Quality Control in the Film and Television industry

In the rapidly evolving media landscape the importance of quality control in the film and television industry cannot be underestimated. Production companies are increasingly looking towards international streaming platforms over linear as their primary distribution channel and while linear isn’t out of the game, statistics show that (According to WARC) in 2023, UK households spent on average 17% longer viewing content on video streaming platforms than linear TV and it appears that this number is only going to continue to grow over time. However, with this global evolution comes the challenge of maintaining consistent quality across many diverse markets. Quality control (QC) in the film and television industry has become one of the most crucial final steps in a show’s journey from paper to screen.

Quality control (in the context of film and television) involves a meticulous review process to ensure that the content meets the highest standards of audiovisual quality. It includes checking for technical errors, compliance with broadcast standards, and adherence to platform-specific requirements. For international clients, whether it be for streaming or linear, QC also involves ensuring that content is appropriately localised and accessible to various audiences wherever it is viewed around the globe.

Production companies and post-production houses have the expertise to create compelling content, but the specific technical knowledge required for QC may often lie outside of their core competencies. Moreover, the QC process can be very time-consuming and resource-intensive. This is why many production companies are turning to specialised QC service providers. Such QC providers (like ITV Content Services), offer ready made solutions that can be specifically tailored to meet the technical specification requirements and needs of various production companies.

ITV Content Services provides exceptional QC services for high-definition content utilising industry standard equipment operated by a team of multi-skilled QA professionals. QC assessors can check for a wide range of issues, including video and audio defects,metadata inaccuracies, subtitle and closed caption errors, ensuring all are compliant with the technical specifications of different linear and streaming clients. Drilling in further, every asset is run through a finely tuned Automated Quality Control Service (AQC), where assets are analysed further for compliance in PSE (Photosensitive Epilepsy), audio levels, colour gamuts and more.

By partnering with teams such as ITV Content Services, production companies can focus on what they do best: creating engaging content. They can rest assured that their content will be delivered to their eager audience without technical glitches, correctly localised, and in compliance with all necessary standards. As production companies navigate the complex world of international streaming, partnering with a reliable QC service provider is not just an option—it’s a necessity. It’s the key to delivering high-quality content that connects and resonates with audiences worldwide, regardless of the platform that they choose to stream on.

If you would like to explore or discuss further any of the quality control services  mentioned above then please contact our team at ITV Content Services who are always happy to share their considerable insight.

ITV Content Services
104 Kirkstall Road
Leeds
LS3 1JS
www.itvcontentservices.com

Email: content.services@itv.com