Jan Ozer

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I help streaming and video technology companies solve complex technical and market-facing problems in practical business terms. Engagements range from fixed-scope audits and codec strategy reviews to product testing and technical content that helps customers, prospects, and internal teams connect technical performance to business outcomes. 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.

Joicaster Review: A Simple Platform for Live Video Distribution

Joicaster is a web-based live streaming syndication platform that takes a single live stream and pushes it out to multiple services, including YouTube Live, Ustream, and Twitch, as well as commercial sites. Joicaster is affordable, straightforward to

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Preliminary Survey Results – CBR, VBR and Capped CRF – $100 Amazon Gift Card Incentive

On January 13th, 2016, I launched a survey to determine the bitrate control techniques most commonly used by streaming producers. Some preliminary results are in, but the number of respondents is too small to draw any conclusions. I wanted to publish the data to stimulate additional interest, and also announce that I am sweetening the pot with a $100 Amazon gift …

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The Future of Video Marketing: Dive Into Automation Programs

Let’s face it. For-profit enterprises post videos, hold webinars, and produce virtual events to drive sales. How effective are these mediums for that purpose? There’s lots of positive anecdotal evidence, but where are the hard numbers?

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How Netflix Pioneered Per-Title Video Encoding Optimization

The Netflix blog post entitled Per-Title Encode Optimization boldly declares that “to deliver the best quality video to our members, each title should receive a unique bitrate ladder, tailored to its specific complexity characteristics.”

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Survey Results In: DASH Squeaks Win over HLS

Late last year I ran a survey asking respondents to choose whether DASH or HLS was the best ABR format going forward. The poll results are in and are shown below. Basically, a small majority preferred DASH over HLS. The reasons why are even more illuminating, and are presented below the survey results. “Not sure why i wouldnt cover both …

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Survey: CBR, VBR, or Other for ABR Streaming

The recommended bit rate control technique for VOD files produced for adaptive streaming is one of the most fundamental decisions encoding professionals make, but in my view also one of the most confusing. If you scan the white papers on the topic, most recommend using constant bit rate (CBR) encoding to simplify the stream selection process. On the other hand, …

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Life After Flash: Will Producers Move to HLS, DASH, or Both?

The great migration from Flash to HTML5 is underway. For many producers, this means a switch from RTMP or HTTP Dynamic Streaming to a more HTML5-friendly format. Typically the choice comes down to either HLS or DASH. To help tease out the pros and co

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Ozer Announces Webinar on Content-Aware Encoding

Jan Ozer                                                                                               FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Streaming Learning Center 276-238-9135 jozer@mindspring.com Ozer Announces Webinar on …

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Webinar: Content-Aware Encoding-Applying Lessons Learned from Netflix’s Per-Title Optimization Blog Post

Webinar on Content-Aware Encoding; January 26, 2016 at 2:00 PM EST.  The ideal encoding ladder accomplishes two things-it creates great visual quality and uses the optimum amount of data, keeping audiences and finance happy at the same time. But what is the ideal encoding ladder?  At one extreme, in its post Per-Title Encode Optimization, Netflix recently blogged about how each …

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TN2224 is Dead. Welcome to the New Era of Content-Aware Encoding

The Netflix blog entitled, Per-Title Encode Optimization, boldly declares that “to deliver the best quality video to our members, each title should receive a unique bitrate ladder, tailored to its specific complexity characteristics.” In a world where many companies simply deploy Apple’s recommendations from TN2224 without modification, it’s a breath of fresh air. The blog post goes on to detail …

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