My article, How to Encode to HEVC: A Simple Guide for H.265 First Timers, just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. I did a lot of testing with x.265 and the MainConcept HEVC codecs to understand the quality/encoding time tradeoffs of their various features. If you’re starting to produce with either of these codecs, you’ll find it a useful primer.  Click here to …

My article, a Buyer’s Guide to On-Demand Encoders 2015, just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. Here’s the lead graph that describes what I cover.  Choosing an encoding tool is a fundamental decision for anyone posting video to a website. In this video-on-demand (VOD) encoding buyer’s guide, I’ll run through the most relevant product categories, point out noteworthy examples, and identify the factors …

My article, a Buyer’s Guide to Live Video Encoders 2015, just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. Here’s the intro graph that covers what’s covered.  Congratulations, you’re buying a live encoder. In 2014, Ooyala released survey results showing that live videos are watched, on average, 11 times longer than VOD videos. So taking your presentation, webinar, or other production live is a great …

My article, A Buyer’s Guide to Cloud-Based Video Encoding and Transcoding 2015, just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. It covers both live and VOD encoding, and should be useful for anyone considering a significant investment in on-premise encoding gear, or those seeking to move to the cloud. Click here to read the article. 

As mentioned previously, I’m producing a free webinar entitled Replacing Flash with the Media Source Extensions/Encrypted Media Extensions on March 16, at 1:00 PM EST. It’s sponsored by Onstream Media. You can read the description and signup here.  To supplement the information that I compiled, I asked a number of collegues the following questions: For computer distribution –           Assuming your …

I’m producing a free webinar entitled Replacing Flash with the Media Source Extensions/Encrypted Media Extensions on March 16, at 1:00 PM EST. It’s sponsored by Onstream Media. Here’s the description.  Flash has dominated the streaming media landscape much longer than anticipated because HTML5-based solutions lacked necessities like adaptive streaming, digital rights management, live streaming, close captions, or even true streaming, …

My course, Video Compression for Web, Disc and PC/TV/Console Playback, is an entry-level video compression course designed to help newbies quickly get up to speed on compression technologies and producing for the various platforms listed in the title. It now has 119 students, the latest of which, Ian Carpenter, shared his thoughts in this five star review.  Jan’s knowledge of …

It’s personally gratifying that readers continue to find my book, Producing Streaming Video for Multiple Screen Delivery, useful. Here are comments from the latest five-star review.  I was assigned a Video Conversion and Compression project at work, and I began to look for a good source of information on the subject. I’m glad that I found this book, because it …

In this article I test several microphones for use with an iPhone 6 with applications like FaceTime, Skype and Google Hangouts. The basic workflow is the same. I connected the microhones to my iPhone 6, then opened a Google Hangouts chat with my MacBook Pro, then captured the audio using Camtasia. These audio files will sound worse than the audio …

As I’ve observed previously, one of the benefits I get speaking before technical audiences is to hear their insites and experiences. I learned two very valuable nuggets of information from my most recent talk with the VideoTLV group in Tel Aviv.  The first related to the benefit of encoding H.264 and WebM files when creating a single file experience to …