The higher the bitrate, the higher the video quality – but also the larger the file size.įinding the right bitrate setting is about balance. Bitrate is commonly measured in kilobits per second (Kbps) and less frequently in megabits per second (Mbps). Bitrateīitrate describes how much data is transmitted per unit of time. Standard frame rates include 24, 25, 30, and 60 fps, with 30 fps being the most widely used setting for online streaming. Frame rateįrame rate is the number of images encoded per second, in frames per second (fps). Simply send the highest quality stream and the CDN will present the viewer with a range of resolutions. If the CDN you’re using includes transcoding (many do), there’s no extra work to be done on your end. Higher streaming resolutions such as 4K are less popular because they require significant processing power, upload bandwidth, and 4K resolution support on the viewer’s side.īecause everyone’s setup is a little different, it’s good practice to give viewers a choice of resolutions when viewing your content. Encoding resolutionĮncoding resolution is the video frame size, expressed in pixels as width x height. The most commonly used audio codec is called AAC. Note that audio gets encoded separately from the video. It promises identical quality to H.264 at about half the bitrate, decreasing upload bandwidth requirements. H.265/HEVC is the next generation of codecs after H.264/AVC. H.264/AVC is arguably the most commonly used codec today. Not all video codecs are fit for live streaming.Ī few examples of widely used video codecs for streaming are Motion-JPEG (MJPEG), H.264/AVC, and H.265/HEVC. Different codecs provide different types of compression to fit specific use cases. CodecsĪ codec is the compression method for making media files smaller. Here is an overview of the key encoding parameters users have control over. Streaming platforms often offer a list of recommended encoding settings for live streaming.
Generally speaking, the higher the settings (within specific value ranges),the higher the video quality. Encoding settings: Key terms to understandĮncoding settings have a direct impact on stream quality.