A large number of our clients have come to us recently asking us for advice on how to achieve a level of higher quality video with their Connect Pro meetings and Podium Webcasts. I think a big reason that this is coming up so often is that customers are seeing how everyone seems to have an online video presence these days. Video on the web has clearly reached its tipping point and entered the mainstream.
In this post, I’ll examine the first key area of achieving higher quality video, the encoding setup. The timing of these customer requests couldn’t be better as we are in the midst of building out a mini-studio in our Emeryville office, so our expertise around the various options is very fresh in our minds. The encoding setup you choose is a crucial decision point. If you can’t get good, reliable video from the source, then it obviously won’t be good for those consuming it on the other end.
Up until now, organizations have largely stuck to capture card solutions, where a video capture card is integrated with an existing desktop PC that you plug your camera into. This model works fine for some customers, but sometimes, as we have found, you can run into incompatibilities between your computer and the capture card resulting in “the blue screen of death” or other crashes. We have moved to recommending hardware/appliance-based encoders to customers who have committed to using video. These hardware encoders, made by companies such as ViewCast, Digital Rapids, and Inlet, have really matured in the past few years and come down to a price point where not just leading-edge or large organizations can justify the expense. The real advantage of these hardware encoders is that they are built only for streaming audio and video. So no need to worry about CPU utilization, having enough RAM, or OS incompatibilities. These devices are truly plug and play–plug your camera in one end, plug an internet connection in the other, and you are just about ready to go. The other key advantage of these devices is portability. Many include integrated preview screens or have connections out to monitors, keyboards, and other USB-based peripherals. This allows you to take the encoder on site or into the field, something that is not easily achievable with a capture card solution.
In working with customers and through our own process, we’ve come up with four alternatives to explore when choosing your encoding setup:
| Option 1: Standard Definition (SD) | The baseline setup, that will work with most consumer camcorders and equipment you already have or could easily get at a relatively low cost. |
| Option 2: Standard Definition Plus | Works with SD Solutions Today, but sets you up for transition to High Definition (HD) in the future. |
| Option 3: High Definition on the Cheap | Get HD quality video at a reduced cost. |
| Option 4: Future Proof High Definition Video | Top of the line options, future proof your investment for years to come by broadcasting the best possible HD signal today. |
To walk through each of these options in depth, download this document.
0 Response to “Achieving Higher Quality Video, Part 1: Encoding Options”