copy the profile from one template to another. This feature
frees you from having to program existing profiles into other templates. To copy a profile to another template,
simply right click on the profile you want to copy, select Copy to template and then destination template. To
copy a profile to the present template, right click anywhere in the window, select Copy from template and then
the profile you want to copy.
Standard Conversion Templates and Codecs
Standard Templates
Dalet AmberFin comes with a number of conversion templates programmed with conversion profiles for
commonly used applications, including portable devices, web broadcasting, and non-linear editing applications.
The following table lists those commonly found, though individual installations will vary.

Category

Profile

Mobile

Mobile H.263+AMR (176x144, 32kbps)

Mobile ASP+AMR (176x144, 64kbps)
Mobile AVC+AAC (320x240, 128kbps) 4x3
Mobile AVC+AAC (320x240, 128kbps) 16x9 LB
Mobile H.263+AMR (176x144, 32kbps) 16x9 LB
Mobile ASP+AMR (176x144, 64kbps) 16x9 LB

XML
Baseconversion

XML Baseconversion

Export

Export

Potable Players

iPod Video Classic (320x240)

iPhone / iPod Touch(480x320)

Web

Web WM9 (640x480, 1Mbps)

Web WM9 (480x360, 512Kbps)
Web WM9 (320x240, 256Kbps)
Web SV3 (320x240, 512Kbps)
Web SV3 (256x192, 100Kbps)
Web SV3 (320x240, 200Kbps)
Web SV3 (320x240, 400Kbps)
Web SV3 (192x144, 56Kbps)
Web H.264 (512x384, 1024Kbps)
Web H.264 (320x240, 512Kbps)
Web H.264 (320x240, 256Kbps, Rate)
Web H.264 (192x144, 56Kbps, Rate)

VOD. IPTV

VOD SD 25i/29i MPEG-2 CableLabs (3.75Mbps, Stereo AC-3)

VOD SD 25i/29i MPEG-2 CableLabs (18.1Mbps, 5.1 AC-3)
IPTV SD 25i/29i MPEG-4 CableLabs TS (3Mbps)
IPTV HD 25i/29i 1920 MPEG-4 CableLabs TS (10Mbps)
IPTV HD 25i/29i 1440 MPEG-4 CableLabs TS (10Mbps)
IPTV HD 25i/29i 1280 MPEG-4 CableLabs TS (10Mbps)
NOTE: IPTV profiles run a post conversion script that requires
Manzanita be installed on the system

XDCAM HD

HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (17.5Mbps) MXF

HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (25Mbps) MXF
HD to XDCAM HD 720 (35Mbps) MXF
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (35Mbps) MXF
HD to XDCAM HD 720 (50Mbps) MXF
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (50Mbps) MXF
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (17.5Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (25Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to XDCAM HD 720 (35Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (35Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to XDCAM HD 720 (50Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to XDCAM HD 1080 (50Mbps), MOV (Final Cut Pro)

Multiplexing /
Demultiplexing

Demultiplex
Multiplex to MXF OP1a (MPEG2, DV, DVCPROs)
Multiplex to Transport Stream (MPEG2)
Multiplex to Program Stream (MPEG2)
D10(IMX)/DVCPRO/DVCPRO HD Multiplexing to MOV
DV/DVCPRO/DVCPRO HD Multiplexing to P2 MXF

Submastering

1080 23sf to 1080 25i, MPEG2, MXF

1080 23sf to 1080 29.97i, MPEG2, MXF
1080 23sf to 720 50P, MPEG2, MXF
1080 23sf to 720 59P, MPEG2, MXF
1080 23sf to NTSC, MPEG2, MXF
1080 23sf to PAL, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P to 1080 25i, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P to 1080 29.97i, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P f to 720 50P, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P to 720 59P, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P to NTSC, MPEG2, MXF
1080 24P to PAL, MPEG2, MXF
1080 23sf to 1080 24P, MPEG2, MXF

NLE

SD to D-10 (IMX) 50 Mbps MXF

SD to D-10 (IMX) 50 Mbps MOV (Final Cut Pro)
SD to D-10 (IMX) 40 Mbps MXF
SD to D-10 (IMX) 40 Mbps MOV (Final Cut Pro)
SD to D-10 (IMX) 30 Mbps MXF
SD to D-10 (IMX) 30 Mbps MOV (Final Cut Pro)
SD to DVCPRO 50 P2 MXF
SD to DVCPRO 50 P2 MOV (Final Cut Pro)
SD to DVCPRO P2 MXF
SD to DVCPRO P2 MOV (Final Cut Pro)
HD to DVCPRO HD MXF
HD to DVCPRO HD MOV (Final Cut Pro)

AVC AVCi M4 AVCHD Prxy M2 M1 QT DV

Input

Click links
help

Video
Decoding

A/P
VCF
VoD
APR D10 D10V WM9
DNxHD
Uncmp J2k Thmbs
M
1
W/D
TS

for

Field order
override

MPEG2

QuickTime

Remove
visible VBI
lines

Use SDK if
possible

Assume
Source
Omneon MXF

Advanced

Apply time
offset to
group -see
Audio Offset

Origin
Handling

Remove
Frames

Auxiliary Data

Aux data
processor
controls see
Using
Auxiliary Data

Audio Offset

Timecode
Selection

Choose
manual TC
start and TC
stream
sources - see
Time Code
Selection

Output

Click link for

help

Compression
Preprocessing

Picture

VBI
Preservation
Scaling

Format

X
X

Choose Scaler
Mode see
Scaling

Profile Quality
- see Output
Format
Options

See Choosing
a Conversion
Mode

Overlays

See Using
Overlays

Encoding

See Output
Video
Encoding
Configuration

Temporal

Thumbnails

See Using
Thumbnails

Sound
Gain
PCM Routing
Temporal

See Audio
Gain

See PCM
Routing
See Audio
Temporal
Settings

X
X

Encoding

Auxiliary Data

Wrapping

See Audio
Output
Encoding
Aux data
processor
controls see
Using
Auxiliary Data

Naming
Pattern See
Output
Processing

Watermarking

Select
Watermarking
Vendor
See
Watermarking

See Using
Wrapping
Options

Output
Processing

Captioning

Captioning
Options
See
Captioning

AVC AVCi M4 AVCHD Prxy M2 M1 QT DV

A/P
VCF
VoD
APR D10 D10V WM9
DNxHD
Uncmp J2k Thmbs
M
1
W/D
TS

By default, profiles are not set to active. To set profile(s) active create a custom template, add profiles and
mark them active. See the Performing Transcode with Ingest tutorial to see how.
Standard Conversion Codecs
The following list of Conversion Codecs (also called Profiles in the GUI) provides links to help topics that explain
the type of data that can be entered.

Table Heading Key

Abbr Codec
AVC

Abbr Codec

Abbr Codec

Abbr

Codec

MPEG 4 - M2
AVC
(H.264)

MPEG 2
Generic

A/P
M

MPEG 4 - M1
AVC Intra
AVCHD AVCHD
QT
(MTS
Transport
Stream)
M4
MPEG 4 DV

MPEG 1

D10

Digital
Video
Apple
ProRes

WM9 Windows
J2k
JPEG 2000
Media 9
VC-1 WIndows VC- Thmbs Thumbnails
1

AVCi

Prxy

H.264
MXF
Proxy

APR

Avid/Pinacle DNxHD Avid DNxHD

Mediastream

Abbr Codec
VoD Video on
TS
Demand
Transport
Stream

MPEG 2 IMX F W/D File Wrapping /

(D10)
Demultiplexing
QuickTime D10V MPEG 2 IMX Uncmp Uncompressed
(D10) - Video

Codecs can be highly configurable and can be made to work in a variety of different workflows, such as Mpeg2
Generic which can be configured to provide XDCAM MXF for Avid or XDCAM MOV for Final Cut Pro.
The New Conversion Template Example shows how to configure a New Conversion Template using the MPEG 4
AVC (H.264) codec.

Creating Transcode + QC Templates

Third party QC software may vary in functionality but typically can detect tape drop outs and all signal related
errors as well as file related problems such as wrapper abnormalities, coding rate variations, artifact detection,
PSE (Photo sensitive Epilepsy) Flash detection and loudness violations.
Checking tape transport problems requires a physical link to the VTR; which tends to be supported by
dedicated hardware QC devices such as Snells Hyperion.
The choice of QC and/or transcode engine to use is made by creating a Transcode + QC template in the Active
Profile Group in the Setup panel and ensuring that the required profile(s) are marked as active.
To select a QC template for a QC job proceed as follows:
1. Click on the Setup tab.
2. Click on the [ ] button next to Transcode + QC in the Active Profile Groups section.
3. Choose to create either a New template or Edit an existing template.
Editing a profile has the advantage of being able to add QC to existing profiles in the template group.
The Transcode + QC Group window appears.

New: create a new profile

4.

Click on the QC tab and click on Add.

Edit: modify an existing profile

5. Click on the QC tab and click on Add.

If no QC tab is found, check that your system is licensed for UQC and contact Dalet AmberFin support if not.
The QC Profile Editor window appears with Local QC Group in the Group field.
If there is more than one QC group, select the appropriate one from the Group drop down box.
6. Click on a QC vendor tab.
The rest of this guide is generic and applies to any QC vendor. To follow a tutorial based on using Aurora QC
see Using a File-based QC Template.
Select one of the Vendor QC tabs and select a template for the chosen group (i.e. Local QC Group).
7. Click on Save, choose a Profile Name and click OK.
An entry under the Profile Name of the QC tab of the Transcode+QC Group window appears with the default
name, New Profile.
8. Type a descriptive name and press enter (or click in another text field) to save the new name.
9. Click on the Transcode tab and click on Add.
No Transcode will be selected by default. It will remain red until a QC Profile has been selected.
10. If a QC profile is to be added to one or more existing transcode profiles, highlight the profile
and then select the QC profile name chosen in Step 6 from the appropriate QC Profile to Execute
dropdown box.

Run during ingest is not ticked as this example is a file only operation.
11. Add QC profiles as required and if necessary, delete any unwanted transcode profiles and/or
add additional transcode profiles.
Only one QC profile may be added per transcode profile.
12. Check the Propagate Upstream QC? tick box for clips that already have a QC profile.
This will add software QC test results to a clips existing QC report. If the clip to be QCd does not have an
existing QC report do not check that option, otherwise Dalet AmberFin may hang waiting for the clip to be QCd.
13. Click Save (or Save As if editing a template) and enter a template name in the Enter template
name box that appears and click Save.
You can order the list of profiles alphabetically, by clicking on the displayed field header

To ensure that this template will be active check that it is selected in the Transcode+QC drop-down box in the
Active Profile Groups area of the Setup panel.

Mark Up Templates
There are two templates for Mark Up, None (default) and Common.
To view the categories in Common, open Setup and select Common from the drop down list.

Then click on the [ ] button and select Edit to make changes or New to create a new template.

Click on a category to see the available types when editing an existing template.
The Common template includes the following categories and types:

Category

Type

Sport

Race, Goal, Wicket, Lap, Putt, Booking, Basket, Home Run, Foul, Crash

Descriptive

Location, Person, Scene, Event

Segment Marking

Bars, Clock, Program, Commercial, Front Credits, Back Credits, Trailer

To add a category click on Add Category, to remove one highlight it and click on Remove Category.
To add a type click on Add Type, to remove one highlight it and click on Remove Type.
When done, click on Save to keep the changes, Save As to create a new template or Cancel to back out
without making any changes.

Timecode Templates
Time code templates control the time code source for the ingest process from devices such as VTRs and video
servers.
Normally the time code is extracted from the VITC in the incoming SDI video stream. The line number for this
extraction is found in the encoder templates. However, Dalet AmberFin also reads time code from its RS422
port. In this way, Dalet AmberFin merges time code from an external source to essence that does not contain
time code.
Timecode Template Editor - Timecode

Reset Timecode sets the start or mark in time code of the first frame of any file ingested to the value
specified in the Start Timecode box.
Synchronize Timecode with VTR over RS422 - when this is checked, instead of using the time code that is
embedded in the incoming video, Dalet AmberFin polls the VTR connected to its master RS422 port for time
code. This allows you to merge VITC less video MPEG data with this external time code source.
This method must be calibrated with each encoder MPEG setting since each setting may have different buffer
sizes and hence different delays associated with them. This is done by matching the time code shown on the
broadcast monitor from the VTR SDI Super output with the time code shown on the Dalet AmberFin Player
after a short test ingest. By adjusting the frame offset parameter and doing short test ingests, it is possible to
get these two time codes equal.
VTR the VTR that is used as the time code source. If the system is connected to multiple VTRs select the
Use currently selected VTR entry and the system will use the VTR that is selected in the Recorder panel. See
the Recorder panel controls for the position of this drop down box.
If the VTR model selected is not the one currently connected to the system a VTR Not Found message will be
displayed beneath the VTR drop down box.
Frame Offset the number of frames required to adjust time code source to video source. Values range from
+30 to 30; accuracy: +/- 1 frame.
If the time code source and the input SDI framerates are very different, Dalet AmberFin will use the input SDI
framerate as the reference for ingest. A console warning is given in this case.
Timecode Offset the number of frames required as a timecode offset up to a maximum of 9 frames.

Timecode Template Editor VTR Ingest

COM Port select the com port of an attached VTR from the drop down list. The list will not be populated if
there are no VTRs or servers with VTR emulation connected.
Timecode Template Editor VTR Playback

COM Port select the com port of an attached VTR from the drop down list. The list will not be populated if no
VTRs or servers with VTR emulation are connected.
VTR Control select the preroll to be used as default from the drop down box. Values range from 0 to 30
seconds.
VTR Emulation Jog Sensitivity select the required sensitivity from the drop down box. Values range from
1(fast) to 10(slow).
VTR Emulation Auto Edit Frame Offset select the required offset from the drop down box. Values range from
-10 to +10 frames.
Timecode Template Editor VDCP

Copy port settings from VTR Playback allows a video server to be controlled as a VTR using VDCP protocol.
Select the required port from the drop down list.

Sync Source

This Setup setting sets the sync source independently for Ingest and Playback between the internal clock of
the PC running Dalet AmberFin or the incoming video source at the Matrox card.

Select the required source between Internal and External from the appropriate drop down box. If there is no
Matrox card in the system, the external option will not be present.

14.

Template Configuration Reference

Template Configuration Reference

The following topics are provided as a reference to assist those responsible for setting up a Dalet AmberFin
system to configure the parameters required to build new Conversion Profiles.

Audio Offset
Audio offset is a timing adjustment in milliseconds that is applied to each audio group of the input file to align
the audio with the video. The input file may contain multiple groups of audio, with each audio group containing
one or more channels of audio.

Table Tab

Description

Group
Index

Audio Group

Offset
Value
(ms)

By default, the offset value is zero

milliseconds (ms) with no timing
offset. Double click an Offset
Value table entry to change the
value.

Audio
Input
Bypass

Bypasses audio decoder and input

processing.

Disable
Audio
Crossfade

Comma separated list of audio

channels carrying compressed
data.

For a positive offset the offset can be used to compensate for early audio relative to video. If the audio offset is
set to a positive value then the audio will start playing after the offset time in milliseconds (ms). Silence will be
inserted to the beginning of the audio of the offset value.
For a negative offset, the offset can be used to compensate for late audio relative to video. If the audio offset
is set to be a negative value then the offset amount of audio is removed from the clip and the end of clip is
padded with silence.

File Wrapping / Demultiplexing

By default audio inputs are passed directly to the Output router stage. For rewrap jobs an additional tick box
control has been added to handle compressed audio sources. This allows for mixed rewrap type jobs where
increased audio processing is possible.
Decode input audio to PCM tick this box to enable decoding of supported audio sources to uncompressed
PCM. Currently supported audio formats include MPEG1 layers 1 & 2, AAC, and AC-3 (Dolby Digital).

Using Auxiliary Data

Ancillary data is typically any non-video/audio information inserted into unused areas of the signal such as the
VBI in analog and SD formats or the HANC or VANC in HD formats. Examples of these additional payloads
include, closed captioning, teletext, wide screen subtitling, AFD descriptors, timecode, test signals, user data
and even control codes to turn transmitters on and off.
The Dalet AmberFin input and output processors have been enhanced to handle these ancillary or auxiliary
data types during both transcode and re-wrapping (re-multiplexing) jobs.
At present only transcode and re-wraps where the source and output frame rates are identical are supported.

VBI Data
The Vertical Blanking Interval (VBI) and Horizontal Blanking Interval owe their existence to limitations in the
technology at the heart of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) based analogue transmission when the original
specifications were drawn up. The vertical blanking period was the largest accounting for some 8% to 9% of the
available number of lines in each field. However as receiver technology improved it became possible to
unblank some lines at the start of each field and so enable other services.
VBI is a PCM waveform encoding base data in a storable form. However, it tends to be degraded by lower
bitrate compression encoding with in-vision modes such as IMX/D10 at 30 Mbit/s, especially if re-encoded for
multiple generations. In this case some dropouts may occur due to decoding errors.

Closed Captions
An agreed specification for CC appeared in the form of the EIA-608 standard for Closed Captioning in 1994.
This has been updated and is now known as the CEA-608E standard for Closed Captioning. To keep data rates
low, it specifies a code based system where just two 7-bit ASCII characters are encoded on a single line of
video in each field, providing an overall maximum data rate of 120 characters per second (2 characters x 2
fields at 30 fields per second in the NTSC system) or 960 b/s. The upgraded standard defines Extended Data
Services which may be added to line 284.
In practice, where only one channel of captions is used without EDS, the effective data rate is only 60 cps.
The standard specifies two 32 X 15 character memories, one for the currently displayed caption and a second
which acts as an off-screen composition area. This allows for more complex caption effects such as roll-up, rolldown and snap-on.
VBI decoding scans for data on all VBI lines starting from top of the first field and then the second field. Only
the first (top) data line is usually stored, with the exception of CEA608 which appends data so that data on line
284 of field 2 data follows data on line 21 of field 1. Blank and erroneous lines are dropped.
The closed captioning standard created for the US ATSC digital television is CEA-708. It supports a near tenfold
increase in data rate over CEA-608 and caters for a wide range of optional features.

Teletext and Subtitles

Teletext is a mainly text based information system encoded using multiple lines in the VBI. It was developed in
the UK by the BBC in the seventies for analogue PAL transmissions. It spread to many countries and has
become a World Standard (WST). Limited graphics were supported and text was transmitted as character
codes enabling decoder designers to render characters and graphic primitives at whatever resolution they
desired.

DVB Subtitling
There are two head-end methods used to encode subtitles into the DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) format:
ETS 300 472. This is similar to teletext, where characters are represented by codes which are sent to the
users receiver. The users decoding equipment is responsible for formatting the text on the screen.

ETS 300 743. This the most popular system in Europe where subtitle text can be authored with any suitable
system, since the output is always rendered as a bit-map graphic which is encoded in a similar way as the
MPEG-2 video it will be associated with when inserted into the multiplexer as a PES stream.
These standards do not specify how teletext data is carried to head-end multiplexers to create the broadcast
signal. The coded data could be sent as files over IP in any number of subtitle formats, it could also be inserted
into the VBI of SD video or the VANC of HD video.

MXF Mappings for VBI and ANC

The aim of carriage of ancillary data in MXF is transparency or opaque transport, so that the data can be
faithfully reproduced. To simplify and help standardize this SMPTE 436M defines a Data Track for either VBI or
ANC data in the SMPTE 379 Generic Container.

Timed Text
The FCC has ruled that captioning and DVS should be compliant with the SMPTE-TT standard for timed text
(SMPTE ST 2052-1:2010). SMPTE-TT is an XML based profile or application of the W3C Time Text Markup
Language. One of its main benefits (similar to MXF) is that content can be verified and error checked within file
based workflows. It allows legacy formats such as CEA-608 and CEA-708 closed captioning, WST and DVB
Subtitles (EBU STL) to be tunneled within the XML.
The equivalent standard for Timed Text in Europe is the emerging EBU Tech3350 or EBU-TT standard. It is also
based on TTML and XML and is intended to follow on from the EBU STL subtitling format (EBU Tech 3264).

Captions and User Data in MPEG2

CEA-708 captions are inserted into MPEG-2 video streams encoded according to ATSC A/53 in the picture user
data as DTVCC Transport Stream. It is a fixed-bandwidth 960 bit/s channel for backward compatibility with
Line 21 captions or 8640 bit/s for CEA-708 captions.
MPEG2 video (to ISO/IEC 13818-2) also supports carriage of data as User Data within the bitstream. This is
used for a variety of uses with packet sizes varying from a few bytes to many kilobytes per frame for VBI use,
and its use has an impact on net bitrate available for video and VBV (Video Buffer Verifier) buffer regulation.
Any change to VBV characteristics can adversely affect playability, and some decoders may refuse to play an
output stream. For example, if ES user data is used within a rewrap context the availability of space and VBV
compliance will depend on the allocations used in the original encoding.
ES data allocations can only be changed by re-encoding in a transcode.
If an unsuitable original allocation was used data loss may occur due to lack of space. And any noncompliant
trimming or extending of the MPEG2 bitstream length will tend to cause VBV buffer use infringements.
Only the first contiguous user data space each frame is processed for erasing and/or insertion. If there are
mixed extension and user data header types in the MPEG2 Picture Extension area, only the first User Data
chunk (or position if no UD exists) will be recognized. See ISO/IEC 13818-2 for further details.

Configuring Data Source Options

The configurable options from within the conversion profile editor depend on the conversion profile selected.
For example, the MPEG4 AVC (H.264) and MPEG4 conversion profiles allow the source priority for Aspect Ratio
(WSS/AFD) to be configured, while MPEG4 AVC-Intra and File Wrapping/Demultiplexing also support
configuring the source for CEA608/708 caption data, VBI bypass and file type for ancillary bypass.

Input Configuration Example: File Wrapping / Demultiplexing

Menu item

Values

Comment

Source priority for Aspect

Ratio signaling (WSS /
AFD) data

Ignore all
ES, VBI, VANC,
File
File, ES, VBI,
VANC
VBI, ES, VANC,
File
VANC, ES, VBI,
File

Select the source priority order for Aspect Ration signaling

(WSS/AFD) data. If multiple data types are found, the highest
(first) is processed first.

