Netflix approved camera, codecs and specs

July 8, 2018 sudip shrestha

Netflix Camera Requirements

4K UHD Resolution:

Camera must have a true 4K UHD sensor (equal to or greater than 3840 photosites wide).

Recording Format:

Minimum of 16-bit Linear or 10-bit Log processing
Bitrate of at least 240 Mbps (at 23.98/24 fps) recording
Recording format must be set to either:
- RAW (uncompressed or lightly compressed sensor data)
- COMPRESSED (Log Gamma - i.e. S-Log3, V-Log, CanonLog3, REDLogFilm, BMDLog, LogC, etc.)
No looks or color corrections should be baked into the original camera files.
Files must maintain all metadata (i.e. Tape Name, Timecode, Frame Rate, ISO, WB, etc.)

Black Balancing:

If applicable, black balancing of camera sensors should be done daily, when the camera is at normal operating temperature. See specific black balancing instructions in the camera operating manual.

Aspect Ratio / Framing:

Aspect ratios greater than 2.00:1 must be evaluated and discussed with Netflix for approval.
Framing chart must be shot before principal photography begins, and processed through the dailies pipeline which will be shared with editorial, post-production, and VFX.

Secondary Cameras:

Any cameras other than the primary camera (crash, POV, drone, underwater, etc.) must be approved by Netflix.
Test footage should be shot and provided to dailies and post-production to ensure compatibility with primary camera.