# TASK 53 — Output-format verification: Shorts / TikTok geometry (queued 2026-10-08)

> Catalog: [`TASKS.md`](../TASKS.md) — status and requirements live here.

**Why:** the output formats have never been tested end-to-end. The site claims "vertical 1080p60
(9:16)" and Shorts-style streams, but nobody has verified that the geometry actually comes out
correct for Shorts and TikTok — safe zones, caption clearance, and the text-safe inset all still
need checking against a real capture.

**Goal:** prove the vertical/short-form path is geometrically correct, or fix the gaps and then
prove it. Make the output formats a tested, locked contract instead of an assumption.

**Slices (one integration test each, in order):**

1. ✅ **What we actually emit** (2026-11-04; creator visually reviewed and accepted) — six
   creator-supplied recordings confirm the emitted configurations. All are H.264 with exact
   average frame rates and dimensions:

   | Mode | File | Output |
   |---|---|---|
   | Landscape 1080p60 | `rec1-1080p60.mp4` | 1920×1080 @60 fps |
   | Landscape 1080p30 | `rec2-1080p30.mp4` | 1920×1080 @30 fps |
   | Landscape 720p60 | `rec3-720p60.mp4` | 1280×720 @60 fps |
   | Landscape 720p30 | `rec4-720p30.mp4` | 1280×720 @30 fps |
   | Vertical 1080p30 | `rec5-1080p30-vert.mp4` | 1080×1920 @30 fps |
   | Vertical 1080p60 | `rec6-1080p60-vert.mp4` | 1080×1920 @60 fps |
2. ✅ **9:16 output resolution (resolution-only acceptance, 2026-11-04)** — creator-supplied
   `ty-20261104-0927-982-0000-2.mp4` reports H.264 1080×1920 at 60 fps. The creator accepted the
   resolution check only; captions and visual safe-zone placement were not reviewed.
3. ☐ **9:16 safe-zone geometry** — confirm the composite is laid out for a phone: viewer-safe top
   strip (TikTok/Shorts overlays live top-left and bottom), caption/text clearance, and webcam
   placement. Test a known layout and assert element placement against the contract.
4. ☐ **Live-shorts check on a real stream** — private Test Stream at 9:16, then pull the thumbnail/
   player quirk list from YouTube (Title visible, overlays); confirm nothing the streamer put on
   screen sits under YouTube's own chrome. This is the "never tested" item the creator flagged —
   test on a real vertical test stream and cite the observation.
5. ☐ **Recorded .mp4 matches output** — the saved vertical .mp4 must carry the same 9:16 frame the
   stream showed, not a squeezed/wider master. Test: record vertical, decode first frames, assert.

**Design decisions:**

- Geometry is a contract with tests, not a hope. Derived ratios (stream vs composite vs canvas)
  get a derived-value test so one change can't silently wreck Shorts/TikTok output.
- Keep widescreen untouched — only add what vertical needs (the existing test suite stays green
  for 16:9).