Streaming Learning Center

Today (May 22, 2013), I presented a session at Streaming Media East in Manhattan on Choosing an Enterprise Encoder. Click over to the main article to download the presentation materials.

I presented on this topic this morning (May 21, 2013) at Streaming Media East in Manhattan. Here's the summary:

This session starts by detailing the playback specs for all iDevices, old and new. Then you'll learn the strategies used by prominent iTunes publishers to serve the complete range of installed iDevices. Next, the seminar switches to cellular wireless delivery, with a technical description of Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), including recommendations for the number of streams and Apple's encoding parameters. You'll walk away knowing how to encode for both iTunes and mobile delivery to iOS and compatible devices.

Click over to the main article to download the presentation.

First, video compression is a garbage in/garbage out medium, so output quality improves with input quality. Second, codecs such as H.264 are lossy, which means the lower the data rate, the lower the quality. Finally, intermediate formats such as ProRes preserve much higher quality than codecs such as H.264, albeit at much higher data rates.

Here's the seminar description:

Encoding Video for HTML5: Learn the technological fundamentals behind encoding both H.264 and WebM formats for playback with the HTML5 tag. Learn the basics of H.264 and WebM encoding and how to produce it for HTML5 distribution. In addition, see how the various H.264 and WebM encoding tools compare in regard to performance, quality, and features.

Click over to the main article to download the handout.

Here's the seminar description:

Choosing an Enterprise-Class Video Encoder: This session discusses factors to consider when choosing an on-demand enterprise video encoding system from the likes of Digital Rapids, Elemental, Harmonic, Sorenson, and Telestream. Factors incorporated into the analysis include performance, output quality, quality control options, format support, expansion options, programmability, and other variables. If you’re considering buying an enterprise encoder or upgrading your current systems, you’ll find this session particularly useful.

Click over to the main article to download the presentation.

Here's the seminar description:

Encoding for Flash, Mobile and HTML5: Learn the technological fundamentals behind encoding for both H.264 and WebM formats. Learn how to encode H.264 for HTML5 distribution and streaming to iOS and other mobile devices, as well as how to encode it for Flash, including live, on-demand, and RTMP, as well as HTTP-based adaptive streaming. For WebM, learn the basics of on-demand streaming, plus get a look at live WebM encoders. Finally, get an update on how to stream adaptively to all these targets.

Click over to the article to download the handout.

Here's the seminar description:

This session will discuss factors to consider when choosing an enterprise video encoding system from the likes of Ateme, MainConcept, Thomson Video Networks, and others. Factors incorporated into the analysis will include performance, output quality, quality control options, format support, expansion options, programmability, and other variables. If you're considering buying an enterprise encoder or 1 upgrading your current systems, you'll find this session particularly useful.

Click over to the article to download the handout.

Just finished a seminar on Encoding for iDevices. Here's the description:

This seminar starts by detailing the playback specs for all iDevices, old and new. Then, learn the strategies used by prominent iTunes publishers to serve the complete range of installed iDevices. Next, the seminar switches to cellular wireless delivery, with a technical description of Apple’s HTTP Live Streaming (HLS), including recommendations for the number of streams and Apple’s encoding parameters. The seminar concludes with a review of encoding options for HLS and techniques for serving multiple target platforms such as Flash and iDevices with a single set of encoded H.264 files.

Click to the main article page for the handout.

Here in London speaking at Streaming Media Europe on encoding for HTML5. Here's the seminar description:

Learn the technological fundamentals behind encoding both H.264 and WebM formats for playback with the HTML5 tag. Find out more about the basics of H.264 and WebM encoding, and how to produce it for HTML5 distribution. In addition, see how the various H.264 and WebM encoding tools compare in regards to performance, quality and features.

Click over to the main page to download the handout.