Select source for

CEA608/708 Caption data

None
File (ST- 436 or
PES mux)
MPEG2
Elementary
Stream
In-vision VBI
from tall MPEG

Select which carriage mechanism is used as the source for

CEA608/708 caption data (unless caption options are used).
If none of the expected data is found in the selected source or
the stream is incomplete, a message will indicate this as a
missed data frame count in the Transcode Status window.

Select source for VBI

bypass

None
File: (ST-436 or
PES mux)
MPEG2
Elementary
Stream
In-vision VBI
from tall MPEG

Select which carriage mechanism is used as the source for VBI

signals. This data will be passed to the transcode output stage
without modification.
This option forces unrecognized and non-decoded VBI PCM
data to be reinserted in the same line on output. No errors are
reported if no data is found.

Select source for Ancillary

bypass

None
File: ST-436 ANC
track

Select which carriage mechanism is used as the source for

Ancillary data. This data will be passed to the transcode output
stage without modification.
Unlike VBI, multiple data items on the same video line is valid.
No errors are reported if no data is found.

Output Configuration Example: MPEG2 Generic

Some Conversion Profiles support an Output Auxiliary Transcode template which contain the required output
processor controls, together with relocated S328M and VBI controls. Depending on the output format and job

type selected some of the output processors may not be available, and there will also be restrictions such as
when SD video outputs are being produced.
These controls are grouped by the primary encoding formats in use VBI (Vertical Blanking Interval) signals,
Ancillary packetized data, and MPEG-2 ES (Elementary Stream) User Data packetized data.
There are cases where data is wrapped in more than one layer, e.g. CEA608 VBI carried as GXF VBI in MPEG2
elementary stream.

Example MPEG2 Generic Output Auxiliary Template Settings

VBI Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic)

This group controls the generation of all output VBI data for Standard Definition (525-line and 625-line TV
systems), including the various transports for VBI. Depending on the job context some options may not be
available.

Menu item

Values

Comment

Write VBI into Output File

Stream (ST-436 / PES)

Enable, Disable

Enable to insert VBI data from input Auxiliary

Data form into an ST-436 or Pinnacle PES
output stream. By default, this will be VBI
bypass data, unless the VBI overrides below
are selected.

Insert GFX VBI in ES user data

Enable, Disable

Insert GFX uncompressed VBI to ST-360 into

MPEG2 ES user data. Warning; this takes
considerable space. Source selections for VBI
and ES insert mode are available below

Insert Omneon VBI in ES user

data

Enable, Disable

Insert Omneon VBI (proprietary V1.2

specification) into MPEG2 ES user data.
Warning; this takes considerable space. Source
selections for VBI and ES insert mode are
available below.

VITC Timecode

None, Lead Timecode

Stream, Timecode
Stream A or Timecode
Stream A

Select a source for SMPTE 12 VITC (VBI)

timecode embedding if required.

VITC output line

7 to 22

Select required line using spin box.

Second VITC output line

7 to 22

Select required line using spin box.

Insert WSS into output VBI

Enable, Disable

Enable for ETSI 300294 (VBI) Widescreen

Signaling embedded in line 23.

Insert CEA608 into output

VBI

Enable, Disable

Enable for CEA608 (VBI) Closed Caption

embedding in line 21 (284). If no valid source
CEA608 captions have been found, no output
will be created.

Ancillary Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic)

Menu item

Values

Comment

Write Ancillary into Output

File Stream (ST-436)

Enable, Disable

Enable to insert VBI data from input Auxiliary

Data form into an ST-436 or Pinnacle PES
output stream. By default, this will be VBI
bypass data, unless the VBI overrides below
are selected.

Insert AFD into output VANC

Enable, Disable

Enable for SMPTE 2016 (VANC) Active Format

Descriptor embedding.

AFD VANC output line

1 to 45

Select required line using spin box.

Insert CEA608/708 into

output VANC

Enable, Disable

Enable for SMPTE 334 (VANC) CDP Closed

Captions output. If no valid source CEA608 or
CEA708 captions have been found, no output
will be created. In SD a smaller packet will
typically be created for CEA608 only.
Choose the line below.

CEA708 VANC output line

1 to 45

Select the virtual line in the stream using the

spin box. This corresponds to a field 1 line
for interlaced video, or a frame line for
progressive video.

MPEG-2 ES User Data Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic)

Menu item

Values

Comment

Insert 328M in ES User Data

Enable, Disable

Insert 328M Timecode into MPEG2 ES User

Data. This creates SMPTE ST-328 packets for
editing (timecode 1 and 2 items only
supported). Source selections and ES insert
mode are available below. See MPEG2 ES
notes above.

Insert ATSC A/53 in ES User

Data

Enable, Disable

Insert ATSC A/53 encoded captions containing

CEA608/708 data into MPEG2 ES User Data.
See MPEG2 ES notes above.

S328 Timecode 1

None, Lead Timecode

Stream, Timecode
Stream A or Timecode
Stream A

Select a source for SMPTE 12 VITC (VBI)

timecode embedding if required.

S328 Timecode 2

None, Lead Timecode

Stream, Timecode
Stream A or Timecode
Stream A

Select a source for SMPTE 12 VITC (VBI)

timecode embedding if required.

A/53 Caption CEA708

None, CEA708 Caption

Stream A

Choose source for caption information

(CEA608/708 caption) within the ATSC A/53
packets, or None for a blank packet.

File Wrapping/Demultiplexing; Additional MPEG2 ES Data Output Settings

MPEG2 Elementary Stream user data Insert Mode File Re-wrap controls can have a large impact on the
insertion process and the validity of the resulting file. It is recommended to choose the mode carefully
according to the application and target player or decoder.

Menu item
MPEG2 User Data Insert
Mode
This allows selection of the
mode for user data
handling within an existing
MPEG2 elementary stream
to suit the application.
See MPEG2 ES notes
above.

Values

Comment

Adaptive
Safe for demux.
Unchanged unless ES
inserters are enabled

By default, the MPEG user data is passed

unchanged. Any ES data enables, including ES
VBI, will cause all source MPEG user data to be
erased and only the new data will remain. No
MPEG file size occurs so VBV characteristics are
preserved.
Any new packets that don't fit within the space
will be discarded with a log message.

Overwrite
Always pad old ES user
data

By default, the MPEG user data is overwritten

with valid padding. Any ES data enables,
including ES VBI, will cause new data to be
inserted in the same space. No MPEG file size
occurs so VBV characteristics are preserved.
Any new packets that don't fit within the space
will be discarded with a log message.

Trim
Always remove old ERS
user data. Change stream
length

Existing MPEG user data will always be deleted,

and any new user data will be written at this
point, extending the stream as necessary.
MPEG user data size changes can potentially
cause VBV violations and failure to play on
some decoders.

See the MPEG-2 ES User Data Output Settings (MPEG2 Generic) table for S328M Timecode 1/Timecode 2 and
A/53 Caption CEA708 options.

Captioning
There are a wide range of mainly proprietary formats for caption data throughout the world. However, within
the US, the open broadcast format used is the Scenarist Closed Caption format (extension .SCC); other
proprietary formats include Cheetah CAP and Swift Interchange Format. In Europe Technical Reference 3264-E
defines a caption format with the extension .STL which is widely used.
For internet delivery emerging standards include SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) and
W3C Timed Text DFXP (Distribution Format Exchange Profile), but again there are mainly proprietary standards
also in use.
Here is an example captioning configuration form from an MPEG2 Generic profile:

SCC Captioning Options

Menu item

Description

CEA 608: SCC

Select this option to encode CC data in the SCC format according to CEA
608

ATSC A/53 MPEG User Data

Select this option to encode user data according to A/53

Insert CEA608 into A53 User

Data

Select this option to use CEA608 CC in MPEG2 user data

Insert CEA708 into A53 User

Data

Select this option to use CEA708 CC in MPEG2 user data

Insert SCTE-20 into A53 MPEG

User Data

Select this option to use SCTE-20 CC in MPEG2 user data

Insert SCTE-21 into A53 MPEG

User Data

Select this option to use SCTE-21 CC in MPEG2 user data

SMPTE 436 MXF

Track

Select this to create an ST436 compatible MXF track

SMPTE 436 MXF

Track Type

Select either CEA 608 or CEA 708

SMPTE 2052 Timed

Text

Select this to create CC according to SMPTE 2052 TT

DFXP

Select this to create a Timed Text track compatible with the

W3C Distribution Format Exchange Profile

SMIL

Select this to create a SMIL compatible CC track

Counting Mode

Select From Video, 24fps, 30fps or 30 drop frame

WST (Western Standard Teletext) Options

Menu item

Description

WST Options

None; selecting this option will remove dependent options

Invision VBI to ST-436 VANC
ST-436 VBI to ST-436 VANC
MPEG2 Elementary Stream to ST-436 VANC

Page Number

The carousel page number that the caption data should

reside on

VBI Line Numbers

The VBI line numbers to output caption data. Use a

comma to separate multiple entries, i.e. 21, 284

Output VANC Field 1

Line Number

Valid line numbers are 0 to 1080 in increments of 1

Output VANC Field 2

Line Number

Valid line numbers are 0 to 1080 in increments of 1

Time Code Selection

Original files can have time code stored in multiple places. Each of these locations may contain a different
value. During Transcoding, users may want to change which time code goes where in the new file that is
created.

Input Time Code Selection

The Time Code Selection menu associated with the Input Group in the New Conversion tool has the following
controls.

Menu item

Description

Manual Start Timecode

Enter desired Hours:Minutes:Seconds:Frames

time code

Initialize Lead Timecode

Stream from

See Time Code Source Option

Initialize Timecode Stream A

from

See Time Code Source Option

Initialize Timecode Stream B

from

See Time Code Source Option

Time Code Source Option

Description

Manual Start Timecode

Accepts a value entered in the provided timecode

field

File Header (as seem in library)

Uses time code* from the lead time code (file

header) of the input file wrapper.

MPEG2 GOP Header Timecode

Uses time code from the GOP headers of the

video stream (MPEG2 only).

SMPTE328M Timecode 1 and

ES VBI

Covers MPEG2 elementary stream data and uses

time code from the first time code element
contained in SMPTE ST-328 timecode1 packets,
Omneon (proprietary) VBI containing VITC, GXF
ST-360 VBI containing VITC.

SMPTE328M Timecode 2

Uses time code from the second time code

element contained in the SMPTE 328M User Data
Element (MPEG2 Only).

In Vision VITC from tall

MPEG(D10)

Uses time code from the first VITC Element found

in picture.

File VITC from S436 VBI (or PES

VBI)

SMPTE ST-436 VBI track containing VITC, Pinnacle

PES VBI track containing VITC.

*In MXF, time codes are read in the following order: Material package, Source package
Output File Lead and Output GOP time code is always sourced from the Lead Timecode selection.

Scaling
Dalet AmberFin up and down converters use adaptive interpolation filters and do not have to rely on simple
pixel repetition or decimation. But, to get the best out of these powerful Dalet AmberFin scaling processors,
there are a number of user configurable scaling modes.
Scaler mode configuration is one of the conversion options when a new conversion profile is created using the
New Conversion menu.
Refer to Creating_a_New_Transcode_Template to learn how to make a New_Conversion_Template.

Scaler Mode
Scaler Mode
Choose
one of
the
following:

Disabled
Advanced
Auto
Width
Auto
Height
Manual
(Absolute)
Manual
(Relative)
SD
Presets
(NTSC)
SD
Presets
(PAL)
Expert

Disabled
Input pixels are mapped to output pixels. No scaling takes place but conversion quality can be configured.

Conversion Quality
Adaptive (High
Quality)
Interpolated (Fast)

Advanced
The following parameters can be configured:

Source
Display
Resolution

NTSC 720, NTSC 704, PAL 720 PAL 704, HD 1080, HD 720, Other (assumes square
pixels)

Width
/Height

Fixed unless Other is chosen

VBI in
video

Check this box if there are VBI lines in SD video (changes height value)

Blanking

Select analog or digital blanking from drop down box

Picture
Type

Select Full, Letterbox / Pillarbox or Anamorphic from drop down box

Aspect
ratio of
video
content

Fixed unless Letterbox/Pillarbox or Anamorphic is chosen

When variable select 4/3, 16/9, 14/9, 1.37, 1.85, 2.4 or Other
For Other choose aspect ratio as a ratio , e.g. 2.7. An incorrect entry made here
will appear in red.

Crop

Select values here to reduce the active video by a variable crop amount.
Top: 0 1024

Left:
01024

Bottom:
0 - 1024

Right: 0 - 1024

Destination
Display
Resolution

NTSC 720, NTSC 704, PAL 720 PAL 704, HD 1080, HD 720, Other (assumes
square pixels)

Width
/Height

Fixed unless Other is chosen

VBI in video

Check this box if VBI lines in output SD video are desired (changes height
value)

Insertion
Method

Fit Width, Fit Height, Fit width and height

Allow
anamorphic

Only available for Fit width and height insertion method

Borders

Select values here to add a variable border around the active video
Top:
01024

Left:
01024

Output Aspect Ratio

Select:

As Input
4/3
16/9

Output Interlace
Select:

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)

Bottom:
0 - 1024

Right:
01024

Conversion Quality
Select:

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

Auto Width
Auto Width Options
Scale to
Width

Grayed out in Auto Width mode

Scale to
Height

Scaled Picture Height (pixels) min =1 max = 1080

incr = 2

Output
Interlace

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)

Conversion
Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

Auto Height
Auto Height Options
Scale to
Width

Scaled Picture Width (pixels) min =1 max = 1920

incr = 2

Scale to
Height

Grayed out in Auto Height mode

Output
Interlace

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)

Conversion
Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

Manual (Absolute)
Manual (Absolute) Options
Scale to Width (pixels)

Sets the width of the output container. See note

below.
Scaled Picture Width (pixels) min =1 max = 1920
incr = 2

Scale to Height (pixels)

Sets the height of the output container

Scaled Picture Height (pixels) min =1 max = 1080
incr = 2

Output Interlace

Determines how the scaler is applied to the input.

None (as Input)
Progressive - scaler is applied to the whole
picture
Interlaced (top field first) - scaler is applied to
each field independently
Interlaced (bottom field first) - scaler is applied to
each field independently

Crop to Width (scaled

pixels)

Sets the width of the content within the output

container
Select previous settings then crop to Width
(pixels) min =1 max = 1920 incr = 2

Crop to Height (scaled

pixels)

Sets the height of the content within the output

container
Select previous settings then crop to Height
(pixels) min =1 max = 1080 incr = 2

Conversion Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

To understand the difference between the size of the container and the size of the content, consider three
possible relationships between the two. If the container is the same size as the content, the scalar will reduce
both in the same proportion, conserving the native aspect ratio. If the container is larger than the content, the
scalar will create a smaller content window within the container window. This is what is seen in the letterbox
format. If the container is smaller than the content, then portions of the content may be clipped with only the
center part of the content shown. This is what is seen in pan and scan.

Manual (Relative)

Manual (Relative) Options

Scale to Width

Set the output picture width as a percentage of input width

Scaled Picture Width (% of input width) 1% to 100%

Scale to Height

Set the output picture height as a percentage of input height

Scaled Picture Height (% of input height) 1% to 100%

Output Interlace

Determines how the scaler is applied to the input.

None (as Input)
Progressive - scaler is applied to the whole picture
Interlaced (top field first) - scaler is applied to each field
independently
Interlaced (bottom field first) - scaler is applied to each field
independently

Conversion Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

SD Presets (NTSC/PAL)

SD Presets (NTSC/PAL) Option

Output Aspect Ratio

As Input
4/3
16/9

Output Interlace

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)

Conversion Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

Picture Format

Select the desired output picture format. The active format is

highlighted in white.
Use the scroll arrows to show more formats.

The screen shot is shown is for an NTSC output format; the

choices for a PAL output format are similar, except that the
conversion direction is expected to be from NTSC to PAL.

Expert Mode
The expert mode provides better control over the scaling process, closely aligned with the capabilities of the
Transcode web service interface. In particular, it was developed to simplify 486 (BFF) to 480 (TFF) workflows.

SD Presets (NTSC/PAL) Option

Output
Aspect
Ratio
Output
Interlace

Conversion
Quality

As Input
4/3
16/9
None (As Input)
Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)
Adaptive (High Quality)
Interpolated (Fast)

Picture
Format

Select the desired output picture format. The active format is highlighted in white.
Use the scroll arrows to show more formats.

The screen shot is shown is for an NTSC output format; the choices for a PAL output format
are similar, except that the conversion direction is expected to be from NTSC to PAL.

Output (Display) Frame

Width

Scaled Picture Width (pixels) min =1 max = 1920 incr = 2

Height

Scaled Picture Height (pixels) min =1 max = 1080 incr = 2

Interlace

None (As Input)

Progressive
Interlaced (top field first)
Interlaced (bottom field first)

Output
Aspect
Ratio

As Input
4/3
16/9

Scale Cropped Input

Select values here to reduce the active video by a variable crop amount.
X Offset: 0
Y Offset: 0
Height: 2 Width: 2 - 3840
2160
1920
1080
pixel resolution

pixel resolution

half pixel
resolution

half pixel
resolution

Border (Black)

Outside Border

Select values here to reduce the active video by a variable crop amount.
Top: 0 - 1080

Left: 0 - 1920

Bottom: 0 - 1080

Right: 0 - 1920

Conversion Modifiers
Conversion Quality

Adaptive (High Quality)

Interpolated (Fast)

Output Format Options

The following table outlines the available output format profiles and their configuration options.

Profile

Configuration Options
Output Chroma

Color Space Conversion

Bit Depth

Dithering Mode

Video Legalisation

MPEG4-AVC (H.264)

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG4-AVC - Intra

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

10 Bits

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

AVCHD (MTS Transport Stream)

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG4

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

H.264 MXF Proxy

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG2- Generic

4:2:0
4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG-1

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

QuickTime

4:2:0
4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

DV

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Apple ProRes

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

10 Bits

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Avid/Pinnacle Mediastream

4:2:0
4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG2 IMX (D10)

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

MPEG2 IMX (D10) - Video

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Windows Media 9

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Windows Media VC-1

4:2:0

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

DNxHD

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

See Encoding

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

File Wrapping / Demultiplexing

No format applicable, wrapping options only, See Using Wrapping Options.

Uncompressed

4:2:0
4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 / 10 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Jpeg 2000

4:2:2

None,
HD to SD (709 to 601)
SD to HD (601 to 709)

8 / 10 Bits

Simple Rounding
HQ Dithering

No Legalization
Simple YUV Clipping

Refer to the Dalet AmberFin GUI software itself for the most up-to-date formats and configuration options.

Using Standards Conversion

Dalet AmberFin includes a range of tools for format conversion and standards conversion of SD and HD.
Format conversion might involve changing image size, for example scaling up from SD to HD or down from SD
to a custom deliverable. Standards conversion means changing frame rate, for example when exchanging
information internationally.

Choosing a Conversion Mode

The Standards conversion functionality is in the dialog box Output >> Picture >> Temporal in the Repurposing
Template Editor >> New Conversion dialog.

There are up to four conversion modes available:

Conversion Mode
Comment
This is a non-conversion mode and so preserves the input frame
As Input
rate; i.e. no frame rate conversion will be applied.
In this mode, the output frame rate is created by dropping and
Nearest Frame
repeating frames; this mode would be a good choice to perform a
24p to 29i conversion using a 2:3 process.
Motion Compensated
This mode uses the existing SD only standards convertor that ships
(SD)
as standard with the relevant products, e.g. AD Format Converter,
AD Works.
Advanced Cadence Conversion for restoring the 2:3 cadence on 29i
ACC (Expert Mode)
or 30i material that contains 2:3 or mixed material.
ACC Tachyon (Expert
Advanced Cadence Conversion via Tachyon hardware acceleration.
Mode)

Advanced Motion
Compensated (SD/HD)

This is the optional HD Standards Converter.

Advanced Motion
Compensated (SD/HD)
Tachyon

This is the optional HD Standards Converter using the Tachyon

hardware acceleration

The settings available for the three active conversion modes are as follows:
Conversion
Nearest
Motion
Mode
Frame
Compensated
(SD)
Output Framerate (Hz)

24p (Film) Originated

Content

Enable Cadence and

Timecode Alignment

Align Cadence with

Input Timecode

Advanced
Motion
Compensated
(SD/HD)

The H.264 MXF Proxy profile only supports As Input and Nearest Frame, and standards conversion is not
applicable to the File Wrapping and Demultiplexing profile.
When setting the output frame rate, always configure the scaling and output interlace appropriately in the
Scaling menu to create the right format output.

Output Video Encoding Configuration

The following sections describe some of the various video and audio encoder configuration options.
This manual does not cover all installations and some details may not be shown here. It is recommended to
refer to your Dalet AmberFin GUI for the most updated encoder support and configuration.

MPEG4 AVC (H.264)

Parameter

Values

Comment

Coding Effort

Set slider for 1 to

10

Default 6.

Preset

Baseline, Main,
High
Blu-ray Disc
Sony PSP*
iPod*, iPod640
AVC HD
Custom

Custom enables advanced parameters see next

table.

Macroblock Adaptive Field

Frame

Check box to
enable

iPod* and Sony* PSP have specific scalar requirements; large picture sizes may not convert properly
Advanced Settings (Custom Preset only)

Parameter

Values

Comment

Profile

Baseline, Main
High**

Level***

Auto, 1, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3,

2, 2.1, 2.2, 3, 3.1,
3.2, 4, 4.1, 4.2, 5, 5.1

Value chosen depends on target

decoder capability, input picture
size and bitrate

Compression
Mode

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR (1 pass)

Output bitrate varies within a

specific range

VBR (2 pass)

Output bitrate varies within a

specific range

Constant Quantizer

Number of bits required to

represent a portion of the signal is
constant. Lower values gives a
more accurate representation.

Output Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 1000
Max = 300,000,000
Incr = 1

Sets the target output bitrate

Maximum VBR
Bitrate (bps)

Min = 1000
Max = 30,000,000
Incr = 1

Sets the absolute maximum VBR

output bitrate

Quantizer IMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1, Max = 51
Incr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Quantizer PMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1, Max = 51 I
ncr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Quantizer BMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1, Max = 51
Incr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Slice Count

Auto, 1 to 8 in
integer steps

The number of slices in a picture

where a slice represents an
encoded unit that contains all the
information required to be
decoded. Allows decoding to be
done in a multi-threaded system.

Aspect Ratio
Mode

Picture, Sample

Aspect Ratio

Auto, 1:1, 1.25:1,

4:3, 1.5:1, 16:9,
1.85:1, 2.00:1,
2.21:1, 2.35:1, 2.39:1

Refers to the ratio between picture

width and picture height

Number of
Frames in a GOP

Min = 1, Max = 300

Incr = 1

Sets the Group of Pictures (GOP)

size

Minimum
Number of
Frames in a GOP

Min = 0, Max = 299

Incr = 1

Sets the minimum GOP size

B-frames

0, 1, 2, 3

Sets the number of B frames in the

GOP

Reference
Frames

Min = 1, Max = 16,

Incr = 1

Sets the number of frames used to

encode the picture

PullDown

None,
2:3i, 3:2i, 2:3p, 3:2p

Enable Scene
Detection

Enable, Disable

Checkbox to enable scene detection

For proper conversions, level***, bitrate, and profile values are all associated. See AVC Encoding Level
Numbers.

MPEG4

Parameter
Preset

Values
Simple Profile Level
0
Simple Profile Level
1
Simple Profile Level
2
Simple Profile Level
3
Advanced Profile
Level 0
Advanced Profile
Level 1
Advanced Profile
Level 2
Advanced Profile
Level 3

Comment
Custom enables advanced parameters see
next table.

Advanced Profile
Level 4
Advanced Profile
Level 5
IPod
Sony PSP
Custom

MPEG4 Advanced Settings (Custom Preset only)

Parameter

Values

Comment

Profile

Simple
Advanced

Level

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Value chosen depends on target

decoder capability and input
picture size and bitrate

H263 Mode
Compression
Mode

Enable, disable

Check box to enable this mode

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR (1 pass)

Output bitrate varies within a

specific range

VBR (2 pass)

Output bitrate varies within a

specific range

Constant Quantizer

Number of bits required to

represent a portion of the signal is
constant. Lower values give a
more accurate signal
representation.

Output
Bitrate (bps)

Min = 10,000
Max = 38,400,000 Incr =
1

Sets the target output bitrate

Maximum
VBR Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 10,000
Max = 38,400,000
Incr = 1

Sets the absolute maximum VBR

output bitrate

VBV Buffer
Size

Min = 1024
Max = 38,400,000
Incr = 1

Quantizer IMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1
Max = 31
Incr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Quantizer PMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1
Max = 31
Incr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Quantizer BMacroblocks
Value

Min = 1
Max = 31
Incr = 1

Adjustable in Constant Quantizer

mode only

Slice Count

Auto, 1 to 8 in integer
steps

The number of slices in a picture

where a slice represents an
encoded unit that contains all the
information required to be
decoded. Allows decoding to be
done in a multi-threaded system.

Pixel Aspect
Ratio

1:1 Square
4:3 PAL

4:3 NTSC
16:9 PAL
16:9 NTSC
Custom
Custom pixel
aspect ratio

User defined

Number of
VOP
between
two
Keyframes

Min = 1, Max = 1000 Incr

=1

B-frames

0, 1, 2, 3

Sets the number of B frames in the

GOP

Enable
Scene
Detection

Enable, Disable

Checkbox to enable scene

detection

H.264 MXF Proxy

Parameter

Values

Comment

Coding Effort

Set slider for 1 to 10;

default 6.

Output Bitrate
Preset

1, 1.5, 2

Profile

Baseline

The H.264 MXF Proxy conversion profile uses

the baseline profile of the MPEG AVC (H.264)
codec.

Level
Compression
Mode

3.1

Fixed

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

Output Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 1000
Max = 300,000,000 Incr =
1

Sets the target output bitrate

Slice Count

Auto, 1 to 8 in integer
steps

The number of slices in a picture where a slice

represents an encoded unit that contains all
the information required to be
decoded. Allows decoding to be done in a
multi-threaded system.

Aspect Ratio
Mode

Picture, Sample

Aspect Ratio

Auto, 1:1, 12:11, 10:11,

16:11, 40:33, 24:11,
20:11, 32:11, 80:33,
18:11, 15:11, 64:33,
160:99

Refers to the ratio between picture width and

picture height

B-frames

Number of B frames in the GOP

Reference
Frames

Number of frames used to encode picture

PullDown
Enable Scene
Detection

None
Enable, Disable

Checkbox to enable scene detection

MPEG2 Generic

Parameter

Values

MPEG2 Profile

DefaultProfile.xml
XDCAMProfile.xml

Video Codec

Quality MPEG2
Fast MPEG2

Encoding Type

VBR (1 pass)

Comment
Choose a default or XDCAM profile and in each
case, edit the xml file as desired to customise
the encoding.

Output bitrate varies within a specific range

VBR (2 pass)

Output bitrate varies within a specific range

Constant Bitrate

The number of bits required to represent a

portion of the signal is constant.

Constant Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 1000 bps

Max = 200 Mbps
Incr = 400 bps

Target encoding bitrate in constant bitrate

mode

Maximum Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 192000 bps

Max = 180 Mbps
Incr = 1

Maximum bitrate allowed in variable bitrate

mode

Average Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 192000 bps

Max = 180 Mbps
Incr = 1

Average target bitrate in variable bitrate mode

Minimum Bitrate
(bps)

Min = 192000 bps

Max = 180 Mbps
Incr = 1

Minimum bitrate in variable bitrate mode

I Frame Only

Checkbox

Disable to configure encoder

Number of B frames
Number of Frames
in a GOP

0, 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5

Closed GOP Interval

Never,
1, 2, 4, 8, 10, 15, or 20

Adaptive GOP
Length

Disable
Enable (and close
GOP on shot change)

Profile & Level

Auto

Higher DC Precision

Enable, Disable

Min = 3
Max = 100
Incr = 1

Sets the 10-bit DC Precision for higher bit rate

use. Recommended for XDCAM.

MPEG1

Parameter
Constant Bitrate (bps)

Values
Min = 192,000
bps

Comment
Target encoding bitrate in constant
bitrate mode

Max = 15 Mbps
Incr = 10 bps
I Frame Only
Number of Frames in a
GOP

Checkbox

Constrain to VCD format

Checkbox

Disable to configure frames in GOP

Min = 3
Max = 100
Incr = 1
Conform video to compact disc format

QuickTime

Parameter

Values

Comment

Exporter
Profile

Output file wrapper format:

AVI (.avi)
DV Stream (.dv)
QuickTime Movie(.mov)
ON2 Technologies Flash Video
FLV (.flv)
ON2 Technologies Flash Video
SWF (.swf)

Fast Start

Enable, Disable

Click on Configure to display the appropriate installed

encoder configuration tool.

See Dalet AmberFin Release Notes for QuickTime version compatibility.

DV

Parameter

Values

SD Video Codec

IEC DV
DVCPRO
DVCPRO 50

HD Video Codec

DVCPRO HD 100

Comment

QuickTime player, version 7.5, has no codec to play DVCPRO 50 or DVCPRO HD in MOV

AppleProRes

Parameter
Codec

Values
422(HQ), 422, 422(LT),
422(Proxy)

Comment
Determines how the video
data is to be handled

Avid/Pinnacle Mediastream

Parameter

Values

Comment

Video
Codec

MPEG2 Long GOP

Determines how the video data

is to be handled

GOP
Length

Regular 12 (50Hz)
video
Regular 15 (59.94
Hz) video

Group of Pictures size

MPEG2 IMX
Picture encoding configuration for MPEG2 IMX (D10) and MPEG2 IMX (D10) - Video:

MPEG2 IMX (D10) tape version has the same output encoding options as the D10 Video version.
Each MPEG2 IMX (D10) codec configuration as follows:

Parameter
Bitrate (Mbps)

Values

Comment

50 Mbps
40 Mbps
30 Mbps

The IMX D10 codec follows the D10 (tape) format which means the D10 MXF can only contain a maximum of 8
x 16 bit audio tracks or 4 x 24 bit audio tracks. The Dalet AmberFin IMX D10 video option produces IMX
constrained MPEG2 video but allows more audio tracks. This is then wrapped in a generic MXF OP1a
container and not a D10 MXF container.

Windows Media 9 and Windows Media 9 Advanced Profile

Windows Media 9
Codec Type

Comment

Windows Media Video

9

Windows Media Player codec.

Windows Media Video

9 Advanced Profile

The Advanced Profile implements a more recent and fully compliant Advanced Profile
of the VC-1 codec standard.

Parameter

Values

Compression Mode

Comment

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR
(2 pass peak
bitrate)

Output bitrate peak rate can be set.

VBR
(2 pass
average bitrate)

Output bitrate average rate can be set. The actual

rate will vary above and below this rate.

Constant Quality

Select the number of bits to represent a portion of

the signal. A lower value gives a more accurate
signal representation.

Bitrate

Min = 2000
Max = 20000000
Incr = 1000

Enable for CBR and VBR

Disabled for Constant Quality

Quality

Min 0, Max 100

Incr 1

Enabled when Compression Mode is Constant

Quality

Keyframe interval
selection

Checkbox

Enable / Disable

Keyframe interval
(seconds)

Min 0, Max
99,900
Incr 100

I-frame = 0

Buffer Window

Set slider for 1

to 15; default 3.

Coding Effort

Set slider for 1

to 10; default 5.

Windows Media VC-1

Windows Media VC-1

Parameter
Compression
Mode

Values

Comment

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR
(1 pass average
bitrate)

The actual rate varies above and below the average

rate.
1 pass timeline versus bitrate survey
2 pass encode: more bits for complex video less
bits for low motion/detail.

VBR
(2 pass average
bitrate)
Constant Quality

Select the number of bits to represent a portion of

the signal. A lower value gives a more accurate
signal representation.

Bitrate

Min = 2000
Max = 20000000
Incr = 1000

Enable for CBR and VBR

Disabled for Constant Quality

Quality

Min 0, Max 100

Incr 1

Enabled when Compression Mode is Constant

Quality

Keyframe
interval
selection

Checkbox

Enable / Disable

Keyframe
interval
(seconds)

Min 0, Max
99,900
Incr 100

I-frame = 0

Buffer
Window

Set slider for 1 to

15; default 3.

Coding
Effort

Set slider for 1 to

10; default 5.

1
pass timeline versus bitrate survey. During this pass the encoder analyses the video for sections
with significant motion or detail so that a higher bitrate can be assigned.
2
pass encode. This is the actual encode, where the bitrate assigned depends on the result of the
analysis carried out in the first pass.

DNxHD

The Avid DNxHD video codec offers a choice of bit rates, bit depths and dithering modes.

Parameter
DNxHD
Bitrate

Values
Low Quality 8bit
36Mbps,
23.976sf only

Comment

Medium Quality
8-bit
120Mbps /
145Mbps
High Quality 8bit
185Mbps /
220Mbps
High Quality 10bit
185Mbps /
220Mbps
Dithering
Mode

Simple Rounding
High Quality
Dithering

Dithering helps to soften gradients in the picture to lessen banding. It

is particularly helpful when only 8 bits are used.

DNxHD data is typically stored in an MXF container, although it can also be stored in a QuickTime (AAF)
container. See Using Wrapping Options on page 175.
File Wrapping / Demultiplexing
There are no encoder parameters for this option.
Uncompressed
There are no encoder parameters for this option.
Thumbnails
There are no encoder parameters for this option.

VoD Transport Stream

VoD encoder settings are determined by the encoder selected (i.e. MPEG4 AVC (H.264). JPEG 2000

Parameter

Values

Comment

Profile

Xml definition e.g:

DefaultProfile.xml
IngestProfile.xml

Path to xml definition

Compression
Mode

CBR

Output bitrate is constant

VBR

The actual rate varies above

and below the average rate.
In this mode Enable Max
Bitrate is active and TQE is
enabled

Lossless

In this mode Enable Max

Bitrate is active

The xml profile definition can be used to set or limit compression mode options. The following table shows
some examples for the default profile:

Compression Mode
Options

Values

Comment

Target Quality
Threshold

10 to 100
Slider
Default =
100

Enabled in VBR only

Enable Max Bitrate

Enable;
disable

Enabled in VBR only

Set a maximum bit

rate

Set bit rate

Default 100,000,000

Output Bitrate

Set bit rate

Enable for CBR and Lossless;

disabled for VBR

To view (or edit) the attached xml profile click on Open File Location and open the xml file in a suitable editor.
Using Overlays
Overlays refers to inserting logos, burning in captions and burning in timecode.

Inserting Logos

Logo Inserter

Values

Comment

Image File

Path to the file

Location of the picture file that contains

the logo

Logo Position

Custom
Top Left
Top Left Safe
Area
Top Middle
Top Right Safe
Area
Top Right

Position selection as described.

Select Custom to enable X and Y position
spin boxes.

Bottom Left
Bottom Left
Safe Area
Bottom Middle
Bottom Right
Safe Area
Bottom Right
X Position

-1920 to 1920

Horizontal position of the logo in the file

(in pixels)

Y Position

-1080 to 1080

Vertical position of the logo in the file (in

pixels)

Resize

Checkbox

Tick Resize to enable Logo Width/Height

control

Logo Width

0 to 1920

Width of the logo in (in pixels)

Logo Height

0 to 1920

Height of the logo in (in pixels)

Opacity

Slider bar from

1 to 100

Lower values give more logo translucence.

Pre-Keyed

Checkbox

Select this if the image has been multiplied

by the alpha channel

Alpha-Present

Checkbox

Indicates presence of an alpha channel. If

no alpha channel is present, the logo
inserter will derive a box key the size of
the logo to place around the image.

Burning in Text

Text Burn-in

Values

Comment

Enable Text Burn-in

Checkbox

Check to enable Text Burn-In

Text Position

Custom
Top Left
Top Left Safe
Area
Top Middle
Top Right Safe
Area
Top Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Left Safe
Area
Bottom Middle
Bottom Right
Safe Area
Bottom Right

Position selection as described.

Select Custom to enable X and Y position
spin boxes.

Text Box X Position

-1920 to 1920

Horizontal position of the text box file (in

pixels)

Text Box Y Position

-1080 to 1080

Vertical position of the text box (in pixels)

Text Box Width

0 to 1920

Width of the text box in (in pixels)

Text Box Height

0 to 1920

Height of the text box in (in pixels)

Text Box Color

Hex, Decimal,
RGB or Hue,
Saturation,
Brightness

Use the Choose Color tool to select color

Fill Background

Checkbox

Tick this box to display the text over the text

box. Leave it disabled for text burned into
the video.

Text

alphanumeric
characters

Click on the [ ] button to enter text

Text Font

Arial, Lucinda
Console, Times,
Times New
Roman

Choose the desired font from the drop down

box

Text Font Size

0 to 50
Regular, Bold,
Italics and Bold
Italics

Select font point size

Text Horizontal Alignment

Left, Center,
Right

Select the horizontal font size

Text Vertical
Alignment

Top, Center,
Bottom

Select the vertical font size

Text Color

Hex, Decimal,
RGB or Hue,
Saturation,
Brightness

Use the Choose Color tool to select color

Preview Text

Submit

Click Submit to preview the text. An onscreen pop up will display the text and
background as it will appear in the
repurposed output

Opacity (%)

Slider bar from 1

to 100

Adjust the transparency of the text and

background. 100% will display text with solid
background, 0% will display nothing.

Text Font Style

Select the font style

The Choose Color Tool

The six tabs in the Color Tool are:

Standard Color Wheel
RGB Sliders
Apple, Crayons and Web Safe Color palettes
A color grid
A simulated crayon box
An Advanced Color Wheel that combines:
Hue, Saturation and Brightness Hex and Decimal RGB
Web Safe Color filter

Timecode Burn-in

Timecode Burn-in

Values

Comment

Enable Timecode Burn-in

Checkbox

Check to enable Timecode Burn-In

Timecode Position

Custom
Top Left
Top Left Safe
Area
Top Middle

Position selection as described.

Select Custom to enable X and Y spin
boxes.

Top Right Safe

Area
Top Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Left Safe
Area
Bottom Middle
Bottom Right
Safe Area
Bottom Right
X Position

-1920 to 1920

Horizontal position of the timecode box (in

pixels)

Y Position

-1080 to 1080

Vertical position of the timecode box (in

pixels)

Background Width

0 to 1920

Width of the text box in (in pixels)

Background Height

0 to 1920

Height of the text box in (in pixels)

Text Font

Arial, Lucinda
Console, Times,
Times New
Roman

Choose the desired font from the drop

down box

Timecode Font Size

0 to 50

Select font point size

Fill Background

Checkbox

Tick this box to enable white timecode

values displayed over a black background

Timecode Source

Lead Timecode
Stream
Timecode
Stream A
Timecode
Stream B

Using Thumbnails
Thumbnails are small low resolution video frames created during a conversion which act as visual references.
An xml file is also created that contains thumbnail filenames as well as their time codes and frame counts.
There are two modes, Scene Change or Regular (for timed snap shots). Both modes can be selected at the
same time. The Thumbnails tab can be found in the Output section of the New Conversion Tool.

Thumbnail Modes
Regular
This is timed snap shot mode where thumbnail video frames are created at regular intervals.
To enable this mode tick Regular and select a value in seconds for the Thumbnail Interval.
Scene Change
In this mode thumbnails are created when shot-changes are detected.
To enable this mode tick Scene Change.
Common Settings
Enter values from 10 to 1920 pixels in the Thumbnail Width box and 10 to 1080 in the Thumbnail Height box.
To preserve aspect ratio, video frames may be wrapped in a letter or pillar-box when creating thumbnails.
Specify a filename and output directory subdirectory for the thumbnails. The default subdirectory is
thumbnails and the default filename is %o_%hh_%mm_%ss_%ff.jpg. The filename can contain patterns
that will be replaced dynamically by the application.

Symbol

Format Definition

%o

Output File

%h

Timecode Hours

%m

Timecode Minutes

%s

Timecode Seconds

%f

Timecode Frames

%fc

Relative Frame Count. (starts at frame number 1)

%afc

Absolute Frame Count (starts at frame number calculated from

start time code)

The default format is jpg. To output to png format replace the .jpg suffix with .png.

Audio Gain
Audio gain applies a single positive or negative peak gain value to all of the audio channels in the repurposing
profile.

Function
Audio Gain

Value
Set slider for -30
to 30

Comment
Click default unity gain value of 0dB (Zero)
The gain value either attenuates or boosts the audio level of
the all of the audio channels. It is applied to the whole length of
the input file audio.

* Audio gain is not applied to compressed sources such as Dolby E, MPEG 4 AAC, AMR or AIFC source audio.
Compressed audio of type MPEG 1 Layer 2 and AC3 (Dolby Digital) is supported as it is decoded to
uncompressed inside Dalet AmberFin.

Audio Gain Example

Here is a typical use case: if the input file is an MXF source file containing uncompressed audio with 8
channels of 48kHz audio, with a bit width of 16 bit has line up tone which has been referenced at -20dBfs (a
typical reference level for US broadcast delivery specs). The output audio must have line up tone at 18dBFS. A
+2dB gain must be applied to the audio.

PCM Routing

Function

Values

Comment

Number of channels
per output

1 - 16

Set the number of input channels per output channel.

Bits per PCM Sample

16, 20,
24

Specific MP4 settings compatible for specific targets

Fixed Number of
Output Tracks

Default =
off

When enabled, the Number of Output Tracks drop down box is

enabled

Number of Output
Tracks

1-16

Apply a fixed number of output tracks irrespective of the number of

tracks in the source file.

When Fixed Number of Output Tracks is enabled, the Channel Matrix will be updated to ensure that the correct
number of channels can be selected.
The Fixed Number of Output Tracks refers to tracks not channels.
If there are fewer tracks in the source, additional silent tracks will be added. If there are more tracks in the
source file than the fixed number chosen, after routing has been applied un-routed audio will be dropped. In
this way audio rules can be strictly enforced without knowing the number of tracks in the source.

Function

Comment

Channel
Matrix

Grid relating the source channel to the output channel. Double click
on a source channel to assign an output channel.

Passthrough

Select one or more channels and press either Mute or Passthrough

Mute
Select All

Use to select all channels

Audio Temporal Settings

The only adjustments that can be made under this Conversion Profile audio function are PCM Resampling
Quality and PCM Sample rate.

Function

Values

Comment

PCM Resampling
Quality

Best
Fast

Adjust the audio resampling quality

PCM Sample Rate

As Input
8,000 kHz
11.025 Hz
22,050 Hz
32,000 Hz
44, 056 Hz
44, 100 Hz
48,000 Hz
50,000 Hz
88,200 Hz
96,000 Hz
176,400 Hz
192,000 Hz

Sampling frequency of the audio signal. The higher

the sample rate, the higher the resulting audio
quality.

Audio Output Encoding

Video Codec

Supported Audio Codecs

MPEG4 AVC (H.264)

AAC

AAC

AMR

SurCode
for
Dolby
Digital

Uncompressed

MPEG1
Layer 2

WMA

MPEG4 AVC Intra

None

AVCHD (MTS Transport

Stream)
MPEG4

H.264 MXF Proxy

MPEG2 Generic
MPEG1

QuickTime

DV
Apple ProRes

Avid/Pinnacle
Mediastream

MPEFG2 IMX (D10)

MPEFG2 IMX (D10) Video

Windows Media 9

Windows Media VC-1

DNxHD

File
Wrapping/Demultiplexing

Uncompressed

JPEG 2000

Configuration parameters are largely similar for the same audio codecs, though there are some differences.
The following table shows the parameters available.

Audio
Codec

Parameters

Values/Comments

AAC

Compatibility
(Not available with
H.264 MXF Proxy)

Default
3GPP, 3GPP2, iPod, PSP, isma
Note: this parameters is not available with H.264 MXF Proxy

Profile

Low Complexity
High Efficiency v1 / v2 (not available with H.264 MXF Proxy)

Compression
Mode

CBR
VBR not available with H.264 MXF Proxy

Bitrate

7000 to 1024000 bps (enabled in CBR only)

Quality
(Not available with
H.264 MXF Proxy)

High quality mode 3 (best)

High quality mode 2
High quality mode 1
Medium quality mode 3
Medium quality mode 2 (medium)
Medium quality mode 1
Low quality mode 3
Low quality mode 2
Low quality mode 1 (worst)

High Frequency
Cut-off

Check box; enable/disable

AMR

Bitrate

4750 to 12200 bps

MPEG1 Layer 2

Bitrate

32 to 384 kbps

Uncompressed

None

Note: Uncompressed encoding only valid when using MPEG4 AVC

(H.264) AAC with Elementary Streams

WMA WM9

Compression
Mode

CBR
VBR Quality (enabled in VBR mode only)

Bitrate

24000 to 320000 bps (enabled in CBR only)

VBR Quality

25, 50, 75, 90, 100

Bitrate

24000 to 320000 bps

WMA VC-1
Dolby

See next topic; SurCode for Dolby Digital Encoding Options on page
171

SurCode for Dolby Digital Encoding Options

SurCode for Dolby Digital Encoding options can be obtained during Ingest Audio configuration and Output
Sound Encoding when configuring a transcode profile audio codec.

