Lesson of the Week: Why BD-Rate is a Poor Predictor of Real-World Bandwidth Savings

Jan Ozer April 24, 2021 Encoding, Metrics, Video lessons Leave a comment 2,589 Views

BD-Rate computations are a valuable metric when comparing theoretical codec performance. But just because they prove that HEVC is 40% more efficient than H.264 doesn’t mean that you’ll save 40% of your bandwidth if you switch to HEVC.

This 6-minute video lesson explains why and suggests a better alternative for estimating real-world benefits. I include a link to the presentation below.

For more on the courses mentioned in the video, click here for Streaming Media 101.

Click here for Computing and Using Video Quality Metrics.

Click here to download the presentation.

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About Jan Ozer

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I help streaming and video technology companies solve complex technical and market-facing problems in practical business terms. Engagements range from fixed-scope audits and codec strategy reviews to product testing and technical content that helps customers, prospects, and internal teams connect technical performance to business outcomes. 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.

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