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Enhancement

With the development of internet technology, video media is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. Video media is widely used in education, entertainment, advertising, live streaming, and other fields, becoming one of the main channels for people to access information, entertainment, and learning. In this article, we will discuss how to use MPS, and how MPS, can help users quickly and securely convert video formats, allowing them to change media files from one format to another with a single click for free.What is MPS?MPS (Media Processing Service) is a cloud computing service designed to provide users with processing services for media files such as video and audio. MPS can help users quickly and safely convert, edit, intercept, merge, encrypt, decrypt, watermark and other operations to meet users' various needs for media files. MPS can be integrated through API, SDK, etc. to achieve automated media processing processes.The concept of MPS originates from the development of cloud computing technology, which migrates media processing functions from local computers to cloud servers, thus improving the efficiency and security of media processing. MPS has the following characteristics:1. Efficiency: MPS can provide fast and efficient media processing services through the high-performance computing capabilities of cloud servers. 2. Security: MPS uses multi-layer security measures to ensure that users’ media files will not be stolen or leaked. 3. Flexibility: MPS can provide a variety of media processing services according to user needs, including conversion, editing, interception, merging, encryption, decryption, watermarking and other operations. 4. Scalability: MPS can be integrated through API, SDK, etc. to realize automated media processing processes and improve the efficiency and accuracy of media processing.In short, MPS provides users with an efficient, secure, flexible and scalable media processing solution to help users meet various media processing needs.<a href="https://mps.live/document/33305"> Click for more details</a>&nbsp;How to use the demo function of MPS?Enter <a href="https://mps.live/demo/encoding/video">DEMO</a>Firstly, the main functions of MPS can be divided into two categories: Encoding and Enhancement.<img src="https://mps.live/media/d77bc74f-dfca-49af-8e51-7851a720e8fc.png" alt="convert videos for free.png"><ul><li>Encoding: MPS can convert media files uploaded by users into different formats to meet their needs for various types of media files.</li><li>&nbsp;Enhancement: MPS can enhance media files uploaded by users to improve their quality and effectiveness.</li></ul>EncodingEncoding includes three different transcoding methods for different scenarios,VOD Transcoding, LIVE Transcoding, WebRTC Transcoding.<img src="https://mps.live/media/2dd87c0e-2caa-438b-9d59-d3173b9d5430.png" alt="Encoding.png">In the center of the page is a small screen where you can preview your video. Below the small video, there are video quality metrics and video bitrate provided for users to monitor and evaluate in real-time.<h2 id="VOD-Transcoding">VOD Transcoding</h2>VOD (Video on Demand) transcoding refers to the process of transcoding existing media files. For example, a recorded video file can be transcoded and uploaded to a cloud storage service for users to watch.<ul><li>Step 1:&nbsp;</li></ul>Click the "Select video to encode" button on the right side of the page to upload a new media file. You can choose to upload your own media file or use the example video we provide.<img src="https://mps.live/media/2a23937a-b35b-4372-a5b2-80356a821cf4.png" alt="Select video to encode.png"><ul><li>Step 2:&nbsp;</li></ul>After the upload is complete, on the right side of the page, select the video format, resolution, audio encoding, and other parameters as needed. MPS will automatically transcode the video according to the user's selection.1) Select video format container: MP4 is a popular video container format that can store multiple types of media data such as video, audio, subtitles, and supports various encoding formats such as H.264, AAC, etc. FLV is a video container format developed by Adobe that can store multiple types of media data such as video, audio, subtitles, and is commonly used for online video and streaming. HLS is a streaming media transmission protocol developed by Apple that can divide video streams into multiple small segments and transmit them via HTTP protocol.2) Select encoding methods: H.264 is widely used in fields such as HD video and online video. H.265 provides higher video quality and smaller file sizes, suitable for HD video, 4K/8K video, and other fields. H.266 reduces bitrate by another half compared to H.265, suitable for HD video, 4K/8K video, and other fields. AV1 