Viewer and review

The Aspect viewer brings playback, transcripts, comments, comment approvals, and versions together in one place. Open an asset to review it without downloading the original file first. When you are finished, share it with teammates or external reviewers and keep their feedback connected to the media.

​

Open an asset

Select any asset to open it in the viewer. Aspect can preview:

• Videos
• Audio
• Images
• Documents

Videos and audio use streaming previews prepared during indexing. Images and documents also open directly in the browser. The original source file remains stored in Aspect and is not changed by the browser preview.

​

Review video and audio

Use the playback controls to find the exact moment you want to review. For video, you can:

• Play and pause with Space.
• Use J, K, and L to move backward, pause, and play forward.
• Step through footage one frame at a time.
• Scrub the timeline to move quickly through the clip.
• Select a comment on the timeline to return to that moment.

These controls make it easier to inspect edits, graphics, color, audio, captions, and other changes.

​

Use the transcript

When a video or audio file contains speech, open its transcript to follow what was said. You can:

• Follow the highlighted text during playback.
• Select a word to jump to that moment.
• Search within the transcript.
• Move between search results.
• Export the transcript for use outside Aspect.

​

Leave feedback

Anyone with comment access can leave feedback directly on an asset. Comments can be connected to:

• A moment or time range in a video
• A specific location on an image
• A page or highlighted passage in a document

Reviewers can also draw on a paused video frame, attach reference files, reply in threads, mention teammates, and react to comments. Comments appear with the version where they were created, preserving the feedback from each review round.

​

Keep discussions internal

Mark a comment as internal when it should only be visible to your team. Internal comments are useful when clients and teammates are reviewing the same asset but your team needs a separate conversation.

​

Resolve completed feedback

Resolve a comment thread when the requested work has been completed. Resolved comments remain in the asset’s history and can be reopened if the issue returns. Use a reply when you need to add context or confirm a change. Resolve the thread only when it no longer requires action.

​

Review different versions

Version stacks keep related revisions together as one asset. Open a version stack to:

• Move between earlier and later cuts.
• Review the comments associated with each version.
• Compare two versions side by side.

The latest version appears by default, while earlier review rounds remain available.

​

Track review decisions

You can mark comments as approved during a review. Use a reply to explain the decision or identify the revision being discussed. For an asset’s overall review status, create a custom metadata field such as Approval status, with options such as In review, Changes requested, and Approved. Update that field as your team’s review progresses. Before setting the status to Approved, confirm that you are viewing the intended revision and that the responsible reviewer has accepted it. Review new revisions and update the metadata when the review status changes.

​

Share content for review

Use a share link to send an asset, folder, collection, or project to someone outside your workspace. Guests can open the link in their browser without an Aspect account or installed software. Depending on the link’s permissions, guests may be allowed to:

• View content
• Leave comments
• Download files
• Upload content
• See metadata
• View earlier versions

Before sending a review link, confirm that the latest version is displayed and that recipients have only the permissions they need.

​

Download an original file

The viewer uses a streaming preview, but the original source file remains stored in Aspect. If you have download permission, you can download:

• A single asset
• Multiple selected assets
• The contents of a directory

Use the download panel to track the progress of larger or multi-file downloads.

​

Related guides