Blogs

My article, 10 Tips for Creating Successful Branded Videos, just appeared on Onlinevideo.net. It’s a fun and hot topic these days; launch a business, produce a video that goes viral and laugh your way to the bank. Well, it can happen, because it has, but being realistic is always a good start. That’s tip 1. Here’s the pithy and compelling …

Tue, Apr 29, 2014 2:00 PM EDT HEVC is definitely the next big thing; but how big is it, and when will it matter? If you’re interested in learning about the current status of HEVC, consider attending this webinar, during which I’ll discuss a range of topics regarding the deployment and utility of HEVC. These will include: –    How HEVC …

My review of the Panopto Lecture Capture and Webcasting System just published on the Streaming Media website. Here’s a short summary of what I thought.  Overall, Panopto was very well-conceived, and in general, is very easy to use for both presenter and viewer. One key differentiating feature, however, is the ability to input video from multiple sources, such as a …

My latest column for Streaming Media magazine is a must read for anyone who produces (rather than simply encoding) streaming video. Here’s the intro. Most seasoned compressionists know that you can’t have high-quality streaming media without quality audio and video. In honor of our production issue, I thought I would list the production techniques that can make or break audio …

Just got off the phone with Ken Gumbs of Fresh Giants, a video production company in Chicago, who I interviewed for an article I’m writing about branded video for OnlineVideo.net. I was struck by the pure wisdom of many of Ken’s comments, in part, I’m sure, because I don’t know much about branded video (but I’m learning), but also because Ken …

Two or three years ago, the average cost of a video webcast was around $1,200 – $2,000. Now that services like GoToWebinar start as low as $99/month, established companies are having to adjust both their products and their pricing. I’ve been working with TalkPoint’s new Convey self-service webinar system for my last two webinars, and will review it for Streaming …

I’m preparing for my full day seminar entitled Producing a Webcast from Soup to Nuts at Streaming Media East in Manhattan on May 12, 2014. Part of the process involves watching a bunch of live events to glean tips and tricks and mistakes to avoid. Two videos of the same subject that I noticed yesterday illustrated two critical principles of …

The poor folks at HDTVtest were reviewing a Samsung HU8500 UHDTV and noticed that Netflix was streaming House of Cards Season 2 at 4K in HEVC. According to the article, after cycling through 720p and 1080p, the stream ultimately switched up to 2160 HD at 15.6 Mbps. In dark scenes, there was very little difference, but in bright, colorful scenes, …

From my perspective, Apple Technical Note TN2224 is the Rosetta Stone of adaptive streaming, a document that translates multiple factors into concrete recommendations that should be considered by all producers streaming to Apple Devices. Which is to say, of course, virtually all streaming producers. So when Apple makes big changes in the Tech Note, as they did on February 28, …

Let’s test your observational powers. On the left are the web presets from Adobe Media Encoder prior to the April 2014 reveal. On the right is the same group of presets after the April refresh. What’s missing?  Well, in case the title didn’t clue you in, I’m sure you figured out by now that it’s Flash; Adobe Media Encoder no …