June, 2015

• 2 June

  My New Book: Mastering Webcam and Smartphone Video

  Just a quick note about my new book, Mastering Webcam and Smartphone Video: How to Look & Sound Great in Webinars and Videoconferences ($24.95). Here’s the who, what, where, why, and when. Who:  The book is targeted towards non-media professionals who produce webinars or frequently Skype or FaceTime with business associates.  What: The book provides media and technical training to help those …

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May, 2015

• 13 May

  How to: Encoding for HEVC

  Handout at the main article. Here’s the description. This session explores the current status of HEVC, identifying options for encoding live and on-demand video using HEVC and discussing player options in the streaming and OTT markets. Topics include the comparative quality and usability of HEVC encoders—including encoders from x265 and MainConcept and techniques for maximizing output quality using both codecs.

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• 13 May

  Handouts for Replacing Flash Section

  Handouts for Replacing Flash with MSE/EME session – click below. Here’s the description:  The Media Source Extensions and Encrypted Media Extensions are the standardized toolsets that enable browsers to deliver adaptive streaming and digital rights management without plug-ins. This session details what these extensions are, how they’re being supported by the different browser and tools vendors, and how soon those …

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April, 2015

• 29 April

  VP9 vs. HEVC Quality Comparison is up on StreamingMedia.com

  My article, The Great UHD Codec Debate: Google’s VP9 vs. HEVC/H.265, is up on Streaming Media. Here’s the intro that describes what I tried to do. As of today, the great UHD codec debate involves two main participants: Google’s VP9 and HEVC/H.265. Which one succeeds—and where—involves a number of factors and will likely differ in various streaming-related markets, which I …

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• 15 April

  Adobe Media Encoder Gets HEVC and VP9

  (February 4, 2017: While the Fnord plug-in appears to be available, there’s no mention of the HEVC plug-in on the Vanguard site. Note that AME now has HEVC encoding in the latest version, most likely using the MainConcept HEVC codec). In their latest Creative Cloud reveal, which I wrote about here, Adobe didn’t include either HEVC or VP9 in Adobe …

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• 8 April

  DRM Resources on Streaming Learning Center

  Someone sent me an email this morning asking about DRM-related information. I collected these resources for him, and then thought it might make a useful blog post. So, if you’re interested in Digital Rights Management, here are four resources you can check out on the Streaming Learning Center and beyond. 1. I gave a session on DRM at Streaming Media …

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• 1 April

  HEVC Advance: The New Patent Pool

  My article on HEVC Advance is up on Streaming Media. Here’s the opening section which tells what’s covered. On March 24, HEVC Advance, an independent licensing administrator announced a new HEVC patent pool, in addition to the one being offered by MPEG LA. In this article, we’ll explore exactly what that means and what the implications are. To gather this …

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March, 2015

• 29 March

  The State of Video Codecs 2015

  My article, The State of Video Codecs 2015, from the Streaming Media Sourcebook, is up on StreamingMedia.com. Here are the first few paragraphs to let you know what I covered.  Video compression is the critical enabler of all video streaming, and today we’re at a codec crossroads unlike any that we’ve experienced. Though H.264 remains firmly entrenched as the go-to …

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• 29 March

  Sayonara Silverlight: How Panopto Switched to Flash and HTML5

  An interesting story on Silverlight, Flash and HTML5 just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. By way of background, Panopto is a lecture and presentation capture and sharing platform used by leading academic institutions and Fortune 500 companies around the world. The company originally based their products around Silverlight, but had to change because Chrome will soon no longer load the Silverlight plug-in.  …

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• 29 March

  How to Encode to HEVC: A Simple Guide for H.265 First Timers

  My article, How to Encode to HEVC: A Simple Guide for H.265 First Timers, just appeared on StreamingMedia.com. I did a lot of testing with x.265 and the MainConcept HEVC codecs to understand the quality/encoding time tradeoffs of their various features. If you’re starting to produce with either of these codecs, you’ll find it a useful primer.  Click here to …

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