Mobile and Internet Broadcasting
Description
Delivering high quality mobile and Internet broadcasting that works is a complex and technical process. YouTube has greatly simplified online video for the average user, however high quality production requires a set of specialized skills and experience. There are several important technical issues SmartAirMedia understnd and need to be handled intelligently to produce a high quality video:
- Optimizing video compression for maximum performance and quality.
- Shooting video for the Internet requires a specific production style that guarantees a high quality Internet-friendly image.
- Professional equipment is needed-- including a high definition camera, specialized lighting, professional audio equipment and professional microphones
- Internet video is often shot haphazardly and assembled in the edited process. SmartAirMedia takes the time for plenty of upfront planning-- Story-boarding, script writing, project planning, locations scouting are activities that save time and ensure the production process is economically feasible and within budget.
- Post-production takes time and with planning the editing process is streamlined and optimized. In post-production the shots are edited, audio is edited, sound effects and music are added, text and graphics are integrated, and digital video effects are applied.
- Developing websites that deliver optimized video to match the connection speed of the surfer-- this requires a solid understanding of server technology, browser coding, javascript, Flash, and advanced web content design.
Internet video has to be compressed so it can be delivered over the Internet. Compression is a complex mathematical process for reducing the size of the video file by using a variety of mathematical and perceptual tricks. Compression is always a compromise and balance between image quality and file size. SmartAirMedia has the talent and expertise to compress video in a wide variety of standard formats and knows how to optimize the compression for different situations:
A typical camcorder with an integrated microphone or a webcam is what most people use to capture Internet video. Sound is echoey, video is choppy, pixelation is high, image quality makes the viewing difficult.
Many of these issues are because of the lack of professional equipment, high quality professional microphones, and lighting. SmartAirMedia has all the gear necessary for a high quality production.
Professionals know that audio is the starting point of good video. No matter how good the video quality is; audio that is hard to hear, muffled and full of background noise will severely degrade the overall quality of the video.
SmartAirMedia invests significant resources in post production audio, on location audio, and soundtrack integration. Crystal clear, perfect audio pushes the perceived production value even higher.
Mobile devices often have more limited support for digital media content. Mobile content has to be reformatted before it reaches the device to achieve the best results possible. Each time a web browser or mobile device connects to content developed by SmartAirMedia, the device's capabilities are checked. The server determines the best content format for the device and delivers content that is optimized and formatted for optimal viewing.
- iPhone, iPad, Blackerry
- Mobile phone
- High Speed Internet
- Medium Speed Internet
- Wi-Fi
Each of these scenarios requires different compression approaches. Sophisticated web page and server code is used by SmartAirMedia to analyze the connection speed and capabilities of the connecting device and adjust the content automatically for the best visual quality possible.
Film, TV, DVD, and Internet video all require different production styles to maximize the delivery medium's advantages and disadvantages. For example, film requires careful planning of lighting because the medium is capable of displaying a high range of contrast and shadow. The screen size also demands precise and expensive shot planning and production.
Internet Video requires a high contrast, well lit image to survive the harshness of digital compression. Color saturation can be lost under low light conditions. Compression can make movement feel staccato or feel stuttered. This is because compression only stores the changes frame to frame rather than the whole frame. If a lot of movement happens, less data remains the same and compression breaks down. SmartAirMedia understands these issues and optimizes Internet video for Internet delivery.
All video tells a story and provides an opinion or point of view. Designing content that has a clear and effective message is all about planning. We build a production plan and use professional writers. Story-boarding is a process of planning each shot in the video before filming begins. Professionals know that the upfront planning will guarantee high quality results, save money, streamline editing, and improve the strength of the message you communicate.
Most people view editing as the centre of film and video production. In actual fact, it is a small component of the process and is shrunk considerably by all the upfront planning and professional production methodology. Amateurs are tied up for an extended period of time in the editing process, often because of poor planning and a lack of direction. SmartAirMedia avoids this completely by having the production organized before it reaches the editing suite.
Voiceovers, sounds, shots, graphics, titles, and effects are all story boarded and planned ahead of time. Naturally, there is room for creativity in the editing process, but too much fiddling around during editing can be a recipe for disaster and for cost overruns.
YouTube uses a very simple approach to optimizing video. They picked one video format that would work well for most Internet surfers. Its a compromise of quality, performance, file size, and clip length. All video is optimized to one standard.
The problem with this approach is that there are a wide range of devices and connection speeds possible and your video has to reach the widest possible audience to be effective as a marketing tool. Professionals use a combination of server-side and client-side code to detect:
- Device type
- Connection speed
- Browser software
- And Plugin availability
All this information is collected and analyzed automatically by the server. The outcome of this analysis is video delivered to the device in the best possible quality that is achievable. A 'one file fits all' approach is not what SmartAirMedia is all about. We believe your video should be crystal clear and stutter free and at the best quality that is technically possible. This means we encode the video in a variety of file formats:
- Flash Video (High Definition and broadband speeds)
- QuickTime Video (iPhone, iPad, iPod formats, High Definition, and broadband speeds)
- MP4 (broadband speeds)
- Cell phone video formats optimized for cell phone connection speeds
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