Encoding Best Practices for Prerecorded Flash Video

Optimal Encoder Settings Study

In this article, I'm presenting the results of a study to produce optimal encoder settings for high-quaility video. To discover the optimal compressor settings for creating Flash Video, I developed a study to measure changes in the encoder settings with some constants. I then used the two factors—motion and target bandwidth—as a foundation for setting up the encoder tests. This resulted in two variations of video at different bandwidth targets. You can study the recommended encoder settings for high-quality source in the High-Quality Source Footage matrix earlier in the article.

How We Determined the Settings

In our test, each video clip was 30 seconds in length with no audio track. Three clips were produced from higher quality sources (film, digital Beta, etc.) with professional lighting, stability (tripod/Steadicam), and production quality.

We developed three motion levels: high, medium. and low. High motion included large amounts of camera zooming, cross fading, and general movement of objects within the video frame. Medium motion clips reduced the amount of zooming, panning, and movement within the frame. Low motion levels reflect a "talking head" or a wide shot where little changes in the frame.

To offer a fair comparison, we matched the following video properties across all three videos:

• Frame size: 720 x 480 pixels (NTSC)
• Fields: interlaced
• Duration: 30 seconds
• Frame rate: 29.97 frames per second
• Data rate: 29.6 MB per second
• Data format: uncompressed (raw)
• File format: Apple QuickTime
• Average file size: about 900 MB

Conclusion

In summary, encoding your video is a critical part of the process of publishing video to the web. Use the settings and formulas in this article only as a foundation. Everyone has different demands for video and different video problems that need to be solved. The Flash Video platform is an excellent platform for delivering the best possible experience to the greatest number of people. It is an excellent solution to customize the video surroundings and give you absolute control over every part of its delivery. Mastering the art of encoding takes trial and error, but after reading this article, you should have a much better understanding of the process and be able to produce excellent results.

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