This article discusses five common errors that can be obscured by automated video quality assessment scripts and how to avoid them.  Most video producers use some measure of automated testing in their codec or encoder comparisons or during normal production. While automated testing is essential, it’s easy to make the five following errors if you don’t spot-check your results. The …

The mandate for streaming producers hasn’t changed since we delivered RealVideo streams targeted at 28.8 modems; that is, we must produce the absolute best quality video at the lowest possible bandwidth. With cost control top of mind for many streaming producers, let’s explore five codec-related options to cut bandwidth costs while maintaining quality. For each, I’ll consider the factors summarized …

Let’s start this article with a quiz regarding how the quality and encoding speed of two-pass VBR (variable bitrate encoding) compares to single-pass VBR (that’s right, VBR in both cases). Choose the best answer. Two-pass takes twice as long as single-pass but delivers significantly better overall quality. Two-pass takes slightly longer than single-pass but delivers significantly better quality. Two-pass takes …