3/2 audio config mode is only available if a 6 channel group has been configured.

Audio Service
Field Values

Description

Field Name
Audio Coding Mode

2/0 (L, R)
3/2 (L, R, C, LFE, LsRs)

Only Stereo (2/0) and 5.1 (3/2) Dolby Digital

channel mode configurations are supported
at present. 3/2 mode is only available if a 6
channel group has been configured

Data Rate

Values ranging from 224

kb/s to 640 kb/s

Output data rate

Bitstream Mode

Complete Main (CM)

Music and Effects (ME)
Visually Impaired (VI)
Hearing Impaired (HI)
Dialog (D)
Commentary (C)
Emergency (E)
Karaoke (K)

Describes the audio service carried in the

bitstream. For informational purposes only.

Dialog Normalization

Values ranging from 31 to

1

Parameter used to set the average audio

output of the decoder to a preset level.
-31 indicates no dialog normalization is
required.
-1 indicates maximum dialog normalization is
required.

Bitstream Information
Field Values

Description

Field Name
Dynamic Compression
Preset

None
Film Standard
Film Light
Music Standard
Music Light
Speech

A list of dynamic range control presets. These presets have

settings to enable the decoder to adjust the signals
dynamic range.

Center Downmix Level 1)

0.707 (-3.0 dB)

default
0.596 (-4.5 dB)
0.500 (-6.0 dB)

Indicates the downmix level for the center channel when

the end user does not have a center speaker

Surround Downmix Level

1)

0.707 (-3.0 dB)

default
0.596 (-4.5 dB)
0.500 (-6.0 dB)

Indicates the downmix level for the surround channels

when the end user has no surround speakers

Audio Production
Information

Checkbox

Indicates whether or not these specific parameters are

carried in the bitstream

Room Type

Not Indicated
Large Room
Small Room

Size and calibration of mixing room used in final mixing

session. For information only.

Mixing Level (dBSPL)

0 31

Indicates the absolute acoustical SPL (sound pressure level)

of the main dialog channel during final mixing. For
information only.

Copyright exists

Checkbox

Bitstream is copyrighted. For information only.

Original

Checkbox

Bitstream is the master. For information only

Advanced
Field Values

Description

Field Name
LFE Lowpass Filter 1)

Checkbox

Applies a 120 Hz low pass filter to the LFE

channel before SurCode for Dolby Digital
encoding

Channel Bandwidth Lowpass

Filter

Checkbox

Applies a lowpass filter to the main input

channels before SurCode for Dolby Digital
encoding

DC Filter

Checkbox

Applies a DC blocking 3 Hz highpass filter

before SurCode for Dolby Digital encoding

90 Degree Phase Shift 1)

Checkbox

Before encoding, it creates phase-shifted

surround channels necessary to create a Lt /Rt
output that can be ProLogic decoded to L, C,
R, S.

3 dB Surround Attenuation 1)

Checkbox

Attenuates surround channels 3 dB before

encoding

RF Pre-emphasis Filter

Checkbox

When enabled, the encoder includes preemphasis in its calculations for RF Mode
compression to protect against overmodulation.

De-emphasis

Checkbox

Determines whether or not a 50 / 15

digital de-emphasis is applied to the main
input channels

Extended Bitstream Information

These fields are only valid in 3/2 (5.1) coding mode.

Field Values

Description

Field Name
Enabled

Checkbox

Indicates that extended bitstream information

is available

Preferred Stereo Downmix

Mode 1)

Not Indicated
Lt / Rt Downmix
Lo / Ro Downmix

Selection of either Lt / Rt or Lo / Ro
downmix. Allows a decoder to play a 5.1
channel in Lo / Ro mode without user
intervention

Lt / Rt Center Mix Level 1)

3 dB to incrementally

When the downmix mode is Lt / Rt , this

parameter gives the downmix level for the
center channel when the user does not have a
center speaker

Lt / Rt Surround Mix Level 1)

3 dB to incrementally

When the downmix mode is Lt / Rt , this

parameter gives the downmix level for the
surround channels when the user does not
have a surround speaker

Lo / Ro Center Mix Level 1)

3 dB to incrementally

When the downmix mode is Lo / Ro, this

parameter gives the downmix level for the

center channel when the user does not have a

center speaker
Lo / Ro Surround Mix Level 1)

3 dB to incrementally

When the downmix mode is Lo / Ro, this

parameter gives the downmix level for the
surround channels when the user does not
have a surround speaker

Input is Dolby Surround EX

encoded

Checkbox

Identifies audio as Surround EX encoded and

requires Surround EX decoding

A / D Converter Type
Indication (HDCD)

Checkbox

Identifies the audio has been passed through

an A / D conversion

For direct encode to SurCode for Dolby Digital at Ingest the track order is fixed (e.g. there is no individual
channel routing available if the Ingested input is directly encoded to Dolby Digital). If the track order is not as
stated below then a 2 pass Ingest to intermediate file (such as MXF OP1a) and then a separate repurpose job
to Dolby Digital using the repurposing audio routing menu is the solution.

Track orders for discrete AES inputs:

AES Input

SurCode for Dolby Digital

Encoder

AES Pair 1 Channel 1 = L

AES Pair 1 Channel 2 = R

AES Pair 2 Channel 1 = C

AES Pair 2 Channel 2 = LFE

LFE

AES Pair 3 Channel 1 = Ls

Ls

AES Pair 3 Channel 2 = Rs

Rs

Tape Input (HDCAM)

SurCode for Dolby Digital

Encoder

AES Pair 1 Channel 1 = L

AES Pair 1 Channel 2 = R

5.1 layout defined as per SMPTE
320M

SurCode for Dolby Digital Coding Mode

5.1

SurCode for Dolby Digital Coding Mode

2.0

Track orders for embedded audio input:

SDI/HD-SDI Channel
Group 1 Pair 1 Channel 1 = L
Group 1 Pair 1 Channel 2 = R
Group 1 Pair 2 (Channel 3) = C
Group 1 Pair 2 (Channel 4) = LFE
Group 2 Pair 1 (Channel 5) = Ls
Group 2 Pair 1 (Channel 6) = Rs
Tape Input (HDCAM)
Group 1 Pair 1 Channel 1 = L
Group 1 Pair 1 Channel 2 = R
5.1 layout defined as per SMPTE
320M

SurCode for Dolby Digital

Encoder
L
R
C
LFE
Ls
Rs
SurCode for Dolby Digital
Encoder Minnetonka
L
R

SurCode for Dolby Digital Coding Mode

5.1

SurCode for Dolby Digital Coding Mode

2.0

Using Wrapping Options

The file wrapper available for each output format varies and therefore the options available in the New
Conversion Tool depend of the Conversion Profile selected. In addition there will be configuration options that
are specific to each wrapper.

Profile

Wrappers Available

MPEG4-AVC (H.264)

MP4
3GPP
Elementary Stream

MPEG4-AVC - Intra

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
P2 MXF (OP Atom)

AVCHD (MTS Transport Stream)

Transport Stream

MPEG4

MP4
3GPP

H.264 MXF Proxy

MXF OP1a interleaved

MPEG2- Generic

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
XDCAM HD MXF
XDCAM HD MOV (Final Cut Pro)
XDCAM EX MOV (Final Cut Pro)
Elementary Stream
Program Stream (CBR streaming and VBR DVD compatible)
Program Stream (VBR SCVD compatible)
Program Stream (VBR download compatible)
Transport Stream
GXF

MPEG-1

Elementary Stream
Program Stream (Streaming compatible)
System Stream (VCD compatible)

QuickTime

Proprietary Format no additional wrapper

DV

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
P2 MXF (OP Atom)
MOV (Final Cut Pro)
AVI
Elementary Stream
DV DIF Sequence
GXF
AAF

Apple ProRes

MOV (Final Cut Pro)

Avid/Pinnacle Mediastream

Mediastream group of files

MPEG2 IMX (D10)

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
MOV (Final Cut Pro)
Program Stream
Transport Stream

MPEG2 IMX (D10) - Video

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
Elementary Stream
Program Stream
Transport Stream
GXF

AAF
Windows Media 9

.wmv Proprietary Format no additional wrapper

Windows Media VC-1

.asf Proprietary Format no additional wrapper

AAF
MXF OP1a interleaved
MOV (Final Cut Pro)

DNxHD

Profile

Wrappers Available

FileWrapping/Demultiplexing

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
P2 MXF (OP Atom)
XDCAM HD MXF
MOV (Final Cut Pro)
Elementary Stream
Program Stream
Transport Stream
MXF OP1a interleaved (IMX/D10)

Uncompressed

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
MOV (Final Cut Pro)
AVI

JPEG 2000

MXF OP1a interleaved

MXF-AS02 (Simple Version)
MJ2

Refer to the Dalet Amberfin GUI software itself for the most up-to-date codecs, wrappers and configuration
options.

Output Processing
Naming templates are supported to format the names of conversion output files and both Pre and Post scripts
are supported to automate processing. Email notification of completed conversions can also be configured.
To configure output processing click on Output >> Output Processing in the New Conversion tool.

Format
Symbol

Format Definition

%i

Input file name (without file extension)

%c

Output type

%n

Conversion Name

%Z

Auto-increment output name (only valid if at end of naming pattern)

%a

Abbreviated weekday name

%A

Full weekday name

%b

Abbreviated month name

%B

Full Month Name

%d

Day of month as decimal number (01 31)

%H

Hour in 24 hour format (00 23)

%I

Hour in 12 hour format (01 12)

%j

Day of year as decimal number (001 366)

%m

Month as a decimal number (01 12)

%M

Minute as a decimal number (00 59)

%p

Current locale AM/PM indicator for 12 hour clock

%S

Second as a decimal number (00 - 59)

%U

Week of the year as decimal number, with Sunday as first day of the week (00 53)

%w

Weekday as decimal number (0 6, Sunday is 0)

%W

Week of the year as decimal number, with Monday as first day of the week (00 53)

%y

Year without century, as decimal number (00 99)

%Y

Year with century as a decimal number

Putting %z in the string will display the unit's programmed time zone and placing two consecutive % signs will
display whatever is after the first % sign. Characters that are considered illegal for Windows file naming such
as / or ? will have the underscore substituted for them in the filename. Click on the appropriate [ ]
button to browse for Pre conversion script or Post conversion script locations. Click on the Email notification
Recipients [ ] button to enter the contact information.

Watermarking
Content protection is increasingly important and the Digital Watermarking option allows an invisible
identification signal to be added. The watermarking types supported are Civolution and Civolution Teletrax.
For a quick guide on the Teletrax installation, licensing and watermarking, consult the knowledge article:
https://portal.dalet.com/icarewiki/daletwikiv91a.nsf/dx/Dalet_Amberfin_and_Teletrax_Watermarking

Civolution

Function

Value

Comment

Payload

0 to
2097151

An identification number used to watermark the video image

Advanced

Checkbox

Tick to enable Key Index

Key Index

1 to 5

The Key Index control allows one of five key layers to be applied to the video

Strength

Global
Depth

Max
Depth

Comment

Studio

0.0125

Studio Plus

0.025

Broadcast

0.05

Broadcast Plus

0.1

Strength increases the strength of the watermark. Higher values

are more robust but may not be imperceptible.
Select CUSTOM to allow Global and Maximum depth to be
manually modified. They can be reduced it if the watermark
becomes visible.

Custom

0 to 0.25

1 to 5

Defaults are Global: 0.25 and Max: 5.0

Civolution watermarking requires a minimum clip length of 30s.

Civolution Teletrax
The optional Teletrax watermarking application may also be available

Function

Value

Comment

Working Directory

Location

Click on [ ] and browse for a suitable location

Program name

Text

Type a suitable name, default: Quick Watermark

Database Location

Location

Click on [ ] and browse for a suitable location

Enable Teletrax Logging

Checkbox

Tick to enable logging

Logfile Location

Location

Click on [ ] and browse for a suitable location

Logfile Name

Text

Type a suitable name, default: Quick Watermark

Customer ID

Text

Type suitable alphanumeric characters

Item ID

Text

Slug

Text

Description

Text

Write a suitable description

Watermark embedding takes place in every frame and is updated every second as date and time information
is embedded. Watermark detection is done in 0,5 second intervals as watermark material is gathered to
calculate the watermark payload. The 0,5 second accumulation time was selected to guarantee a watermark
detection of 1 second granularity.

15.

Dalet Amberfin Workflow Engine

Specially tailored for media workflows, Dalet Workflow Engine is a key foundation of Dalets
commitments: help broadcasters and media professionals to increase productivity, provide
operational and business visibility and offer agility and openness through SOA. Dalet
Workflow Engine automates back-office tasks. On the back-office side, it manages metadata
services by enabling many tasks and third-party processes such as QC, conversion, media
exchanges and transfers to be fully automated.
By using simple drag & drops, administrators model all their workflows in details, including
user and service tasks sequencing, task types, parallel or exclusive paths, timeout and
escalation management. This visual modeling based on BPMN 2.0 standardized notation
helps define roles, responsibilities and processes. Precise graphical representation helps
identify and correct gaps, redundancies and inefficiencies. It greatly improves agility and
flexibility as existing workflows can quickly and easily be modified to meet new business
requirements

Installation and Activation

The foundation for the workflow engine is provided by the Amberfin setup.
Once restarted after the setup procedure, the computer will host the Windows service,
AmberFinWorkflow DataStore and AmberFin Workflow Server, running under local system
accounts

In order to access the Workflow Engine, you have to have a browser installed and access the
following URL: http://<workflowenginehostname>:31013/WorkflowEngineService/

The workflow engine interface features a Manage; a Design; and a Monitor tab. For you convenience, you
can open each in a separate browser tab.

Initially the Manage tab will be empty, because you need to create workflow profiles first.

The Design Tab

Creating a Workflow
Make sure to have all functional QC processes, conversion/transcode profiles prepared in the client.
Open the Design tab of the Engine.
The Designer consists of a three vertical areas, the stencil, design, and properties area. The stencil and
properties area can be minimized sideways, by clicking the two cursor icons side-lining the designer.
Event types and stencil sections, you can open/close sub sections if they exist, by clicking the cursor
down/up icon next to each event.

The designer will always open ready-to-go with an empty page. If already existent, you can begin a new one
by clicking the empty page icon:

You drag and drop the desired stencil (1) into the design area (2), one after the other, from start event till
end event. It is imperative that every workflow must begin/finish with a start/end event. You streamline
and connect the components by drawing links between them (3). For each element, you will have to define
the relevant properties (4) in the properties side bar. Mandatory fields appear in red.

In order to delete an element, click it with the mouse. It will highlight in blue. Then press the delete
keyboard button.
You can copy
blue).

/paste

You can redo/undo

sequentially .

/cut

/delete

elements, while an element is selected (highlighted in

actions, zoom in/out

,and automatically arrange all elements horizontally-

Saving, Opening, Exporting a Workflow

In order to save a workflow for the first time and/or to save its current state, click the disc icon in the
horizontal upper icon area

On the first save, you have to provide a name for the design.

In order to save an existing design under a new name, click Save as:
By clicking the Open icon

, you can select a design to be opened for editing.

Worklflows are saved under <Amberfin

host>ProgramData\AmberFin\AmberFinWorkflow\WorkflowEngineService\workflows

You can download designs as ZIP to use them on a different platform, by clicking the
icon. Just unzip to
that other platforms ProgramData\AmberFin\AmberFinWorkflow\WorkflowEngineService\workflows

Stencil Sets
Start Events
Start Event
Start With Parameters
Event
Start Timer
Workflow Error
Watch Folder

Start the workflow from the web

interface or the workflow API
Start the workflow from the workflow
API with a given Transcode
Parameters XML document.
Start the workflow at a given date
and time
Start the workflow when an error
occurs in any running workflow
Start the workflow when a file
appears in a given folder

Gateways
Exclusive Gateways
Inclusive Gateways
Parallel Gateway

Select a single branch from one or

more conditional and default
branches
Select multiple branches from one or
more normal, conditional or default
branches
Start multiple parallel branches

Boundary
NOTE: Boundary Error events are
not available by default. Please
contact Dalet support if you
require them to be enabled.

Boundary Error Event

Boundary Timer
Interrupting
Boundary Timer NonInterrupting

If a transcode job is problematic, a

boundary event can be started
Move to a new branch when an
activity doesn't complete within a
given duration
Continue the existing and start a
new branch when an activity doesn't
complete within a given duration

Artifacts
Text Annotation

You can add description to workflow

steps

Analyze Media

Analyse a media file using the

AmberFin Media Analyser to retrieve
wrapper, video and audio
information
Analyse a media file using the
AmberFin Media Analyser to create a
Media Description XML file.
Analyse a QCML file to retrieve the
overall QC result.

Analysis

Analyse Media (XML)

Analyse QCML
Transcode
Transcode

Transcode content from a single

source media format to a new target
format using the AmberFin
Transcoder.

Transcode with
Parameters

Transcode media content using the

AmberFin Transcoder with a given
Transcode Parameters XML
document

FTP Upload

Upload a single file to an existing FTP

folder

Transport

Move
Rename
Copy
Delete

Move a single file to an existing

Windows destination folder
Rename a single file
Copy a single file to an existing
Windows destination folder
Delete a single file

Quality Control
<Brand>

Generate a QCML report for Nexidia

QC/Tektronix Cerify/Tektronix
Aurora/Venera Pulsar/VidCheck
VidChecker/Metaglue
MXFixer/Interra Baton

XML transform

Transform an XML file into a new

format using XSLT

Email

Send an email to one or more

recipents using an SMTP mail server
(if no SMTP settings are provided
then this activity will use the default
SMTP settings)

XML Operation
Notifications

End Events

End the workflow

Cloning Stencils
If you right click a stencil you can select Clone from the contextual menu.

Assign a name and alias to the clone. The fields and default settings of the mother stencil will
be inherited, but you can modify default values, make relevant fields editable or hide/show
them. Click Create when satisfied.
Editing, Deleting, Exporting Stencils
You can edit, and export stencils by selecting the respective command from the contextual
menu on a selected stencil. Only cloned stencils can be deleted.

Limitations
1. Watch Folders: If n number of workflows are deployed (imported) to Manage panel, No two
workflows should have (same watch folder and same condition) combination. If such
combination exists, one of the workflow would not run (does nothing)- Known Limitation
2. When only Dalet workflow is installed- without Amberfin and a valid license, no error
message is reported, but it does not open/start the workflow web page. The logs do show that
the Workflow license is missing.

3. When using a parallel gateway, it should be used at both ends, i.e. a parallel gateway can
have both fork and join behavior, if there are multiple incoming and outgoing sequence flow
for the same parallel gateway.

The Manage Tab

Managing Workflow Designs
Open the Manage tab. It can be reached under:
http://<Address>:31013/WorkflowEngineService/#Manage

Even if you have created workflows in the Design tab, there will be no workflow visible when you first open
the Manage tab.
You have to import any workflow, even those created in the Design tab or copied man the page will be
empty, and only the import icon is visible (which is also the case when profiles are listed but none is
selected).

Importing Workflow Profiles

You can click the import icon
and browser to the workflow location of the workflow XML on the Amberfin
host computer: <Amberfin
host>ProgramData\AmberFin\AmberFinWorkflow\WorkflowEngineService\workflows
If you got workflows from another platform (there exported as ZIP), unzip them into the folder mentioned
above.

Once a workflow is imported, it will be automatically deployed, but not run.

You can import (select) several XML files at the same time. Reimporting the same XML again, increases the
version of the workflow.

Disable/Enable Workflows
If you wish to disable/re-enable such a deployment, you can deactivate/reactivate a selected workflow by
toggling the square/checked square icon.

Running Workflow Instances

You can mark a workflow and click the play icon
instance.

. This will manually run a workflow

Deleting a Workflow /Deployment

You can mark a workflow and click the trash icon
/deployment.

. This will remove the workflow

The Monitor Tab

The monitor tab (http://<Address>:31013/WorkflowEngineService/#Monitor) shows all
workflow instances and their metadata. Selecting an instance gives you additional
information.

There are three information areas, the upper Workflow Instances list, the middle Workflow Instances
Details, and the lower Workflow Logs area. Each can be opened/collapsed independently.

In the graphical area, the current state of the job is shown by a red border:

Deleting, Retrying a Job

Once an instance is selected, you can click the cancel or retry icon
actions. You cannot make multiple selections.

to perform these

16.

Amberfin Dark

In todays increasingly file-based media workflows, file transcode operations have assumed
critical importance. With media facilities both receiving and distributing content as media
files, broadcasters, content owners, sports organizations and post-production houses rely on
their transcode chain to deliver their content on multiple platforms, including the Internet,
VoD, mobile and other small screen devices.
Dalet AmberFin Dark efficiently turns the content that owners have into the content their
customers want. Including format and standard conversion, Dalet AmberFin Dark offers bestin-class image processing and allows for fast and effortless content delivery and repurposing.
To streamline full transcoding and content repurposing operations, Dalet AmberFin Dark
delivers superior looking pictures even at low bit rates, keeping your storage, distribution and
transmissions costs down and helping you save money on each byte you produce. With Dalet
AmberFin Dark, transcoding is more than just a wrapper change as we bring you the worlds
best scaling, de-interlacing and film cadence processing available today. Dalet AmberFin Dark
integrates advanced audio routing, coding and rate manipulation as well as broad support for
different audio formats.
Dalet AmberFin Dark builds on the successful AmberFin iCR transcode farm providing a
completely scalable, fault tolerant high quality transcode environment. With all components
running as windows services, users can build transcode farms on commodity IT hardware as
virtual appliances, thus minimizing downtime, reducing maintenance costs and enabling
complete lights-out operations.
Dalet AmberFin Dark offers the highest quality video scaling and interlace/progressive
handling while complete incremental scalability & resiliency provide the most cost-effective
scaling transcode farm. Flexible licensing enables complete three-dimensional scalability;
Installations can start as a single node and easily scale to tens or hundreds of transcode
nodes, while additional Farm Controller nodes provide resiliency and fault tolerance. Dalet
AmberFin Dark also scales in terms of functionality with options able to float across nodes
allowing high value add-ons such as motion compensated frame rate conversion and
adaptive cadence correction or optional codecs such as JPEG 2000 to be deployed only as
throughput requires.
Dalet AmberFin Dark provides a highly efficient workflow, with extensive integration and
automation capacities to third-party software and storage technology. Transcoding jobs can
be created within Dalet AmberFin Dark GUI, hot folders, directly from the Dalet Galaxy MAM
platform or via third-party systems or web servers - all from the basic transcode engine and
embedded processes such as multi-channel audio handling. Closed Captioning and Ancillary
Data handling further add to the efficiency of the farm. Dalet AmberFin Dark maintains use of
the profiles and APIs from previous versions ensuring a simple upgrade path for customers of
AmberFin iCR but also provides confidence for new implementations with full support for
previous third-party integrations and proven interoperability.
You have to define the transcode profiles in the Amberfin GUI, but

Once the profile is configured, you can in addition to execute a job manually from within the GUI, have files
added to a watchfolder or via an API integration with MAM or automation systems.
These jobs are then executed by the Amberfin services without the need to have an active user/GUI logged
in.

