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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.

Netflix Admits to Throttling AT&T and Verizon Cellular Movies

Last week, Netflix admitted that they artificially throttle the data rate of videos transmitted over AT&T and Verizon cellular networks to limit bandwidth consumption and the associated overage charges. Netflix doesn’t throttle video streams transmitted on other cellular networks like T-Mobile and Sprint that don’t charge for overages. The story was broken by the Wall Street Journal, who raised issues …

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Conference Research Tests Adaptive Video and Quality Benchmarks

The Society for Imaging Science and Technology hosts the annual International Symposium on Electronic Imaging, held this year in San Francisco, California, from February 14 to 18. The Symposium has eight tracks across a range of disciplines, where re

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Buyer’s Guide to Webcasting Platforms 2016

Viewed from a distance, most webcast providers look pretty similar; they all let you create a registration page, collect contact info for your registrants, and serve attendees a diet of PowerPoint and talking-head video, spiced with quizzes, surveys,

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Buyer’s Guide to Enterprise YouTube Platforms 2016

Enterprise YouTube platforms enable businesses to share videos with employees, partners, and other viewers; interested parties can then preserve and share the valuable institutional knowledge accumulated in these videos. Most systems function the way

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Webinar: Simplifying Encoder Purchase and Configuration Decisions with Real Time Quality Metrics

I’m participating in a webinar with IneoQuest on Thursday, March 31 at 2:00 PM EST as part of their launch of a new product with live, non-referential quality metrics. The bottom line is that if you’re comparing real-time encoders to make a purchase decision, or configuring live encoders you already have, you can gauge the quality in real time, while …

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Technical Brief: Switch from CBR to VBR to Improve Overall Quality and Avoid Transient Quality Issues

This article explores the differences between constant bitrate encoding (CBR) and variable bitrate encoding (VBR) and recommends that producers still using CBR should switch to 110% constrained VBR to improve overall quality and avoid transient quali

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The State of Video Codecs 2016

015 was a tumultuous year for codecs. HEVC seemed like a sure thing in January, looked to be in trouble in July, but was happily resuscitated in December, albeit with some missing productive months from its useful life. Open source codecs began the y

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Five Signs Your Encoding Ladder May Be Obsolete

Your encoding ladder is the set of encoding parameters that you use to create the various files that you deliver adaptively to your web viewers. These encoding parameters can live in your on-premise encoder, in your cloud encoder, or in your online video platform (OVP). When optimally configured, your encoding ladder lets you efficiently deliver great quality video to viewers …

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Editing Technique: Restoring A/V Sync in Premiere Pro

Executive Summary: A common problem with footage created using iPhones, screencam tools, Wirecast, and Skype is a loss of A/V sync when importing the video into Premiere Pro. This video tutorial presents a simple fix using Handbrake. You can read a tutorial on the Streaming Media Producer Website here.  Overview and discussion: Many sources of video, like mobile phones, screencam …

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Encoding Brief: Phase Out Low Quality Streams in Your Encoding Ladder

Executive Summary: Now might be the time to consider phasing out the lowest quality streams in your encoding ladder to reduce encoding and storage costs. Check your server logs to determine consumption of these streams before doing so.  Overview and Discussion: All streams in your adaptive group cost money to encode, store, and administrate, even low-quality streams. A recent discussion …

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