Boosting Streaming Profitability with IMAX StreamSmart
01 Oct 2024
Streaming organisations must be able to accurately measure and swiftly assess the impact of workflow changes to validate their effectiveness. Therefore, they must have access to the right metrics that can reliably predict viewer perceptions of quality for achieving bitrate savings without compromising the viewing experience.
Decoding the Landscape: Recent Developments in Video Codec Licensing
14 May 2024
Navigating the ever-changing world of video codec licensing can be complex. This article breaks down major IP-related events from the past 18 months, including the new European SEP licensing rules, Avanci's new video patent pool, and the Sisvel-RPX deal. Explore who's making deals, what technologies are involved, and the implications for royalty-free models.
The State of Video Codecs 2024
04 Apr 2024
It's been 3-plus years since the MPEG codec explosion that brought us VVC, LCEVC, and EVC. Rather than breathlessly trumpet every single-digit quality improvement or design win, I'll quickly get you up-to-speed on quality, playability, and usage of the most commonly utilised video codecs and then explore new codec-related advancements in business and technology.
The End of NDI As We Know It?
13 Feb 2024
NDI runs the risk of losing their lead in the homestretch—squandering the nearly decade lead they have in IP video by not enforcing that licensees integrate all of the standard. I write this in the hope that they re-establish what the NDI standard means: that to license NDI, and display the NDI badge, a product must be 100% compatible.
Review: NETINT Quadra T1U Video Processing Unit
05 Dec 2023
This review will highlight the NETINT Quadra T1U and explore its capabilities as a video processing unit (VPU) for high-volume encoding and transcoding of single files, encoding ladders, and live streams.
Instant Replay: Streaming Media Connect November 2023
28 Nov 2023
Streaming Media presented its 12th Connect virtual conference November 13 - 16, with media industry cartographer Evan Shapiro as host and MC. Shapiro kicked off the event with a dynamic keynote, digging deep into the Q3 earnings call data to hold the spin doctors accountable and giving an unvarnished view of the industry. Other highlights included The Future of Streaming with Shobana Radhakrishnan, Senior Director of Engineering at Google TV, and several panels covering topics such as Cloud Workflows for Streaming and CTV, Optimizing Live Streams at Scale, How Codec Patent Pools Will Impact Streaming in 2024, Making Live Streaming and VOD More Accessible, Live Streaming Technology Trends, and more.
Glass-to-Glass Report: Comparing Low-Latency Streaming Providers
17 Nov 2023
In this article, I examine low-latency services provided by streaming CDNs, removing actual vendor names and making conclusions based on delivery method. I'll start with a discussion of the basics of latency before moving on to the testing results and analysis.
The Future of CDN Technology: Unlocking the Next Frontier in Video Streaming
07 Nov 2023
The video streaming market is booming, and as video streaming consumption continues to soar, content delivery network (CDN) technology needs to evolve rapidly to keep up. Damien Sterkers of Broadpeak discusses the current challenges with streaming and what measures to take to face them.
The State of VVC Adoption and Implementation
28 Aug 2023
If you're a video publisher who doesn't rank high in the VVC patent list, it's likely that you won't consider VVC until 2026 or later. If you're looking to augment your H.264 encodes with a more efficient codec before then, your most likely choices are HEVC and AV1, with LCEVC also an option. However, if you're a product or service provider in the streaming media ecosystem, it's long past the time to start considering where and when VVC is going to fit in for you and your target customers.
Review: ViCueSoft CodecWar
28 Aug 2023
CodecWar is an analysis service created by ViCueSoft, the developer of codec analysis tools VQ Analyzer, VQ DVK, and VQ Probe. As currently configured, the site's ideal users are researchers who are looking for a convenient way to compare codecs using relevant datasets and codec developers who are looking for a structured way to benchmark their codecs against others. In contrast, it's not a particularly convenient way for streaming producers to run experiments to optimise their encoding parameters, although it could grow into this.
Practical Approaches to Sustainable Streaming
09 Jun 2023
In this article I'll expand on prior sustainability approaches, detail reasons to consider additional areas of power-consumption optimisation, and invite diverse stakeholders across streaming workflows to engage with Streaming Media magazine, GoS, and like-minded stakeholders in a mid- to late-2023 initiative around the LESS Accord, with an overall goal of readers recommending measurable best practices for consideration by September 2023.
Big Tech's Dirty Underbelly: Sharethrough's Frank Maguire Discusses Innovative New Approaches to Greener Streaming
11 Jul 2023
Big Tech giants like Meta, Amazon, and Google have committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. But how feasible is this goal, and where is the money spent towards it really going? Frank Maguire of Sharethrough discusses how Big Tech's digital ad deliveries contribute heavily to CO2 emissions and what these companies can do to lessen that impact and achieve their green commitments.
The State of Video Codecs 2023
27 Mar 2023
Welcome to your codec update for 2023. I'm here to help you decide whether it's time to go all in on AV1, VVC, LCEVC, or EVC or whether it's better to stick with H.264, VP9, and HEVC. Along the way, I'll include 2022-2023 updates to identify significant changes that have occurred since last year.
How to Script for FFmpeg Using PowerShell and BASH
27 Mar 2023
FFmpeg was designed as a cross-platform solution for video and audio recording, conversion, and streaming using simple static command lines. Using variables and "for loops" in a command string simplifies the reuse of existing scripts and helps automate their operation. While you can't use these scripts in the Windows Command window, you can use Microsoft PowerShell in Windows and Bash on Linux and the Mac. In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create and run such scripts with PowerShell and Bash.
Google Chrome Plays HEVC: What Does it Mean?
25 Oct 2022
In late September, Google quietly let slip the news that it now offers playback support for HEVC in Chrome when it's already available in the underlying platform. This is bigger news than Google is letting on, but its immediate impact remains to be seen. We surveyed a number of experts and analysts to gauge its meaning for increased HEVC usage and more, and how it affects DRM and HDR.
Netflix's Andrey Norkin Talks Future of AV1
27 Sep 2022
Streaming Learning Center's Jan Ozer interviews Netflix Senior Research Scientist - Video Algorithms and Alliance for Open Media co-chair Andrey Norkin about several topics around the future of AV1, including the necessity of HDR for premium content producers, Libaom's focus on SVT-AV1, and more.
AOMedia Delivers on SVT-AV1's Promise
22 Aug 2022
With the recent launch of version 1.0, SVT-AV1 appears to have caught up with libaom in quality, with very definite performance advantages. Its two-pass rate control is tested and proven. If you're creating an AV1 encoding workflow today that emphasises encoding speed and quality, SVT-AV1 should definitely be on your short list.
Pros and Cons of On-Prem, Cloud, and Hybrid Workflows
22 Aug 2022
Where you host your workflows can make all of the difference. Experts from Signiant, Warner Bros., TV 2, and CNN break down the pros and cons of on-prem, cloud, and hybrid.
How to Implement Low-Latency HLS (LL HLS)
08 Mar 2022
Rather than focusing on random tasks, this tutorial will walk you through the fundamentals of encoding for low latency HLS with FFmpeg, OBS, Mux Video, and THEOplayer
How to Encode with FFmpeg 5.0
29 Mar 2022
Rather than focusing on random tasks, this tutorial will walk you through the fundamentals of encoding with the latest version of FFmpeg, including I-frame intervals, bitrate control, two-pass encoding, and audio parameters.