17.

Trouble Shooting

Trouble Shooting
The following diagnostic procedures may help with trouble shooting Dalet AmberFin.

Using Logging
Dalet AmberFin, by default will maintain lists of events as they occur. These events are not
necessarily faults, but will reflect the operations that have been carried out such as manual or
automatic ingests, transcodes and conversion. There is also an Extended logging mode that
can capture a wider range of events.
Retrieving Diagnostic Logs
Right click on the Dalet AmberFin logo in the lower right corner, and select AmberFin Logs >>
Zip logs to desktop.

A file will appear on the PC desktop named in the format:

UserName_Year_Month_Day_HourMinute_logs.zip. An example could be:
AmberFinUser_2011_08_11 18h29_logs.zip.
This zip file contains files and folders such as the following:

File/Folder
name

Location

controller

C:\program files\AmberFin\Repurposing\

DA Controller

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\

JPEG2000Profiles

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\iCR\config\

Naming Service

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\Nami
ngService\

AsteroidDevice.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

config.xml

C:\program files\AmberFin\Repurposing\

Console.log

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\iCR\

Diagnostic.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

GenericVTRDevice.l
og

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

iCR.log

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\iCR\

Install_UserName.l
og

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\Metashare\

LinearInitApp.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

Metashare.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

MonitorApp.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

Status.log

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\iCR\

NamingService.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\

Profiles.tpl

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\iCR\config\

repurposing.log

C:\Program Files\AmberFin\Repurposing\

repurposingcontroll
er.log

C:\program files\AmberFin\Repurposing\

setup.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\ (ext
ended only)

system.log

C:\Program
Files\AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\ (ext
ended only)

If difficulty is experienced with running Dalet AmberFin it is recommended to change the

logging mode to extended; right click on the Dalet AmberFin logo in the lower right corner, and
select AmberFin Logs >> Log Level >> Extended. Run Dalet AmberFin a few times and allow
the extended logs to accrue; then select Dalet AmberFin Logs >> Zip logs to desktop and
send the zip file to Dalet AmberFin Support with a brief description of the fault.
Other useful logs include those created by the operating system. For example, go to Control
Panel >> Administrative Tools >> Event Viewer shows critical system events and warning.
Events can be copied as text. A performance monitor tool is also available to help solve
network storage problems. It can be launched from Administrative Tools or by typing Perfmon
in the Search box and pressing enter. Dalet AmberFin and system event logs can help
troubleshoot both Dalet AmberFin and your network!

Start/Stop Metashare Services and Dalet AmberFin Servers

There are a number of Dalet AmberFin applications that must run successfully to use the
Dalet AmberFin GUI.
The application components common are:
AmberFin Application Server
primary AmberFin Dark service. Runs
the services for Transcode, Transfer
and Unified QC job creation and
management and the Profile service;
AmberFin DataStore
H2 database for storing AmberFin job
metadata
AmberFin License Manager
handles communication between
licensed AmberFin components and
the SafeNET license server(s)
AmberFin Management Server
manages start-up and shutdown of
AmberFin Dark services
AmberFin Orca
Legacy workflow system (Disabled by
default)
AmberFin Unifier
manages QCML updates and Unified
QC jobs including conversion from
vendor QC reports to QCML
Metashare Metadata Server
database backed service for storing
AmberFin library metadata
MetaShare Naming Service
CORBA naming service for MetaShare
Metadata Server and
Playback/Ingest Realtime Server
(Asteroid.exe)

AmberFin Workflow DataStore

AmberFin Workflow Server

H2 database for storing workflow

deployments and instances
primary AmberFin Workflow service.
Runs the Workflow GUI and Engine

When Dalet AmberFin is started normally, these applications and services will start
automatically.
However, they can also be started and stopped manually. For example, starting and stopping
services may be necessary when loading new versions of software or when debugging a
problem on Dalet AmberFin. To do so is easy if you perform the following instructions.
From the PC Start Menu go to Control Panel >> Administrative Tools (Performance and
Maintenance) >> Services. This will give a window showing all the currently active services
on your system.
The services of most concern for Dalet AmberFin start with the word Metashare.
To turn off or turn on a service, first ensure that the Dalet AmberFin application is not running
and then simply highlight the service name, right-click, and select either Stop or Start. The
actions highlighted in black are those that are permitted while those not active are grayed
out.
An alternate method is to use the selections on the menu. Highlight the service, and select
one of:
- Start
- Stop
- Restart
- Pause
Again, only those menu selections that are active will be in bold, the rest will be grayed out.
To restart the Dalet AmberFin Device service shut down the Dalet AmberFin application then
right-click on the tray icon
in the lower right corner of the PC, and select Dalet AmberFin
Dark and then Stop.

When the icon turns gray right-click on it again and select Dalet AmberFin Dark and then Start
If for some reason you cannot restart this service restart the Metashare Metadata Server
service as detailed above before reattempting to restart the Dalet AmberFin Device service.

Recovering the Database

On the rare occasion that you see a Database corrupt message on boot up and need to
recover your database, follow this procedure.
Make sure that the Dalet AmberFin application is not running
The database restore utility is kept in the directory C:\Program Files\
AmberFin\Metashare\Engine and is named DatabaseUtility.exe
Double click on this file to start running it
When the utility window appears, select Metashare_1, the most recently saved database, and
click Restore.
A message box saying Proceed with database restore? appears; click Yes

The system will start restoring the database, which may take a few minutes. When it is
finished, a message will appear saying that the restore was successful.

Checking System Software Versions

Operating System
To check the software versions, go to Start >> Control Panel >> System.
Check the version of the Windows operating system by double-clicking on the System
selection in the
Control Panel. The front panel displays the Windows version number and if there is a service
pack installed.
Dalet AmberFin
To check the Dalet AmberFin version when the program is running click on Help >> About
Dalet AmberFin. This will also show System Capabilities, Plugins and Credits.
To check the Dalet AmberFin version when the program is not running go to Control Panel >>
Programs and Features >> Dalet AmberFin >> Support Information. Highlight the Dalet
AmberFin entry and click on the support link.
DVB ASI card Driver Version
To get the driver version of the installed Linear Systems DVB ASI card go to Control Panel >>
System >> Hardware >> Device Manager >> Sound, video and game controllers >> DVBLink
>> Driver
From the Control Panel, double click on System and select the Hardware tab and click on
the Device Manager button. In the Device Manager, open the Sound, video and game
controllers directory and double click on DVBLink. Then select the Driver tab to get the
version.
Control Panel SystemHardware Device Manager Sound, video, and game controllers
DVBLink Driver

Onboard Video I/O Card Driver

To discover the Matrox driver go to Control Panel >> Add or Remove Programs >> Matrox
DSX.utils.
From the Control Panel, select Add or Remove Programs. Highlight the Matrox DSX.utils
entry and note the version number to the right of this label.

Recovering from a Failed Installation

Although Dalet AmberFin products undergo extensive testing, not every combination of
previously installed software or operating system update status can be anticipated. This guide
offers a manual procedure to remove Dalet AmberFin software from a Windows Server 2008
Std R2 installation where a normal uninstall routine does not work. The procedure should also
work for Windows 7 64 bit systems.
Always try to remove Dalet AmberFin first by using the uninstall tool in the Control / Program
& Features panel before attempting a manual force uninstall.
This procedure requires the use of the registry editor. Although with care, no damage should
occur to the installed operating system it is recommended to back up the partition on which
the OS is installed prior to performing this procedure.
Always back up the Operating System partition to external media after each successful
installation or uninstallation of any major software.
1) Remove Dalet AmberFin registry entries
Open the registry editor and check the following locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WoW6432Node\ AmberFin
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WoW6432Node\JavaSoft
HKEY_USERS\S-1-5(long
string)\Software\Classes\VirtualStore\MACHINE\SOFTWARE
\WoW6432Node\JavaSoft
Remove the three entries above if they exist.
2) Stop Dalet AmberFin Services
In the Services tab of the Windows Task Manger, ensure that the following services are not
running:
Metashare
Metashare Naming Service
Unifier
Orca
3) Save important Dalet AmberFin Data
Save the following files to a safe location.
License file: C:\ProgramFiles(x86)\ AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\lservrc
Templates file: C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin\ AmberFin\config\profiles.tpl
GUI Layout file: C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin\config\layout
JPEG2000 Encoding file: C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin\
AmberFin\config\JPEG2000Profiles
Controller Configuration (if remote transcode engines configured): C:\ProgramData\
AmberFin\ AmberFin Controller\ControllerConfig.xml
SD Standards Conversion Controller:
C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin\Repurposing\controller\servers.xml
Dalet AmberFin specific plugins: C:\Program Files(x86)\ AmberFin\ AmberFin\plugins
Depending on your system setup, you may not need to save all of these files.
4) Delete Dalet AmberFin folders
Remove the following Dalet AmberFin installation folders:
C:\Program Files\ AmberFin
C:\Program Files(x86)\ AmberFin
C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin

It may be necessary to check Show hidden files, folders and drives under Folder Options to
see the ProgramData folder.
5) Reboot
Reboot the computer.
Re-install Dalet AmberFin
Reinstalling Dalet AmberFin will re-copy all relevant files and Windows registry
entries.
Restore saved files
Copy the files saved in step 3 back to their locations, and launch the GUI.

Solving Dalet AmberFin License Problems

When upgrading from any release prior to V5.5.0, a new Dalet AmberFin license is required.
Please refer to the release notes for details.
If Dalet AmberFin gives an error message saying it cannot find a valid license, check the
lservc file is in the correct windows folder (see note below) and that your primary Ethernet
network port is active. Internet access can be checked by connecting to the internet, or selfpinging 127.0.0.1 in a DOS command prompt window.
If it is necessary to locate 'lsinit' or the lock generator directly, the executables are installed
under C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\ AmberFin or in C:\Program Files\ AmberFin\
AmberFin for older versions of Windows.

If the Isinit file is not successful in applying a limited trial license, try running it with
Administrator privileges (right click and select Run as administrator) and try running Trial Preenable again when replacing a Trial license.
For any other error, please contact your local Dalet AmberFin representative.
On some Windows Server 2008R2, you may get an error message preventing Dalet AmberFin
installation to complete asking you to install 'Windows 2008 Desktop Experience ' before
continuing. You must install it from the Server Manager application, go to Features, Add
Features, and select Desktop Experience option to install.
If Dalet AmberFin gives an error message stating it cannot start the application server, make
sure the service is started from the task bar Dalet AmberFin icon tray (Start Dalet AmberFin
Application Server).

18.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here is a quick guide to some common fixes for operational problems you might encounter.
One group of common problems are loss of reference/locking to incorrect reference that can
cause a range of issues, so its always good practice to check for these in the event of frame
drops during ingest or other picture disturbances.
Another common problem is licenses which are deleted, incorrectly installed or edited.
Typically this might result in missing features or functions (including that the GUI will not start.
Do not edit a license and please make sure you have followed the installation procedures
correctly.
Q Why do I get a 'Windows 2008 Desktop Experience error message when installing
Windows Server 2008 R2?
On some Windows Server 2008R2, you may get an error message preventing Dalet AmberFin
installation to complete asking you to install 'Windows 2008 Desktop Experience ' before
continuing. You must install it from the Server Manager application, go to Features, Add
Features, and select the Desktop Experience option to install.
Q Why do I get an Application Server error message when starting Dalet AmberFin?
If Dalet AmberFin gives an error message stating it cannot start the application server, make
sure the service is started from the task bar Dalet AmberFin icon tray (Start Dalet AmberFin
Application Server).
Q How can I recover from a failed Dalet AmberFin installation?
Try uninstalling the Dalet AmberFin software using the Operating System Uninstall Tool; in
Windows 7 Enterprise this is the Uninstall a program tool under Programs in the Control
Panel. If the failure has occurred part-way into a first time install, there may be no uninstall
tool for Dalet AmberFin installed yet. In this case, or if the uninstall tool does not work
properly, refer to the Recovering from a Failed Installation procedure in the Trouble Shooting
topic.
Q
Dalet AmberFin reports that it cannot find a valid license, whats wrong?
The Dalet AmberFin license is handled by the License Manager accessible from the Dalet
AmberFin Program Group under the Start menu and from Dalet AmberFin icon in the system
tray. Licensing is explained in detail in the Applying Licenses section of the Installation topic.
If it is necessary to locate 'lsinit' or the lock generator directly, the executables are installed
under
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\ AmberFin or in C:\Program Files\ AmberFin\ AmberFin for
older versions of Windows.
Also check that your primary Ethernet network port is active. Internet access can be checked
by connecting to the internet, or self-pinging 127.0.0.1 in a DOS command prompt window.

Q Why is there Inconsistent lipsync or time code during ingest / virtual VTR? Adjust the VTR
preroll in presets. Make sure pre-roll is at least 5 seconds.
Q GUI does not respond after ingest, whats wrong? Hit save or cancel to unload clip.
Check that web services has not been enabled - this prevents some GUI functions from taking
place.
Q Why cant I find a Transcoded clip?
Right click on job and select "browse for clip"
Q Why is Playback of Jpeg2000 jerky?

This can be caused by insufficient PC resources. If your PC is not powerful enough for this
task, consider a CPU upgrade.
Q I cant cut / splice a MOV clip, whats wrong?
This only works for MXF at present - please rewrap to MXF and try again
Q Transcode shows connection lost; whats wrong?
Look in the logs to see if the job has failed
Q There is no response from VTR, what might be wrong?
Check for online / offline status
Q Why does the clip name in the library appear in red?
The file is missing or network storage is not mounted
Q Why does deleting a P2 file from the library leave garbage behind?
Deleting a P2 MXF from the Dalet AmberFin library deletes its essence files only. The P2 MXF
directory structure is left intact.
Q Is it possible to perform multiple transcodes simultaneously?
Yes it is. A single instance of the Dalet AmberFin software can control multiple transcodes
provided more than one transcode engine has been installed. See Adding Transcode or QC
Groups/Engines in the Using the Job Status Panel topic for more details. For pricing contact
your Dalet AmberFin representative.
Q There is no QC tab visible when editing Transcode + QC profiles, whats wrong? UQC must
be licensed for this tab to appear.
Q Topology details in the Job Status window are grayed out or incomplete, whats wrong?
It may need updating, try clicking on the [ ] button next the host details and then clicking
OK in the Topology Editor and seeing if the correct details appear. Entries for a single
repurposing group/engine appear by default but third party QC group details must be entered
manually. See Adding Transcode or QC Groups/Engines Manually in the Using the Job Status
Panel topic.
Q
Help, my Transcodes are overwriting each other?
See Naming Pattern Templates in the Ingest Settings topic in Workflow Setup. Sometimes you
want to create a unique filename, sometimes automation systems require overwrite. Dalet
AmberFin's naming conventions allow you to do both - check the setting is what you want.
Q Why dont the links provided in this document always work?
Links outside this document to locations in the Dalet AmberFin support site, only work when
this document is read on-line. Always visit the Dalet AmberFin support site for up-to-date
documentation.
Q Why has support for 32 bit operating systems been withdrawn?
Legacy 32 bit operating systems are only able to address a limited memory address range.
Recent 64 bit operating systems overcome this limitation and are proving reliable and well
supported. Running software, such as Dalet AmberFin, that has been designed for 64 bit
operating systems on a 32 bit system may encounter some of the following problems:

Lower virtual address space limit issues

Reliability issues due to address space fragmentation that may be seen

when running for long periods on 32-bit O/S systems

Single pass J2K encode only uses the 64-bit only Kakadu speed pack

Playback of mpg, m2v files with more than 16 audio channels has a memory
requirement that only a 64 bit system can provide
Q What software and hardware requirements are there for Dalet AmberFin V9.0?
The most up-to-date list of pre-requisites for installing and running Dalet AmberFin are to be
found in the updated release notes. See also the Prerequisites section in the Before you
Begin topic.
Q
What foreign language support is there?
Foreign language support is provided by the operating system. A quick guide can be found in
the Foreign_Language_Support section of the Before you Begin topic..
Q
What is a script and how do I use one?
A script is a short program written in (say) JavaScript that can be used to carry out detailed
instructions prior or during a workflow task. For example a pre-conversion script used prior to
an unattended transcode from a watch folder. The path to a script must be entered when
setting up a watch folder. See Using a Watch Folder in the Managing Transcode and QC Jobs
topic.

19.

High Availability

Overview
High Availability is a strategy that allows a highly resilient architecture to be created that it is
tolerant to a number of different failure modes that might otherwise cause resources to be
reduced or become unavailable.

Basic Architecture
High Availability Farm
A high availability farm comprises one or more controllers that are responsible for managing a
number of transcoder nodes. Each controller act as a pair. One is always active while the other
acts as a slave in standby. When a fault occurs with the active controller, the slave becomes
active to continue delivering jobs to the farm.
The transcode nodes can run on any server, blade, desktop, virtual machine or laptop on the
network - that's your choice. Maximum throughput is determined by the types of
CPU, motherboard, network IO, disc bandwidth and, most importantly, by the mix of transcode
jobs put through the system. For example, a rewrap from Program stream to MXF might have a
throughput that is 10000 times faster than a full HD standards convert between JPEG2000
master files. See Optimizing a Transcoder Farm for more information.
Transcode nodes are monitored by a watchdog process that looks for processing nodes that
have hung (i.e. they started executing a job, but are no longer producing an output) and is able
to terminate them. This happens in parallel to the job execution and works in a multitude of
hang scenarios such as network storage failure, growing files that stop growing and toxic files
crashing libraries. If a server / blade / vm failure occurs, then jobs-in-flight on that server are
likely to be lost and the licenses that were in-use will be checked back into the central license
pool after a timeout.

Planning a Transcode Farm

Introduction
The key to a good transcode farm is good planning.

Transcode Farm Considerations

There are many different aspects to deploying a successful farm, but the best approach is to
start with some idea of how success is measured to get a better chance of achieving it.
While throughput is often used as a basic measure of success, it is not standardized and care
must be taken with any units employed.
This HD file
transcoded in 1.14x
real time
This HD file
transcoded in 70%
of duration
This HD file
transcoded at
35fps

This is an ambiguous and often misinterpreted way of quoting throughput.

In a brief trade-show survey we found about 60% of people thought this
expression meant faster than real time and 40% thought it meant slower
than real time.
This is a much better unit of measure because it is clear that the
processing of the file was shorter than the duration and therefore faster
than real time.
This measure can be very useful when files are of the same frame rate
and resolution, but rapidly becomes meaningless when dealing with a
mixed population of media. The underlying file properties have to be
known before the measure can be evaluated.

Having established a way to express throughput, it is also important to understand how

throughput affects the business goals of the farm. Some businesses require individual files to
be processed very fast whereas other businesses want the best average throughput for the
hardware / software that they have bought.
Throughput measured by the shortest amount of time taken for an individual file to be
transcoded is, in effect, measuring the peak throughput of the farm and is often used by
sports, news and advert producers for reducing the time-to-live of a given clip. In this
throughput configuration, it is often the case that the number of nodes per server will be less
than the case where optimizing the average throughput is required.
Throughput measured as a global average across the whole farm leads to Transcode Farm
implementations where the utilization of the underlying hardware is maximized but some
individual files could be transcoded faster on hardware that is less resource constrained.
The Dalet AmberFin Transcode Farm architecture requires only that the farm controller and
nodes are visible on the same network. The choice of how many nodes to run on any given
server is covered in Sizing a Farm and basic network issues are covered in Network and
Environment.
Sizing a Farm
Sizing a transcode farm is non-trivial. A full tutorial on some of the issues affecting farm sizing
and optimization is available to Bruce's shorts subscribers on the Dalet AmberFin Website.
One of the first considerations is to work out what you are trying to optimize when sizing the
farm.

Best Average throughput per day / week & Best server / VM

utilization
When optimizing for the average throughput, the goal is to maximize the occupancy of the
physical hardware of the farm and to keep CPUs / Memory / Disk IO balanced to process the
maximum amount of content per week.

Minimum delay to finish any one job

In some environments the time to finish a single job takes priority. In these environments it is
often better to under-utilize the physical hardware to ensure that, on average, a job will finish
faster

Minimum cost of the farm

To minimize the cost of the farm, it may acceptable to let certain jobs take longer to process if
they involve expensive options.
Influence of transcode types
Dalet AmberFin supports a broader range of conversion types than many other transcodes.
The nature of these transcodes dramatically affects the throughput of a job. The list below
gives an idea of the considerations, starting with the jobs that complete with the highest

throughput (completion time as a percentage of duration) and ending with those job types with
the lowest throughput.
Bundling operations
These are transcodes that affect only version files (AS02 and IMF), caption files or metadata.
They tend to act on very small files and can be completed in a very small number of seconds.
Touching every byte of the media is not required
Audio-only transcodes Dalet AmberFin supports a limited number of audio
only transcode functions. These tend to be very fast due to the relatively small
amount of data in audio assets and the relative simplicity of the algorithms.
Wrapping operations
A wrapping operation involves only changing the outer wrapper of a file (e.g. QuickTime to
MXF). In these operations, every byte of the entire input file needs to be read, and every byte
of the output file needs to be written. In most cases the throughput is limited by the wire
speed and congestion of the storage / network combination.
Codec changing transcodes
A transcode that merely changes the codec type (e.g. DNxHD to XDCAM) involves decoding all
the input pixels / audio samples and re-encoding all the output pixels / audio samples. The
limiting speed factor here tends to be the complexity of the video encoding algorithm and the
number of audio channels requiring compression. Selecting higher qualities on the output
codecs can result in more CPU effort being applied inside the coding algorithm to improve
quality.

