Broadcast Delivery

Broadcast delivery in South Korea rests on the ATSC 3.0 terrestrial framework used nationwide. It also follows the published tech specs of the four major free-to-air networks: KBS, MBC, SBS, and JTBC, plus the cable and satellite operators that distribute through them. Each network keeps its own ingest profile. That profile sets the accepted codecs, container formats, audio channel mapping, loudness targets, captioning workflow, and metadata schema. Our delivery team holds the current spec sheet for each one and builds masters to match. As a result, files clear tech sign-off on the first try, with no rejection notes that put air dates at risk.

Some global networks take Korean content under licence, whether North American cable, European public TV, or pan-Asian operators. For them we run dual-standard delivery. That covers both the home Korean master and the local global version. PAL, NTSC, and HD frame-rate changes use motion-compensated processing rather than simple frame doubling. Audio is remixed to R128 or OP-59 loudness based on where it is bound.

Closed-caption and subtitle files are recut to the container that each receiving network prefers. Automated QC runs then sit alongside manual review by our team. Each package ships with a written compliance report. That report logs video levels, audio loudness, safe-area checks, and full metadata, so the receiving network can sign off with no back-and-forth.

Korean broadcast schedules leave little slack, so our delivery workflow is built for speed without shortcuts. A drama may lock picture only days before its slot on JTBC or SBS. We prepare the master file format, audio layback, and caption tracks in parallel rather than in sequence. Our mastering team confirms the network's current ingest profile before the file is built, since these specs are revised over time. That preparation means the package arrives correct on the first delivery, which keeps a fixed air date safe even on a tight finishing turnaround.

Audio compliance gets close attention because Korean networks and global takers set different loudness targets. We deliver to R128 for many international networks and to OP-59 or the home target for domestic air. Channel mapping is verified for stereo, 5.1, and any descriptive or secondary audio track the network requires. Mixes finished at sound houses such as Live Tone Studio or Tigertail Sound are laid back and re-measured against the receiving spec. We never assume a mix that passed one network will pass another, so each version is checked on its own.

A single Korean title often goes to many destinations at once: terrestrial air, cable, and overseas licence holders. We manage that as one versioning job, deriving each broadcast deliverable from a common conformed master. Korean and English caption files are recut to each network's container, and metadata is mapped to each schema. Every version is QC'd and ships with its own compliance report. Building them from one master keeps the picture and audio identical across outlets, so the show looks and sounds the same wherever a viewer tunes in.