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Jan Ozer

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I help companies train new technical hires in streaming media-related positions; I also help companies optimize their codec selections and encoding stacks and evaluate new encoders and codecs. I am a contributing editor to Streaming Media Magazine, writing about codecs and encoding tools. I have written multiple authoritative books on video encoding, including Video Encoding by the Numbers: Eliminate the Guesswork from your Streaming Video (https://amzn.to/3kV6R1j) and Learn to Produce Video with FFmpeg: In Thirty Minutes or Less (https://amzn.to/3ZJih7e). I have multiple courses relating to streaming media production, all available at https://bit.ly/slc_courses. I currently work as www.netint.com as a Senior Director in Marketing.

H.264 Codec Backgrounder

This article on the Wowza website provides a quick overview of the H.264 codec: what it is, how it performs, what it costs, and what it’s good for. It concludes with a section on what you need to know to effectively deploy the H.264 codec, particularly within the Wowza Streaming Engine software and the Wowza Streaming Cloud service. The article …

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Per-Title Encoding Article up on Streaming Media Magazine

We have been huge proponents of per-title encoding since its inception in 2015. Boy, has it come a long way. In this Streaming Media article, I recount the history of per-title encoding and trace its advancement from single file optimizations that could adjust only file data rate to AI-driven adjustments that can change resolution, data rate, frame rate, codec, color …

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Real-World Bandwidth Savings from VP9, HEVC, and AV1

This article is about a video lesson that computes the bandwidths savings afforded by the FFmpeg-based implementations of VP9 (libvpx-VP9), H.264 (x264), HEVC (x265), and AV1 (libaom-AV1). The lesson uses the Netflix convex hull analysis to build unique encoding ladders for each test clip and codec and shows why BD-Rate figures don’t accurately predict real-world savings. Towards the end, it …

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Streaming Learning Center Launches Live Bootcamp Course

I’m pleased to announce the availability of our new course, Live Streaming Bootcamp, which costs $99.95 but is available at a 50% discount through September 30, 2021. See details below. Let’s face it, many of us have been placed in front of or behind a camera or webcam over the last year or so and left to sink or swim …

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State of Streaming Spring 2021 Authors Discuss Major Findings

The State of Streaming, Spring 2021 Report, was sponsored by Harmonic, Inc, and details the radical changes that have occurred in streaming production and consumption during the second half of the pandemic. This interview explores key findings from the report with the authors Michelle-Fore Siglin and Tim Siglin, including which job skills and technologies have become more important over the …

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DRM and Cloudfront Lessons Added to Wowza Streaming Engine E-learning Course

We’ve added several new lessons to our E-learning course, Getting Up and Running with Wowza Streaming Engine. The advanced new modules include Deploying DRM with the Wowza and BuyDRM’s KeyOS Platform and Configuring a Wowza Origin with Amazon CloudFront Edge Servers. New lessons include: • KeyOS MultiPack Wowza Module Set-up and Configuration • Testing Encryption with A Sample Streaming URL …

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Streaming Media 101: Training for App & Player Development/Testing Professionals

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8K Video; Per-Title Encoding; HDR Metrics

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Proving the ROI on Training for Streaming Media Professionals

On-the-job training has a significant cost in learning materials and employee time. When ROI is king, is training worth it? That’s the issue explored by this white paper from the Streaming Learning Center. Key findings include: That training can accelerate time to proficiency by 30 – 50%. With technical employees paid from US $35,000 – $100,000+, accelerating time to efficiency …

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Webinar: Producing VP9 for VOD and Live Streaming: Should You and How-To

This webinar provided an overview of producing VP9 for VOD and live streaming. You can watch the recorded video below. Click here to download the handout.   Description: The VP9 codec is at an interesting inflection point. On the one hand, VP9 provides better quality than H.264, and similar quality but much better browser support than HEVC. On the other, …

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