Up / Down / Cross conversion

High quality video processing consumes CPU and memory resource. Fast throughput can be
achieved by enabling poor quality deinterlacing and scaling can be done in Dalet AmberFin.
Conversely, when high quality deinterlacing and scaling is selected (by default), extra CPU
resource is applied to preventing temporal and spatial artefacts appearing in the pictures and
sound.

Frame Rate Standards Conversion

This class of transcode involves significant CPU calculation to measure the movement and
properties of every pixel in every image. The memory bandwidth requirements are large and
this corresponds to low throughput compared to simpler jobs
Influence of resolution and codec types
Dalet AmberFin supports all the major video and audio codecs along with a number of minor
codec types. The computational load for different codec types can dramatically change the
throughput of a farm. The following list is ranked with the easier, faster codecs at the top and
the harder slower codecs at the bottom.

IMX, DV and other simple Standard definition codecs

Fundamentally, SD images have less than a quarter of the pixel density of HD images. Add to
that, the fact that many of the SD codecs are quite old and simple compared to a modern
codec and you end up with transcoder requirements that need small amounts of memory and
can go fast.

Intra-only encoding
Simple codecs that do not need motion estimation will have better throughputs that complex
inter-frame codecs that require motion estimators. Intra frame codecs are also more suited to
cut/splice or EDL processing than Long-GOP codecs because frame boundaries are easier to
find.

MP2, DNxHD, ProRes

These codecs are all similar in terms of throughput for equivalent resolutions, although they
scale a little differently as the underlying codecs have different core limits.
Long GoP variants of MPEG2 such as XDCAM can consume as much processing power as
JPEG2000 when the quality modes are turned to maximum and the motion vector search
range is set to maximum.

AVC (H.264)
AVC is a much more sophisticated codec and can require significantly more computation and
memory resources than its predecessors. Even modes like AVCIntra can be more CPU
intensive than MPEG2 long GoP in standard quality mode.

JPEG2000
JPEG2000 is more intensive than H.264. JPEG2000 and is also more symmetrical than H.264
meaning that decoding is also an expensive CPU process. JPEG2000 often requires a smaller
number of faster CPUs inside a server whereas other codecs can benefit from a larger number
of slower cores (e.g. MPEG2)


HEVC
High Efficiency Video Coding is in alpha development in 2013 and will be in production in
2014. It is significantly more computation intensive than AVC(H.264) and also more intensive
than JPEG2000. Decoding in real time is feasible in software on a single server. Real time
encoding on a single server is probably not possible without some hardware assistance.
Sizing and common rules of thumb
There really isn't a simple rule that guarantees all the interactions will work in your favor when
creating a farm. Our approach is to distribute jobs in the farm so that every server gets one job
before any server is allocated two jobs. Every server has two jobs before any server gets 3 jobs
and so on. This keeps the loading as flat as possible to ensure that throughput is maximized.
Tests on broad mixes of content give the following "Rules of thumb" for SD / HD mixes
For HD only content - 2 nodes per server with at least 8 cores/ node is
advisable
For SD only content - up to 4 nodes per server with at least 4 cores per node
is advisable
For a mix of SD / HD content, then 3-4 nodes per server will give good results
All servers should follow the Dalet AmberFin hardware guide recommendations.
It is highly recommended that a test system is built with a representative mix of content to
validate throughput of specific files on a specific server to ensure that components such as
motherboards and networks are able to provide sufficient bandwidth to allow the CPUs and
memory to provide the desired throughput.

Deploying an HA Farm
Preparing to Install an HA Farm
This section outlines the steps required to prepare for an HA Farm installation and
concentrates on the configuration of the farm tools to map controllers and nodes onto the
underlying infrastructure to ensure that your farm acts as planned.
Familiarity with installing non-HA or standalone Dalet AmberFin software as described in the
basic Installation topic will be helpful, though all essential details have been repeated here
together with extra steps required for HA Farms and Network Licensing.
System Requirements and Perquisites
These details will be as supplied in a separate IRQ document.

Windows Firewalls and Ports

Windows firewall can block some control and licensing communications. It is recommended
that Windows Firewall be disabled on HA Farm installations. If it is not possible to disable
Windows or other Firewall devices, the following applications and ports should be added to the
exception list:
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\ AmberFin Controller\JRE\bin\Java.exe, Port 21012;
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\DataStoreService\datastore.exe, Port 9092;
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\Repurposing\framework.exe, Port(s) 22022, 23032,
24042, 25052, 26062,27072, 28082,29092;
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\QC\apache-tomcat-6.0.32\bin\ tomcat6.exe, Port 8081;
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\Orca\apache-tomcat-6.0.35\bin\ tomcat6.exe, Port 8082;
C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\Metashare\Engine\LMService.exe, Port(s) 5093,14139;
It is also recommended that UAC (User Access Control) is set on its lowest setting to ease
installation and configuration.
HA Farm uses the following Ports to communicate; other ports may also be used.

Port
Number

Purpose

5093

Network License
Communication

8080

WebService

8081

UQC Communications

8082

Future Implementation

8083

Future Implementation

8084

Future Implementation

8085

Controller Database
Monitoring (optional)

9092

Controller Database
Synchronization

14139

Network/Local License
Communications

21012

Controller

22022

Transcode Node
Communication

23032

Transcode Node
Communication

24042

Transcode Node
Communication

25052

Transcode Node
Communication

26062

Transcode Node
Communication

27072

Transcode Node
Communication

28082

Transcode Node
Communication

29092

Transcode Node
Communication

Fixed IP Addresses
The installation of HA Farm includes the installation and configuration of redundant license
servers within the HA Farm Controller. Each machine on which a redundant license server
resides must have a fixed IPX address. Therefore, DHCP should not be used to dynamically
allocate IP addresses for those machines.
Other instances of Dalet AmberFin, e.g. transcode nodes, may use dynamically assigned
addresses, however using fixed IP addresses for these machines may provide latency gains in
the internal licensing mechanism.

Granting permissions
Each instance of Dalet AmberFin requires access privileges to all machines and areas of the
network and storage on which it will be installed and operated. Dalet AmberFin must be
installed under a Windows user account with Administrator privileges.

Creating profiles
It is recommended that Windows Power Options are configured as follows. Press Windows key,
and click on
Control Panel. Select Power Options and on the left side of the window select Create a Power
Plan. Choose High Performance and name the plan in the box directly below Dalet AmberFin

Power Plan and click Next. Set all Sleep and Display settings to Never and click Create. Finally,
close the Power Options window.
Windows Power Options can also be configured automatically during the installation of Dalet
AmberFin.

HA Farm Installation
These installation instructions may need to be read in conjunction with any customized
instructions (IRQ) for specific environments.
Locating the software
The latest version of Dalet AmberFin software should download automatically from the FTP
link provided.
HA Farm Install Example
Installation of two instances of Dalet AmberFin Platform and configured to be used as High
Availability Farm Controllers.
Installation of four instances of Dalet AmberFin Platform and configured to be used as
Transcoders.
The expected duration of this HA Farm example is 4 hours.
1.
Extract the files in the installation package

2.
3.

Double click Dalet AmberFin_<version#>_setup.exe

Click Next at the version confirmation welcome window

4.

Select Installation Options

Option

Description

Required Options for this HA Example

Application
Specific
Options

UK Digital
Production
Partnership
(DPP)

Adds GUI Plugin and required

components to support interchange of
DPP metadata in DPP files

NO

Transcode
Scheduler

Provides GUI panel to run transcodes at

pre-determined times

Optional

Amberfin
System
Configuration

Automatically configures Microsoft

Windows options during Amberfin
installation

Platform
Power
Scheme

Select to maximise performance

YES - always recommended for High

Availability Farms

Configure
Amberfin
Services
Login

Provides additional prompts during

installation to provide domain account
details for registering services. Leave
this box unchecked if using a local
administrator account.

Optional
See Steps 7 and 8

Amberfin
Plugins

Some of these configuration options may be further described in any custom (IRQ) instructions
for specific environments.
5.
Click Next
6.
Click Next after reading the license agreement and checking I Agree
The installer should proceed and install all necessary components
If this is a first time installation, a number of additional redistributable packages (e.g.
Microsoft Visual C++) may also be installed if not already present on the host.
If an installation of QuickTime is not found on the host, the user will be notified during
installation. QuickTime installation may happen at any time pre/post installation of Dalet
AmberFin if required.
Configuring Services Authentication
7.
Enter User name and password for each Dalet AmberFin installation
to be used with the UOC Unifier service and become part of an HA Farm
If Configure Dalet AmberFin Services Log-on was selected in the second page of the
installation, a prompt will appear to provide Log-on details.

User accounts should be entered in the format [Domain Name]\[user account]; if entered
correctly, the following prompt should appear:

8.
9.

Click OK to Proceed
Select Network Licensing Option

If the required components for the Network Licensing Manager are not found on the system,
an install prompt will appear. This option should be selected before selecting Finish.
If the Network Licensing Manager was selected it install when Finish is selected.
10.
Accept the license agreement for the licence manager, enter any
required information obeying prompts as required to progress through the
remainder of the install If a request appears to unblock the system firewall,
ensure Unblock is checked.
Depending on the machine state, a reboot request may appear upon completion of
installation, if so please click Yes or reboot the system at the next convenient opportunity
before continuing with the following steps.

Generating License Lock Codes

11.
Launch the License Manager (Start>All Programs>Dalet
AmberFin>Dalet AmberFin>Licensing)
12.
Choose Save Lock Code as from the File Menu and save the file to
your desktop
13.
Email the file to Dalet AmberFin Support along with, if applicable, the
(Fixed) IP address and hostname of each machine
For Redundant Networked Licensing
Redundant Licensing requires 2 License Servers and 1 Transcoder to be configured as a
cluster.
In order to generate the shared license, license lock codes are required from each of these 3
machines that will to serve as Controller(s) and one other Transcode machine. Additionally, to
configure the license cluster, the hostname and (fixed) IP address of each Farm Controller
machine is required.
Standalone Licensing
For standalone network licensing only the lock code of the (first) Farm controller is required.
See Installing_License_Packages below when the required license files have been received.
Configuring the Controller Cluster
14.
On each instance of Dalet AmberFin to be a Farm Controller, stop the
Controller from the system tray

15.

Launch the database configurator

On each instance of Dalet AmberFin to be an Farm Controller, from the Start Menu launch the
Controller DB Configuration application (Start>All Programs>Dalet AmberFin>Dalet AmberFin>
Dalet AmberFin Controller >Dalet AmberFinControllerDBConf)

16.

Set Database location

In the Dalet AmberFin Controller Database Configuration application, enter the IP address or
hostname of the 2 Farm Controllers.

The default for Server 1 on each machine is localhost.

The use of localhost or loopback addresses are not recommended in clustered environments.
Ensure that the values for Server 1 and Server 2 are the same in each instance of the
configuration.
17.
Click the Save button to save and apply the configuration
18.
Click Check next to cluster status
Cluster status will change from UNKNOWN against a white background to Disabled/ Single
Node Running highlighted in orange if there is only a single controller
Cluster Status will change to Both Cluster Nodes Running highlighted in green if 2 controllers
are successfully clustered.
If an error is found, Error Checking Cluster Status highlighted in red will appear (check
Database Configuration).
19.
Re-start the Controller when done

CDB Fault Finding

If and error similar to the following message is seen:

Run the Dalet AmberFin Controller Database Configuration application again. If that fails refer
to the Controller Database Recovery topic for further help.
Installing License Packages
When Dalet AmberFin Technical Support has received the lock codes and other information
detailed in earlier steps, a package for each farm will be delivered containing a license file
(lservrc) and a redundant license configuration file (lservrlf).
Installing Farm Controller license (lservrc) files
20.
On each Farm Controller, from the Task tray or Start menu, launch
the Dalet AmberFin License Manager
21.
Click File > Install License From..., select the appropriate license file
(lservrc) and click Open
22.
When prompted to reboot the machine, click No
Installing the Redundant Farm Controller license (lservrlf) file
To install a redundant network license on each Farm Controller and the 3rd nominated license
server proceed as follows:
23. Copy the lservrlf file to C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\SafeNet Sentinel\Sentinel
RMS License Manager\WinNT

Setting Environment Variables

Environment variables can be set by accessing Advanced System options of the System and
Security applet in the Control Panel (System>Advanced System Settings>Environment
Variables>New).
24.
For each license server (1 for standalone or all 3 for redundant)
create a new variable with the name LSERVRC and value C:\Program Files
(x86)\ AmberFin\MetaShare\Engine\lservrc

25.
On each machine to run Dalet AmberFin create an environment
variable with the name: DALET AMBERFIN_LICENSE_HOST and value:
Controller IP address
If configuring a redundant license server the variable value should be entered as a tilde
separated controller IP address list; IP address of first controller ~ IP address of second
controller ~ IP address of 3rd nominated license server; ensuring a space before and after
each tilde character.

26.

Reboot all machines in the farm

Configuring Farm Topology

Farm topology will need to be configured from the Topology configurator located in the Job
Status panel for each Farm Controller.
27.
Open the Job Status panel of each controller in the farm.
All entries in the default topology configuration of each controller should be deleted and new
entries created to reflect the IP addresses and port numbers of the transcode nodes in the
farm.
If there is more than one Farm Controller, the left hand side of the Topology Editor will display
all of the controllers with the active one in bold at the top of the list. The default topology
configuration will appear on the left.

28.
On the Job Status tab of one of the controllers replace the default
host IP address of
127.0.0.1 with the IP address or host name of one the Dalet AmberFin Farm Controllers and
press Enter.
The status should display Connecting followed by Connected.
29.
Once connected, click the Configure Topology button to the right of
the window to launch the Topology Editor.

The port number for the first transcode node on each machine is 22022, the second is 23032
and so on up to 8 nodes per machine to 29092. Nodes can be configured without license
meaning that more nodes than available licenses can be configured for 'n+1' redundancy.
30.
Repeat the topology configuration for each controller.
It is recommended, but not essential, to remove the default configuration of transcode and QC
nodes on each of the transcode node installations.
See the HA Farm Testing topic for a quick way to confirm communication between controllers.

HA Farm Testing

Installation Verification (Communication)

1.
Locate the Dalet AmberFin icon in the Windows System Tray, right click on it
and confirm that all Services have started.
2.
Launch the Dalet AmberFin user interface by locating the Dalet AmberFin
program within the Windows Start Menu and clicking on it.
3.
Ensure that there is a check mark against Web Service Control under the
File Menu.
4.
Send a basic SOAPui information request to verify comms.

Example Profile Configuration

The following steps will detail the configuration of an example profile to help test a newly
installed HA Farm. In this example a new XDCAM transcode profile will be created that scales
a source media file by 50% and reduces its bit rate.
While this simple example may provide some help to show how to go about setting up profiles
in general, every user has different needs and will require profile(s) dependent on the specific
particular source material being handled and their desired destination.
1.
Launch Dalet AmberFin and click on the Setup tab on the right of the
screen
2.
Select XDCAM HD from the Transcode + QC drop down menu in the
Active Profile Groups area then click on the [ ... ] icon to the right and select
Edit.
Choosing Edit enables a new group to be created based on an existing Conversion Profile
Group.

The Template Editor appears with the XDCAM group loaded.

3.
Click Add and type in a suitable name (i.e relevant to the job you
wish to perform such as HD to XDCAM SD Rescale) and press Enter to
enable the Edit button.

Remember to use the Save As option from within the Template Editor when editing is
completed if the existing profile group is in Read Only mode.
4.
With the new Profile Name selected click Edit and select a suitable
destination Codec type ( i..e. MPEG2 Generic)

5.
Select Output > Scaling and choose Manual (Relative) and leave
scaling set at 50%

6.
Select the Output Encoding option and set the desired bit rate such
as CBR reduced from 50Mbps to 25Mbps

7.

Set the Audio Routing as desired

8.
Save

Finally select the Output Wrapping type as desired and the click on

9.
To save this modified XDCAM Template as a Profile Group with a
suitable name, click on Save As before dismissing the Template Editor

10.

Type a suitable name for the new conversion template

11.
Click on OK to finish and then close the Template Editor
The new rescale conversion can now be chosen from the modified profile group.

Verifying the configuration

12. To verify that your Profile is configured correctly, send a test job via a SOAPui command.
See HA Farm Testing.

HA Farm Recovery Operations

Upgrades, Backups, Rollbacks and Recovery
Performing Upgrades and Rollbacks
To upgrade to a newer (or older) version of Dalet AmberFin software, proceed as follows:
Uninstall Dalet AmberFin using the Uninstall a Program applet in Control Panel.
Repeat the steps from the standalone Installation or HA Farm Installation as required to
install the upgraded (or older) version of software.
The previously installed license will support any (recent) version of Dalet AmberFin software.

Verifying the upgrade or roll back

Since a complete uninstall and re-install is required, please refer to HA Farm Testing to verify
that the installation.
Configuration Backup

To backup the configuration, right-click on the Dalet AmberFin Icon in the

Windows System Tray, select Dalet AmberFin Logs and click on Zip local logs to
desktop

A zip file will be placed on the local system desktop that contains a backup of
all files necessary to restore all profiles as well as log files capturing the current
status of the system
Start/Stop and Recovery
This section covers the logical step-by-step procedures for stopping and restoring the
component, or the workflow for planned and unplanned activities, including HA.
Planned
To close Dalet AmberFin gracefully simply click on the X in the top right hand corner of the
application and it will shutdown. The application can be relaunched from the Start Menu or a
desktop shortcut.
Unplanned
Review the logs described in the Configuration Backup section above. The machine should
then be rebooted to ensure that all the underlying Dalet AmberFin services are correctly
restarted.

Controller Database Recovery

When a controller recovers from a failure, it will automatically go into standby mode. In the
current version of Dalet AmberFin, no attempt is made to auto-fix any cause of failure. If the
active controller recovers from its fault condition faster than the watchdog timer duration, then
the controller may return as an active controller. Timeouts are set such that the standby
controller will takeover in a much shorter time than the reboot time of the active server.

Job Database Recovery

When a controller recovers from a serious failure, synchronisation in the Farm controller will
be lost. To recover High Availability status, database synchronisation will need to be restarted.
In the current release, the active controller may disappear for up to a minute during the
recovery process.
1.
Press the windows key and type services. Click the Services icon to
start the services explorer.

2.
From the list, click on Dalet AmberFin DataStore Service, right-click
and click on Stop.
3.
Press Windows-E to start windows file explorer and navigate to
C:\ProgramData\ AmberFin\ AmberFin Controller\
4.
Delete the file Dalet AmberFinCDB_H2.h2.db and Dalet
AmberFinCDB_H2.lock.db
5.
From the Services window, start the Dalet AmberFin DataStore
Service
6.
Stop all Controllers that use the DataStore service (Server 1 and 2
Controllers)
7.
Launch the Controller DB Configuration application Start>All
Programs>Dalet AmberFin>Dalet AmberFin> Dalet AmberFin Controller
>Dalet AmberFinControllerDBConf
8.
Click the synchronizer button for this server address
9.
Start all Controllers
Between steps 6 and 9 above, the farm controller will be temporarily unavailable.
This small window of service loss will be reduced in future versions of Dalet AmberFin.

HA Farm Failure Mitigation

The HA Farm Controller environment is intended to be robust amongst a wide variety of failure
conditions. Some of those conditions and mitigation strategies are discussed here.
Database Node failure
Databases (even robust ones) can fail for many reasons. Whether this is a hardware or
software issue, the net result is that one of the two instances of the Dalet AmberFin Database
Service goes offline. The following behaviors have been tested and shown to work despite a
database failure.

Active Controller Power Loss Losing power on the active controller has no
effect on executing jobs.
The standby controller will take over after the timeout period has elapsed.

Standby Controller Power Loss

Losing power on the standby controller has no effect on executing jobs.

Database Node failure during job submission

This should be transparent to a controller. The redundant spare ensures no job submissions
will be lost.

Database Node failure with long queue of pending jobs.

This should be transparent to a controller. The redundant spare ensures no jobs in a queue
are lost.

Active Controller loses connectivity

Removing the active controller during submission of jobs does not cause the loss of jobs

Standby Controller loses connectivity

Removing the standby controller during submission of jobs has no effect on the performance
of those jobs

Active Controller' database loses connectivity

Removing the active controller's database during submission of jobs does not cause the loss
of jobs (simulation of firewall configuration error)

Standby Controller's database loses connectivity

Removing the standby controller during submission of jobs has no effect on the performance
of those jobs (simulation of firewall configuration error)

GUI / Web Service listener failure

If the GUI / Web service listener were to crash for any reason, it would appear to the Farm
Controller that the controller had stopped running and the same behavior as controller loss
should take place.

Controller internal failure

Operator forces active controller change

Dalet AmberFin Upgrade

Standby Controller returns http 404 error

Database Recovery behavior
During database recovery, there will be increased network traffic during the synchronisation of
the database instances. Tests have been performed to ensure that activity by Farm Controllers
is not impaired during the re-synchronisation period.

Database Node Recovery does not lose job information

Testing has been carried out with large datasets to ensure that database recovery does not
lose any jobs that were in the database before, during or after the recovery process.
Transcode Node interaction
Recovery procedures can be sensitive to the timing of the failure incident and the timing of the
recovery process. The following scenarios have been tested.

Transcode job hangs

When a transcode node hangs (for whatever reason) the communication connection to the job
controller may be lost. No corruption of the job data occurs. Connection lost jobs are
considered as failed. Default failure handling takes place.

