This morning, over 50,000 free Brightcove subscribers woke up to find that all of their Brightcove embedded videos no longer work. Ugh. Brightcove made good on their promise to replace all free accounts with a $6,000 per year Basic package. With about 100 million dollars invested and the company burning through cash every day, their investors told management enough is enough.
How long before Vimeo and other free sites do the same? In this economy it pays to play because free ain't for me. If my commerce website relies on video, I want to do business with my video provider on a worry-free basis.
Enter iPlayerHD.
iPlayer is a $30 a month proftiable company with real value.
The video experience, whether standard or high definition, exceptional.
Try it free before you pay. It's easy!
We'll look out for you!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Monday, December 1, 2008
Brightcove and Vimeo: Are these free solutions viable alternatives for small enterprise website video delivery?
The answer to this question is simple: Not even close. Turns out (big surprise) there is not enough ad revenue to support free video for every company that wants to compete with YouTube.
Brightcove
If you’ve Brightcove video on your website, it will stop playing on December 17.
Brightcove announced this summer that on December 17, 2008, they will cancel all free accounts. The replacement offered is a basic subscription at a cost of $6,000 annually. While I am not prepared to call this a bait and switch maneuver, there are some who are calling it just that. And I’m fairly certain very few Brightcove subscribers are willing to pay the $6,000 annual fee.
Vimeo
According to Vimeo’s Commercial Guidelines, “Businesses may not use Vimeo to promote their business in any way. Businesses may not use Vimeo to host their videos if they have advertising on their site.” Vimeo clearly states that they are a social network to be used specifically for sharing video among family and friends and “video is for personal use only”.
It is my view that any business with embedded Vimeo content on their website risks the possibility that at any time those videos will stop playing. That’s playing with fire, particulary when there are profitable, viable companies like iPlayerHD, with its $30 a month solution, that likely meet the needs of most small enterprises on the web.
I’ll go even further. Vimeo, like many online video providers, has but one source of revenue with which it pays its bills – advertising. If the advertising dollars are not there, what choice will Vimeo have but to kick out the non-conformers that until now they may have ignored. Or perhaps they create a paid subscription at a price point similar to Brightcove’s making it an impossible choice. In any case, Vimeo users need to be aware that changes are coming and they are coming fast.
Summary
Both Brightcove and Vimeo have investors – venture capitalists who have a high tolerance for risk but a low tolerance for failure. Investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars in companies like Brightcove, Vimeo and others. Most are not even close to making money and are quickly burning through capital. The investors in these companies, just like the investors at Brightcove, are going to demand a change in strategy that leads to profitability. That means less “free” and more “paid” relationships.
There’s an old saying that a business that loses money is not a business. It’s a hobby. Seems to me there are more hobbies in online video than there are businesses.
Want an exceptional video experience for your website? Watch the videos at iPlayerHD and then decide if iPlayer is your solution.
Brightcove
If you’ve Brightcove video on your website, it will stop playing on December 17.
Brightcove announced this summer that on December 17, 2008, they will cancel all free accounts. The replacement offered is a basic subscription at a cost of $6,000 annually. While I am not prepared to call this a bait and switch maneuver, there are some who are calling it just that. And I’m fairly certain very few Brightcove subscribers are willing to pay the $6,000 annual fee.
Vimeo
According to Vimeo’s Commercial Guidelines, “Businesses may not use Vimeo to promote their business in any way. Businesses may not use Vimeo to host their videos if they have advertising on their site.” Vimeo clearly states that they are a social network to be used specifically for sharing video among family and friends and “video is for personal use only”.
It is my view that any business with embedded Vimeo content on their website risks the possibility that at any time those videos will stop playing. That’s playing with fire, particulary when there are profitable, viable companies like iPlayerHD, with its $30 a month solution, that likely meet the needs of most small enterprises on the web.
