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Learn how thread count impacts video quality, encoding speed, and costs in FFmpeg workflows. Master configurations for optimal production and testing results.

Though I work primarily on Windows computers, I also have several Macs. Here are the Mac video Apps I use on them and other Mac tools you should consider. Free or Almost Free MediaInfo ($0.99) Platform: Mac, Windows, Linux Description: MediaInfo is an essential tool that displays technical and tag data for video and audio files. Free and cross-platform, this …

When choosing a preset for VOD transcoding, it almost always makes sense to use the highest-quality preset, because any increase in encoding costs will typically be recouped via bandwidth savings delivered by the more efficient encoding. I covered that analysis in detail here. Note that this conclusion assumes that you deliver at a certain quality level and will boost the …

I was reminded of this recently as I prepared for a talk on AV1 readiness at the upcoming United Cloud Tech Talk. Though quality is only a single factor, I wanted to nail the quality comparisons for the talk, but didn’t have time to produce all the iterations myself. It’s been a while since I benchmarked H.264, HEVC, AV1, and …

Cookies are gone from Safari and Firefox, and on their way out in Chrome. This leaves many advertisers searching for alternative ways to effectively target high-value prospects. One of the most promising solutions is contextual audience targeting, and leading that charge is Seedtag, an advertising platform using AI to match ads with relevant content. Recently, I spoke with Brian Danzis, …

We’ve all experienced it—you check out a product on Amazon, and before you know it, the next ten websites you visit are showing ads for that same product. It just happened to me (again) when I was looking at a supplement called Qualia Senolytic on Amazon in Google Chrome. Later that day, while browsing the Washington Post, I saw an …

In a recent interview available on YouTube, Jan Ozer sat down with Fred Dawson, an industry journalist and principal at Dawson Communications, to discuss his whitepaper for Motion Spell titled “GPAC: Ultra Media Technology Breaks Barriers to Next Gen Streaming.” Released in conjunction with GPAC’s 21st anniversary, the whitepaper illuminates how GPAC UltraMedia technology is setting new benchmarks for cost …

Most people reading this post want new codecs to succeed as soon as possible, and I do as well. But whenever I think about codec adoption, six pictures come to mind. Overview The first was the foundational adoption timeline released by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) with the launch of AV1 in April 2018 (see above). Essentially, this posited …

The VAST, VMAP, and VPAID video ad standards ensure smooth ad delivery, proper tracking, and seamless integration across platforms in digital video advertising, as well as interactive advertising. This article provides a brief overview of what these standards are and how they work together. Section I: Ad Serving Standards 1.  Video Ad Serving Template (VAST) VAST is the standard format …

I recently had the privilege of chatting with Dr. Elena Alshina about JPEG AI; the video is below. Dr. Alshina is a prominent figure in the field, serving as the Audio Visual Lab Director and Director of the Media Codec and Standardization Lab at Huawei. She also plays a leading role in various international standardization projects, including for JPEG AI. …