Automating the Exchange of Video Files with BXF and Enabling Further Process Automation in File-Based Workflows

Much activity has occurred in recent years around the area of file-based workflows. However, one area that has not fully been addressed until now was automating the exchange of files by standardizing file delivery specifications that networks provide to those they get content from. The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) has been hard at work on this, in conjunction with SMPTE, with the NABA Digital Production Partnership (DPP) activity. This paper shows how a new extension of Broadcast eXchange Format (BXF) will be used to solve this problem and also facilitates a simpler automated quality control (QC) of incoming files. This paper also examines some of the problems and issues that impact interoperability in file-based workflows, as well as issues that are driving needed changes and that will threaten existing workflows. Finally, it addresses the work currently underway by a technical committee consisting of members of the NABA, the DPP, and other industry partner organizations to resolve them.