License not available for job (LEBNA)

When a transcode license exists, but is not available, a job will remain in the job controller
queue until a transcode node is available and the job will be retried. The job status is marked
LEBNA (License Exists But Not Available)

Transcode engine blocks the addJob() web service

Cluster Timeouts and Settings

The cluster configurations are stored in a file called haMonitor.properties as shown below and
the properties have the following behavior

Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.self.delay
Heartbeat time (in seconds) that a controller will use to write its keep-alive timestamp into the
database. Increasing this value will increase the amount of time taken for the standby
controller to detect that the active controller has failed. Decreasing this value will cause the
synchronisation bandwidth required by the cluster to increase.
Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.active.delay
The period (in seconds) between which the standby controller will check the active controller's
timestamp. This value should always be bigger the Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.self.delay
otherwise a pathological condition might occur where the delay in detecting the failure of the
active server may increase Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.active.tolerance
Amount of time (in seconds) that must elapse before the active controller is considered to be
in a failed state. It is best set to the same value as Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.active.delay.
Dalet AmberFin.ha.monitor.internal.threads Do not adjust this value
Dalet AmberFin.ha.engine.monitor.tolerance Do not adjust this value Dalet
AmberFin.ha.job.scheduler.tolerance Do not adjust this value Dalet
AmberFin.ha.orphaned.tolerance Do not adjust this value Dalet AmberFin.ha.gui.shortcut
This is the command shortcut used for the HA system to launch the Dalet AmberFin GUI and
web service listener. Only to be changed under the direct guidance of Dalet AmberFin Support
team.

Network and Environment

Topics to cover:
Network nets & subnets
NAS vs SAN vs JBOD vs local storage
DFS
OP1a vs AS02 / IMF
VMs vs blades vs servers

20.

Appendices

AmberFin Tachyon Installation Guide

Installing the Hardware
Please install the display card and the Nvidia Tesla card according to the instructions for each specific card.
Ensure that the PC power supply meets the requirements for the Tesla card. All power connections on the
Tesla card should be connected to avoid any potential power issues.
In the PC BIOS setup, ensure that the display card is set to be the Primary VGA Card (refer to BIOS manual).
Connect the monitor to the display card and ensure that nothing is connected to any of the monitor outputs of
the Tesla card.

Installing Tesla Drivers

Download and install CUDA toolkit (3).
Download and install drivers for the Tesla card. Driver versions 320.78 (1) and 333.11 (2) have been used
successfully. When running the installer, select the Custom Install and Remove Existing Components options.

Check Tesla Install and Activate TCC Mode

Open the Windows Command Prompt as Administrator. Change directory to C:\Program Files\NVIDIA
Corporation\NVSMI and run the following command to display a list of Nvidia cards present in the system:
nvidia-smi.exe L

Note the GPU ID of the Tesla card.

Run the following command, using the GPU ID from the previous command to display details of the Tesla card:
nvidia-smi.exe q i <GPU ID>

Check the Driver Model value displayed for the card. If the current value is not set to TCC then run the
following command to change the Driver Model:
nvidia-smi.exe i <GPU ID> -dm 1

Reboot the PC. When the PC has rebooted, run the query command again to confirm the Driver Mode is now
correct:
nvidia-smi.exe q i <GPU ID>

Install Code Meter Dongle

Run the Code Meter installer. When the installer completes, insert the Code Meter dongle into a USB port. The
Code Meter icon in the system tray should now turn green.

Links:
1. http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/65881/en-us
2. http://www.nvidia.com/download/driverResults.aspx/75456/en-us
3. https://developer.nvidia.com/cuda-toolkit-60

Automating Dalet AmberFin

Full documentation of the commands available to automate Dalet AmberFin is available on the Dalet AmberFin
developer site http://dev.AmberFin.com. Access to this site is available on request. Please contact Dalet
AmberFin support if you are a customer, otherwise please contact cto@AmberFin.com.

External Control of Dalet AmberFin

It is possible to control the Dalet AmberFin software mainframe from an external device. This makes the Dalet
AmberFin unit a very flexible and powerful machine that can easily adapt to your workflow. Dalet AmberFin
accepts commands in the Sony protocol or VDCP format. This allows Dalet AmberFin to be controlled like a
VTR using its clip library as the video and audio source. In addition automation systems sending commands in
the VDCP format can control the playback of Dalet AmberFin clips as well as setting encoding parameters.
Dalet AmberFin also has a web services control mode, which permits control of the Dalet AmberFin mainframe
when it is connected to a network. Commands received via its network connection control various functions of
Dalet AmberFin. Finally, Dalet AmberFin provides two RSS feeds that external devices can query, which gives
users information they can view in a browser.

VDCP Control
Many parameters and Dalet AmberFin functions can be set and run through VDCP. For a complete list of
supported VDCP commands see Supported VDCP Commands.

VTR Emulation
The Dalet AmberFin mainframe can also receive commands adhering to the Sony command protocol on the
COM2 input command port. Set the Mode drop down box in the VTR recorder panel to VTR Emulation and
connect the mainframe to a Sony command compliant device in the same manner as for VDCP. Now with a
clip loaded in the Player panel, any Sony VTR commands received on the Command Input Port reflect on the

player. In this way, Dalet AmberFin mimics the action of a VTR. Depending on the precision of the input
device, you can control the clip to 1/20 the real time playback speed. You can also do crash records of the
input SDI signal.

AmberFin Gateway
24/02/2014
AmberFin Gateway is a front-end proxy, load-balancer and API adapter service designed to provide a single
consistent endpoint interface through which you can access AmberFin Dark web-services. The Gateway service
is part of the default ICR installation but it can also be deployed as a standalone service for example to be
used as a front-controller in a AmberFin farm installation.
One of the main benefits of the Gateway Service is to enable customers to transition from a GUI based iCR
deployment to an AmberFin Dark lights-out deployment (no AmberFin GUI running) but still have access to
legacy API Transcode and Profile Service methods without having to re-develop existing interfaces. The Legacy
API Adapter maps legacy web-service methods to the new Transcode and Profile Services which are also
available through the Gateway.

Gateway Services
Legacy iCR Web-Service Adapter to enable customers to use Transcode and Profile service methods in the
iCRControl API without having to change calling code. Many of the methods in the legacy iCRControl API are
specific to GUI functions and cannot be supported in a non-GUI installation (see which Supported Methods are
available).
Web-Service Proxy for new AmberFin Dark Transcode Service and Profile Service.
Load Balancing for all AmberFin Web-Service APIs allowing customers to configure multiple service endpoints
for failover.
Service Adapters In future the Gateway will support service adapters for other AmberFin and Third Party APIs
including FIMS Transfer.
Installation
The Gateway is a web-service component which is installed along with the other AmberFin Dark components
and is included with the default ICR installation role. Gateway can also be deployed in a standalone
configuration using the API_GATEWAY role (see Standalone Configuration).

iCRControl Supported Methods

Method Name

Description

transcode

Add a new transcode job to the job queue.

cancelTrascodeJob

Cancel running transcode job.

cancelRepurposingJob

Cancel running transcode job.

getRepurposingJobsStatus

Get the status of all transcode jobs for date.

getRepurposingStatus

Get the status of a transcode job using UUID

Get the progress of a transcode job using UUID.

getTranscodeJobProgress
getTranscodeJobStatus

Get the status of a transcode job using UUID.

getTranscodeJobsStatus

Get the status of all transcode jobs for date.

setJobPriority

Change an existing transcode job priority level.

getConversionNames

Get a list of all available conversions by template.

getTemplateNames

Get a list of all available conversions.

listTemplateInstances

Get a list of all available templates.

isWebServiceControlEnabled

Test to check that iCR web services are available.

getVersion

Get AmberFin version number.

* NOTE: All other iCRControl Methods are not supported in the Gateway Legacy Adapter and will return a HTTP
1.1 / 500 Error with the faultstring Not supported by AmberFin Legacy API Adapter.
e.g.
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<soap:Body>
<soap:Fault>
<faultcode>soap:Server</faultcode>
<faultstring>Not supported by AmberFin Legacy API Adapter.</faultstring>
</soap:Fault>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

Standard Port Configuration

By default Gateway will use the Amberfin Dark application server port number 21012:
e.g.
http://localhost:21012/
http://localhost:21012/icr/ICRControl?wsdl
http://localhost:21012/dark/ws/ProfileWS?wsdl
http://localhost:21012/dark/ws/Transcode?wsdl

This means that customers currently using iCRControl methods on port 8080 will have to change port number
although the method (and parameters) will be identical.

Dual Port Configuration

It is possible to configure the Gateway to use both port 8080 and 21012 so that iCRControl methods are
accessible at the original iCR port number and AmberFin Dark APIs are available on port 21012.
http://localhost:8080/icr/ICRControl?wsdl

However, this dual port configuration will affect some AmberFin GUI functions which use the iCRControl API on
port 8080:
UQC Plugin
Event Logger Plugin
Transcode Scheduler Plugin
other GUI functions will work as normal.

Configuring the Gateway to use Dual Ports

Follow these steps to configure AmberFin Gateway to monitor port 8080 and 21012.

Steps:
Check that Amberfin dark services are running ( http://localhost:21012/)
2. Stop Amberfin Dark service using the taskbar applet.
1.

3.

Open the Tomcat server configuration file (server.xml) from the following location using an
editor such as Notepad++
C:\Program Files (x86)\AmberFin\AmberFinDark\AmberFinApplicationServer\apache-tomcat-7.0.56\conf\ server.xml

4. Find the line containing the Connector definition for port 21012:
<Connector port="21012" protocol="HTTP/1.1"
connectionTimeout="20000"

redirectPort="21443" />

5. Copy this and add a new xml Connector definition for port 8080:
<Connector port="8080" protocol="HTTP/1.1"
connectionTimeout="20000"
redirectPort="21443" />

6. Save the file and restart AmberFin Dark using the taskbar applet.

7. Check Amberfin services are running by opening the url http://localhost:8080/ in a browser. You
should see the top level service description. The same API will be available on port 21012 as
well.
8. The other AmberFin Dark APIs (Transcode Service and Profile Service) will also be available on
port 21012 and port 8080.
Standalone Configuration
AmberFin Dark can be configured to run in specific configurations defined by a role definition. The default role
configuration for an AmberFin Dark installation is ICR which includes the Gateway service automatically. You
may wish to configure a Gateway as a standalone service depending on the topology of your network. The way
to do this is switch the server role to API_GATEWAY. You can do this with a web-service call to the AmberFin
Dark Management service API ChangeServerRole method.
The role definition will persist until you change it again.
Steps (using SoapUI):
1. Add a new SOAP project by clicking Ctrl-N and paste in the ComponentManager WSDL URL:
http://localhost:11091/ComponentManager/ws/ComponentManagerWS?wsdl

2. Expand the ChangeServerRole method in the left hand panel and double click on the SOAP Request1 icon to bring
up a new SOAP request editor in the Right-Hand panel.

3. Edit the SOAP request xml to replace the default question mark <role>?</role> with API_GATEWAY:

4. Submit the SOAP request to Component Manager by pressing the green arrow button:

If the role change request is successful, you will get a response with no message.
<soap:Envelope xmlns:soap="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<soap:Body>
<ns2:ChangeServerRoleResponse
xmlns:ns2="http://manager.componentmanager.dark.amberfin.com/"
xmlns:ns3="http://amberfin.com/ws/dark/2014/07/DarkManagement"/>
</soap:Body>
</soap:Envelope>

5. You can check if the role change was successful by submitting a GetServerRole request from the same API which
should return a message containing the current role definition:
<currentRole>API_GATEWAY</currentRole>

6. The server is now configured as a Standalone AmberFin Gateway.

Gateway Service Logging

The Gateway Service conforms to standard AmberFin logging configuration. Logging level for the service can
be set to Normal or Extended using the taskbar applet:

The current set of logs can be exported to the desktop using the Zip local logs to desktop option.

Load Balancing Configuration

The AmberFin Gateway offers a simple load balancing service which can be used to set up multiple alternative
failover endpoints for Transcode and Profile services.

Steps:
1. Stop AmberFinDark services on the Gateway server.
2. Open the GatewayService.properties file in an editor such as Notepad++ from the location:
C:\ProgramData\AmberFin\AmberfinDark\GatewayService\GatewayService.properties

3. Add a comma separated list of servers with (optional) port numbers to the transcode.servers property and
the profile.servers property:

4. The example above shows Transcode and Profile Services co-located on the same server. It is also
possible to configure an alternative list of endpoints for Transcode and Profile Services if, for example you
have a Farm Controller and a Profile Server you can configure separate endpoints for both servers:

5. Restart AmberFinDark.

Web Services
All the commands available on the GUI can also be accessed over an Ethernet connection using the SOAP
protocol. Web service definitions (WSDL) can be accessed from the Dalet AmberFin application web page. To
access the Dalet AmberFin application web page, ensure that the Dalet AmberFin application is running and
type http://localhost:8080. Click on the links under the WSDL heading to display all the available web
service commands.

Dalet AmberFin Application Web Page.png"="" width="424" height="329" border="0" />

The User manual referred to is a set of developer reference material, this and sample client applications are
available from Dalet AmberFin upon request.

Supported VDCP Commands

Video Disk Control Protocols used to control a disk using a shuttle controller or other device.

Cmd 1

Cmd 2

Command Name

0X

14

Delete from Archive

1X

00

Stop

1X

01

Play

1X

02

Record

1X

04

Still

1X

05

Step

1X

06

Continue

1X

07

Jog

1X

08

Variable Play

1X

0A

EE Mode

2X

21

Close Port

2X

22

Select Port

2X /
AX

23

Record Init

2X /
AX

24

Play Cue

2X /
AX

25

Cue with Data

2X /
AX

26

Delete ID

2X /
AX

27

Get from Archive

2X /
AX

2A

Send to Archive

2X

2B

% signal full

2X /
AX

2C

Record Init with Data

2X

43

Disk Preroll

2X

80

Template Select

2X

81

VTR Status Sense

3X

01

Open Port

3X /
BX

02

Next

3X /
BX

03

Last Port

3X

05

Port Status Request

3X /
BX

07

Active ID Request

3X

08

Device Type Request

3X

10

Sys Status Request

3X /
BX

11

ID List

3X /
BX

14

ID Size Request

3X

15

Ids Added to Arch

3X /
BX

16

ID Request

3X /
BX

18

IDs Added to List

3X /
BX

19

IDs Deleted from List

AVC Encoding Level Numbers

The Advanced Video Coding standard supports different levels that specify certain constraints indicating
required decoder performance. The following table shows which constraints and resolutions/frame rates each
level can be associated with.
Level

Max
macroblocks
per second

Max frame size Max video bit rate (VCL)

(macroblocks) for Baseline, Extended
and Main Profile

Max video bit rate

Examples for high resolution @ frame rate
(VCL) for High Profile (max stored frames)

1485

99

64 kbit/s

80 kbit/s

128x96@30.9 (8)
176x144@15.0 (4)

1b

1485

99

128 kbit/s

160 kbit/s

128x96@30.9 (8)
176x144@15.0 (4)

1.1

3000

396

192 kbit/s

240 kbit/s

176x144@30.3 (9)
320x240@10.0 (3)
352x288@7.5 (2)

1.2

6000

396

384 kbit/s

480 kbit/s

320x240@20.0 (7)
352x288@15.2 (6)

1.3

11880

396

768 kbit/s

960 kbit/s

320x240@36.0 (7)
352x288@30.0 (6)

11880

396

2 Mbit/s

2.5 Mbit/s

320x240@36.0 (7)
352x288@30.0 (6)

2.1

19800

792

4 Mbit/s

5 Mbit/s

352x480@30.0 (7)
352x576@25.0 (6)

2.2

20250

1620

4 Mbit/s

5 Mbit/s

352x480@30.7 (10)
352x576@25.6 (7)
720x480@15.0 (6)
720x576@12.5 (5)

40500

1620

10 Mbit/s

12.5 Mbit/s

352x480@61.4 (12)
352x576@51.1 (10)
720x480@30.0 (6)
720x576@25.0 (5)

3.1

108000

3600

14 Mbit/s

17.5 Mbit/s

720x480@80.0 (13)
720x576@66.7 (11)
1280x720@30.0 (5)

3.2

216000

5120

20 Mbit/s

25 Mbit/s

1280x720@60.0 (5)
1280x1024@42.2 (4)

245760

8192

20 Mbit/s

25 Mbit/s

1280x720@68.3 (9)
1920x1088@30.1 (4)
2048x1024@30.0 (4)

4.1

245760

8192

50 Mbit/s

62.5 Mbit/s

1280x720@68.3 (9)
1920x1088@30.1 (4)
2048x1024@30.0 (4)

4.2

522240

8704

50 Mbit/s

62.5 Mbit/s

1920x1088@64.0 (4)
2048x1088@60.0 (4)

589824

22080

135 Mbit/s

168.75 Mbit/s

1920x1088@72.3 (13)
2048x1024@72.0 (13)
2048x1088@67.8 (12)
2560x1920@30.7 (5)
3680x1536/26.7 (5)

5.1

983040

36864

240 Mbit/s

300 Mbit/s

1920x1088@120.5 (16)4096x2048@30.0 (5)

4096x2304@26.7 (5)

When using specific AVC Level numbers in the repurposing templates of Dalet AmberFin ensure that the
repurposing server will function properly by adhering to the following equation:
(sh x sw x fr)/256 mm/s where sh is the scaler height in pixels, sw is the scaler width in lines and mm/s is
the maximum macroblocks per second for that level.

AVC values that fail to meet this restriction may result in an Invalid level in configuration error in the
repurposing server.

Sync References
Operating
Standard

Bi-level sync SD Tri-level sync HD Reference Signal

Reference Signal
525i

525 (480) /
29i

625i

1125
(1080) /
30i

1125
(1080) /
29i

1125
(1080) /
23sF

1125
(1080) /
24sF

750
(720) /
60p

750
(720) /
59p

750
(720) /
50p

X
X

625 (576) /
25i

1125
(1080) /
25i

X
X

1125
(1080) /
30i

1125
(1080) /
29i

1125
(1080) /
25i

1125
(1080) /
23sF

1125
(1080) /
24sF
750 (720) /
60p
750 (720) /
59p

X
X

750 (720) /
50p

Creating a Windows Stripe

Not only is the amount of data being written to disk during an uncompressed HD ingest huge, but ingest is a
very time critical operation. This is why disks used with Dalet AmberFin must be structured so that the high
throughput is always available. With this in mind Dalet AmberFin recommends that any system designed to
perform uncompressed HD ingest has four 7200rpm disks configured in a RAID0 Stripe.
This Stripe can be configured in Windows; the process to achieve this is outlined below:
1. To open Computer Management right click on My Computer and select Manage
2. Select Disk Management in the left-hand panel of Computer Management This will identify all
available disks in the system

The Initialize and Convert Disk Wizard will start automatically, click Next
3. Start by initializing the newly installed disks; ensure the check boxes beside the new disks
are checked and click Next

The next step is to convert the new disks to Dynamic.

4. Ensure the check boxes beside the new disks are checked and click Next.

5. Verify your selections in the next screen and click Finish.

Now that the disks are Dynamic we can create the stripe.
6. To create the stripe, right click on one of the new disks and click New Volume. This will invoke
the New Volume wizard, click Next.
7. In the next window you are asked to select what type of volume you would like to create,
choose Striped and click Next.

Now you have to identify and add the required disks to the stripe, include all the newly installed disks.
8. Highlighting the disks individually and click Add. Once this is done, click Next.
9. In this window you are asked to assign a drive letter to the stripe, choose one and click next.
Now you will be asked to decide on a File System, Allocation Unit Size and a volume label. The File System
should be NTFS, the Allocation unit size should be left as Default and the volume label can be anything. Before
clicking next select the quick format check box, otherwise you will be waiting a long time for the disks to
become available.
Once the format is complete the Windows Stripe is configured and available, this can be verified in Disk
Management.

Installing Aurora Software QC

This guide details the required steps to install and license Tektronix Aurora QC software and the UQC Dalet
AmberFin Plug-in to enable Dalet AmberFin Unified Quality Control (UQC).

Pre-requisites
The minimum pre-requisites must be present prior to installing Aurora.

Dalet AmberFin version 7.5 or later installed on a PC meeting published specifications

Tektronix Aurora software QC installer version 3.5.388.00x64 or higher with a valid Aurora
license Refer to Dalet AmberFin release notes for any further recommendations including the
required Matrox driver version. Dalet AmberFin Installation Checks
It is recommended to check that the Dalet AmberFin installation is properly licensed and enabled for UQC and
that the following is true:

A QC tab appears when editing or adding a new Transcode+QC template

If there is no QC tab when editing or adding a new Transcode+QC template, then contact Dalet AmberFin
support.

A Local QC Group and Local QC Engine have been added manually in the Topology section of
the Job Status panel and that the host connection is connected

QC Group details MUST be added manually to the Job Status, Topology panel. If the host is disconnected click
on the [ ] box next to the local host IP address of 127.0.0.1. The Topology details should gray out and then
be restored with a valid connection with Local Group QC and any relevant Local Repurposing Group details.

Installation
If the minimum version of Dalet AmberFin is not installed, it is best to uninstall both the Matrox driver and
Dalet AmberFin from the Uninstall control panel feature and replace them with the required version as detailed
above.

Aurora recommends that User Account Control is turned off, if possible. This may make installing required
software easier to perform unattended.
There are several methods that can be used to turn off UAC; heres one of them (using Windows 7):
1. Type MsConfig in Start Search to start System Configuration, open the Tools tab, select
Change UAC Settings and click on the Launch button.

2. Move the slider bar all the way down (Never Notify) and click OK.
3. Restart the computer for the change to take effect.
Remember to turn UAC back to your preferred level after the install process has completed.

Installing the Full Application

Tektronix Aurora can be installed in one of two main configurations:

Aurora Server plus an Add-on Verification Unit on a single PC

Aurora Server on a single PC with Aurora VUs on other workstation PCs

This guide will focus on installing the full Aurora install locally on the same PC that runs Dalet AmberFin.
1. Install Aurora QC software and accept all default options:
Full
Application
Default
Templates
Shell
Extensions

Password fields may be left blank; the default is admin, admin (it can be changed later).
The install should then proceed unattended until a reboot is required.
The install progress will be shown on screen:

2. Review the install using the scroll bars in the Setup Wizard window to check that no
components failed to install.
Any components not already present such as Quick Time will be automatically installed and any previously
installed components are not normally replaced.

