Format Conversion & Encoding

Shoots wrapping in Tokyo, Osaka, or Yokohama often reach our partner houses with mixed-source media. This can span ARRIRAW, RED R3D, Sony XAVC, and ProRes 4444, plus archive XDCAM tapes from older NHK or broadcast libraries.

We line up transcoding through encoding farms at houses such as Imagica, Sony PCL, and NEP. Each source maps to its target container and codec, so ProRes and DNxHD serve editorial while H.264 and H.265/HEVC serve web and social. JPEG2000 serves archive, and platform-set encodes serve Japanese TV networks and streamers.

Colour management runs through ACES or Rec.709 chains to keep the grade true. Bit-depth and chroma subsampling hold to broadcast and streaming spec at each step. Batch swaps scale from a single hero spot up to whole series libraries, and parallel work keeps turnaround tight against Japanese broadcast slot deadlines.

HDR-to-SDR tone mapping is colorist-watched when creative intent matters. Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG conversions all hold up against Netflix Japan and NHK 4K/8K delivery checks. Whatever format your release mix asks for, we hand back masters that pass QC the first time. They play back clean on every screen your audience touches.

Every encode runs through a QC pass before hand-off. We check the target codec, bitrate, colour, sync, and metadata against the platform spec, then spot-review the output by eye. Batch jobs scale on parallel encoding, so a full library turns around without sacrificing the per-file check. We schedule the work against your release date and flag any source gap early. That keeps a broadcast slot or launch window from slipping at the encode stage.

We run conversion work bilingually, with English-language coordination beside our Japanese encoding teams. Overseas producers get spec sheets and QC notes in plain English, so the target format list stays unambiguous across the language gap. Quotes come in Japanese yen and state the 10 percent consumption tax up front. The encode setup, the QC pass, and each output format are costed as separate lines. That keeps the conversion budget clear whether the job is one hero spot or a whole series library.