As our number of broadcast customers grows, we’re often asked about how the BetterBNC platform handles large audio and video file entries.  Organizations looking for an online contest platform want to ensure an easy experience for entrants and judges and that leads to questions about encoding video, standard video resolution vs HiDef, audio bit rates, target file sizes, encoding tools, accepted file formats, video containers and codecs…well, you get the picture.

Because technology in the broadcast industry changes so rapidly and to ensure the smoothest experience for everyone involved, BetterBNC does not require uploads but rather allows entrants to simply link to their entries which can be on their station’s server or on any one of a number of online sites such as YouTube, Vimeo and Tindeck.

The result is significant time savings:

• for entrants, they spend less time contest entries and they don’t have to worry about seeing the dreaded “failure to upload” message.
• for judges, linking to audio and video files delivers an easier experience allowing them to view the entries from any device without worrying about whether they have the appropriate readers to view or listen to the material they’re responsible for evaluating.
• for contest administrators, there are fewer calls and emails with questions about file uploads.

For administrators responsible for creating a video of winning high definition entries for the awards presentation event, there are a number of options.  Mary Worland with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters tells us the MAB uses an FTP site for the winning entries.  “We let our entrants know at the time of entry that if they should win, they will have 7 days to submit a 30 second high def clip of the winning entry to an FTP site that we will send to the entrant at the time we notify them of the winning entries. This system has worked really well for us and seems to be favored by our members,” explains Worland.

Want to learn more about how BetterBNC can help your broadcast contest?  Contact us today to schedule a complimentary demo.