In this video we will go over Robert Reinhardt's Top 5 Do's and Don'ts for encoding flash video.
Produced by Coby Rich, Product Marketing Manager, Sorenson Squeeze
Tip #1
Do determine a proper bit rate or data rate for your flash video content. Squeeze includes several presets for flash video to get you started. If you need a wide range of data rates for your deployment, encode several FLV files by applying multiple presets to the same source file.
Tip #2
Don't be tempted to change the image Quality Settings in your compression presets. Especially if you'll be deploying to a flash video with a streaming service such as Akamai, Limelight or a flash media server hosting company like Influxis.com. The image quality setting will override the bit rate value you've specified for the preset or alter the frame rate if you elected to drop frames to maintain image quality. Neither of these outcomes is desirable.
Tip #3
Do use Squeeze presets found in the streaming folder of the "Workflow Sort" if you're deploying your content with a flash streaming service. These presets use CBR or "constant bit rate" encoding. Presets for download, found in the "Download" folder use VBR or "variable bit rate" encoding which should be used for FLV file content deployed solely to HTTP servers or local media like CD or DVD-ROM.
Tip #4
Don't adjust pixel aspect ratios in your compression preset. For example, Squeeze automatically detects non-square pixel aspect ratios with DV source files and outputs to a proper 4:3 aspect ratio for your content. 320x240 is the proper reduced sized for 720x480 DV footage. In other words, don't force 360x240 size for DV footage.
Tip #5
Do deinterlace your source video if necessary. Squeeze automatically applies deinterlacing to source files that have a standard NTSC frame size such as 640x480 or 720x480. If you deinterlaced your footage prior to importing into Squeeze, make sure to open up the filter applied and uncheck the deinterlacing option. Otherwise, Squeeze might reduce the overall image quality by trying to remove non-existent fields.
More Squeeze Quick Tips:
If you'd like to learn more, Sorenson Media offers a free weekly training Webinar on Squeeze and general compression techniques.