Regions Covered
✔ Australia
✔ New Zealand
To maintain a consistently high quality product, XR requires all material to be supplied to the following specifications:
Requirements at a glance
| Unique identifier(s): |
Australia: The key number doesn't need to follow a set format but it should be made up of no more than 13 alphanumeric characters. Dashes, slashes, and hyphens are treated as spaces and ignored. New Zealand: It is recommend that the key number should follow the advertiser/duration/version format e.g. ABS0300001. An ‘R’ suffix (e.g., ABS0300001R) must only be used to denote a technical amendment. Any change to the actual contents of the commercial requires a new key number. |
| Pre/post roll: | Optional, see Content Layout |
| HD/SD: | HD |
| Audio: | ITU-R 1770-3 (OP48/59) |
| Clearance: | ClearAds (Australia) / CAB (New Zealand), see ClearAds / CAB Clearance |
Content Layout
Option 1: TVC / Essence Only
Option 2: Clapper & Black
Australia
New Zealand
*A small white square must be placed top right-hand corner of active picture in the black frame immediately before first active frame of vision
Clapper Board
If a clapper is supplied it should display a countdown starting at 10 and the following information:
Important
For Australia, clapper must state OP48/OP59 Compliant
Clapper must be mute, if there is any audio it will fail QC
File Specification
| Preferred | Accepted | |||
| Format | XDCAM 1080/50 | Apple ProRes 422, LT or HQ 1080i/50 | Avid DNxHD 185x 1080/50 | |
| Container | MOV or MXF | MOV | MOV or MXF | |
| Video Codec | XDCAM 422 | Apple Quicktime ProRes 422 (LT or HQ) | 10bit DNxHD | |
| GOP | Long GOP | - | - | |
| Profile | MPEG-2 422P@HL | HQ | 1080i DNxHD SQ 8-bit | |
| Frame Size | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 | 1920x1080 | |
| Frame Rate | 25 FPS | 25 FPS | 25 FPS | |
| Scan Type | Interlaced, Upper/Top Field First | Interlaced, Upper/Top Field First | Interlaced, Upper/Top Field First | |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 | 16:9 | |
| Pixel Aspect Ratio | Square Pixels (1.0) | Square Pixels (1.0) | Square Pixels (1.0) | |
| Video Bit Rate | 50Mb/s CBR | - | 185Mb/s | |
| Chroma | 4:2:2 | 4:2:2 | 4:2:2 | |
| Audio Codec | Integer (Big/Little Endian) PCM | Integer (Little Endian) PCM | PCM | |
| Audio Bit Depth | 16bit | 16bit | 16bit | |
| Audio Sample Rate | 48kHz | 48kHz | 48kHz | |
| Audio Bit Rate | Uncompressed | Uncompressed | Uncompressed | |
| Presets | Adobe Avid DNxHD | |||
Click here to download the instructions for importing DaVinci Resolve presets
Click here to download the instructions for importing Adobe Premiere Pro presets
Title Safety
16:9 as per EBU R.95-1
All graphics, text, and frame composition elements should be placed within the safe title area to prevent key content from being cut off.
Video Levels
All video signals should comply with ITU-R BT.709-5 and video signals should not exceed the specified limits.
Video levels should not exceed 700mV, or fall below 0mv
Luminance (Y) -1% and 103%
(between -7mV and 721mV)
RGB video levels -5% and 105%
(between -35mV and 735mV)
Audio Levels
All commercial soundtracks must be measured using ITU-R BS 1770-3 loudness meter to ensure compliance to the following delivery specification: Refer to Free TV OP59 for correct loudness measurement and management techniques.
ITU-R 1770-3 (OP48/59)
- Reference level: 1kHz @ -20dBFS
- Integrated Loudness Program : -24 LKFS
- Target Level Tolerance : +/- 1 LU
- Maximum True Peak : -2dBTP
Frames of silence (Australia only)
TVC must contain 12 frames of complete silence: no voiceover, active dialogue, music, effects or atmos at the beginning and end of TVC. E.g., 30 sec begins at 00:00:00:00, audio must begin 00:00:00:12 and end 00:00:29:13.
Audio Channel Configurations
| Channel # | Audio |
| 1 | Stereo Left |
| 2 | Stereo Right |
| Channel # | Audio |
| 1 | Stereo Left |
| 2 | Stereo Right |
| 3 | AD Narration |
| 4 | AD Control Track (ducking audio on 1&2 when AD is playing) |
| Channel # | Audio |
| 1 | Stereo Left |
| 2 | Stereo Right |
| 3 | Collapsed Custom Mix & AD Narration |
| 4 | AD Control Track (completely ducking audio on Tracks 1&2 for the duration of the TVC) |
Closed Captions
Closed Captions for the hard of hearing can be added to your commercials for an additional fee. Please get in touch if you would like more information.
Audio Description
Audio Description makes content more accessible to individuals who are blind or visually impaired. See Accessibility Options in Australia and New Zealand for get in touch for more information.
Clearance
Australia
Clearance via Clear Ads/CAD is mandatory for all "Free to Air" stations in Australia. XR advises that you apply for CAD approval regardless of the station list, then the same ad can be despatched to any stations in the future.
Clear Ads/CAD approval lasts for 2 years, after this, the key number will need to be reapproved in case laws have changed and the material is no longer acceptable for on air.
You can deliver your broadcast masters to CAD via XR by selecting FreeTV HD:
New Zealand
Clearance via The Commercial Approvals Bureau (CAB) is mandatory for all stations in New Zealand.
You can deliver your broadcast masters to CAB via XR by selecting TV CAB HD:
Do you need help with clearance or regulatory compliance?
XR's Campaign Services teams can assist you! Please reach out to your local team for more information, additional fees apply.