provides better video quality and smaller file sizes, suitable for online video, HD video, and other fields.3) Select Resolution: Resolution refers to the number and size of pixels in an image or video, usually represented by the number of pixels. For example, the resolution of 8K is 7680x4320. The higher the resolution, the higher the detail and clarity of the image or video, but it also takes up more storage space and bandwidth resources.4) Default Audio encoding: AAC (Advanced Audio Coding): AAC is a new generation of audio encoding standard that can compress audio data into smaller file sizes and provide higher sound quality.5) Select Audio sampling rate: 44100Hz: This is the sampling rate for CD audio quality and one of the most commonly used sampling rates that can provide high sound quality and smaller file sizes. 48000Hz: This is the sampling rate commonly used in fields such as movies, television, and broadcasting, which can provide higher sound quality and a wider range of applications.6) Select Audio Channels: Mono: Only one channel, suitable for fields such as voice communication and broadcasting. Stereo: Two channels, left and right, can provide more realistic sound effects, suitable for fields such as music and movies.<ul><li>Step 3:&nbsp;</li></ul>Click the "One-Click Processing" button at the bottom to start transcoding your media file.<img src="https://mps.live/media/00c910cc-05ab-4d4b-8aa7-a36b3a68be42.png" alt="One-Click Processing.png"><ul><li>Step 4:&nbsp;</li></ul>After processing is complete, you can preview the video directly on the page to see the effect of the processing. If you need to export, click "History" and select the corresponding media file to download.<img src="https://mps.live/media/6e6ec0f7-f25c-4687-ab63-1ed46826ea54.jpg" alt="Download the media file.jpg"><img src="https://mps.live/media/6cb65fbd-a2f7-4c3c-b3d9-7e1957ea0953.png" alt="Export the video.png"><h2 id="LIVE-Transcoding">LIVE Transcoding</h2>LIVE transcoding refers to the real-time transcoding of a live video stream. For example, a live video stream can be transcoded and pushed to multiple terminal devices for users to watch.<ul><li>Step 1:&nbsp;</li></ul>Enter a live streaming address in "Fill in the live streaming address to encode", or you can use the example address for experience.<img src="https://mps.live/media/1dd15305-89c3-4661-8df4-afa647aa5be3.png" alt="Fill in the live streaming address to encode.png"><ul><li>Step 2:&nbsp;</li></ul>On the right side of the page, users can select Live streaming protocols, Encoding methods, Resolution, and other parameters as needed. MPS will automatically transcode the live stream according to the user's selection. The bitrate will be displayed in real-time below the small screen.Live streaming protocolsLive :FLV &nbsp;(Flash Video): FLV is a streaming media transmission protocol based on Adobe Flash technology. It is mainly used to transmit audio and video data to Flash players for playback.HLS &nbsp;(HTTP Live Streaming): HLS is a live streaming transmission protocol based on the HTTP protocol. It is mainly used for audio and video transmission on iOS devices and Safari browsers.LLHLS &nbsp;(Low-Latency HLS): LLHLS is a low-latency HLS protocol, mainly used in scenarios that require low latency such as real-time live broadcasts.DASH &nbsp;(Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP): DASH is a dynamic adaptive streaming protocol, mainly used for audio and video transmission on a variety of devices and platforms. For other data, please refer to above.<ul><li>Step 3:</li></ul>Click the "One-Click Processing" button at the bottom to start transcoding.<ul><li>Step 4:</li></ul>After processing is complete, you can preview the video directly on the page to see the effect of the processing.<img src="https://mps.live/media/4f77d071-7f81-4562-8c5e-026d84318ff8.png" alt="LIVE Transcoding.png"><h2 id="WebRTC-Transcoding">WebRTC Transcoding</h2>WebRTC is an open network protocol used for real-time communication. It supports real-time audio and video communication, data transmission, and other functions. WebRTC transcoding can transcode audio and video streams under the WebRTC protocol to adapt to different terminal devices and network environments.<ul><li>Step 1:</li></ul>On the right side of the page, users can select the input .<img src="https://mps.live/media/236177c1-b785-44c7-8bd3-be95e777f04c.png" alt="WebRTC Transcoding.png">There are three options:&nbsp;Media Devices: Select media devices such as microphones, cameras, etc. as input sources. This input source is suitable for scenarios that require recording sound or video, such as video conferences, live broadcasts, etc.Screen Capture: Select screen capture as the input source, that is, to record the content on the screen. This input source is suitable for scenarios that require recording screen operations or demonstrations, such as teaching, demonstrations, games, etc.Local Files: Select local files as the input source, that is, to play audio and video files stored locally. This input source is suitable for scenarios that require playing existing audio and video files, such as watching movies, listening to music, etc.