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Tessact accepts a broad spectrum of professional and consumer media formats. To minimise ingest latency, avoid unnecessary transcoding, and ensure immediate AI analysis and browser playback, we strongly recommend conforming to the Preferred (web-safe) profile defined below. Files that deviate from these specifications will still be accepted, but they enter a transcoding queue that increases processing time.

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Preferred (Web-Safe) Profile

AspectRequired / Recommended SettingRationale
ContainerMP4 (.mp4)Universally supported in all browsers, mobile SDKs, and most broadcast playout systems.
Video CodecH.264/AVC, Baseline, Main, or High profile, Level ≤ 4.2 (up to 1080p60) • CBR or 2-pass VBR • Average bitrate ≤ 10 Mb/sKeeps files “analysis-ready” while preserving quality. Higher bitrates trigger server-side transcode.
Audio CodecAAC-LC, 48 kHz, 2 channels, ≤ 320 kb/s CBRWidely supported; maintains sync and loudness accuracy for speech models.
Pixel Format4:2:0, 8-bit YUVAligns with GPU decoding pipelines; avoids colour-space conversions.
ResolutionAny up to 4K (3840 × 2160). 1080p (1920 × 1080) recommended for fastest turnaround.
Frame RateConstant frame rate (CFR) 23.976–60 fps. AI modules calibrate faster on CFR; VFR files are re-timed.
Scan TypeProgressive; interlaced sources should be de-interlaced before upload.
File HeaderFast-start / Web Optimised: moov atom placed at file head; correct duration metadata; indexed key-frames at GOP boundaries.
GOP StructureClosed GOP, ≤ 2 s (≈48–60 frames). Short, regular GOPs accelerate seek requests and temporal segmentation in analysis.
When exporting from Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, FFmpeg, or HandBrake, use presets labelled “H.264 High-Quality 1080p” and then enforce the 10 Mb/s ceiling.

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Alternative Containers/Codecs Accepted (Transcoding Required)

ContainerTypical Codecs SeenAction Taken
MOVProRes 422 / 444, DNxHD/R, AnimationAlways transcoded to H.264/AAC.
MKVH.265/HEVC, VP9, FLACAlways transcoded to H.264/AAC.
WEBMVP9 + Opus (bitrate > 10 Mb/s)Re-encoded to compliant H.264/AAC.
AVI, MPEG-TS, M2TS, MXF, VOB, FLV, WMV, 3GPMPEG-2, VC-1, WMV9, CineForm, othersFull transcode; longer queue times expected.
Audio-only formats (.mp3, .aac, .wav, .ogg/Opus, .flac) are accepted; files exceeding 320 kb/s or 48 kHz are normalised to AAC/48 kHz/320 kb/s.

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Header & Stream Integrity Requirements

  • Files must be free of DRM, encryption, truncation, or broken indexes.
  • Time-code discontinuities (PTS/DTS jumps) should be corrected prior to upload.
  • Closed captions or subtitle tracks are supported in MP4 (CEA-608/708 or WebVTT) and MKV/WEBM (SRT, WebVTT). Unsupported caption tracks are stripped during transcode.

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Performance Impact Summary

Upload ScenarioPlayback AvailabilityAI Analysis StartNotes
Preferred profile (MP4, H.264/AAC ≤ 10 Mb/s)InstantWithin secondsNo server transcode.
Preferred container but bitrate > 10 Mb/sDelayed (∝ file size)After transcodeBitrate down-conversion required.
Non-preferred codec/containerDelayedAfter transcodeFull re-encode; queue length depends on resolution/codec complexity.

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Preparing Files

Recommended toolchain presets (example CLI flags shown for FFmpeg): 
ffmpeg -i input.mov \
  -c:v libx264 -profile:v high -level 4.2 -pix_fmt yuv420p \
  -b:v 8M -maxrate 10M -bufsize 16M \
  -g 48 -keyint_min 48 -sc_threshold 0 \
  -c:a aac -b:a 320k -ar 48000 \
  -movflags +faststart \
  output.mp4
This command guarantees compatibility with Tessact’s preferred profile, avoids transcoding delays, and enables immediate playback across modern browsers.
Questions? For workflow-specific encoding recommendations (e.g., broadcast mezzanine archives, HDR pipelines, or high-frame-rate sports captures), please contact [email protected]. Our solutions team can provide tailored presets and guidance to balance quality, speed, and storage across your ingest pipeline.