Shows the new lesson, Codec Updates 2023
A new lesson added to Streaming Media 101 entitled Codec Update 2023

New Lesson Helps Students Choose the Best Codec for Streaming

Just a quick note that I’ve updated the course, Streaming Media 101: Technical Onboarding for Streaming Media Professionals with a new lesson entitled Codec Update 2023. You can see the agenda in Figure 1 below. For those in a hurry, you can scan through and see my recommendations for 2023 forty seconds in.

This lesson identifies the best codec for streaming in 2023
Figure 1. The agenda for this new lesson Codec Update 2023

Choosing the best codec for streaming involves four aspects; where the codec plays, how the quality compares, whether it’s well suited for a particular role like live transcoding or HDR delivery, and how much it costs (royalties). The new lesson tracks those four factors for H.264, HEVC, VP9, AV1, VVC, LCEVC, and EVC. Figure 2 shows where these codecs play in the browser, on mobile devices, and in smart TVs. As you can see, though AV1 is touted for mobile delivery, HEVC enjoys much greater hardware support which guarantees full-frame playback and minimizes power consumption, and extends battery life.

This chart details which codecs play in browser, mobile, and in the living room in 2023
Figures 2. Which codecs play in browser, mobile, and in the living room in 2023

Choosing the Best Codec for Streaming

As you can see, though AV1 is touted for mobile delivery, HEVC enjoys much greater hardware support which guarantees full-frame playback and minimizes power consumption, and extends battery life. Overall, the lesson updates students on the deployability status of newer codecs to enable them to identify the best codec for streaming in 2023 and 2024.

The Codec Update lesson is free at the front of the course, though you’ll have to register to view it. Here’s a link to the course.

About Streaming Media 101: Technical Onboarding for Streaming Media Professionals

Streaming Media production and deployment is a highly technical field. Many streaming-related companies have no formal training program for new technical employees which delays their ability to contribute meaningfully. Streaming Media 101 teaches the technologies, techniques, skills, and best practices for new employees to quickly flourish in a streaming media-related role, whether producing and distributing streaming video or creating the tools and services necessary to do so. The course costs $299.95; here’s a link to the course.

About Jan Ozer

Avatar photo
I help companies train new technical hires in streaming media-related positions; I also help companies optimize their codec selections and encoding stacks and evaluate new encoders and codecs. I am a contributing editor to Streaming Media Magazine, writing about codecs and encoding tools. I have written multiple authoritative books on video encoding, including Video Encoding by the Numbers: Eliminate the Guesswork from your Streaming Video (https://amzn.to/3kV6R1j) and Learn to Produce Video with FFmpeg: In Thirty Minutes or Less (https://amzn.to/3ZJih7e). I have multiple courses relating to streaming media production, all available at https://bit.ly/slc_courses. I currently work as www.netint.com as a Senior Director in Marketing.

Check Also

Video Codec Quick Reference Guide

This article provides a quick reference for video codec details from H.264 to LCEVC, excluding …

Replace Bitrate Viewer with FFBitrateViewer

Recently I was asked to visually illustrate the data rate difference between two HEVC files, …

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 …

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *