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.

How to Design a Hybrid Classroom

In-person or virtual? It's no longer one or the other, and schools and universities need to have clear strategies for delivering hybrid education to their students.

What Is Streaming Video 'Delivery?'

'Delivery' is one of the most commonly used words in our business? But what does it actually mean? If we think it's just about protocols and bytes, we're never going to catch up to traditional TV.

Top 10 Reasons Why Streaming Media West is Better Than Big Expos

As the future of the behemoth conferences is in doubt, Streaming Media West will return to Huntington Beach in November. Here's just a few of the reasons why you should join us.

Back to School with New Video Teaching Skills

Educators learned a lot about video learning over the last 18 months. With most schools reopening this fall, how do you integrate those new skills and techniques into the physical classroom?

Defend Your Video Encoding Choices with Data

If you're charged with configuring your encoding ladder, there are a few datapoints you should have nailed. The most important is the VMAF score of the top rung of your encoding ladder.

OTT Ad Tech's Biggest Challenges (and a Few Solutions)

OTT advertising technology is at a crossroads, as brands work to build relationships with consumers without alienating them. Here's a look at some of biggest questions facing the ad tech industry, along with some possible answers.

Ditch the Niche: It's Time to Come Up With a New Term

Calling some OTT services "niche" is an insult to not only the content they deliver but the audiences they serve. Isn't ESPN a "niche" service, too?

Why Is Watching Sports on OTT Harder Than Watching on TV?

Streaming is supposed to provide a better experience than television. So why is watching the Euro 2020 on the ESPN app such a poor experience?

Reaching the Global Classroom

China provides a particularly interesting global classroom case study, due to both its huge population size and the difficulty of operating in its networks.

The Road to Wellville

The familiar flow of event work was upended when COVID-19 restrictions brought in-person production to a screeching halt and virtually everything went virtual. Mutually recognized production standards were among the first things to go. 

When to Ditch the Webcam

I produce most of my live training with a webcam because the quality delta between a webcam and other options is negligible when presented in postage-stamp-sized videos. But what setup should you use for a really important conference or a call that will be distributed to many viewers live or on demand? That's where things get interesting.

In Search of Better Encoding Quality for WebRTC

Suffice it to say that Web­RTC is finally out of kindergarten and moving into the elementary grades. Which grade exactly? Well, that likely depends on which web browser you're using and which server technology or platform your Web­RTC implementation uses.

New Rules of Codec Development

The game has changed for new codecs entering the market.

Live Production During COVID and Beyond

Lessons learned during the pandemic can provide guidance for how live producers can continue to not just survive but thrive.

From Zoom Fatigue to Serendipity

It's March. Again. And we're still all on Zoom. It's been a lifeline, but it'll never replace in-person meetings and conferences.

Educational Video and Protecting Student Rights

Both student privacy and accessibility need to be considered by any school, college, or university that's using video for education.

The Evolution of the Movie Theater is at Hand

With OTT services like HBO Max streaming first-run movies on release day, movie theaters need to think beyond comfy chairs and draft beer to keep selling tickets.