Video: Optimizing ABR Encode, Compute & Control for Performance & Quality

Adaptive bitrate, ABR, is vital in effective delivery of video to the home where bandwidth varies over time. It requires creating several different renditions of your content at various bitrates, resolutions and even frame rate. These multiple encodes put a computational burden on the transcode stage.

Lowell Winger explains ways of optimising ABR encodes to reduce the computation needed to create these different versions. He explains ways to use encoding decisions from one version and use them in other encodes. This has a benefit of being able to use decisions made on high-resolution versions – which are benefiting from high definition to inform the decision in detail – on low-resolution content where the decision would otherwise be made with a lot less information.

This talk is the type of deep dive into encoding techniques that you would expect from the Video Engineering Summit which happens at Streaming Media East.

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Speaker

Lowell Winger Lowell Winger
Former Senior Director of Engineering,
IDT Inc.

Video: Understanding Video Performance: QoE is not QoS

Mux’s Justin Sanford explains the difference between Quality of Service and Quality of Experience; the latter being about the entire viewer experience. Justin looks at ‘Startup time’ showing that it’s a combination of an number of factors which can include loading a web page showing the dependence of your player on the whole ecosystem.

Justin discusses rebuffering and what ‘quality’ is when we talk about streaming. Quality is a combination of encoding quality, resolution but also whether the playback judders.

“Not every optimisation is a tradeoff, however startup time vs. rebuffering is a canonical tradeoff.”

Justin Sanford, Mux

Finally we look at ways of dealing with this, including gathering analytics, standards for measuring quality of experience, and understanding the types of issues your viewers care most about.

From San Francisco Video Tech.

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Speaker

Justin Sanford Justin Sanford
Product Manager,
Mux

Video: Building a Large OB Truck Using SMPTE ST 2110

OB vans have been notable early adopters of Video over IP, both in the form of SMPTE ST 2110 and ST 2022-6. The reasons are simple, all new vans are ‘green field’ sites, weight and space are at a premium and many need more weekly flexibility than SDI has been giving them.

In this case study, Hartmut Opfermann discusses design considerations for all IP large OB trucks dedicated for sports, music and entertainment production and explores the decisions that have been made for ORF’s new FU22 OB tuck including the drivers behind switching to IP technology and SMPTE ST 2110 for media transport.

Interesting to note is the proportion of SDI Vs IP in new IP installations. BBC Cardiff, for instance, has a minimum quota for IP-enabled endpoints but isn’t assuming it can reach 100%. There are few IP installations which are 100% IP.

In ORF’s truck we also see that, although the truck is fully based on IP technology, SDI-IP gateways have been provided to keep compatibility with existing baseband infrastructure. Keeping all internal processing in the IP domain simplifies cabling, reduces cable weight but, importantly, enables the use of flexible FPGA based processing platforms – functionality thus depends on software and can be changed on fly.

The broadcast control system provides a single point of control over complex infrastructure of the truck and provides a seamless experience for operators who used to work in the SDI domain. However, configuration and troubleshooting of IP systems requires a very different skillset, so training had to be provided to ORF engineering team.

Some other points discussed in this video are audio channel management, failover of PTP and B&B synchronisation and IP address management using the JT-NM’s TR 1001-1, which has been covered here on The Broadcast Knowledge before.

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Speaker

Hartmut Opfermann Hartmut Opfermann
Head of Division Broadcast IT,
BFE Studio und Medien Systeme GmbH

Video: Breaking Barriers – How can the TV industry encourage more women into technology jobs?

Breaking Barriers

To mark the launch, today, of a new section of The Broadcast Knowledge highlighting what the industry is doing to promote a better gender balance in the broadcast industry, we have a panel discussion from the RTS about that very topic.

I’ve said it before, and again I implore everyone to take it upon yourself to do just one thing to improve diversity in gender, little or small. The numbers are clear that in technology, there is a large imbalance and, according to Rise director Carrie Wootten, Research shows that “having a more gender balanced structure leads to additional ideas, creativity, business development and crucially income generation.”

With experienced voices, from UK TV, TeenTech, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, NEP Sound engineer Anna Patching and the deputy chair of Women in Film and Television, we hear questions and answers about how companies can find female candidates, and how individuals can advance their careers.

The message is that there are things people throughout a company can do to address gender balance, so watch to find out more.

Watch now!

Speakers

Maggie Philbin Chair: Maggie Philbin
CEO,
Teen Tech
Sinead Greenaway Sinead Greenaway
Chief Technology and Operations Officer,
UKTV
Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock, Dr Maggie Aderin-Pocock,
Space Scientist, Science Educator & Presenter
Anna Patching Anna Patching
Sound Engineer & STEM ambassador
NEP
Sara Putt Sara Putt
Deputy Chair,
Women in Film & Television (UK)