Many encoding pros spend an inordinate amount of time tweaking obscure H.264 compression parameters, while the fastest way to improve quality might just be optimizing the color and brightness of your source videos.  You can see that in the image on the left. Because I shot this video in a conference room lit by overhead fluorescent lights, the video lacked …

Producing a live event in the near term and need to choose an encoder? My article, A Buyer’s Guide to Live Encoders, from the fabulous 2014 Streaming Media Sourcebook, is up on the Streaming Media webiste. Here’s the brief intro which details what’s covered in the article.  All live events start with an encoded stream produced by a live streaming encoder. In this …

Considering a cloud encoder? My article, A Buyer’s Guide to Cloud Encoders, from the fabulous 2014 Streaming Media Sourcebook, is up on the Streaming Media webiste. Here’s the scintillating intro which tells what’s covered in the article.  There are many instances where cloud encoding is both efficient and cost-effective. For example, if you’re working with files already saved to the cloud — perhaps …

My review of the new Livestream Studio HD51, is up on the Streaming Media Producer website. If you’re looking for a turnkey switcher encoder with HDMI and SDI input, it’s a great option. Here’s the intro to tell you what’s covered.  Livestream Studio HD51 is the latest in a line of production switchers from Livestream. Two aspects of the product …

I received this email the other day from the Division Manager of Web Based Services for a large southern city. He said: While doing research, I found your “Choosing a Live Streaming Encoder” presentation on YouTube. I found it very informative and took many good notes. We will most likely end up going with a Dell server running Windows Server …

My article, A Buyer’s Guide to Live Streaming Services, from the fabulous 2014 Streaming Media Sourcebook, is up on the Streaming Media webiste. Here’s the intro, designed to grab you by the throat (metaphorically, of course) and force you to read the balance. Well, if you’re interested in live streaming, you might find it worth a read.  So, you’ve decided to …

Note: With the June 2014 release of iBooks Author, the procedures discussed here no longer work. Good luck with your iBooks Author encodes. In my upcoming webinar, Encoding for iBooks Author (register here), I claim that “by the lessons learned in this webinar, you’ll be able to include more minutes of videos in your iBooks, or the same number of minutes …

Read an interesting article in CoreAnalysis, a Canadian blog run by Patrick Lopez, who reports that YouTube has been experimenting with multiple technologies to reduce mobile wait time, and is now deploying a DASH-based technology they call Sliced Bread. Here’s the technology description. YouTube Sliced Bread essentially compares the DASH ABR manifest with the speed and bandwidth that is available …

This is one of 42 lessons from my course Video Compression for Web, Disc and PC/TV/Console Playback, on Udemy (bit.ly/Ozer_u). It’s one of the most important lessons, covering bits/pixel, which is a critical concept in streaming. As an informational lesson, this is mostly PowerPoint with audio. Most other lessons include screencam demos of the software or Internet functions being demonstrated.  …

The first reviews of my new video compression course on Udemy are in, and they’re quite positive (of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be blogging about them).  Travis Roesler, owner of howtofightnow.com, a website that offers self defense courses, rated my Udemy course five stars, and commented: Jan REALLY helped me out. I can’t even begin to tell you how much …