I’ll go even further. Vimeo, like many online video providers, has but one source of revenue with which it pays its bills – advertising. If the advertising dollars are not there, what choice will Vimeo have but to kick out the non-conformers that until now they may have ignored. Or perhaps they create a paid subscription at a price point similar to Brightcove’s making it an impossible choice. In any case, Vimeo users need to be aware that changes are coming and they are coming fast.
Summary
Both Brightcove and Vimeo have investors – venture capitalists who have a high tolerance for risk but a low tolerance for failure. Investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars in companies like Brightcove, Vimeo and others. Most are not even close to making money and are quickly burning through capital. The investors in these companies, just like the investors at Brightcove, are going to demand a change in strategy that leads to profitability. That means less “free” and more “paid” relationships.
There’s an old saying that a business that loses money is not a business. It’s a hobby. Seems to me there are more hobbies in online video than there are businesses.
Want an exceptional video experience for your website? Watch the videos at iPlayerHD and then decide if iPlayer is your solution.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Flash Encoding Tips
Each and every day, I teach my new subscribers how to use the tools in iPlayer. Those "tutorials" as I like to call them, are all part of the fanatical support iPlayer subscribers receive. I make it a point in every conversation to ask the subscriber about the software tool they use to create their Flash content. Typical answers include several brands but the most common are ON2 Flix, Sorenson, and Adobe Premiere. Regardless of the brand you use, there are certain settings I consistently and successfully use. In today's Blog entry, I'm going to pass those on to you.
To begin, most encoders offer various FLV codecs - always use FLV for streaming video, never SWF. No room here to detail why but rest assured, FLV is the preferred choice. Of the various codecs offered, the most common is VP6 and it is the only one I recommend. When Adobe delivered Flash Player 8, they did so to accommodate the VP6 codec. Invented by ON2, the codec was and is terrific. Used properly, this codec will make your video stand out.
If your encoder offers two-pass encoding and single-pass encoding, always choose the two-pass option. If your encoder does not offer two-pass, I strongly recommend you purchase a two-pass upgrade if available. If not, there is only one two-pass encoder worthy of a new purchase and that is ON2 Flix Pro. There is a PC and Mac version and at $249, this software does it all and does it well. You've spent oodles of money on camera and editing equipment. You're on the finish line. This is not the time to go cheap. Click on the Flix Affiliate button located on the bottom of the iPlayerHD home page and then again on the Flix Pro Mac or PC version. On that page, you can download a free trial version.
If you plan on true streaming, and not progressive download of your video, be sure to choose the Constant Bitrate (CBR) mode. The other option, Variable Bitrate mode (VBR), does not stream as well as CBR.
Before you encode, you'll need to know the maximum size of the web page in which the video will be embedded. The only size you are likely to need is the width, which will determine the vertical lines of resolution when you encode. iPlayer subscribers can use almost any width that works on their web pages because the quality of the video will look terrific at every size. The width of the page will determine the height of the video - this equates to the horizontal lines of resolution. In many encoders, if you choose to "maintain aspect ratio", the encoder will automatically change the horizontal lines to match the vertical lines when the aspect ratio is being maintained.
By the way, before your video is ready for the encoder, be sure you use non-drop frame when you output your timeline from your editing system and be sure the video is progressive and non-interlaced.
Bit rates. iPlayer subscribers, I recommend three different kb rates per second for each video: 500, 1,000 and 1,500. Make your video look exceptional! Everyone else - you'll probably need to max out at 500kbps because if your streaming provider does not offer bandwidth detection, any higher than that and you take the risk that your website visitors will never see your video.
Finally, you'll want to choose a key frame rate. The encoder will set a key frame whenever you require. The more often a frame is set as key, the better the quality of the video. The videos you see at iPlayer have a key frame set every 5 seconds or approximately every 150 frames. That is more than adequate for most video. Good encoders, like Flix Pro, will set additional key frames between those you require when it detects significant changes between frames.
Well, there you have it. If you follow those simple recommendations, you'll be rewarded with exceptional Flash content.
