Ott Technology News

Techniques To Get Smaller Video File Size

Published

10 months ago

June 13, 2022

Techniques-To-Get-Smaller-Video-File-Size

The video streaming industry has a lot of potential that goes in flames if not utilized properly. The biggest problem that the video streaming platform is facing is the cost of storing the video assets. A number of factors contribute to the same, starting from the original video file size, transcoding size, or the multiple copies that are required to be stored in the DASH & HLS and DRM, and so on. Apart from that, CDN also impacts the cost of delivering the content.

With all these issues, it becomes inevitable to tackle the size of the video and get it all in a reduced size to make the delivery easy audience without degrading the quality of the video. Today we are going to get various ideas and techniques to get a reduced video size without getting lower quality video. The most useful techniques to get a reduced file size include:

Switch To A Newer Codec

Going for a newer codec is quite a useful technique to get the reduced video file size. The most popular codec i.e. H.264/AVC is in widespread use because it supports a number of devices but companies are moving towards newer codecs namely HEVC, VP9, and AV1 due to their ability to produce smaller file sizes. This is particularly crucial for brands or companies dealing with large video files that are required to be stored/transferred in less time and at a lower cost. But all these new codecs are adopted widely across devices and browsers and have quite complicated royalty deals.

Nonetheless before making a switch to a different or a new codec, do ensure to consider the encoding costs, decoding costs, and availability of targetted devices.

Using A Better Video Transcoding Settings

Another way to get reduced video file size without compromising the quality of the video is to opt for a better codec setting. These preset enable different algorithms and encoding tools that help in balancing the quality of the video, and its encoding speed, resulting in a transferable video file size.

With the availability of sufficient computing power, it is worth exploring the presets to get a smaller video file. This in all help in maintaining the quality of the video.

Get A Reduced Video Resolution

Another way to get a reduced video size is to opt for a lower video resolution. This becomes quite a crucial tool that can be helpful for targeting a mobile audience that does not require high-resolution content.

The size of the video file can also be reduced by using the camera settings, using FFmpeg, or software such as Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

Reduce The Motion While Shooting

Getting reduced motion will also be helpful in getting a reduced file size. It can be done by reducing the amount of motion while shooting the video content. This can be done with the help of a tripod or a Steadicam that can make the movement as least as possible.

For instance, if you are recording a dancing video where you have to focus on several moves then use a trip. This will primarily help in reducing the movement in the video.

Reduce The Frame Rate Of Your Video

Frames per second as the name suggests indicates the number of frames that are visible on the screen every second. Shooting with an FPS setting that either matches or exceeds 30 frames per second are the most recommended setting. This basically works with the thought of “the fewer the frames per second the smaller the size of the video you will get”.

Everything that you use to make the video file smaller will surely make a difference in delivering the content delivery seamlessly. Every point makes a difference either in a positive or a negative way. In this scenario, it becomes crucial to get the right knack to deliver online video content without any hassle. Use the techniques that are beneficial for making the video file size decrease and getting a seamless video delivery at a lower cost.

Ott Technology News

Google Releases Lyra V2: A New Audio Codec

Published

6 months ago

October 12, 2022

Harshita

Google has recently released a new codec named Lyra V2, a better, faster, and more versatile speech Codec. The architecture of the new Lyra V2 brings scalable bitrate capabilities, provides better performance, provides wider platform support and generates a higher audio quality. With the release of Lyra V2, Google is trying to evolve with the community.

The Architecture Of Lyra V2

The latest release of the Lyra V2 is based on SoundStream, an end-to-end neutral audio codec. The architecture of the latest audio codec includes a residual vector quantizer Or RVQ which is present before and after the channel of transmission. RVQ quantizes the encoded content into a bit stream and thereafter reconstructs it at the decoder side.

This integration of RVQ into the codec infrastructure allows changing the bitrate of Lyra V2 at any time just by selecting the number of quantizers to use. To generate higher-quality audio more quantizers are used. This codec uses three different bitrates which include 3.2 kbps, 6 kbps, and 9.2 kbps which enables the developers to choose bitrates suitable for network conditions and other requirements. With this new architecture, the delay in the audio delivery is reduced from 100 ms from the previous version. It is most comparable to the most used codec Opus which has an approximate delay of 26.5 ms, 46.5 ms, and 66.5 ms.

