Vidcheck, a specialist supplier of software for automated QC and correction of video and audio media files, has announced that its Vidfixer product now includes automated correction of PSE flashing in file based video.
All television content intended for broadcast in the UK and Japan is legally required to comply with specifications related to preventing photosensitive epilepsy (PSE), a type of epilepsy in which seizures are provoked by flashing or flickering images. In the UK the Government's Office of Communications (OfCOM) requires that all video is tested for potentially harmful flashing images before it is broadcast. If it fails the PSE tests it must be corrected, or include an accompanying warning that it contains flashing images. Transmitting video that fails the PSE requirements without issuing the requisite warning can incur serious penalties. Similar legislation applies to material before broadcast in Japan, and the international ITU recommendations are contained ITU-R BT.1702.
Until recently this required the use of costly flash pattern analysers and manual correction by returning and re-editing video frames or sequences that contained the flashing. This has been an expensive and time consuming process that may have to be repeated several times before the offending sequences pass the tests and meet the requirements, as it is not visually obvious to an editor how much change is required.
Vidcheck's Vidfixer product provides fully automated patent-pending correction of PSE luminance flashing added to the automated video level correction already developed and patented by the company. Vidcheck’s algorithms are unique to Vidcheck and are not available in any competitive product or software range.
Vidcheck CEO, Thomas Dove, explains, “All broadcast video in the UK and Japan has to be PSE tested to ensure that it meets the legal requirements and the consequences of a single mistake in this area can easily be more costly than an entire automated QC and correction solution using Vidfixer. During our testing of the PSE auto-correction we have seen a number of TV programmes that would fall foul of the legal requirements. Clearly the repeated PSE check and manual correction process has not been successful in these instances - however using Vidfixer would remove this trial and error. This is particularly relevant to post-production houses who put out files for external PSE test, who can now instead use the low cost Vidfixer-post to take the guesswork out of this correction, for a lower cost than a modest number of external PSE test runs.”
Vidcheck is showcasing Vidfixer and Vidfixer-post at IBC as part of a product range that takes advantage of self-correcting heuristic algorithms to modify original content by the minimum amount needed to ensure compliance. In addition to Vidfixer and Vidfixer-post, the company’s range includes the market-leading Vidchecker and Vidchecker-post; Vidchecker Grid and Vidfixer Grid suitable for large enterprises; and Vidchecker Cloud for large organisations that need a scalable, pay-per-use solution.
Vidcheck will be at IBC on stand 8.A30.