To begin, most encoders offer various FLV codecs - always use FLV for streaming video, never SWF. No room here to detail why but rest assured, FLV is the preferred choice. Of the various codecs offered, the most common is VP6 and it is the only one I recommend. When Adobe delivered Flash Player 8, they did so to accommodate the VP6 codec. Invented by ON2, the codec was and is terrific. Used properly, this codec will make your video stand out.
If your encoder offers two-pass encoding and single-pass encoding, always choose the two-pass option. If your encoder does not offer two-pass, I strongly recommend you purchase a two-pass upgrade if available. If not, there is only one two-pass encoder worthy of a new purchase and that is ON2 Flix Pro. There is a PC and Mac version and at $249, this software does it all and does it well. You've spent oodles of money on camera and editing equipment. You're on the finish line. This is not the time to go cheap. Click on the Flix Affiliate button located on the bottom of the iPlayerHD home page and then again on the Flix Pro Mac or PC version. On that page, you can download a free trial version.
If you plan on true streaming, and not progressive download of your video, be sure to choose the Constant Bitrate (CBR) mode. The other option, Variable Bitrate mode (VBR), does not stream as well as CBR.
Before you encode, you'll need to know the maximum size of the web page in which the video will be embedded. The only size you are likely to need is the width, which will determine the vertical lines of resolution when you encode. iPlayer subscribers can use almost any width that works on their web pages because the quality of the video will look terrific at every size. The width of the page will determine the height of the video - this equates to the horizontal lines of resolution. In many encoders, if you choose to "maintain aspect ratio", the encoder will automatically change the horizontal lines to match the vertical lines when the aspect ratio is being maintained.
By the way, before your video is ready for the encoder, be sure you use non-drop frame when you output your timeline from your editing system and be sure the video is progressive and non-interlaced.
Bit rates. iPlayer subscribers, I recommend three different kb rates per second for each video: 500, 1,000 and 1,500. Make your video look exceptional! Everyone else - you'll probably need to max out at 500kbps because if your streaming provider does not offer bandwidth detection, any higher than that and you take the risk that your website visitors will never see your video.
Finally, you'll want to choose a key frame rate. The encoder will set a key frame whenever you require. The more often a frame is set as key, the better the quality of the video. The videos you see at iPlayer have a key frame set every 5 seconds or approximately every 150 frames. That is more than adequate for most video. Good encoders, like Flix Pro, will set additional key frames between those you require when it detects significant changes between frames.
Well, there you have it. If you follow those simple recommendations, you'll be rewarded with exceptional Flash content.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Top Ten Reasons to use (Exceptional) Video on your Web Site
Here they are:
1. Drive site traffic
2. Increase depth of visit
3. Enhance user experience
4. Boost conversion and ROI
5. Turn customers into salespeople
6. Stand out from the competition
7. Encourage viral marketing
8. iPlayer is affordable
9. You can now host your client's video online
10. Harness the power of this emerging media
The future of online video has arrived. iPlayerHD
Get it for your business. www.iplayerhd.com
1. Drive site traffic
2. Increase depth of visit
3. Enhance user experience
4. Boost conversion and ROI
5. Turn customers into salespeople
6. Stand out from the competition
7. Encourage viral marketing
8. iPlayer is affordable
9. You can now host your client's video online
10. Harness the power of this emerging media
The future of online video has arrived. iPlayerHD
Get it for your business. www.iplayerhd.com
Friday, July 11, 2008
Your Website is Your Storefront
What I am about to write does not apply to everyone reading this email. But it does apply to almost everyone.
Your website is your storefront. I call the door to your store a landing page. On your landing page, you have only a few short moments to attract and keep the attention of those persons that walk though the door. The power of video, exceptional video, will help keep them there.
Today's economy, more than anytime in recent memory, is awful. Most businesses feel vulnerable and scared. Now is the time to focus on marketing - on distinguishing your business from the plethora of competition. Use the power of video to distinguish yourself. Use the power of iPlayer to deliver exceptional quality video to your site visitors.
