How to Choose the Right Compliance Recording & Monitoring Software

Updated: June 2025

Broadcast Compliance Recorder for SDI/HD Signal

Recording SDI and HD signals is essential for legal archiving, quality assurance, and regulatory compliance in broadcast operations. Actus provides robust SDI/HD recording solutions that enable broadcasters to capture, store, and retrieve high-resolution content in a compliant, audit-ready format.

Whether for content disputes, licensing validation, or advertising verification, a reliable signal recorder ensures you always have a verifiable record of what was aired and when.

Key Features of SDI/HD Compliance Recorders

A professional-grade recorder should offer:

• Continuous 24/7 capture of SDI and HD-SDI signals

• Frame-accurate resolution with configurable bitrate and codecs

• Time-stamped logs with watermarking or overlays

• Closed caption and SCTE-35 compliance capture

• Remote access to archived footage with search filters

• Secure local or cloud storage integration

• Export tools for legal, editorial, or client review

“Actus’ SDI recording system gave us peace of mind—no more disputes with regulators or clients. Everything is logged, accessible, and provable.” – Head of Broadcast Ops, Western Europe

Why Signal Recording Matters for Compliance

• Regulatory requirements: Some countries mandate storing broadcast material for 90–180 days.

• Dispute resolution: In case of complaints or claims, having unaltered source footage is crucial.

• Ad verification: Proof of ad airtime and accurate insertion is essential for billing.

• Content licensing: For syndication and re-airing, licensed content playback logs may be required.

• Quality audits: Engineering teams need signal logs to troubleshoot blackouts, sync issues, or encoder errors.

Common SDI Compliance Issues

• Missing SCTE markers for ad breaks

• Dropped frames or resolution inconsistencies

• Unlogged overlays (e.g., emergency alerts, bugs)

• Loss of captions or subtitles during recording

• Lack of verifiable timestamps

Software Solutions: How Actus Helps

Actus’ SDI/HD recorders provide:

• Multi-channel input for simultaneous signal capture

• Configurable resolution (SD, HD, Full HD)

• Searchable archive with calendar/timestamp filters

• Secure audit trails of access, edits, and exports

• REST API for third-party integrations

• Instant clip creation and export in legal-ready formats

“We were able to go back and prove an ad aired exactly at 8:12 PM, including SCTE markers. That saved us from a major refund claim.” – Legal Affairs Lead, National Broadcaster

FAQs

Why is SDI recording needed if we already have playout logs?

Because logs only show what was scheduled—not what was broadcast. Recording the actual signal provides proof of compliance.

How long should recordings be stored?

Typically 90 to 180 days, depending on jurisdiction and contractual obligations.

Can we export specific segments?

Yes. Actus supports clip export with metadata, including timestamp, channel ID, and overlay.

What’s the difference between HD-SDI and SDI?

HD-SDI supports higher resolution (up to 1080p) and may carry additional metadata or audio channels critical for compliance.

Is remote access supported?

Yes. With secure login, authorised users can review, clip, and download from any location.