This latest audio codec released by Google has the ability to encode and decode audio by 5x than the previous version. Apart from the speed and performance, the quality of the audio generated by this new audio codec has also improved. This model of V2 is exported in TensorFlow Lite. All this makes V2 a great alternative to other state-of-the-art audio codecs. It has the ability to be connected with more devices in bandwidth-constrained environments, making it an appropriate choice for higher audio quality requirements.

Ott Technology News

UniqCast IPTV/OTT/DVB Platform is now available in the Cloud

Published

7 months ago

September 9, 2022

Harshita

UniqCast, the market leader in providing end-to-end IPTV/OTT/DVB solutions has announced its availability on Cloud. The brand provides solutions for OTT providers, ISPs, Telcos, DVB, Mobile, broadcasters, and content owners. With its cloud offerings, UniqCast allows content providers and operators (specifically in EMEA, LATAM, and APAC regions) to launch their video streaming services quickly without any up-front costs. UniqCast provides its services in the PaaS model which includes content management, CDN, transcoding, subscriber, and client applications. It has brought equally mature technology as the solution widely used around the world by operators.

The core benefits of UniqCast include premium UX for applications, the option of configuring UI, cloud or private CDN and an advanced business model. The central goal of this is to make the technology more accessible for every operator and content provider and to provide a premium user experience to all the viewers.

UniqCast cloud includes streaming and CDN capabilities which allows streaming from the cloud or other hybrid cloud models. The key differentiator of UniqCast from others is its licensing which allows operators to get lower bandwidth costs. The solution is designed to provide the minimum TCO (total cost of ownership) for service providers.

Top highlights of UniqCast Cloud include:

No upfront cost
Launch in days
Lower bandwidth cost
Multiscreen app with quality user experience
Anti-churn feature
Flexible monetization option
Live and cloud transcoding from cloud/on-site
Multi DRM protection for content
Option of configuring the premium UX
Support for IPTV, DVB and OTT services
Streaming option from the cloud or hybrid private CDN

With this step, UniqCast is trying to make the deployment of new services or replacement of the existing ones quickly with the least investment and no risk. The availability to launch multi-screen applications in a day with a robust backend and anti-churn quality will be helpful for video streaming services to decrease churn and increase subscribers instantly, says Darko Robič, CEO at UniqCast.

Ott Technology News

Apple iPhone 14 launch event: Place, Time and Expectations

Published

7 months ago

September 6, 2022

Harshita

The wait for the latest Apple iPhone 14 is almost over. The Apple ‘Far Out’ event is going to be held tomorrow (September 7). The main highlight of the event will be the Apple iPhone 14 but it will probably not end there. Apple is expected to introduce a range of products in its upcoming event which includes the next-generation Apple Watch- Series 8, 8 Pro, and Apple Watch SE 2.

About the event

Apple is going to launch a series of products where the main focus and highlight will be the Apple iPhone 14 series. The event will be held tomorrow at 10:00 AM PT (10.30 pm IST). The event will be held at Apple Park, Cupertino. It will be the first in-person event after the pandemic. The ‘Far Out’ event will be live streamed on selected platforms which include Apple’s official website, companies official YouTube channel, and the Apple TV app. As an option available on the company’s website, users can add the event to their calendars as well. To proceed further, you can visit the official website: https://www.apple.com/

What to expect

The event is going to be highlighted with the Apple iPhone 14 series but that is not the end of the event. The company may launch a series of products including four variants of the iPhone 14 (most likely) which include the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. This time, Apple is going to skip the mini variant as launched in iPhone 12 and 13.

Apart from the major highlights i.e. iPhone 14, the company is rumored to launch the Apple Watch series which includes Watch series 8, 8 Pro, and SE 2. The 8 Pro Watch is rumored to offer improved fitness and health features, advanced sensors, durability, and long battery life. Yet all the products may or may not get launched tomorrow. The wait is going to end soon, till then we will keep you informed.