The future of online video has arrived. www.iplayerhd.com
Your website is your storefront. I call the door to your store a landing page. On your landing page, you have only a few short moments to attract and keep the attention of those persons that walk though the door. The power of video, exceptional video, will help keep them there.
Today's economy, more than anytime in recent memory, is awful. Most businesses feel vulnerable and scared. Now is the time to focus on marketing - on distinguishing your business from the plethora of competition. Use the power of video to distinguish yourself. Use the power of iPlayer to deliver exceptional quality video to your site visitors.
The future of online video has arrived. www.iplayerhd.com
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Does H264 mean the end of FLV?
In an earlier Post, I wrote that the two competing Flash HD formats, H264 and VP6-S, both play in Flash Player 9 with update 3. When You Tube moves to H264, these two Flash HD formats are going to soon command your serious attention. To repeat my earlier post, You Tube will force the 50% or so of you that do not have update 3 to get it. It is an easy and fast upgrade but its going to take a force like You Tube to get the world to act. Once they do, H264 and VP6-S become viable.
Over several months, prior to launching iPlayer, we encoded a lot of video in both the H264 and VP6-E formats. The results showed marginal differences between the two formats. H264 has a slightly better visual quality, probably not enough to be noticed by the untrained eye. VP6-E used slightly less processing power while producing an excellent visual result. On balance, I'd say the two formats are even.
Having said all that, will H264 win this battle of the online Flash formats? Probably not. There are many encoders on the market creating both formats and the folks marketing them will work hard to preserve their share of revenue. Until there are more compelling reasons why one format should dominate, we'll see both formats used extensively.
Over several months, prior to launching iPlayer, we encoded a lot of video in both the H264 and VP6-E formats. The results showed marginal differences between the two formats. H264 has a slightly better visual quality, probably not enough to be noticed by the untrained eye. VP6-E used slightly less processing power while producing an excellent visual result. On balance, I'd say the two formats are even.
Having said all that, will H264 win this battle of the online Flash formats? Probably not. There are many encoders on the market creating both formats and the folks marketing them will work hard to preserve their share of revenue. Until there are more compelling reasons why one format should dominate, we'll see both formats used extensively.
What you should know about Flash Video - Part B
Here's something most folks I talk to don't seem to know: Flash is a CPU hog. It seems nothing really good is perfect and that truth certainly applies to the Flash video format. Have you ever seen stuttering in a Flash video playing online? The latest Flash player, Flash Player 9, while better than Flash Player 8, often does not manage its own format very well. Videos sometimes stutter - stuttering is simply skipping frames - making the video seem jerky. The primary culprit are scenes that are panning across a room or landscape. Note: The slower the panning, the less stuttering that will occur.
Flash Player uses a computer's CPU to manage the videos it displays. It does not utilize the video card like Quicktime and Windows Media. That's changing, however, as Flash 10, which is now available as a beta version, does utilize some of the video card's assets and presumably will lower the incidence of stuttering.
Stuttering in Flash is also caused when the machine is busy with other processes. Viewing Flash when your machine is, at that moment, dedicating all of its resources to Flash, is a much better experience than when you have several processes going at the same time. With the introduction of the Core Duo processors and the new generation of video cards that have their own onboard CPU and increased memory, the stuttering issue will soon become a thing of the past.
Flash Player uses a computer's CPU to manage the videos it displays. It does not utilize the video card like Quicktime and Windows Media. That's changing, however, as Flash 10, which is now available as a beta version, does utilize some of the video card's assets and presumably will lower the incidence of stuttering.
Stuttering in Flash is also caused when the machine is busy with other processes. Viewing Flash when your machine is, at that moment, dedicating all of its resources to Flash, is a much better experience than when you have several processes going at the same time. With the introduction of the Core Duo processors and the new generation of video cards that have their own onboard CPU and increased memory, the stuttering issue will soon become a thing of the past.