<ul><li>Step 2:</li></ul>Select parameters to edit the file. Compared to the previous options, Live streaming protocols now have an additional option for WebRTC.WebRTC (Web Real-Time Communication) is a real-time communication protocol based on web browsers. It can directly transmit audio and video data between browsers without installing plugins or other software. WebRTC supports peer-to-peer (P2P) communication and multi-party video conferences, and can be used in scenarios such as audio and video calls, video conferences, live broadcasts, etc.Other parameters can be referred to the previous text.<ul><li>Step 3:</li></ul>Click the "One-Click Processing" button at the bottom to start transcoding.&nbsp;EnhancementClick "Enhancement" at the top of the page to switch modes. There are five modes available.<img src="https://mps.live/media/9bc32fd6-d3af-4e26-95a9-ac8958f33de7.jpg" alt="Enhancement.jpg"><h2 id="Video-Quality-Repair">Video Quality Repair</h2>Video quality repair refers to the processing of videos through a series of algorithms and technologies to improve the quality and clarity of the video. Common video quality repair techniques include noise reduction, jitter removal, frame interpolation, super-resolution, and color correction.<h2 id="UGC-Content-Enhancement">UGC Content Enhancement</h2>UGC content enhancement refers to the processing of user-generated content through a series of algorithms and technologies to improve the quality and viewing experience of the content. Common UGC content enhancement techniques include noise reduction, watermark removal, ad removal, super-resolution, and color correction.<h2 id="Race-Enhancement">Race Enhancement</h2>Race enhancement refers to the optimization of racing athletes and vehicles through a series of technologies and means to improve their athletic performance and results. Common race enhancement techniques include biomimetic design, material science, data analysis, artificial intelligence, and virtual simulation.<h2 id="Game-Enhancement">Game Enhancement</h2>Game enhancement refers to the optimization of games through a series of technologies and means to improve the graphics, performance, gameplay, and user experience of the game. Common game enhancement techniques include graphics rendering, physics engines, artificial intelligence, network optimization, and user experience.<h4>The usage of the above four Enhancement modes is as follows:</h4><ul><li>Step 1:&nbsp;</li></ul>On the right side of the page, users can import the video that needs to be enhanced.<ul><li>Step 2:</li></ul>Click the "One-Click Processing" button at the bottom to start one-click transcoding.<ul><li>Step 3:</li></ul>After processing is complete, you can preview the before and after effects of the video processing directly on the page. You can also drag the circular icon left and right to view the comparison.<img src="https://mps.live/media/4ecafc4d-4288-46fa-b56a-097f9c0c3cd2.png" alt="Enhancement.png"><h2 id="Audio-Enhancement">Audio Enhancement</h2>Audio Enhancement refers to the processing of audio through a series of algorithms and technologies to improve the quality and clarity of the audio.<img src="https://mps.live/media/8d74c597-9296-464b-b933-7aee7edd20f7.png" alt="Audio Enhancement.png">Compared to the previous four enhancement modes, there are four types of audio enhancement to choose from:1. Voice Denoising:&nbsp;Remove noise and interference from speech through a series of algorithms and technologies to improve speech clarity and intelligibility.2. Audio Separation:&nbsp;Separate mixed audio through a series of algorithms and technologies to improve audio intelligibility and comprehension.3. Volume Balancing:&nbsp;Adjust the volume and gain of audio to balance the volume of each audio and improve audio intelligibility and balance.4. Audio Quality Enhancement:&nbsp;The technology includes De-essing and Noise cancellation. It can analyze the audio stream in real-time to identify any noise interference and fix it automatically to restore high-definition audio. Additionally, we have created a sibilance suppression solution to enhance voice signals, which improves the quality of voice listening by reducing the hissing sound caused by high-frequency airflow.<ul><li>Other operating steps are the same as above.</li></ul>&nbsp;If you would like to further understand Tencent MPS, welcome to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact Us</a>&nbsp; for more information.

