Understanding stream selection, audio, target platforms, and dissemination.

The Stream Guys’ server farm in Chicago currently serves more than 500 clients such as Cisco, CNET, NASA, New Balance, WNYC, KQED, and Clear Channel.

Last month we covered five tips for Web video, starting with acquisition and ending at choosing adaptive bitrate (ABR) if appropriate. This month we’ll cover five more tips for 2011.

6. One stream or two?
We ended last month’s article discussing adaptive bitrate, and I mentioned that it can get tricky to choose three or four bitrates and resolutions to work across multiple devices, especially if mobile devices are tossed in to the mix alongside desktop resolutions.

To address this, consider grouping streams together by device category. This can easily be done by splitting a video source in to two streams, and some hardware-based encoders can handle multiple inputs, each encoding at a different bitrate. Remember, though, that the smaller screen on a smart phone means that lower bitrates still look acceptable on a small screen. In fact, bitrates as low as 300 kbps for talking heads video can be achieved with proper transcoding.

Encoding multiple streams can also benefit post-production editing. I strongly recommend recording an archival copy of your video at a high bitrate, suitable for editing and traditional broadcast. Streaming-capable video switchers like the NewTek TriCaster Pro can add a disc-based recording at the click of a button.

7. Don’t forget the audio!
Of all the issues that make or break online video, audio seems to be the most overlooked. Bad video quality can be forgiven, but bad audio is a key reason that viewers abandon online video clips, second only to excessive load times.

While there’s not much that can be done with live streaming audio, beyond using hardware filters, compressors and limiters, a number of tools exist for cleaning up the audio in on-demand video clips. From robust video editing packages, like Adobe Premiere and Apple’s Final Cut Pro, to lessexpensive audio-only tools like Amadeus or even SoundSoap, it pays to spend the extra time taking out hums, hisses and hiccups.

8. Do you really need live?
While some events deserve the live treatment, such as a product launch party or the CEO’s all-hands quarterly meeting, the majority of video doesn’t need to be streamed live.

One reason for this is viewership patterns: unless viewers are forced to view a live event in real time, the majority will opt to view content within 24 hours on their own schedule. This is a pattern that repeats itself across any number of corporate Webcasting initiatives I’ve been involved in.

Another reason is the ROI of live events. Setting aside the standard production cost for a live event, which may already be underway for a big event that requires a three-camera shoot, numerous operators and a technical director, it’s worth considering what a company will pay to reserve a particular amount of bandwidth from an online video platform (OVP) or content delivery network (CDN) that focuses on live delivery. Companies often over-anticipate the number of live viewers, which leads to the conundrum of spending for viewers that don’t materialize.

On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the rare live event that succeeds beyond wildest expectation, the “blame it on the blockbuster” model that Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen coined at the 2009 Streaming Media Europe conference. These events, often major news events that can affect corporations and government entities, require significant coordination ahead of time.

Without careful coordination, the blockbuster events can easily flame out. As an industry, streaming and online video are almost ready for prime-time ready live events, but it will require further adoption of ABR—coupled with better CDN and ISP coordination—to get there.

9. Choose a target platform.
This may be the hardest area in which to offer succinct advice. While there are many good online video platforms, your mileage may vary on any of them, depending on your specific needs.

From the top: The Sonic Foundry Mediasite and a SpaceX mission streamed by Wowza

For instance, while there are several live streaming OVPs, I recently ran into an issue where I’d recommended one—Ustream—that had an iPhone app; after trying to use the viewing app, however, it became apparent that it was only geared toward highly popular live content. In fact, it wasn’t even possible to search within the app for more than a handful of very popular live streams.

On the other hand, if you’re using a SonicFoundry MediaSite rich-media capture device, it’s a fairly easy suggestion to try the company’s MediaSite.com online video portal, as it provides search capabilities that are helpful for an organization that needs to store numerous customer- facing rich media programs.

When it comes to standard on-demand video files, it’s best to start with one particular target platform. Many content owners choose YouTube, in part because of Google’s decision to rank search hits for YouTube videos higher than those for other online video platforms like MetaCafe or Vimeo. Even though YouTube doesn’t have the best revenue split for most content owners, the search rankings are enough to drive them towards this behemoth of the online video world.

10. Disseminate.
If choosing a target platform is key for the early days of your online video experience, the last stage in a mature Web video strategy is dissemination. You may receive a sizable number of views from YouTube, but don’t stop there. Get the video out to any number of partners and online video platforms, as this provides both increased traffic and, potentially, lo wer delivery costs as the number of views is spread across a larger number of sites. Some sites offer free online video delivery up to a certain threshold.

Emanuel Boeck of 1MediaProduction setting up for a live Webcast using Digital Rapids StreamZHD.

Why not just post the videos on your own site? While it’s an acceptable approach if your site already receives significant traffic, statistics show that most online videos are found by search (although, lately, the recommendation of friends and social media contacts are gaining ground). Still, some strong brands have been able to hold their content on their own sites, until an OVP comes calling and offers a good hosting deal or revenue split. As I said, your mileage may vary.

info

Apple Final Cut
apple.com/finalcutstudio
Adobe Premier
adobe.com
Amadeus Pro (HairerSoft)
hairersoft.com
Ustream
ustream.tv
Sonic Foundry
sonicfoundry.com
Vimeo
vimeo.com

Tim Siglin is Chairman of Braintrust Digital, a media production and systems design firm. He has been involved in AV technologies, including digital signage networks, streaming media and videoconferencing for almost two decades. He can be reached at writer@braintrustdigital.com.