Broadcast mpeg 2 to television?

I edit commercials and deliver them on digi beta. I have just been told I maybe able to deliver broadcast spec mpeg 2 files (50 Mb) to the broadcast trafficker who can then somehow send said commercial to the TV stations. I know British TV is in the process of going completely digital. My question - how does this work? Are there not massive compression issues at hand? How is an mpeg 2 files uncompressed?

<<<How is an mpeg 2 files uncompressed????

They'e not uncompressed. System Stream MPEG2 files are switched and sent directly to the transmitter. No tape machines, no fancy translation facilities, no squat. From the hard drives directly to your living room. That's why the broadcasters are all hot about this. It saves them an enormous amount on facility costs.

As a logical extension to this, they convince you to hold the stream on *your* hard drives and on cue, upload it directly to the transmitter. They just cue you when its needed. Then they can sell their whole building.

To my knowledge, you can't create System Stream MPEG2 files inside a Mac (someone will correct me).

The easiest way to recognize System Stream files is they usually have a .MPG extension and it's only one file for both picture and sound.

Whenever we need one of those things for a contest (it's always a contest), we use TMPGEnc on one of the PCs.

Koz

Does anyone know if "Compressor" can make those mpeg 2 files? I've been told that I can deliver that way as well. I'll be able to ftp the files to them. Technology is amazing.

Kevin



"A problem can never be solved by the same consciousness that created it"
Einstein

I do digital spot delivery everyday through Fast Channel: [www.fastchannel.com]

I make multiplexed MPEG 2 files in Cleaner 6 and shove them to FC's FTP server.

Here's my workflow:

Edit in FCP HD, export a QuickTime movie (no conversion....it's the 1st option in the export pull out menu) of the final spot, compress that file in Cleaner 6, and shove the compressed MPEG 2 file to FC.

Fast Channel wants 90 frames of bars and tone at the begining of the spot, add 300 frames slate and 900 frames of spot for a total of 1290 frames or 43 seconds.

Here's my Cleaner settings:
720x486
18.384 Mbps constant data rate.
I frames only in the GOP settings
Audio as Mpeg-1 layer 2 *multiplexed*

Compressor won't do this. I've tried.

The compressed files turn out right at 80Mb in size, and take about 6 minutes to shove using a T1 line.

It's definately a great life not making a gazillion spot dubs anymore!

email me if I can help anymore: al@productionplusinc.com

<<<take about 6 minutes to shove using a T1 line.>>.

OK. Hands? Everybody that has a T1 line at their house?

I just got the upgrade to my DSL to 384 upstream and I'm pretty sure I don't actually get anything like that in real life. Before the upgrade, my upstream (the "wrong" way) was roughly double dialup.

Based on those speeds, the upload should only take, what, three weeks?

This is where asymmetrical DSL kills you dead. Cable can be fun, too. I work with people on Data Cable TV and there are times it's amost useless. You look in the Data Cabinet (third bedroom) and the Cable Modem activity light never goes out.

We'd even have trouble with that at the company. We have T1s, but all our connections are taken up with transmissions to the India Division, Video Conferencing, phone services, and connections between other data services.

<<<Technology is amazing.>>>

Isn't it?

Koz