Monday, July 7, 2008
What you should know about Flash Video - Part A
Whenever a new subscriber signs up for an iPlayer account, I call as soon as I can to arrange a live one-on-one tutorial. During the tutorial, I focus on three primary subjects. The first, of course, is how to use iPlayer's tool set. Although iPlayer is very easy to use, a small amount of coaching goes a long way towards saving my subscriber's time while building value in our relationship. The second concerns the various ways subscribers can use iPlayer to earn additional income, particularly for those who earn a living creating video content. The third subject typically saves them the most time, frustration and headaches. That subject is how to create Flash video content. I've learned that most folks I work with do not have a clear understanding of this subject and I do everything I can to change that.
The first thing we must all understand is that Flash has become the dominant format for the Web. Right or wrong, good or bad, it is the simple reality. The reasons are long and complicated and there is no need nor is there space here to explain why. Rather than fight it by delivering competing formats like QuickTime or Windows Media, neither of which can come close to Adobe's very accurate claim of 98% penetration on all computers WORLDWIDE, smart businesses with video on the Web choose Flash.
Ok. That's the why. The how is much more complicated. It seems there are as many tools to create Flash content as there are stars in the sky. Deciding which software to use can be difficult. Then, after you purchase the software, how do you use it? What settings create the best looking result? In this post and others to follow, I'll attempt to answer those questions.
Of all the encoding tools available to create Flash content, three emerge as the leaders: Adobe Premiere, Sorenson Squeeze 5 for Flash, and ON2 Flix Standard and Pro. All three will create VP6 Flash video - the VP6 Flash codec was invented by ON2 and is the primary reason Adobe delivered Flash Players 8 and 9. While all three softwares will create excellent Flash video, I choose ON2 because - well, honestly it is the one I know best and have come to trust. The others, I am sure, provide the same comfort level to those who use them as ON2 does for me.
Having said all of that, it is in my next post that I will talk about the encoder settings that will create the best looking video. The settings I will provide are those I use in ON2 Flix Pro but they are also settings that can be used in any multi-pass Flash encoder. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, let's talk about the various Flash codecs and what they should mean to you and the choices you make. Earlier I stated that 98% of the world has Flash Player. To be more accurate, 98% of the world has Flash Player 9, a distinction that is important to note. Flash Player 8 is required to play ON2's VP6-E codec. All other codecs created prior to VP6-E will also play in Flash Player 8. Flash Player 9 plays all codecs that play in Flash 8 but also plays two newer codecs: VP6-S and H264. These are two HD competing formats, the former created by ON2 and the latter by MPEG-LA. There is a caveat to these two codes however and you need to know it. VP6-S and H264 require Flash Player 9 with Update 3 to be viewed. If you don't have Update 3, neither VP6-S or H264 will play. Extensive testing by iPlayer confirms that while 98% of machines have Flash 9, only half have Update 3. This is why we recommend iPlayer subscribers not use VP6-E or H264 until a larger share of the world's machines have Flash 9 with Update 3. Most of us are not in the position to require a software upgrade to view our video, even one as easy as Flash.
Here is some good news: You Tube will soon convert to H264. This insures the adoption of the latest Flash Player 9 will soon reach the level of it's predecessor. The world is watching You Tube and You Tube knows you'll upgrade when prompted.
Next up: Encoder settings that create excellent video
The first thing we must all understand is that Flash has become the dominant format for the Web. Right or wrong, good or bad, it is the simple reality. The reasons are long and complicated and there is no need nor is there space here to explain why. Rather than fight it by delivering competing formats like QuickTime or Windows Media, neither of which can come close to Adobe's very accurate claim of 98% penetration on all computers WORLDWIDE, smart businesses with video on the Web choose Flash.
Ok. That's the why. The how is much more complicated. It seems there are as many tools to create Flash content as there are stars in the sky. Deciding which software to use can be difficult. Then, after you purchase the software, how do you use it? What settings create the best looking result? In this post and others to follow, I'll attempt to answer those questions.
