This article provides a quick reference for video codec details from H.264 to LCEVC, excluding EVC, because so little progress has been made on productization. Codec Overview Starting at the top, the year released emphasizes how long H.264 has remained the dominant codec, as evidenced by ReThink’s 2023 usage rate of about 72%. Browser penetration, as measured by CanIuse, is …
Read More »Streaming Learning Center Goes Mobile
Just a quick announcement to let you know that if you’re taking a course on the Streaming Learning Center, you can now access lessons via a mobile app. By way of background, we use a learning management system called Thinkific to host all Streaming Learning Center courses. Thinkific recently launched its new mobile app for iOS and Android that we …
Read More »B-Frames, Ultra Low-Latency Encoding, and Parking Lot Rules
One of my sweetest memories of bringing up our two daughters was weekly trips to the grocery store. Each got a $5.00 bribe for accompanying their father, which they happily invested in various tchotchkes that seldom lasted the week. When we exited the car, “parking lot rules” always applied, which meant that each daughter held one of Daddy’s hands for …
Read More »The Correct Way to Choose an x264 Preset
To choose the optimal x264 preset, you have to balance encoding and distribution costs. This article shows you how. Over the last few years, I’ve used the first chart below to represent the tradeoffs associated with different presets and help readers (or listeners) choose a preset. To create the chart, you encode your test files to standard parameters using all …
Read More »AV1 or HEVC: The Next Big Codec Decision
Codecs are tools we use to reach our viewers. So, when it comes to codecs, the best ability is play-ability, or the ability to play on the target platforms our viewers prefer to watch. For years, H.264 has remained dominant simply because it played everywhere; but as videos grow larger, faster, and deeper in color, the cost of distributing H.264 …
Read More »Defining Transcoder, VPU, and VCU
A woman walks into a bar and asks, “I’ll have two video transcoders, please.” Bartender says, “We don’t carry transcoders; we have VPUs. Will they do?” The woman scratches her head and says, “hmm, I don’t know.” Do you? If not, you’re in the right place. This short article will briefly define transcoder, VPU, and VCU, and get you in …
Read More »How to Build an Encoding Ladder: What You Need to Know
Learning how to build an encoding ladder is one of the most fundamental tasks for a streaming media professional. It’s astounding how much you need to know to get it right. By way of background, the original encoding ladder used by most professionals was from Apple Tech Note TN2224, long since replaced by Apple’s HLS Authoring Specifications. This H.264-only ladder …
Read More »Don’t Sacrifice Usability On the Altar of Design
I took two pictures of clocks in my kitchen this morning, on the left is the microwave, on the right, the coffee maker. Which time is correct and what’s the key clue? If you guessed microwave because it’s about the time I actually start working in the morning, you’d be half right. The answer? The microwave’s clock is correct, and …
Read More »SVT-AV1 and Libaom Tune for PSNR by Default
As of June 22, 2022, libaom-AV1 and SVT-AV1 tune for PSNR by default, and libaom-AV1 doesn’t appear to have a mode that optimizes actual video quality. Be sure to verify and consider this when comparing the codecs to others. Most of the time with codec experimentation, a lapse in attention costs you hours, days, or weeks of re-encoding and re-testing, …
Read More »Choosing a Cloud-Based Video Editor
I recently spent a few days studying cloud-based video editors which led to this article published in Streaming Media Magazine. I learned that there are two tiers of cloud editors. The top tier, including Blackbird and Vimond IO, are serious video editors that rival desktop editors in features and performance (particularly Blackbird). These services should appeal to producers who want …
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