How to Convert Video Files Online and Free？

How to convert your videos for free with MPS？

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With the rapid development of science and technology, people's ways of obtaining information are becoming more and more diversified, and the rapid development of the multimedia field is inseparable from video coding.Efficient video codecs are essential for the transmission or storage of multimedia content. In the past decade, the development of video compression algorithms has led to the birth of new video codec standards and reached several milestones. The most famous of them are H.264 Advanced Video Coding (AVC), H.265 High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC), VP9, ​​AV1 (AOMedia Video 1), and H.266 Versatile Video Coding (VVC). Today we will introduce AV1.<h2 id="The-Origin-of-AV1" id="The-Origin-of-AV1">The Origin of AV1</h2>The origins of AV1 can be traced back to 2015, when the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia) was established. The alliance consists of multiple companies, including Google, Mozilla, Cisco, Microsoft, Netflix, etc., aiming to develop an open, royalty-free video coding technology.AV1 is the first video compression format developed by AOMedia. Its goal is to provide compression efficiency comparable to the mainstream codecs at the time while avoiding high patent fees.Google acquired On2 Technologies in 2010 and open-sourced its VP8 codec, which formed the basis of the WebM project. Google subsequently developed the VP9 codec, which was adopted by YouTube for video streaming in 2013. The success of VP9 prompted Google and other companies to collaborate on the next-generation codec, AV1.The development of AV1 began in early 2016 and was finally completed in mid-2018. It not only inherits the technology of VP9, but also integrates some technologies from Cisco's Thor project and Mozilla's Daala project. AV1 is designed with hardware feasibility in mind, aiming to achieve high compression efficiency and low decoding complexity.AV1 is named after "AOMedia Video 1". It is designed as the direct successor of VP9 and has a compression efficiency that is about 30% higher than VP9. The launch of AV1 marks the arrival of a new era of open source and royalty-free video coding, which has shown broad application potential in many fields such as video on demand, real-time communication, and streaming services.<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://mps.live/media/e25be607-03c2-4d76-aed6-faceadda0378.jpg" alt="VP9 vs AV1">Now, we will formally introduce the definition of AV1. AV1, the full name of which is AOMedia Video 1, is an open source, royalty-free video coding format developed by the Alliance for Open Media (AOMedia). The design goal of AV1 is to achieve higher compression efficiency than existing codecs while ensuring decoding complexity and practical feasibility of hardware.<h2 id="AV1-Coding-Technology" id="AV1-Coding-Technology">AV1 Coding Technology</h2><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Coding block division</h3>VP9 uses a four-way partition tree starting from the 64×64 level to the 4×4 level, with some additional restrictions for blocks below 8×8, where all sub-blocks within an 8x8 block should have the same reference frame, as shown in the upper half of Figure 1, to ensure that chroma components can be processed in the smallest 4×4 block unit. Note that the partitions designated as "R" refer to recursive partitioning, as the same partition tree is repeated at a lower scale until the lowest 4×4 level is reached.<img class="image_resized" style="width:50%;" src="https://mps.live/media/43f1c8d2-471b-44f1-ab35-e1ca556a239e.png" alt="AV1 vs VP9 coding block division">AV1 increases the maximum coding block unit to 128×128 and expands the partition tree to support 10 possible results, further including 4:1/1:4 rectangular coding block sizes. Similar to VP9, only further subdivision of square blocks is allowed. In addition, AV1 allows each unit to have its own inter/intra mode and reference frame selection, adding more flexibility to sub-8×8 coding blocks. To support this flexibility, it allows 2×2 inter prediction for chroma components while retaining the minimum transform size of 4×4.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Intra prediction</h3>In VP9, intra prediction applies 10 IPMs, including 8 directional modes and 2 non-directional modes, namely DC and True Motion (TM) mode. In AV1, the directional modes in VP9 are called nominal modes, and one of the 7 increment angles with indices ranging from -3 to +3 is further signaled for each nominal mode to increase the granularity of the direction, and a total of 56 directional modes are defined. The following figure defines the directional intra prediction modes of AV1.<h3 style="text-align:center;"><img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://mps.live/media/fae9bde8-0656-4ec1-abf4-f84b092df5d6.png" alt="predict AV1"></h3><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Inter-frame prediction</h3>Motion compensation is an important module in video coding. In VP9, up to two references out of up to three candidate reference frames are allowed, and then the predictor either operates block-based translational motion compensation or averages two such predictions when two references are signaled. AV1 has a more powerful inter-frame encoder, greatly expands the reference frame and motion vector pool, breaks the limitation of block-based translational prediction, and also enhances composite prediction by using highly adaptive weighting algorithms and sources.AV1 expands the number of references per frame from 3 to 7, and in addition to VP9's LAST (nearest past) frame, GOLDEN (distant past) frame, and ALTREF (temporally filtered future) frame, it also adds two near-past frames (LAST2 and LAST3) and two future frames (BWDREF and ALTREF2).The figure below demonstrates the multi-layer structure of the golden frame group, where an adaptive number of frames share the same GOLDEN and ALTREF frames. BWDREF is a directly coded look-ahead frame with no temporal filtering applied, making it more suitable as a relatively short-distance backward reference. ALTREF2 acts as an intermediate filtered future reference between GOLDEN and ALTREF. All new references can be selected by a single prediction mode or combined into a pair to form a composite mode. AV1 provides a rich set of reference frame pairs, providing both bidirectional composite prediction and unidirectional composite prediction, allowing a variety of videos with dynamic temporal correlation characteristics to be encoded in a more adaptive and optimized way.