Content File Formats and Renditions

Tip
It is recommended that you download files in the format that is best suited to your needs rather than all available formats.

About Content Item Renditions

For each media type (text, picture, graphic, video and audio), content may be available in a variety of renditions:

Media Renditions (renditions of non-textual content) are alternative versions of the same content item based on the format, size and/or other content characteristics, such as video frame rate and aspect ratio. For example, media renditions of a picture or graphic are the high-resolution, preview and thumbnail sizes of an image.
Text Renditions (renditions of textual content) are the NITF version of a story and textual descriptions of the media (for example, an image caption or a video script).

Note
All renditions may not be available for certain entitlements or content items. Learn more >>

Media Type

Text Renditions
(renditions of textual content)

Media Renditions
(renditions of non-textual content)

Text

NITF version of the story.

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Picture

Caption (NITF). A freeform textual description of the image.

May include the following:

Main (JPG). High-resolution version of the image. For royalty-free images, the largest image size available is returned.
Preview (JPG). A low-resolution version of the image, if available.
Thumbnail (JPG). A small version of the image, if available.

Graphic

Caption (NITF). A freeform textual description of the image.

May include the following:

Video

May include the following:

Caption (NITF). A brief textual description of the video.
Script (NITF). The storyline – a chronological description of scenes, shots, action and dialog in a video clip, which may contain important special restrictions on the use of the video content item.
Shotlist (NITF). A list of shots included in a video clip, which summarizes the visual content of each shot, and may contain important special restrictions on the use of the video content item.

The script and shotlist are typically delivered in the same rendition ("Script").

May include the following:

Main (MPG and MP4). High-resolution version of the video clip in these formats, each at various quality levels.
Web-player preview (MPG). A low-resolution version of the video clip, if available.
Image preview (JPG). An enlarged version of the image that captures a specific frame of the video clip.
Thumbnail (JPG). A small version of the image that captures a specific frame of the video clip.

Audio

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Main (MP3 and MPG). Audio clip in these formats.

Although the AP offers a wide variety of potential media renditions, their availability for any given entitlement or content item is not guaranteed.

Tip
You can determine which formats are available by checking the format and additional characteristics (for example, height, width and framerate) for the various renditions in the search or feed response. Learn more >>