The CORE Project: Aiming for Open Production and Archive Environments with MXF

Abstract

When traditional broadcast facilities are replaced with file-based systems, interoperability issues arise when IT-based broadcast equipment from different vendors needs to work together. Also the requirement for reuse of content in a multiformat environment presents a challenge to design open architectures that consider both production and archive. The Korean Broadcasting System's (KBS) CORE project was created to develop open production and archive environments using MXF, the Material eXchange Format. To facilitate MXF workflow in a mixed environment of SD/HD and OP-1a/OP-Atom files from production to archive, an MXF engine and applications were developed to provide file handling functions such as essence/metadata wrap and unwrap and MXF-based product provision. Metadata is the key for resource management and efficient workflow in IT-based systems. Key elements of CORE's metadata exploit SMPTE extended unique material identifiers (UMIDs) and global positioning system (GPS) data, which enable location-based searches. CORE's tests of multi-format systems concluded that unified file interfaces are desirable in broadcast equipment.