<img class="image_resized" style="width:75%;" src="https://mps.live/media/dab690c9-9a4d-424e-820d-2a01db3809bf.png" alt="inter frame prediction"><h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Transform Coding</h3>Instead of enforcing fixed transform unit sizes as in VP9, AV1 allows partitioning of luma inter coded blocks into transform units of multiple sizes that can be represented by recursive partitioning down to at most two levels. To incorporate AV1's extended coded block partitioning, square, 2:1/1:2, and 4:1/1:4 transform sizes from 4×4 to 64×64 are supported. For chroma blocks, only the largest possible transform unit is allowed. In addition to this, a richer set of transform kernels is defined in AV1 for both intra and inter blocks.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Entropy Coding</h3>In the AV1 video coding standard, entropy coding is a key component, which is responsible for compressing and transmitting the transformed coefficient matrix, which usually accounts for a large part of the bitstream, sometimes even more than 50%. AV1 uses multi-symbol arithmetic coding technology, which can provide high throughput and has the characteristics of fast probability model adaptation.Multi-symbol entropy coding: VP9 uses a tree-based Boolean non-adaptive binary arithmetic coder to encode all syntax elements. AV1 uses a symbol-to-symbol adaptive multi-symbol arithmetic coder instead. This design can more accurately track the probabilities of less common elements in the alphabet, and for the encoding of symbol bit rates, this design actually improves throughput.In addition, entropy coding also includes context adaptation, layered coding, and level map coefficient coding.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Loop Filtering Tools and Post-Processing</h3>AV1 allows multiple loop filtering tools to be applied consecutively to a decoded frame. The first stage is a deblocking filter, which is roughly the same as used in VP9, with slight changes. The longest filter is reduced from 15 taps in VP9 to 13 taps. In addition, there is now more flexibility to send separate filter levels horizontally and vertically for luma and each chroma plane, as well as the ability to change levels between superblocks. Other filtering tools are CDEF (Constrained Directional Enhancement Filter), Loop Restoration Filter, and Frame Super Resolution.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">Tiling and multithreading</h3>AV1 supports independent tiles consisting of multiple superblocks, and tiles can be encoded and decoded in any order. Tiles can be uniform (i.e. tiles have the same size) or non-uniform (i.e. tiles can have different sizes), as defined by encoding parameters. Independent tile support provides encoding flexibility so that the encoder and decoder can process tiles in parallel, resulting in faster speed.In the libaom codebase, both the encoder and decoder implement multithreading (MT), i.e. block row level, tile level, and frame level parallelism. While tiles are allowed, tile-based MT can significantly improve speed. While tiles are not used or used very little, row-based MT allows threads to encode and decode individual superblock rows and further improve speed.<h2 id="AV1-vs-Other-Codecs" id="AV1-vs-Other-Codecs">AV1 vs Other Codecs</h2><figure class="table" style="width:100%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);"><colgroup><col style="width:20.26%;"><col style="width:18.31%;"><col style="width:21.24%;"><col style="width:17.88%;"><col style="width:22.31%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">&nbsp;</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">H.264/AVC</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">H.265/HEVC</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">VP9</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">AV1</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Notable Features</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Low latency, suitable for real-time applications</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">High compression efficiency, balanced time and quality</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Royalty-free, suitable for online viewing</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Royalty-free, high compression efficiency, comparable to H.265</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Compression Efficiency</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Good</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Better than H.264, but more complex</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">High, comparable to H.265</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Better than H.264, and equal to or better than H.265</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Encoding/Decoding Complexity</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Low</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">High</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Medium</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">High</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Hardware Support</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Mature</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Better, but not as good