CTV creative specifications in India follow global standards in most respects — 1080p resolution, H.264 codec, MP4 container — but platform-specific requirements vary in ways that cause trafficking failures if not checked in advance. This article covers the technical specifications for video creative on India's major CTV platforms, along with safe zone guidance, audio requirements, and the common mistakes that cause rejection or poor playback.
Video specifications — standard requirements
The cross-platform baseline for India CTV video creative:
- Resolution: 1920x1080 (1080p full HD). 4K is accepted by some platforms but 1080p is the standard and sufficient for all India CTV placements. Do not deliver 720p for CTV — TV screens at close viewing distance will show compression artifacts.
- Codec: H.264 (AVC). H.265 (HEVC) may be accepted on premium platforms but H.264 is universal. Do not deliver H.265 without confirming platform support.
- Container: MP4 (preferred) or MOV. MXF, AVI, and WMV are not accepted.
- Frame rate: 25fps (India broadcast standard) or 30fps. Do not mix frame rates within a file.
- Bitrate: Minimum 5 Mbps for 1080p. 8–12 Mbps recommended for smooth playback. Higher bitrate is fine — it reduces compression artifacts on large TV screens. File size should be under 200MB for most direct upload portals.
- Aspect ratio: 16:9 only. Do not deliver 9:16 vertical video or 1:1 square for CTV. Vertical video on a TV screen is a significant quality failure.
Audio specifications
Audio loudness is a recurring quality issue on CTV. The India broadcast loudness standard is -23 LUFS (aligned with EBU R128). CTV platforms also generally follow -23 LUFS. Ads mastered significantly louder than this standard will be flagged or automatically attenuated by the platform, which can cause dynamic distortion if the audio was not mastered for automatic processing.
Check: AAC audio codec (standard), stereo (L/R), -23 LUFS integrated loudness, -1 dBFS true peak maximum. Ads that exceed -1 dBFS true peak will clip on some streaming devices. Mono audio is accepted but stereo is required for ads with spatial audio design (music, ambient sound).
Platform-specific requirements
JioCinema: MP4, H.264, 1080p, 25fps, minimum 5 Mbps, maximum 200MB for portal upload. 15-second and 30-second standard. Pre-production approval required for IPL inventory — creative must be submitted 5 business days before campaign start for IPL placements. VAST URL delivery supported for agency-managed campaigns.
Hotstar (Disney+ Hotstar): MP4, H.264, 1080p. 15-second and 30-second standard. Creative submitted via Hotstar Ads Manager portal or agency upload portal. Safe zone requirement: keep key visuals and text within a 1700x950 pixel safe frame (leaving 110px margin on each side at 1080p). This prevents important elements from being cropped on some TV screen configurations.
YouTube CTV: Standard YouTube ad specifications. MP4, H.264, 1080p minimum (4K accepted). No separate file upload — creative must be uploaded to the advertiser's YouTube channel first, then targeted via DV360 or Google Ads. Audio: -14 LUFS (YouTube normalises to -14 LUFS, different from broadcast -23). Ads mastered at -23 LUFS will be boosted by YouTube's normalisation — check that boosted playback does not cause distortion.
Samsung Ads / LG Ads (OEM): Creative requirements vary by placement type. Home screen banner ads typically require static or animated image assets (not video). Pre-roll within Samsung TV Plus channels requires MP4, H.264, 1080p. Confirm specs with each OEM sales team for the specific placement being booked.
Safe zones and text placement
TV screens have overscan — a portion of the screen may be cut off by the TV frame, particularly on older sets. The safe zone for UI elements (logo, CTA text, price information) is within the inner 80% of the frame (1536x864 at 1080p). Do not place critical information in the outer 10% of the frame on any edge. Some newer smart TVs do not have overscan, but designing for the safe zone ensures all viewers see the complete creative.
Common mistakes that cause trafficking failures
- Delivering vertical video (9:16) cut from a social media campaign. Reject before sending to platform.
- Codec is ProRes or DNxHD (editing codecs, not delivery codecs). Re-export as H.264 MP4 before delivery.
- Audio exceeds -1 dBFS true peak. Causes clipping on TV speakers.
- Creative is 720p upscaled to 1080p. Compression artifacts on large screens. Re-render from original source.
- VAST tag chain exceeds 3 hops. Causes timeout failures on JioCinema and Hotstar.
- File delivered as .mov with Apple ProRes codec (common from agency post-production). Must be transcoded to H.264 MP4 for CTV delivery.