Review video and audio files in Ziflow with the same markup and annotation tools you use for other proofs.

Available on: Free Standard Pro Enterprise

Ziflow does not support playable embedded video content in static file formats. 

Original vs optimized video quality

If a video proof qualifies for immediate playback, you can watch the Original version of the video file while Ziflow prepares an Optimized version in the background for smoother playback and faster loading.

Use the quality button in the Proof Viewer to switch between the two versions:

• Original: The uploaded file, unprocessed.
• Optimized: The version Ziflow processes for playback performance. ReviewAI requires the optimized version to run.

When the optimized version is ready, the Proof Viewer opens it by default. You can switch back to Original at any time.

Video formats that play in the original version

Whether the original version of a video can play depends on your account settings and the type of video file.

Account settings

Immediate playback requires all of the following:

• Immediate video proof access is turned on in Settings > Proofing Settings > General.
• The video resolution does not exceed the Video proofing resolution setting in Settings > Proofing Settings > General: Full High Definition (HD) (1920 × 1080) or 4K (3840 × 2160).
• Video watermark is turned off in Settings > Proofing Settings > Video watermark. For more information, see Video watermark in Ziflow.

If any of these conditions is not met, Ziflow processes the video before you can open it.

Supported container and codec combinations

To play the original version immediately, the container and codecs of the video must match one of these combinations:

Videos with any other container or codec combination are processed before you can open them.

Video and audio Proof Viewer

The video and audio Proof Viewer looks and works like the standard Proof Viewer, with a few additional controls.

1. Volume & mute - Increase, decrease, or mute the sound. 

2. Timer and time format - the first set of numbers shows the time elapsed, followed by the total length of the video. Choose the timer format: 
   Time: Uses standard clock format (00:29:030 - minutes/seconds/milliseconds)
   Time Code: Uses SMPTE standard (00:05:27 - minutes/seconds/frames) 
   Frames: Uses the frame number (177/900 - frame/total frames)
   For more information about time format, see Time, timecode, and frames in video proofs.

3. Range-based comments - Drag the comment indicators to set the start and end points of a comment. Every comment, with or without a range, shows a timestamp below the progress bar, with the avatar or initials of the person who added it. 

4. Play/Pause & Skip to the next/previous frames - Start or stop the video. You can also use the Spacebar. - Use the Left and Right arrow keys to move to the previous or next frame. - Use Shift + arrow key to move 15 frames, while paused or during playback
   Use Shift + arrow to skip 15 frames in the video (paused and during playback).

5. Playback speed - Increase or decrease the playback speed.

6. Video quality - Switch between the original and optimized versions, see Original vs optimized video quality.

7. Subtitles - Turn subtitles on or off during playback, if subtitles were added when the proof was created.

8. Safe zones (Standard, Pro, Business Legacy & Enterprise feature only) - Show safe areas on the video to see how it displays in different formats.

9. Loop - Replay the video automatically when it reaches the end. When a comment with a range is open, Loop replays only that range. For more information, see Loop a range-based comment. 

10. Full-screen mode - Open the video in full-screen mode.

For keyboard shortcuts, see Keyboard shortcuts.

Add range-based comments

When you comment on a video or audio file, you can select a range on the timeline to set the start and end points of your comment.

Range-based comment timestamps

When you add a range-based comment, Ziflow saves a timestamp in the comment. The timestamp gives other reviewers context and makes changes easier to track.

Set a range to a single frame

Hold Shift while you drag the comment markers to set the start and end points precisely.

Adjust the whole range

Hover over the green line under the time lane and drag it to move the whole range of a comment.

Jump to the start or end of a range

Select the left or right edge of the range to move the playhead to the start or end of the comment.

Loop a range-based comment

Use Loop to replay part of a video without moving the playhead back each time.

When you create a comment: Select a range and create a comment. When you select play, only that range plays. Turn on Loop to repeat the range automatically.

When you open a comment: Open a comment that has a range and turn on Loop. Playback repeats only the range of that comment. If you open a different comment that has a range, the loop follows that comment.

• If the open comment has no range, Loop repeats the whole video.
• If the playhead is outside the range of the comment when you select play, the video plays to the end and then loops from the start.
• Turn off Loop to play the video through without repeating.

To view parts of the video outside the range, drag the comment range to cover the section you want to view. You can also hover over the timeline to preview thumbnails beyond the range.

Time, timecode, and frames

The Proof Viewer timer shows your position in a video proof in three formats: Time, Time Code, and Frames. Each format describes the same moment at a different level of precision, based on the frame rate of your file.

Frame rate is the number of frames that play each second, measured in frames per second (fps).

Time

Time shows your position in minutes, seconds, and milliseconds (for example, 00.05.930). Each frame lasts a short time, so several millisecond values can point to the same frame.

Time code

Time Code shows the minute, the second, and the frame within that second, following the SMPTE standard (MM:SS:FF). For example, 00:05:27 means 5 seconds plus 27 frames have elapsed.

Frames

Frames counts every image in the video in one continuous sequence, from first to last. A 30-second video recorded at 30 fps has about 900 frames. When you pause, the timer shows which frame you are on, out of the total.

Video subtitles

Add subtitles when you create a proof review, so reviewers can comment on subtitles in sync with the video.

Ziflow supports .srt and .vtt subtitle files.

Export a video proof report

When you export a proof report to PDF from a video proof with subtitles, the file includes the captions below each markup thumbnail. For more information, see Export proof report or PDF with comments.

Related articles

• Using Ziflow Proof Viewer
• Add comments and markup