If UAC has not been turned off and Java Standard Edition (SE) Runtime (minimum version: 6 update 18) is not
installed, it must be installed manually from a command prompt as explained below.
You will be prompted to install it from a given location. The location and Java version may be installation
dependent. A typical location is C:\Program Files\Tektronix\Aurora\Prequisites\jre-6u18-windowsi586.exe.
Java SE runtime run time can also be obtained from the developer (Oracle) website. However, it is not
recommended to install a higher version than Aurora normally installs as it may not have passed compliance
testing. Any applicable updates will be downloaded and can be manually installed as required, but always
check with Dalet AmberFin support.
3. To install Java from the given location proceed as follows:
Click on Start and type cmd in the Search bar
Then click on the executable file C:\.. cmd.exe that search finds
A command prompt window opens
Type cd C:\Program Files\Tektronix\Aurora\Prerequisites (or whatever path is required by the
Wizard)
Then type jre-6u18-windows-i586.exe (or whatever executable is required by the Wizard) If
required, Java SE may be installed after re-booting the PC.
4. When done, reboot the PC; this may be done from the Tektronix Aurora Setup Wizard.
Once Aurora and all pre-requisite software are installed, the Aurora software must be licensed.
5. Open a browser page, and log in at http://localhost/Aurora with username=admin and
password=admin.
6. Click on the Settings tab.

7. Type in the license 28 digit alpha-numerical string (xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx )in the

License Key field and click on Activate.
Installing the UQC Plug-in
To enable QC status monitoring in the UQC Status panel of all files in the library, the UQC Plug-in must first be
installed.
To install the plug-in proceed as follows:
1. Quit Dalet AmberFin and copy UQCPlugin.jar to the C:\Program Files (x86)\ AmberFin\
AmberFin\plugins folder.
The UQC Plug-in should have been included with your copy of Dalet AmberFin, it can also be downloaded;
please contact Dalet AmberFin if this has not been supplied.
2. Start Dalet AmberFin.

3. Make sure that Web Services Control is selected in the File Menu.
4. A new tab, UQC Status, should appear in the Dalet AmberFin side bar (if it is not present
select it from Dalet AmberFin Windows >> Plugins).

The installation is now complete and may be tested by creating one or more Software QC profiles and running
UQC during transcode or on existing files in the system.
Jobs can be checked in the Aurora Dashboard Jobs section.

EBU R 123/48 Audio Track Layout

EBU reference codes for EBU R 123 (HD) and R 48 (SD) used for UK DPP audio track layouts are shown in the
table below.

EBU Code R48:

2a
Prog Type Stereo

R123:
4b

R123:
4C

R123:
R123:
R123:
16C Opt 1 16C Opt 2 16d

R123:
16f

Stereo +
M&E

Stereo +
Stereo 5.1 Stereo 5.1 5.1 Two
Audio Desc + M&E
+ Audio
languages
Desc

Three
languages

St Final Mix
L
St Final Mix
R
St M&E L

Silence

St M&E R

St Final Mix
L
St Final Mix
R
St Aud
Desc L
St Aud
Desc R

5.1 Lang 1
L
5.1 Lang 1
R
5.1 Lang 1
C
5.1 Lang 1
LFE
5.1 Lang 1
Ls
5.1 Lang 1
Rs
Other

St Lang 1 L

St Final Mix
L
St Final Mix
R
Silence

Other

Not Used

5.1 Lang 2
L
5.1 Lang 2
R
5.1 Lang 2
C
5.1 Lang 2
LFE
5.1 Lang 2
Ls
5.1 Lang 2
Rs
Other
Other

St Lang 3 L

Track Nos
1

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

10

N/A

N/A

N/A

11

N/A

N/A

N/A

St Final Mix St L Mix

L
St Final Mix St R Mix
R
St M&E L St Aud
Desc L
St M&E R St Aud
Desc R
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix L
Mix L
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix R
Mix R
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix C
Mix C
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix LFE
Mix LFE
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix Ls
Mix Ls
5.1 Final
5.1 Final
Mix Rs
Mix Rs
5.1 M&E L 5.1 M&E L

12

N/A

N/A

N/A

5.1 M&E R 5.1 M&E R

13

N/A

N/A

N/A

5.1 M&E C 5.1 M&E C

14

N/A

N/A

N/A

15
16

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

N/A
N/A

5.1 M&E
LFE
5.1 M&E Ls
5.1 M&E Rs

5.1 M&E
LFE
5.1 M&E Ls
5.1 M&E Rs

HD files must have 16 tracks, SD must have 4. Unused tracks must contain digital silence.

St Lang 1
R
Not Used
Not Used
St Lang 2 L
St Lang 2
R
Not Used

St Lang 3
R
Not Used
Not Used
Other
Other
Other
Other

HA Farm Terminology and Redundancy Methods

21.

Glossary

A
AAF: Advanced Authoring Format; a
video post-production file
interchange format. See MXF.
Active Profile Groups: A range of
templates selected for a transcode
and/or QC operation. Categories
include Output Options,
Transcode+QC, MarkUp,
Timecode/VTR and Sync Source.
Ancillary Data: Auxiliary information
inserted into unused areas of the
signal such as the VBI in analog and
SD formats or the HANC or VANC in
HD formats. Examples of these
additional payloads include, closed
captioning, teletext, wide screen
subtitling, AFD descriptors,
timecode, test signals and even
control codes to turn transmitters
on and off. With the advent of filebased workflow, VBI/ANC data can
now be stored in MXF files. For
examples see EBU R 122 (source
timecode carriage), EBU R 133
(EBU-TT/ANC packets) and SMPTE
436M (general datatrack).
Apple ProRes: A lossy intermediate
codec for video editing developed
by Apple Inc. It supports resolutions
up to 4k.
ATSC A/53: The six part US Digital
Television Standard for Advanced
Television (ATV).
B
Batch VTR Record: A Dalet
AmberFin record mode that allows
multiple clips to be collated for
ingest.
C
CEA-608/708: In the US, CEA-608,
or line 21 closed captioning for
analog reception, mainly used line,
21 on field 1 with extended
functionality using line 284 on field
2. The CC standard created for the
US ATSC A/53 digital television is
CEA-708. It supports a near tenfold
increase in data rate over CEA-608
and caters for a wide range of
additional (and optional) features
while supporting backward
compatibility. CC data (including
legacy CEA-608) may be added to
the MPEG-2 bitsream as user bits in
the VANC.
Closed Captions: Closed captions,
which can be turned off by the

viewer, supply a simplified

transcript of spoken words with a
certain level of action description. A
CC system was first previewed to
the public at the First National
Conference on Television for the
Hearing Impaired in Nashville,
Tennessee. The Federal
Government funded the final
development and testing and the
Federal Communications
Commission reserved line 21 for
closed captioning in 1976. See CEA608/708.
Console: The console panel shows
the most recent errors diagnosed by
the system.
D
D10: An MPEG-2 4:2:2 I frame
based, professional video format
defined by SMPTE 356M-2001. The
format also became known as IMX
because of a range of IMX branded
D10 VTRs from Sony.
DNxHD: An intermediate lossy HD
video post-production format
developed by Avid wrapped in either
a QuickTime or MXF container. It
was used as the framework for the
SMPTE VC-3 standard.
DPP: An initiative formed by UK
public service producers and
broadcasters that use SD and HD
shim-constrained subsets of the AS11 MXF file wrapper format to
facilitate common interchange.
DV: Aimed at the general consumer,
DV is a Digital Video specification
originally called Blue Book that was
created by a consortium of camera
manufacturers for storing interlace
scanned video on cassette tapes at
25 Mbps. Chroma subsampling is
followed by lossy intra-frame DCT
compression with audio, video and
metadata multiplexed into DIF
(Digital Interface
Format) bit streams that can be
stored as raw data or wrapped in
containers such as AVI, QuickTime
or MXF. Professional versions have
been introduced mainly by Sony and
Panasonic.
DVCAM: Sonys professional version
of DV. Although the data rate stays
at 25Mbps, wider video tracks
improve multi-generation
performance and locked audio
ensure audio-sync during editing.
See also HDCAM and XDCAM.
DVCPRO: The original DVCPRO from
Panasonic was the first DV variant

to benefit from wider tracks and

locked audio. The data rate also
stays at 25 Mbps but chroma
subsampling is improved in PAL
from 4:2:0 to 4:1:1; the same as DV
NTSC subsampling.
DVCPRO 50: Panasonics
ENG/Digital Cinema DVCPRO50
format increases the data rate to
50Mbps and provides 4:2:2 chroma
subtitling. It doubles the tape
budget but is still a standard
definition format.
DVCPRO HD: With a data rate of
100Mbps at 50/60 frames,
DCVPRO HD (or DVCPRO 100),
supports both interlaced and
progressive formats, though actual
progressive recording is not
supported. Because horizontal
resolution is slightly reduced,
upsampling is used on playback.
E
EBU R123/48: A set of audio track
allocation schemes adapted for UK
DPP file-based program exchange.
EBU STL: The EBU caption format
defined by Technical Reference
3264-E. Not to be confused with a
Spruce Technologies subtitle format
with the same extension.
F
File Cutting and Splicing: The file
cutting and splicing panel is actually
a simple assembly tool. It allows
several clips or clip segments to be
joined together.
File Explorer: This panel provides
access to files that may not be in
the Dalet AmberFin library but are
accessible from Dalet AmberFin.
Format Conversion: Changes the file
format but not the frame rate. Only
Standards Conversion changes
frame rate.
G
GXF: General eXchange Format is a
simplified file exchange format for
SD and HD video.
H
HDCAM: An HD version of digital
Betacam, DCT compressed, 8 bit,
3:1:1 at 144 Mbps.
HDCAM SR: Standardized as SMPTE
409M-2005, HDCAM SR uses
improved tape formulation to
achieve 10 bit 4:2:2 at 440 Mbps
(SQ) or 4:4:4 RGB at 880 Mbps
(HQ). HDCAM SR Lite adds a 220
Mbps codec based on the open
MPEG-4 SStP (Simple Studio Profile)
that can be wrapped as an MXF file.

SR solid state memory cards take

advantage of the move to file based
working to support transfer rates up
to 5 Gbps with storage capacities
up to 1TB.
Hotkeys: Hot keys are keyboard
shortcuts that can be used to
control the Dalet AmberFin
Recorder or Player viewing windows.
See Modifier codes.
I
IMX: See D10.
Glossary
Ingest: The process of acquiring a
video/audio asset into the system.
It is usually associated with
transcoding the asset into one or
more chosen formats. Note that
Dalet AmberFin allows multiple QC
operations to be performed during
and after ingest.
J
Job: A manual or scheduled task
such as transcode, QC or standards
conversion.
Job Status Panel: The Job Status
panel shows a list of the
transcoding or QC jobs assigned to
one or more transcoding or QC
engines. It also provides
configuration controls for Dalet
AmberFin transcode and/or QC
engines. A Monitoring tab displays
all active monitored (watched)
folders.
JPEG-2000: A scalable wavelet
based image compression system
that supersedes the original DCT
version.
L
Layout: There are a variety of Dalet
AmberFin panel (or window) layouts
optimized for specific workflows.
Library: A dedicated 'project' area
for ingested and repurposed assets
and associated metadata. It is
explored and controlled using the
Library Panel where files can be
imported from other areas and
loaded into the Player for review
and/or assigned to transcode and
QC engines.
lservrc: The name of the Dalet
AmberFin license file; note that no
extension is used or required.
M
Markup: Markup refers to operator
generated comments and
annotations about a currently
loaded asset that are can be
permanently associated with that
asset by manual entry into the Dalet

AmberFin detailed timeline and

saved to a qcml file.
MHEG-5: MHEG-5 is an
international standard devised by
the Multimedia and Hypermedia
Experts Group (MHEG) to describe
interactive television services. A
common application is the delivery
of interaction services on the
Freeview and Freesat television
program platforms. In the UK this
allows extra content (including PPV)
to be delivered via an IP connection.
Modifier codes: Modifier codes are
special keyboard keys that are held
down to activate certain Hotkey
functions when other, usually more
commonly used keys are also
pressed.
MPEG-1: First of a series of lossy
DCT based audio and video
compression standards developed
by the Moving Picture Experts
Group. Work started in 1988 with
the first public release date in
1993. Although it was capable of
higher bit rates, compatibility with
Audio CD bitrates of 1.5 Mbits/s
was a significant design goal. Three
levels of audio compression were
specified, with Layer 3 being more
easily recognized as the universal
MP3 format.
MPEG-2: Before MPEG-1 was
released the Moving Picture Experts
Group had already begun work on
MPEG-2, an improved DCT based
compression standard compatible
with full-broadcast CCIR 601 (DVD
quality) video. There are a number
of Levels and Profiles defining
different resolutions from backward
compatibility with MPEG-1 up to full
HD such as the US ATSC A/53
standard and the European DVBT1/2 standard which both use the
Main Profile @ High Level (MP@HL).
MPEG-21: An XML based standard
related to digital rights
management.
MPEG-3: The work by the Moving
Picture Experts Group on HDTV in
the 20 to 40 Mbits/s range dubbed
MPEG-3 was included in the MPEG2 standard. There is no MPEG-3
standard as such today.
MPEG-4: Work by the Moving
Picture Experts Group on MPEG-4
began as early as 1988 and has
continued to take advantage of
improvements in data encoding and
compression efficiency. It is split

into many different parts that cater

for a wide range of bit rates; for
example Part 10 applies to
Advanced Video Coding (AVC)
codecs and is technically the same
as ITU-T H.264 and Part 14, known
as the MP4 format, applies to 3GP
and Motion JPEG 2000 and is
technically the same as ISO/IEC
15444-12.
MXF: Material eXchange Format is a
container or wrapper format for
professional digital video and audio
with support for metadata and
timecode. With frequent updates
and improvements MXF has proved
to be an ideal basis for file-based
workflows. It is a subset of the
Advanced Authoring Format which is
designed to extend file-based
workflow to include (Non Linear
Editing) NLE systems and cameras
and other systems that require
device specific support.
N
Naming Pattern: A technique that
allows automatic naming for
different file types in a system
according to selected data-type
patterns that together define a
naming template. For example,
%d%m%Y_%Z allows multiple ingest
using the date as an identifier.
P
Player: The Player panel plays clips,
either newly recorded or from a
storage location. Files must be
loaded into the player to be
reviewed in the timeline.
Plug-in: A plug-in enables a featureset when installed in a dedicated
Dalet AmberFin folder. Examples
include Software QC, UK DPP, and
the Transcoding Scheduler. Extra
Windows or Panels are usually
associated with plug-ins for
operation and configuration.
PRC: A standardized form of spoken
Chinese that is the official language
of the People's Republic of China.
Profile (Conversion): Conversion
Profile: The specific codec chosen
to perform a transcode operation
such as AVC (H.264), AVC Intra,
MPEG-4, QuickTime, DV or DNxHD.
See also Transcode+QC Profile.
Profile (Transcode+QC):
Transcode+QC Profile: A family of
QC and/or Transcode parameters
typically performed for a target
application such as Mobile, Web,

VoD, NLE or Submastering. See also

Conversion Profile.
Proxy: A selected codec, typically
low resolution, which is used purely
for preview editing video files or for
monitoring transcode progress.
They are particularly useful for
remote viewing over an internet
connection and for previewing
operations performed on HD
sources that may require rendering
time.
Pulldown: Pulldown is the name
commonly used for an algorithm for
matching the slower frame rates
of film to the faster rates of
television by repeating selected
fields of each interlaced-scanned
frame in a mathematically
consistent sequence called a
cadence. This somewhat misleading
term derives from a claw
mechanism in early telecines that
could be controlled to effectively
pause the film advance or
pulldown as it is interlace-scanned
for TV and so repeat selected fields.
The electronic removal of the
repeated content is sometimes
confusingly called reverse
pulldown. Dalet AmberFin uses a
Pulldown Detection Helper that
helps synchronizes with the
timecode values at the start of the
detected cadence to remove only
repeated content and achieve the
original film's true frame rate but
without interlace artifacts.
Q
QC Queue: A dedicated panel to
allow a user to monitor submitted
QC Jobs. See also Job Status and
UQC Status panel.
Quality Control: Dalet AmberFin's
Unified QC combines multiple nonvendor specific tools for baseband
checks during tape ingest and filebased QC after ingest together with
overall operator controlled QC. See
the Understanding Dalet AmberFin
Workflow topic for an overview.
QuickTime: An extensible
multimedia framework and wrapper
developed by Apple Inc., to handle a
wide range of digital media formats
and animation.
R
Real-time QC: A GUI Preferences
setting that enables or disables
real-time rendering of QC events
during ingest.

Recorder Mode: The operating

mode of the Dalet AmberFin
Recorder may be one of Live,
Scheduled, VTR, VTR Batch, VDCP,
VTR Emulation or Quality Control.
Recorder Panel: A viewing window
with clip, reel, timecode, preroll and
VTR controls for acquiring content.
Repurposing: Dalet AmberFin
accepts the definition of
Transcoding or Repurposing to
mean Format Conversion; i.e.
changing the file format but not the
frame rate.
Router: A video or audio router
works as a crosspoint matrix or
switcher to allow selected sources
to be routed to selected
destinations. It should not be
confused with an IT component by
the same name that allows multiple
devices to connect to a network.
S
Segment track: A dedicated track in
the Timeline that can be used to
manage clips created from the
currently loaded A/V asset. Selected
clips can be sent to the File, Cutting
and Splicing Panel to be joined to
create a new file.
Segmentation: Segmentation is a
process whereby a video asset is
typically cut into shorter sections
called clips for later assembly, and
not necessarily in the same order,
to produce a different 'edited'
version. See Segment track and the
topic Segmentation, Splicing and
Joining.
Setup: The Setup panel provides
access to a series of workflow
settings and templates and is
divided into three areas, Global
Preset, Ingest Configuration and
Active Profile Group template
selection and configuration.
Side Bar: A tabbed panel docking
bar at the right hand side of the
GUI.
SMPTE VC-3: A software only codec
solution for SMPTE 2019-2006 (VC3) video streams.
Standards Conversion: Changing a
video source from one standard to
another particularly where a change
of frame rate is required. An
example would be changing a
625/50 PAL source to 525/59.94
NTSC, but not 625/50 Secam to
625/50 PAL.
Subtitling: In Europe subtitling may
refer to both captions for the hard

of hearing and foreign language

dialogue support. See Ancillary
Data, EBU-STL, Timed Text and
Subtitling (DVB).
Subtitling (DVB): There are two
head-end methods that can be
used to encode subtitles into the
DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting)
format, ETS 300 472 where
characters are represented by
codes which are sent to the users
receiver in a similar way to teletext
and the most popular system ETS
300 743, where subtitle text is
rendered as a bit-map graphic
which is encoded with MPEG-2
video it will be associated with when
inserted into the multiplexer as a
PES stream. See Ancillary Data for
information about carrying ancillary
data such as timecode, subtitling
and captions through production
and on to transmission.
Sync Source: The Timecode/VTR
sync source can be independently
set for Ingest and Playback between
the internal clock of the PC running
Dalet AmberFin or the incoming
video source at a Matrox card.
T
Teletext: Teletext was a mainly text
based information system encoded
using multiple lines in the VBI. It
was developed in the UK by the BBC
in the seventies for analogue PAL
transmissions. It was used for
magazine and news content, as well
as subtitling. The most dominant
system is CCIR System B or WST
(World System Teletext) which is
used as the standard for teletext
throughout Europe. The defining
standards are ITU-R BT.653 and
ETS 300 706.
Templates (Setup): The generic
name for a range of user
configurable forms accessed from
the Setup panel in Dalet AmberFin
that define settings for specific
operations. Templates may be
published and shared with other
users.
Timed Text: Timed Text, an XML
based profile of the W3C Time Text
Markup Language has emerged as
a format for closed captioning and
subtitling across a wide range of
media including material published
on the web. One advantage is that
as with MXF, content can be verified
and error checked within file based
workflows. The FCC has ruled that

captioning and DVS should be

compliant with the SMPTE-TT
standard for timed text (SMPTE ST
20521:2010). In Europe similar
work is underway with EBU Timed
Text (EBU-TT) which is regarded as a
follow-up to the EBU STL format.
Timeline: An interface that allows
one or more video or audio files to
be viewed as a chronological
sequence of scenes or frames
together with annotations and
review mark-up. See Unified
Timeline.
Transcode Scheduler: Allows a list
of timed transcode only events from
any accessible source to occur at
any future time.
Transcoding: Dalet AmberFin
accepts the definition of
Transcoding or Repurposing to
mean Format Conversion; i.e.
changing the file format but not the
frame rate.
U
Unified Timeline: A technique
developed by Dalet AmberFin that
allows annotation and mark-up for a
source to be managed from a single
'unified' timeline throughout its
Quality Control life-cycle.
UQC: A non-vendor specific solution
from Dalet AmberFin for applying
QC to transcoding operations that
implements easy mark-up in the
Dalet AmberFin timeline.
UQC Status: The UQC Status Panel
is where QC status is shown for
every file in the library.
Requires the UQC plug-in and Web
Service Control enabled in the File
menu.
V
VBI: The Vertical Blanking Interval
was the largest of the analog
television vertical and horizontal
blanking periods required to
prevent active picture during CRT
(Cathode Ray Tube) electron beam
flyback. As receiver technology
improved it became possible to
unblank some lines at the start of
each field and so enable other
services such as Closed Captions or
Subtitling.
VoD TS: Video on Demand Transport
Stream.
VTR Emulation: Feature that allows
an edit controller to play clips within
the Dalet AmberFin library or record
live video via the Sony command
protocol.

W
Watch Folder: A watch or
'monitored' folder facilitates
unattended operation when files are
copied to them so that Dalet
AmberFin can perform requested
operations on them. At the present
time a watch folder cannot be used
to configure a transcode and a QC
operation at the same time. A QC
operation can only be configured to
run from a watch folder if a No
Transcode profile is used.
Watermarking: Digital watermarking
allows an invisible identification
signal to be added to images and
video.
Web Service Control: A web service
function that puts a computer into a
mode where it can receive
commands over an internet
connection. It is accessible from the
Dalet AmberFin File menu.
Wildform Flix Exporter: Exports high
quality On2 VP6 video for Adobe
Flash Player and JavaFX from any
QuickTime application.
X
XDCAM: A series of solid-state
memory products introduced by
Sony for digital recording. It is also
the general name for a range of
associated formats and their
containers; DVCAM; (DV: AVI, MXF),
MPEG IMX (MPEG-2 422P@ML:
MXF), MPEG HD422 (MPEG-2
MP@H14/HL: MXF, MP4), MPEG
HD422 (MPEG-2 422P@HL: MXF)
and Proxy AV (MPEG-4 Part-2: MXF).