Of all the encoding tools available to create Flash content, three emerge as the leaders: Adobe Premiere, Sorenson Squeeze 5 for Flash, and ON2 Flix Standard and Pro. All three will create VP6 Flash video - the VP6 Flash codec was invented by ON2 and is the primary reason Adobe delivered Flash Players 8 and 9. While all three softwares will create excellent Flash video, I choose ON2 because - well, honestly it is the one I know best and have come to trust. The others, I am sure, provide the same comfort level to those who use them as ON2 does for me.
Having said all of that, it is in my next post that I will talk about the encoder settings that will create the best looking video. The settings I will provide are those I use in ON2 Flix Pro but they are also settings that can be used in any multi-pass Flash encoder. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, let's talk about the various Flash codecs and what they should mean to you and the choices you make. Earlier I stated that 98% of the world has Flash Player. To be more accurate, 98% of the world has Flash Player 9, a distinction that is important to note. Flash Player 8 is required to play ON2's VP6-E codec. All other codecs created prior to VP6-E will also play in Flash Player 8. Flash Player 9 plays all codecs that play in Flash 8 but also plays two newer codecs: VP6-S and H264. These are two HD competing formats, the former created by ON2 and the latter by MPEG-LA. There is a caveat to these two codes however and you need to know it. VP6-S and H264 require Flash Player 9 with Update 3 to be viewed. If you don't have Update 3, neither VP6-S or H264 will play. Extensive testing by iPlayer confirms that while 98% of machines have Flash 9, only half have Update 3. This is why we recommend iPlayer subscribers not use VP6-E or H264 until a larger share of the world's machines have Flash 9 with Update 3. Most of us are not in the position to require a software upgrade to view our video, even one as easy as Flash.
Here is some good news: You Tube will soon convert to H264. This insures the adoption of the latest Flash Player 9 will soon reach the level of it's predecessor. The world is watching You Tube and You Tube knows you'll upgrade when prompted.
Next up: Encoder settings that create excellent video
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Distinguish your Business with Video
An iPlayer subscriber recently asked me a valid question: Why use iPlayer or some other high value streaming video provider when his company could use YouTube, which is free? He also asked why he couldn’t simply deliver video directly from his web server. His question did not surprise me because as entrepreneurs and business owners, we must be vigilant in our quest to maximize the limited resources we have – especially money. My subscriber – actually he has a trial account and he’s deciding if he should activate – is doing his due diligence, something I respect enormously.
The answer to his questions came easily. I explained to him that delivering profits to his bottom line, particularly in our difficult economy when competition is fierce and margins thin, requires distinguishing his service, in this case he’s a professional videographer, from all the videographers he competes with. For example, I explained, if a potential client visited his competition’s website and saw a YouTube video example, with its typical low quality and then the client saw his video, in a large screen with exceptional video quality, which videographer is the potential client more likely to choose? All other things being equal, he’s likely to choose the professional with the high quality video.
iPlayer delivers exceptional performance at minimal cost. The software tools we created have made delivery of exceptional video very inexpensive and a breeze. Using a web developer to deliver progressive video would be much more expensive than using a self-service tool like iPlayer, with its true Flash streaming and bandwidth detection. The annual cost of iPlayer is $360. What would it cost to hire a web developer to manage all that content over the course of a year? Much more. I’ll not fail to mention the many opportunities to make money with a $30/month iPlayer account including the ability to host a client’s video for steaming delivery to their customers and potential customers.
My subscriber listened carefully and I think my message rang true to him. We’ll see. My bet is he’ll soon activate.
iPlayer is limited only by your imagination and innovation.
The answer to his questions came easily. I explained to him that delivering profits to his bottom line, particularly in our difficult economy when competition is fierce and margins thin, requires distinguishing his service, in this case he’s a professional videographer, from all the videographers he competes with. For example, I explained, if a potential client visited his competition’s website and saw a YouTube video example, with its typical low quality and then the client saw his video, in a large screen with exceptional video quality, which videographer is the potential client more likely to choose? All other things being equal, he’s likely to choose the professional with the high quality video.
iPlayer delivers exceptional performance at minimal cost. The software tools we created have made delivery of exceptional video very inexpensive and a breeze. Using a web developer to deliver progressive video would be much more expensive than using a self-service tool like iPlayer, with its true Flash streaming and bandwidth detection. The annual cost of iPlayer is $360. What would it cost to hire a web developer to manage all that content over the course of a year? Much more. I’ll not fail to mention the many opportunities to make money with a $30/month iPlayer account including the ability to host a client’s video for steaming delivery to their customers and potential customers.
