Help Others Stream

Those of us in the industry sometimes lose sight of the fact that billions of people around the world have never used the internet, much less connected on Zoom or watched The Mandalorian in 4K. Here's one way you can help streaming video reach those who don't have good connectivity.

We're All Video Distributors Now

One of the unheralded shifts spurred on by the COVID pandemic has been an increase in the number and types of organizations that are creating and distributing their own video content.

Career Lessons from Little Steven

Steven Van Zandt—aka Little Steven, aka Silvio Dante, aka Miami Steve—has never stayed in one place for long, and staying true to your personal muse is a lesson we'd all do well to remember.

How to Choose A Video Management System for Schools and Universities

So you need a new video management system (VMS) for your organization? Here are some suggestions for making sure your VMS doesn't compromise your school's or your students' data.

FuboTV Scores Big on Content Choice, Ad Load, and Revenue

Nadine Krefetz put fuboTV through the paces, and the sports-focused streaming service exceeded expectations.

Online Video Learning: Just as Good as In Person?

There's been a lot written about online educational video since the beginning of the pandemic, and the results are surprising, though far from conclusive.

Does Ad-Supported Streaming Actually Cost You More?

About one-third of users of ad-based streaming services click on and subsequently purchase items, according to Parks Associates. So maybe subscription is cheaper in the long run?

Get Back: Peter Jackson's 8-Hour Movie Suggests OTT Attention Spans Might Be Longer Than We Thought

Today, binge-watching is many people's favored mode of viewing. That's entirely our industry's doing (some might say fault), and it stands as a compelling counterpoint to the notion that we've devolved to the point where we're incapable of paying sustained attention to stories and storytellers.

The Greenest Codec: LCEVC

There's no doubt that LCEVC is a more efficient codec. But is it really going to make much of a difference in energy savings compared to other sustainability solutions?

Will OTT Consolidation Hamper Innovation?

The past 18 months have seen no shortage of mergers and acquisitions, and it has me wondering if all this consolidation will lead toward innovation. My gut says no, and plenty of industry pundits agree, but it could bring improvements to the customer experience.

How YouTube Encodes Videos

Looking for insights into exactly how YouTube encodes billions of videos? Jan Ozer went down the rabbit hole and shares what he discovered about AV1, VP9, and resolutions.

Paying to Watch Ads with HBO Max

Like almost everything else HBO Max does, the OTT service has gotten the ad experience right

Pandemic Mergers and Acquisitions in Educational Video

Three transactions from the last year illustrate how educational video providers are capitalizing on trends in streaming media, both specific to e-learning and more broadly

The Future Is Real Time, and It Starts Now

Where and how does "real time" fit into your workflows in this "COVID and beyond" era? Similar to global wars accelerating advan­ces in medicine such as plastic surgery, COVID has pushed all of us working in streaming media to rethink, innovate, optimise, and rebuild many components of our day-to-day responsibilities. 

Judging Apple's Advanced Video Quality Tool

As a metric, Apple's Advanced Video Quality Tool (AVQT) showed some bright spots, but it's hard to see it bumping VMAF or SSIMPLUS from real-world workflows without a lot more verification.

Editor's Note: The Streaming Gold Rush of 2021

We haven't seen this much funding or merger and acquisition activity in the streaming market in at least 15 years. Don't expect it to slow down anytime soon.

IATSE May Need to Strike While the Iron is Hot

Studios and producers are reaping the rewards of the OTT revolution. It's about time everyone involved in creating our favorite shows and movies gets their fair share.

Streaming Tools for COVID and Beyond

The changes streaming producers have made in the last 18 months are going to come in handy for a future where hybrid events are the norm.

Whither SVT-AV1

The Alliance for Open Media has gone all-in on SVT-AV1, but real-world tests show that Scalable Video Technology codecs don't live up to their promise when it comes to performance.

STIRRing Up Local TV Advertising

Sinclair Broadcasting's STIRR brings viewers free, live, local broadcasts—along with localized ads. The implementation is still buggy, but the concept is right on target.