Every once in awhile, a slide comes a long that’s so brilliant that you just have to share it. So it is with the slide below from Will Law’s presentation at the 2013 Velocity Conference entitled Optimizing the Black Box of HTML Video. I’ve always struggled to efficiently (under 30 seconds or less) explain why single bitrate video (SBR) is …
Read More »Microsoft Dooms HEVC to Obscurity (by including it in Windows 10)
I’m not one to go negative, but when I saw that Microsoft was including HEVC in Windows 10, scheduled for release in 2015, I just had to laugh. Over two years after Windows 8 shipped, I still use it only when I absolutely have to. The most ardent recommendation I make to friends buying a new Windows computer is to …
Read More »Replacing Flash: Media Source Extension and Encrypted Media Extensions
Here’s the session description, you can download all the handouts below. The video is below as well. The Media Source Extensions (MSE) and Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) are the standardized toolsets that enable browsers to deliver adaptive streaming and digital rights management without plug-ins. This session details what these extensions are, how they’re being supported by the different browser and …
Read More »Handout for Digital Rights Management Session
The second session of my afternoon workshop covered closed captioning. Here's the description; click over to the main article to download the handout. For digital rights management, you gain an overview of the technologies available for various targe
Read More »Handout for Producing and Distributing HEVC
Here’s the presentation description; click below to download the handout. The presentation video is at the bottom of the page. This session explores the current status of HEVC, identifying options for encoding live and on-demand HEVC and discussing player options in the streaming and OTT markets. Topics include the comparative quality and usability of HEVC encoders—including encoders from Cisco, Elemental, …
Read More »Choosing a Cloud Encoder
Here’s the session description; click below to download the handout. You can watch the actual conference video at the bottom of the page. This session describes what cloud encoding is and how it works for both live and on-demand applications. Learn the types of applications that work well with cloud encoding and the factors to consider when choosing an …
Read More »Handout for Multiscreen Delivery Workshop
Below is the presentation handout for my Encoding for Multiscreen Delivery: H.264, Protocols and Devices, workshop today at Streaming Media West. Here’s the description. Learn how to create a set of video files that will play on all devices, from smartphones to computers and OTT devices. The workshop starts by exploring key concepts like protocol and container formats and technologies …
Read More »Apple Supports H.265, But So Far Only in FaceTime on an iPhone 6
H.265 is coming to the Android operating system, as well, but it’s nowhere to be seen on desktop or notebook computers. Since I own an iPhone 6, I should have noticed this earlier, but I just learned that Apple is using H.265 in FaceTime on the new models. Note that the unit’s video playback specs don’t mention H.265, so presumably …
Read More »Adobe Drops Flash for HTML5
OK, I’ll be honest, the headline is strictly for grabbing eyeballs. Still, on several videos that I checked, Adobe is using HTML5 for delivery, rather than Flash, going as far as to encode in VP8 for Firefox playback (rather than falling back to Flash and using H.264). Here’s the short backstory. I received an email from Adobe’s PR team to …
Read More »Webinar: Leverage Existing Video End Points and Infrastructure with Webcasting
I’ll be moderating a webinar for Talkpoint on how companies can leverage their existing infrastructures with webcasting. The date is August 19th, 2014 at 11:00am EST, and speakers will include Adam Bell, Global Digital Marketing, from Mastercard, and Paul Leninger, Marketing Manager at GENBAND. Here’s the description. You can register for the webinar by clicking here. Many enterprises that have …
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