June, 2018

• 27 June

  Per-Title Encoding Resources

  

  For all talk about the new AV1 codec or HEVC in HLS, the simplest and fastest way to save bandwidth costs and improve your viewer’s QoE is to deploy video optimization or per-title encoding. I explore why in a column now up on StreamingMedia.com. You can implement a simple form of per-title encoding with FFmpeg using Capped CRF (for Constant …

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• 19 June

  Applying Quality Metrics to Configure 2D and 3D Video

  

  At NAB 2018 I gave a talk on applying quality metrics to 2D and VR video, and the video has just become available. So here’s the session description, and the video and a link to the handout is below. Choosing the number of streams in an adaptive group and configuring them is usually a subjective, touchy-feely exercise, with no way …

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• 15 June

  What’s the Optimal Duration for Your Product Video?

  

  Though I spend most of my time focusing on video production and encoding, I’m also fascinated by how organizations are actually using video in their day-to-day operations. So when Vidyard released their second annual Video in Business Benchmark Report (freely downloadable here) I had to give it a quick scan. Briefly, Vidyard is a video platform for business, and the …

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May, 2018

• 30 May

  Compute Your Own Bjontegaard Functions (BD-Rate)

  

  Figure 1. BD-rate savings from AV1 as published by Facebook. When Facebook compared the AV1 codec to VP9 and two flavors of H264, their researcher precisely stated, “In terms of PSNR, the average BD-rate savings of AV1 relative to x264 main, x264 high and libvpx-vp9 were 51.0%, 47.0% and 29.9%, respectively.” This means that AV1 delivered the same quality as …

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• 25 May

  Much Ado About Not Much (HEVC Support in Android)

  

  Much has been made about Google’s support for HEVC in Android, including I hate to say, by me. A recent look at the Android spec while preparing for a Streaming Media Workshop, however, seems to indicate that this support is practically irrelevant. Here’s why. If you click over to the Android Supported Media Formats page, you’ll see details regarding the supported codecs. …

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• 9 May

  Download Handout from Encoding Live and VOD for HEVC in HLS

  

  This was a pre-conference workshop; here’s the description, download the handout below. Note that there are two sets of handouts, one from Jan, the other from RealEyes. W3. Encoding Live & VOD For HEVC/HLS Monday, May 7: 1:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Apple’s support for HEVC in HLS is a groundbreaking event that opens up hundreds of millions of HEVC-capable players. …

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• 9 May

  Download Handout – Comparing Per-Title Encoding Options

  

  Another of my sessions at Streaming Media. Here’s the description, download PDF below. T203. HOW-TO: Comparing Per-Title Encoding Options Wednesday, May 9: 1:45 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. Per-title encoding techniques customize the encoding ladder to match the encoding complexity of the source, saving bandwidth on easy-to compress videos and ensuring the quality of more complex footage. Codec specialist Jan Ozer …

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• 8 May

  Download Handout – Comparison of H.264, HEVC, VP9 and AV1

  

  One of my sessions at Streaming Media East. Here’s the description; download the handout below. T102. HOW-TO: Comparing AV1, VP9, HEVC, & H.264 Tuesday, May 8: 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Many content distributors and aggregators still use H.264 as their primary, if not exclusive, codec, but the bandwidth savings promised by newer, more powerful codecs are alluring. Those considering …

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• 8 May

  Download Handout – Multi-Distribution of Live Video

  

  One of my three sessions at Streaming Media East. Here’s the description; link to handout below. Note: one issue that came up during the discussion was the ability for systems to handle multiple language and captions. After the presentation, I heard from a representative from Go Easy Live who stated, “As additional informational, I confirm that we are able to …

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• 7 May

  Encoding 2018: Codecs & Packaging For PCs, Mobile, & OTT/STB/Smart TVs – Handout

  

  My first presentation at Streaming Media East. A complete lesson-based rewrite from previous workshops. Here’s the description, the download link is below. As video resolutions increase and target playback platforms multiply, video producers must leave their H.264/HLS/HDS comfort zone and expand into HEVC, VP9, and MPEG-DASH. This workshop is divided into multiple segments by target platform to teach you the …

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