Delivery to broadcast and streaming — loudness, formats and specifications
A nice cut is not automatically an approved cut
A programme can be perfectly edited colour-corrected and mixed — and still be rejected at delivery because it does not meet the technical specifications the channel requires. Both DR and TV2 Danmark publish detailed technical standards for how a programme should be delivered and the rules are at least as much about sound as about image.
§Why is loudness measured in LUFS, not just in decibel
The European industry organisation EBU (European Broadcasting Union) issued the EBU R128 recommendation at one point to solve a specific problem: viewers who constantly had to turn up and down because one programme or one advertisement sounded significantly louder than the next. The solution was to measure the perceived loudness of the programme over time — loudness in LUFS — instead of only watching the highest peak on an ordinary decibel meter. DR also states that programmes should in principle be mixed according to EBU R128, and that the older Nordic PPM6 level is only accepted after prior agreement.
§Concrete figures TV2 works according to
| Parameters recorded at fixed intervals | Requirements (TV2) |
|---|---|
| Program Loudness | 0 LU, corresponding to -23 LUFS, measured over the entire programme |
| Tolerance common program | ± 1 LU |
| Tolerance short-format (ads/trailers) | ± 0,5 LU |
| Max. True Peak | -3 dBTP, measured with 4x oversampling |
§Why loudness requirements are not a matter of taste
It can seem like an unnecessary detail to measure sound level so accurately, but the background is a very concrete viewer experience: without a common standard, each program or each advertisement will compete to sound loudest because a higher level is perceived as more impactful. The result is an endless 'loudness war' where the viewer eventually has to turn down to avoid discomfort, and where the most dynamic, quiet passages in a program are drowned out. EBU R128 is the industry's common solution to that problem, and therefore it's not a technical refinement but a prerequisite for a program to be accepted at all.
§Image, codec and resolution
Beyond sound, channels set requirements for image format, resolution, frame rate and which file format (codec) the finished programme should be delivered in. The raw material from the camera is rarely what is delivered — instead a so-called mezzanine format is exported that is editing-friendly and of high quality but without the raw camera material's enormous file size. Knowing the channel's specification document before editing begins prevents costly and time-consuming re-encoding at the last minute.
- 01Check channel technical specification document before export is set up
- 02Listen to the programme on a loudness meter, not just the ear, before delivery
- 03Avoid exporting directly from the raw camera codec—use the format the channel requests.
- 04Build time into the schedule for a technical approval round before the final deadline
§Delivery is a specification, not just a final check
The experienced technician does not treat delivery as a formality to rush through. Loudness requirements, colour space, resolution and file format are just as binding as the rest of the technical craftsmanship, and they exist because the viewer should experience a consistent experience regardless of which programme is shown. Knowing the specifications before the cut is finished is the difference between a production delivered on time and one sent back for correction.
§Streaming services have their own specifications
Beyond the classic broadcasters, streaming services also set their own, often even more detailed delivery requirements — for image resolution, frame rate, file structure, subtitle format and metadata. The EBU has, through an addendum to R128, specifically addressed loudness in streaming because the listening situation and playback equipment is often different from traditional TV viewing. If you work across multiple channels and platforms, it is therefore not enough to memorise one specification — each delivery agreement must be checked individually before the final export is started.