as H.264</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Gradually increase</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Increasing, emerging</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Open Source/Royalty Free</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Not open source, may involve royalties</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Not open source, may involve royalties</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Open source, royalty-free</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Open source, royalty-free</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Suggested Application Areas</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Live capture and streaming</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Scenarios that require a balance between time and quality</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Online viewing, YouTube usage</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Streaming, video on demand (VOD), etc.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Future Development</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Mature technology, widely used</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Gradually popularized, high efficiency</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Stable application, continuous optimization</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Rapid development, expected to be widely used</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2 id="Application-of-AV1" id="Application-of-AV1">Application of AV1</h2>AV1 has been applied to streaming services, real-time communication and 8K ultra-high-definition video and other application scenarios:Streaming services: AV1 is used to provide high-quality video streaming. For example, platforms such as YouTube and Netflix have begun to support AV1-encoded videos.Real-time communication (RTC): AV1's encoding tools are particularly suitable for processing screen content and camera content, and are suitable for RTC applications such as video conferencing and online education.Cloud transcoding services: Cloud service providers such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Tencent MPS already support AV1 encoding for video transcoding services.8K ultra-high-definition video: As 8K video content gradually increases, AV1 is used to encode these high-resolution videos, providing better compression efficiency and image quality.Open source community and software development: Since AV1 is open source, many open source projects and communities are developing and optimizing AV1 codecs, such as libaom, dav1d, etc.<h2 id="Conclusion" id="Conclusion">Conclusion</h2>By supporting AV1 codec technology, <a href="https://mps.live/products/encoding">Tencent&nbsp;MPS</a> provides users with an efficient and cost-effective video processing solution that not only optimizes video storage and transmission efficiency, but also ensures wide compatibility and high-quality playback experience of video content on different devices and platforms.You&nbsp;are&nbsp;welcome&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact&nbsp;Us</a>&nbsp;for&nbsp;more&nbsp;information. &nbsp;

AV1 Encoding: Opening a new era of open source video encoding

User's experience environment and expectations

Limiting factors for video delivery platforms

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<h2 id="What-is-SD?">What is SD?</h2>SD stands for Standard Definition, which refers to video formats with lower resolutions, usually 480p and below. Common SD video resolution formats include:<ol><li>240p: A resolution of 320x240 pixels, this is a very low resolution, suitable for slower network connections and older devices.</li><li>360p: A resolution of 640x360 pixels, this is a relatively common standard definition resolution, suitable for medium-speed network connections and general devices.</li><li>480p: A resolution of 640x480 pixels (NTSC standard), this is a relatively high standard definition resolution, suitable for faster network connections and better devices.</li></ol><h2 id="What-is-HD?">What is HD?</h2>HD stands for High Definition, which refers to video resolutions higher than standard definition (SD), i.e., 720p and above. HD typically includes the following resolution formats:<ol><li>720p: A resolution of 1280x720 pixels, also known as "standard high definition" or "HD Ready". 720p is a progressive scan format, meaning that all lines are updated each time the screen is refreshed.</li><li>1080p: A resolution of 1920x1080 pixels, also known as "Full High Definition" or "Full HD". 1080p is also a progressive scan format, offering higher resolution and clearer image quality.</li><li>1080i: Also 1920x1080 pixels, but unlike 1080p, 1080i images are transmitted in an interlaced scanning format, with each frame of 1080 lines scanned twice. In interlaced scanning images, it takes longer to see a complete frame than in progressive scanning images, and interlaced scanning images occupy less bandwidth. Currently, television companies mainly use 1080i video resolutions.</li><li>4K: A video resolution of 3840x2160 pixels.</li><li>8K: A video resolution of 7680x4320 pixels.&nbsp;</li></ol><figure class="image"><img src="https://mps.live/media/1912775e-3fa0-4deb-a932-de7312c1e3a3.png" alt="Video clarity level"></figure><h2 id="User's-experience-environment-and-expectations">User's experience environment and expectations</h2>When choosing between SD and HD, we need to understand the needs of our audience and what kind of experience they expect when browsing video content. Below, we list some user experience scenarios for different terminal environments and which resolution formats can be adapted to each.&nbsp;<img src="https://mps.live/media/a727149f-b52f-48a0-9cab-19144568381a.png" alt="Multi-terminal video playback"><h3>Scenario examples - Adapt to SD</h3><ol><li>Slow network speed: For users with limited network speed, only SD video can be experienced normally in a compromised scenario, while using HD video is almost impossible or very difficult to experience.