5 November 2026 Qualify Release 2026.4.1

QC Engine Version: 2026.4.1

New Features In This Release

• Subtitle/Caption Spelling Mistake Detection
  New tests CC-130 and CC-131 detect spelling mistakes in embedded and sidecar caption/subtitle files (SRT, VTT, STL, SCC, IMSC, MXF). Each flagged error is reported with timecode and suggested orrection where available. Language dictionaries for English (US), French, Spanish, and German are supported, with optional custom dictionaries for brand names and proper nouns.
• Detect Frozen Captions
  A new caption test (CC-132) detects caption text that remains frozen or stuck during video playback by comparing caption changes against audio activity. Affected caption time ranges and durations are reported. Captions that update normally during dialogue produce a passing result.
• Audio Dropout
  A new audio dropout test detects sudden or sustained loss of audio by monitoring levels against configurable attack and release ratios, threshold, and duration parameters. Each detected event is reported per channel, and the test distinguishes between dropouts where audio recovers and those where it does not. EBU code: 0008B.
• Additional MXF Tests Added
  Two new tests inspect MXF container metadata. The Dark Metadata test detects and validates the presence of non-operational (dark) metadata, with configurable rules to require its presence, require its absence, or report only, plus identifier (UL/key) allow/deny lists and occurrence thresholds. The Descriptive Metadata test inspects MXF header metadata for the presence and structural integrity of DM frameworks and schemes in a scheme-agnostic manner, with optional validation for null framework references, orphan frameworks, empty DM tracks, and declaration mismatches. Both tests return Not Applicable for non-MXF files. EBU codes: 0114W (Dark Metadata), 0113W (Descriptive Metadata).
• Expanded Caption Word Detection to Cover Subtitles
  A new Subtitle Word Detection test (CC-129) checks subtitle tracks for configured banned words or phrases, mirroring the existing Caption Word Detection test (CC-107). Detection is case-insensitive and matches whole words and phrases only. Each contiguous occurrence is reported with the matched text and timecode range, with multiple separate alerts raised when a phrase appears non-contiguously.

Improvements

• Caption Sync/Subtitle Sync – Additional Languages Added
  Italian and Dutch have been added to the Caption Sync and Subtitle Sync tests for AI-based synchronisation checking. These join the existing supported languages including English, French, Spanish, and German
• Sidecar Source File Path Added to Report (where available)
  The PDF and JSON reports now include the file path of any sidecar media submitted alongside the primary asset (for example, subtitle files used in Caption Sync analysis). Previously only the primary source file path appeared in the Job Information section.
• Add ability to set the report time to follow the server's time
  Qualify reports now support a configurable timezone via the report_timezone template property, using standard IANA timezone identifiers (e.g., "America/New_York"). Previously all report timestamps were displayed in UTC. The active timezone is shown alongside the test timestamp in both JSON and PDF output; invalid values fall back to UTC.
• AI Language Detection – Language Order Corrected
  The Expected Language dropdown in the AI Language Detection test is now sorted alphabetically. Previously languages were displayed in an unsorted order, making specific languages difficult to locate.
• Add Default Colour Space Dropdown to Telestream PSE Test
  The Telestream PSE test now includes a Default Colour Space option (BT.601, BT.709, BT.2020). When a source file lacks valid colour space metadata, the configured default is applied and an alert is raised to indicate this. Source file metadata always takes precedence when present.
• Added Field Order, Aspect Ratio and Timecode in the Summary Section The PDF report summary section now displays Field Order, Aspect Ratio, and Timecode alongside the existing file metadata. These values were previously absent from the report summary.

Fixed In This Release

• ARD ZDF XDF 01 False Positives
• GOP Length Detection Failure
• Harding PSE Aspect Ratio Failures (2026.1.1)
• Indexer error with unsupported multiple audio bit rates
• RGB Gamut / Luma Chroma Levels: EBU R103-2016 low-pass filter performance issues

** The Legacy PDF Report Design will be deprecated from this release onwards (2026.4). No action is needed as all templates will automatically move to the latest PDF Report Design.

26 February 2026 Qualify Release 2026.1.1

QC Engine Version: 2026.1.1

New Features In This Release

• C2PA Content Credentials
  The C2PA content credentials test is designed to validate the integrity of provenance data by analyzing the C2PA CC manifest and checking whether it is valid. It will flag an alert if the manifest is invalid or missing.
• KLV Error Detection
  The KLV Error Detection test parses each KLV object in an MXF file and checks that each key is of a valid category. The categories being defined in SMPTE336M, Table 3. If any invalid key is found it also checks if any adjacent KLV fill objects are present.
• Subtitle Language Test
  Qualify can now detect the language of sidecar or embedded subtitles based on ISO language code (enter a comma separated list for multiple languages).
• Subtitle Format Test
  We have now added a test which will users to detect explicitly the subtitle format they are looking for in the same way that video and audio containers and codecs can be set.
• CableLabs ADI Metadata Comparison
  ADI Metadata validation ensures technical parity between metadata declarations and physical media essences, including MD5 integrity, file size and other cross-checks.
• Source Pixel Format Check
  Checks if the source pixel format changes in the video essence.
• Critical Alert Level Added
  A new alert level has been added to Qualify – Critical. Qualify continues to process files if it raises an alert at Info, Warning or Error levels. If any test has its “Treat Warnings As” value set to Critical, it will stop processing immediately.

Improvements

• Support for MPEG-DASH packages with multiple video tracks
  Qualify now supports MPEG-DASH packages with multiple video tracks.
• Ability to disable Aggregate Alerts only for Harding and Proprietary PSE tests
  The improvement allows aggregated alerts to be disabled on PSE checks, meaning you can always get the full number of alerts on PSE tests when desired.
• "Include Silence in Dual Mono Analysis" checkbox added to Dual Mono test
  The Dual Mono test previously ignored silence when analyzing channel similarity. This could cause false errors when a file is entirely dual mono but contains some silence. This option gives users the option to include silence, allowing for accurate dual mono analysis on tracks containing silence.
• Added Channel Location to PDF Report to Silence Test – We have added the channel location to the PDF report. Previously, the report would show silence detected on a mix
• All Supported Video Codecs to Added to "Codec" Test in Video Metadata – We have added the full list of supported video codec to the list of options available in the codec test in Video Metadata.

Fixed In This Release

• QC Report (PSE Certificate) Missing Thumbnails
• Harding Test Passes with a luminance flash reported
• Qualify Job job failed with "An unknown error occurred" for Harding test in Qualify for Vantage
• Some MpegTS/AVC files fail with error message: Status Code = Unavailable Detail = "failed to
  connect to all IP addresses"
• Qualify reporting all Silent Audio on 2 ATMOS IAB files
• Color Bars test does not detect it when source file contains one frame of Color Bar