Here’s the session description; scroll down to download the handout and watch the video. Choosing the number of streams in an adaptive group and configuring them is usually a subjective, touchy-feely exercise, with no way to gauge the effectiveness and efficiency of the streams. However, by measuring stream quality via metrics such as PSNR, SSIM, and VQM, you can precisely …
Read More »W2: Encoding 2016: Codecs and Packaging for PCs, Mobile and OTT/STB/Smart TVs
Here’s the description for my workshop at Streaming Media West; download the handout below: As video resolutions increase and target playback platforms multiply, video producers must leave their H.264/HLS/HDS comfort zone and expand into HEVC, VP9, and MPEG-DASH. This workshop is divided into multiple segments by target platform to teach you the applicable standards and best strategies for delivering live …
Read More »Cloud Pricing Survey Shows Hybrik Least Expensive Option By Far
I recently finished a white paper comparing the pricing for a new cloud encoding service named Hybrik with multiple cloud providers, including Amazon Elastic Transcoder, Microsoft Azure, Bitmovin, encoding.com, Telestream Cloud, and Zencoder. The white-paper was sponsored by Hybrik, and you can download it below. By way of background, I ran all calculations by the respective services (except Amazon) to verify my …
Read More »Review: Matrox Monarch LCS
The Matrox Monarch LCS is an inexpensive dual-input lecture capture solution with two output channels that can be independently set for recording and/or streaming. At $2,495, the Matrox Monarch LCS is an inexpensive dual-input lecture capture solution with two output channels that can be independently set for recording and/or streaming. You control the unit via a standard browser, and …
Read More »Benchmarking PCs, Capture Cards, and Software Mixers for HD Capture and Streaming
To determine how powerful a system it takes to produce and deliver live event streams, we tested a range of computers (old and new), capture devices, and multiple live streaming software programs, streaming to one or more streaming services, recording archive/ISO files in various formats, and measuring CPU utilization. Read on for the results. When you’re producing a live event …
Read More »How to Stream to Facebook Live
Anyone can stream to Facebook Live, but if you want to deliver live video via a computer with streaming or encoding software, read on. With 1.65 billion monthly active users, Facebook is the largest social network in the world. It’s no surprise that when the company introduced live streaming, the online video industry took notice. “If Facebook introduces a new …
Read More »Review: Livestream Mevo
If you frequently produce live or on-demand videos for social media sites, Livestream Mevo can help you produce more polished and engaging videos. While there are some rough edges in version 1.0, and there is a learning curve for operation, Mevo is an essential tool for any organization seeking to leverage the power of video in its social media marketing. …
Read More »Review: Capella Systems Cambria FTC Offers Per-Title Encoding
The benefits of per-title optimization aren’t just for the major players, anymore. Streaming Media reviews the first solution for smaller content owners and finds the results promising. Netflix announced the beginning of the end for fixed encoding ladders with a December 2015 blog post called, “Per-Title Encode Optimization”. The big question was, what would replace them? For companies with the …
Read More »Review: EasyLive’s Video-Mixer-in-the-Cloud Simplifies Operations
By creating a video mixer that’s accessible from any location, EasyLive promises no-fuss live streaming to multiple platforms. Here’s how it performed in our testing. The simplest way to understand the EasyLive service is to think of it as a video mixer in the cloud. You can input videos from multiple sources; add titles, logos, Twitter feeds, and scorecards; and …
Read More »Bitrate Control and QoE-CBR is Better
Summary (The MPD) When distributing video under constrained conditions, the bitrate control technique used to encode the files can have a profound impact on the quality of experience (QoE). Specifically, under some conditions, CBR-encoded files deliver a superior QoE to files encoded using 200% constrained VBR, while also reducing the overall bandwidth delivered. For producers concerned with the potential for …
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