HD Video Experiences on the Web

By VideoPro | Published: October 17, 2009

In this Adobe Max 2009 presentation, video expert Robert Reinhardt discusses the tools and techniques used to deliver compelling HD video experiences on the web. Topics covered include how to leverage the Adobe Flash platform, HD video encoding considerations, and examples of websites that are using HD video effectively. Anyone interested in delivering HD video on the web will benefit from this presentation.

hdvideoexperiences
Watch the presentation on the Adobe Max website

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The Complete Guide To Video Blogging

By VideoPro | Published: October 17, 2009

Video Blogging

Have you ever thought about starting your own Video Blog? Video is taking the internets by storm, but video blogging is still just a small niche. With inexpensive equipment and software, free distribution channels like Vimeo and YouTube and tons of online resources, there has never been a better time to get started in video blogging.

Mashable just published a informative guide by Leah Betancourt that explains video blogging and how to create and distribute your own video blog.

Mashable: The complete guide to video blogging

For more information about video blogging, here are some noteworthy resources:

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Encoding Best Practices for H.264 Video by Fabio Sonnati

By VideoPro | Published: October 14, 2009

Watch this Adobe Max 2009 presentation by video encoding expert Fabio Sonnati on encoding best practices for H.264 video.  Learn the secrets of H.264 video encoding and how to leverage your encoding software to encode high quality video for the web.

You can view a PDF of the presentation slides here

Fabio’s  Flash Video Encoding Blog

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YouTube Tips & Tricks: Formats, Embedded Players, APIs and More

By VideoPro | Published: February 22, 2009

YouTube Tips & Tricks

YouTube Video Formats

Different formats are created depending on the dimensions of your source videos.   Here is a comparison of what versions you can expect when you upload your videos.  Other formats may be created as well, but at the time of this post, these are the ones you are most likely to encounter.  Once you upload your video and wait for all the versions  to be encoded, you can force YouTube to show you the different versions by appending fmt= and the format number.  (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vf_PtJeTbuI&fmt=22)  The technique for embedding players with different formats is explained further in this post.

High Definition (16:9)  e.g.  Upload a 1280×720 or 1920×1080 video

  • fmt=0 (Default low quality version)
    Video:  320×180 H.263 (Sorenson Spark) FLV Approx. 330 Kbps
    Audio:  MP3 Approx. 64Kbps 22KHz MONO
  • fmt=6  (Higher quality FLV version)
    Video:  480×270 H.263 (Sorenson Spark) FLV Approx. 800 Kbps
    Audio:  MP3 Approx. 96Kbps 44.1KHz MONO CBR
  • fmt=18 (High quality MP4)
    Video: 480×270 AVC H.264 MP4 Approx. 500 Kbps VBR
    Audio: AAC Approx. 128Kbps 44.1KHz Stereo VBR
  • fmt=22 (Highest quality MP4)
    Video: 1280×720 H.264 MP4 Approx. 2Mbps VBR
    Audio: AAC Approx. 254Kbps Stereo VBR

Notes:
The full HD fmt=22 version is one of the best video formats seen on the web.  Unfortunately YouTube does not have a option to display it at the actual 1280×720 dimensions.

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Bigger and Better: Encoding for YouTube 720p HD

By VideoPro | Published: December 7, 2008

When I wrote my first YouTube post 4 months ago entitled “How to Encode Your Videos for YouTube’s New High Quality Option” , I would never have thought YouTube would make the move to HD resolution so quickly.  They went from a maximum resolution of 480×270 directly to 1280×720!  I’m sure this change has caught many off guard and everyone is now scrambling to get their videos converted to HD to take advantage of the awesome new quality settings being offered.  Many users that are new to HD or encoding for YouTube are probably wondering where to begin.   This guide will attempt to explain the new changes in detail and show you how to encode your videos for YouTube HD.

YouTube HD Specs

I downloaded a few YouTube HD videos (Using the Firefox extension DownloadHelper) and used MediaInfo to peek under the hood to find out all the juicy technical details.  I have seen many sites speculate on the data rates and resolution of the new format but few are reporting accurate information.