My subscriber listened carefully and I think my message rang true to him. We’ll see. My bet is he’ll soon activate.
iPlayer is limited only by your imagination and innovation.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Is HD video on the Web really HD?
Answer this question:
Which is more important to the visual quality of video on the Web? Is it the lines of resolution or is it the encoded bitrate?
The answer: It's a little bit about both but it's mostly about bitrate. For now.
Here's a simple example to illustrate the answer. A video with 1920 vertical and 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and a bitrate of 500 kbps is going to look awful while the same video with 768 vertical and 432 horizontal lines of resolution with a bitrate of 1.5 mbps is going to look terrific. Both have a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9 but the smaller resolution will look much better.
The simple truth is that we are all so accustomed to bad video on the Web that anything that looks really good seems like it is HD. But HD on the Web is really no different, technically, than HD on your television monitor.
Just like your television monitor, you need four primary elements to view true HD video. First, you need an HD monitor that is capable of displaying 1920 x 1080 video. Second, you need video that is streaming at 1920 x 1080 lines of resolution. Third, you need the power to process all of that data - enough power that the video plays smoothly without skipping frames and stuttering. Finally, you need a bitrate that is consistent with HD video. That bitrate needs to be in the 7 to 10 mbps range. If any one of those elements is missing, then the video is not HD.
I'll assume you've seen the videos at the iPlayer site. If you have a 2 mbps Internet connection, than iPlayer's bandwidth detection has delivered a 1.5 mbps video to you. ( I've uploaded a 500 kbps, 1.0 and 1.5 mbps version of each video). You'll probably agree that the video quality is as good as or better than anything you've ever seen on the Web. Those videos all started out at an HD resolution - most at 1920 x 1080. However, because I know that while you may have an HD monitor, you probably do not have a 7 - 10 mbps Internet connection and thus cannot view true HD. Also, chances are your machine does not have the processing power to display all those lines without skipping frames. So, when I encoded those videos from their original H264 codec to Flash VP6-FLV using On2 Flix Pro, I used a common denominator, 3, and divided both numbers by 3 creating a resolution of 640 x 360. It didn't matter the common denominator so long as I used the same number on both the vertical and horizontal and so long as it reduced the lines to something more compatible with the bit rates I was planning on deploying. I've experimented enough to have learned that a 640 x 360 video encoded at 1.5 mbps will look terrific.
By the way, the iPlayer screen at iPlayerHD.com is 768 x 432 which is a 16:9 aspect ratio. Because iPlayer respects all aspect ratios, my 640 x 360 videos fit neatly in the player screen.
So, there you have it. Until we all have really fast Internet connections and Core Duo processors, we'll need to lower our video resolutions and increase our bit rates if we are to deliver an exceptional video experience to our website visitors.
Of course increasing bitrates and delivering all those bits uninterrupted requires a streaming provider like iPlayer which delivers at up to 3 mbps. And with iPlayer's bandwidth detection, you'll deliver the appropriate bitrate video to each of your site visitors. If you're not already an iPlayer subscriber, perhaps its time you took it out for a spin?
Next up: Bandwidth detection and how it works.
Which is more important to the visual quality of video on the Web? Is it the lines of resolution or is it the encoded bitrate?
The answer: It's a little bit about both but it's mostly about bitrate. For now.
Here's a simple example to illustrate the answer. A video with 1920 vertical and 1080 horizontal lines of resolution and a bitrate of 500 kbps is going to look awful while the same video with 768 vertical and 432 horizontal lines of resolution with a bitrate of 1.5 mbps is going to look terrific. Both have a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9 but the smaller resolution will look much better.
