Learning

Reducing the reference frame setting from 16 to 1 when using x.264’s veryslow preset decreased encoding time by 46% on ten 2-minute test files while dropping the average VMAF score from 96.06 to 95.97, a decrease of less than .001. If you used the Medium preset, at the default setting of 3 reference frames, changing to ref=1 would drop encoding …

As the producer of webinars and virtual training events for Streaming Media Magazine and Streaming Learning Center, I’m always interested in information that helps me produce more effective events. A recent report from Bluejeans, the Verizon-owned video conference provider, provided several interesting data points. By way of background, the report discussed survey data collected by IDG from 200 respondents in a …

The webinar is over; thanks to all who registered and attended. You can watch the recorded version below. The handout is available here. Description: This free webinar teaches streaming media novices how to produce high-quality H.264 output delivered via efficient encoding ladders that optimize quality, compatibility, and bitrate efficiency. The webinar will also introduce the concept of per-title encoding and …

Happy to share two new five-star reviews for Streaming Media 101, the only online training course available for onboarding new streaming media professionals, whether coming from the IT discipline or via engineering. Engineer Chris Joyce commented, As an engineer, I wasn’t sure what to expect and didn’t want to pay for some fluffy sales-type material. Jan’s course didn’t disappoint as he …

Bitmovin (https://bitmovin.com/) has partnered with Jan Ozer, a recognized expert in streaming media and encoding, to provide its new engineering and solutions employees with his Streaming Media 101 course (https://courses.streaminglearningcenter.com/). The course–which has been fully integrated into Bitmovin’s internal learning management system–provides industry-specific content that helps new Bitmovin employees quickly and seamlessly ramp up to full productivity in their technical …

Framing is the act of placing the subject within the camera frame. Do it correctly and the video looks just like your viewers are used to seeing on TV. Mess up here and you compromise the quality of your video from the start. This 12:42 video teaches you artistic fundamentals like rule-of-thirds positioning, head, look, and lead room, and definitions …

This post provides an introduction to video codecs. It’s an entry-level article designed to help streaming newbies understand what codecs are, what they do, how to compare them, and why they succeed or fail.  Video codecs are compression technologies that reduce the bitrate of digital video to manageable sizes. Video codecs are not only central to streaming, but they’re also …

This post discusses factors to consider when choosing a camera for four types of live events. It’s adapted from training materials prepared for a live streaming boot camp I’m producing at Streaming Media Connect on Tuesday, February 23: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. (ET) / 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (PT). I’ll be releasing a course on live streaming by the …

There are the handouts from the last few Streaming Media Events. They’re typically long and very detailed, so provide a lot of data and other information. I’ve segmented them by subject and included the videos where available. I hope you find this information useful. Production and Delivery FFmpeg Visual Quality Metrics Per-Title Encoding Hardware Transcoding Production and Delivery Streaming Media …