Video

  • 1280×720 at 29.97 progressive (other framereates like 24, 25, 30 should work as well)
  • H.264 codec in MP4 wrapper
  • Variable bit rate averaging 2mpbs

Audio

  • AAC
  • 44.1 kHz Stereo
  • Variable bit rate from averaging 100kbps - 256kbps

So yes, for everyone wondering, YouTube is really in HD.  Next I will show you how to encode your files…

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How To Encode Your Videos For YouTube’s New High Quality Option

By VideoPro | Published: August 23, 2008

You Tube

Now that YouTube has started offering higher quality videos, the old settings for encoding your videos should be tossed out the window. This tutorial will walk you through the steps required to encode your video for YouTube using the free SUPER Video Encoder . If you are using a professional software like Sorenson Squeeze or Apple Compressor, or even the inexpensive QuickTime Pro Player, many of the same settings will be available. Additionally, if your editing software supports H.264 (as either MP4 or MOV) encoding, you may be able to skip the reencoding process and export directly for upload to YouTube using the compression settings below. If you are unsure of the equivalent setting or would like me to include specific instructions for your application, please leave a note in the comments.

*******************************************

 

UPDATE 12/6/2008

If you are producing HD (16:9) videos for YouTube, you should refer to my latest post on how to encode for YouTube HD format located at:

http://webvideotechniques.com/123/bigger-and-better-encoding-for-youtube-hd

UPDATE 5/30/09

The default QuickTime H.264 export only supports up to 2Mbps as it uses the Baseline profile.  You may want to use SUPER, Handbrake or a professional encoding software like Squeeze or Episode Pro to compress your video.

This guide recommends SUPER, but I now prefer and recommend the free and open source encoder Handbrake (http://handbrake.fr/) 

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JW FLV Media Player - Website Media Player With Plugin Support

By VideoPro | Published: August 3, 2008

JW FLV Player logo

Jeroen Wijering’s JW FLV Player is one of the most versatile website media players available. You can easily embed it into your website to display any media format supported by the Adobe Flash Player. Now at version 4, the JW FLV Player has been in active development for many years and has an active forum & user community.

One of the biggest drawbacks of most website media players is the lack of support for content management systems, blogging platforms and other 3rd party applications. This is where the JW FLV Player shines with multiple plugins available to easily use the player in your Wordpress blog, Drupal/Joomla website and many more applications.

Below is a demo of the player using it’s default skins. I was able to embed this player into the post using only one line of code!

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Free HD Footage Download (720p): Water

By VideoPro | Published: June 10, 2008

This is the first free download offered by WebVideoTechniques. It is a free :30 clip that was shot with a Canon Vixia HF100. It has been slightly compressed to keep the file size down and converted to a QuickTime MOV 1280×720 at 30fps so it is easy to use with most editing software.

Web sample version and link to download after the break.

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Making Money With Your Web Videos

By VideoPro | Published: May 5, 2008

Scott Kirsner of CinemaTech has compiled a cool list of sites where filmmakers and video producers can get paid for their video productions.  His list includes the companies names and web addresses, subject matter, length restrictions, details about how you get paid, and notes about each opportunity.  He collected all of this info between 2005 and 2007 for part of his recently publisted book, The Future of Web Video: New Opportunities for Producers, Entrepreneurs, Media Companies and Advertisers. 

There are quite a few recognizable names like YouTube and Blip.tv, but most of them I had never heard of including Break.com,  ExpertVillage.com, Jaman and more. Although some of the information is out of date considering how fast things change on the web, most of the sites listed are still active.  In addition to online distribution, Scott also lists some sites that offer DVD Burning and DVD Merchandising services. If you produce web video and would like to look into ways you can get paid for your work, then this list is a great starting point.  Be sure to check out his book as well.

http://www.scottkirsner.com/webvid/gettingpaid.htm

Do you know of any other ways to make money on your web videos or tried any of the services in the list?  Be sure to post your feedback in the comments!

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Sorenson Squeeze 5 Released

By VideoPro | Published: April 22, 2008

Squeeze 5 Pro is the latest release of Sorenson Media’s professional media encoding software. The new release is a major upgrade in features and usability compared to earlier versions. Improved audio and video quality, faster multithreaded encoding, and smoother workflow are just a few reasons Squeeze 5 should be in your arsenal of multimedia tools.

New Features

  • Variety of audience & device preset bundles
  • 3 new H.264 MPEG4 codecs including support for Flash H.264 video
  • Enhanced filters for deinterlacing and other video & audio preprocessing
  • Surround Sound 5.1 and 7.1 encoding
  • Vast input codec support
  • Watermarking for all output formats

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