The simple truth is that we are all so accustomed to bad video on the Web that anything that looks really good seems like it is HD. But HD on the Web is really no different, technically, than HD on your television monitor.
Just like your television monitor, you need four primary elements to view true HD video. First, you need an HD monitor that is capable of displaying 1920 x 1080 video. Second, you need video that is streaming at 1920 x 1080 lines of resolution. Third, you need the power to process all of that data - enough power that the video plays smoothly without skipping frames and stuttering. Finally, you need a bitrate that is consistent with HD video. That bitrate needs to be in the 7 to 10 mbps range. If any one of those elements is missing, then the video is not HD.
I'll assume you've seen the videos at the iPlayer site. If you have a 2 mbps Internet connection, than iPlayer's bandwidth detection has delivered a 1.5 mbps video to you. ( I've uploaded a 500 kbps, 1.0 and 1.5 mbps version of each video). You'll probably agree that the video quality is as good as or better than anything you've ever seen on the Web. Those videos all started out at an HD resolution - most at 1920 x 1080. However, because I know that while you may have an HD monitor, you probably do not have a 7 - 10 mbps Internet connection and thus cannot view true HD. Also, chances are your machine does not have the processing power to display all those lines without skipping frames. So, when I encoded those videos from their original H264 codec to Flash VP6-FLV using On2 Flix Pro, I used a common denominator, 3, and divided both numbers by 3 creating a resolution of 640 x 360. It didn't matter the common denominator so long as I used the same number on both the vertical and horizontal and so long as it reduced the lines to something more compatible with the bit rates I was planning on deploying. I've experimented enough to have learned that a 640 x 360 video encoded at 1.5 mbps will look terrific.
By the way, the iPlayer screen at iPlayerHD.com is 768 x 432 which is a 16:9 aspect ratio. Because iPlayer respects all aspect ratios, my 640 x 360 videos fit neatly in the player screen.
So, there you have it. Until we all have really fast Internet connections and Core Duo processors, we'll need to lower our video resolutions and increase our bit rates if we are to deliver an exceptional video experience to our website visitors.
Of course increasing bitrates and delivering all those bits uninterrupted requires a streaming provider like iPlayer which delivers at up to 3 mbps. And with iPlayer's bandwidth detection, you'll deliver the appropriate bitrate video to each of your site visitors. If you're not already an iPlayer subscriber, perhaps its time you took it out for a spin?
Next up: Bandwidth detection and how it works.
Why a Blog about Internet Video?
Since launching iPlayer in April, I've tutored and helped subscribers of all kinds, including professional videographers, real estate agents, charitable organizations, churches, writers and many more. Working closely with all these folks has helped me understand their needs and the needs of the market. From this experience, I have learned that there is still much confusion over formats and codecs, bitrates and bandwidth, streaming vs. progressive downloads, and a few others. Typically, a few minutes with my subscribers is all it takes to set them on the correct path.
It seems my mission has morphed from generating subscriptions for iPlayer into something more substantial and meaningful. It is also to teach the world, or at least my corner of the world, how to deliver video content to their world with the best possible visual quality and with the least amount of difficulty.
And, so it goes with this Blog. If my mission is to help those who would deliver video online, why not help subscribers and non-subscribers alike? It is in that spirit that I dedicate this Blog. As I go forward, it is my hope that those of you who read it faithfully will truly be informed and enlightened.
Next up: Is HD video on the web truly HD video?
It seems my mission has morphed from generating subscriptions for iPlayer into something more substantial and meaningful. It is also to teach the world, or at least my corner of the world, how to deliver video content to their world with the best possible visual quality and with the least amount of difficulty.
And, so it goes with this Blog. If my mission is to help those who would deliver video online, why not help subscribers and non-subscribers alike? It is in that spirit that I dedicate this Blog. As I go forward, it is my hope that those of you who read it faithfully will truly be informed and enlightened.
Next up: Is HD video on the web truly HD video?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