</li><li>Low-resolution devices: For devices with low resolution, such as old-fashioned TVs or low-resolution monitors, SD video is the only option due to resolution limitations.</li><li>Limited storage space: SD video files are smaller and occupy less storage space; under performance constraints, only SD video can be chosen.</li><li>Simple content: For some content (such as lectures, tutorials, or news reports) where image quality is not a high requirement, SD video is already clear enough.</li></ol><h3>Scenario examples - Adapt to HD</h3><ol><li>High-resolution devices: For high-resolution devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or HDTVs, HD video can provide a better viewing experience.</li><li>Fast network speed: For users with fast and stable network speeds, HD video can be played smoothly, providing higher image quality.</li><li>High-quality content: For content with rich details and dynamic scenes (such as movies, TV shows, or sports events), HD video can better display image quality.</li><li>Brand image: For corporate and brand promotion, using HD video can showcase a more professional image, enhancing user awareness and trust in the brand.</li></ol><h2 id="Limiting-factors-for-video-delivery-platforms">Limiting factors for video delivery platforms</h2>After analyzing various situations of video audiences, what limiting factors should be considered for video delivery platforms? Let's list some issues that video delivery platforms may encounter when choosing between SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) videos.<ol><li>Bandwidth cost: Due to the higher resolution and bit rate of HD videos, they usually require more bandwidth for transmission and playback. Therefore, choosing HD videos may lead to higher bandwidth costs. Video delivery platforms need to assess their bandwidth budget and user demand for high-definition content to determine whether to provide HD videos.</li><li>Storage cost: Compared to SD videos, HD video files are generally larger, requiring more storage space. Websites need to consider storage costs and ensure that there is enough storage space to accommodate high-definition content.</li><li>Video encoding and compatibility: Different video encoding formats may affect the playback compatibility of videos. Websites need to choose a widely supported encoding format to ensure that most users can watch videos smoothly.</li><li>Focus on visual experience or content: Although HD videos can provide better image quality, not all content requires high-definition quality. Websites need to decide whether to provide HD videos based on content type and target audience, balancing video quality and user experience.</li></ol><h2 id="SD-or-HD:-Both-need-to-be-compatible">SD or HD: Both need to be compatible</h2>As a video delivery platform, we cannot solely choose to deliver SD or HD, as there is no absolute conclusion. Instead, we need to deliver SD or HD based on the real-time experience environment of different users. This depends on many factors, including user device performance, network conditions, content requirements, as well as the website's own storage and bandwidth costs. Users can choose the most suitable video quality according to their device performance and network conditions. For example, users with slower network speeds or lower device performance may choose SD videos to ensure smooth playback. On the other hand, users with faster network speeds, better device performance, or higher image quality requirements may choose HD videos for a better viewing experience.In summary, video platforms should consider various factors when choosing between SD and HD and make timely adjustments based on changes in these factors. While taking into account their own platform capabilities, they should meet the needs of different users and provide the best user experience.<h2 id="Compatible-optimization-strategy">Compatible optimization strategy</h2>Since we cannot choose to use SD or HD exclusively, what should we do to improve our delivery effectiveness if we are compatible with both SD and HD? Here are some strategies that websites usually need to implement to help video platforms improve the quality of the user's video experience.Offer multiple resolution options and intelligently recommend suitable resolutions: Provide a variety of resolutions for users to choose from, such as SD (Standard Definition), HD (High Definition), and 4K (Ultra High Definition), and intelligently recognize the user's environment and recommend the best SD or HD resolution. The following information should be considered when recommending suitable resolutions:&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Network speed: Automatically select the appropriate resolution based on the user's real-time network speed. If the network speed is fast, the player will choose a higher resolution; otherwise, if the network speed is slow, the resolution will be reduced to ensure smooth video playback.</li><li>Device screen resolution: The player will detect the user's device screen resolution to ensure that the selected resolution does not exceed the device's display capabilities, avoiding resource waste.</li><li>Video source resolution: The player will consider the highest resolution of the video itself, avoiding the selection of options that exceed the video source resolution, which may affect the viewing experience.</li></ol>Adaptive Bitrate Streaming (ABR): Implement adaptive bitrate streaming technology to adjust video quality in real-time based on the user's network speed and device performance, ensuring a smooth playback experience.Optimize storage and transmission costs: Use efficient video encoding technologies (such as H.264 or VP9) to reduce the size of video files while maintaining image quality, reducing bandwidth and storage costs.Retain user preference settings: Allow users to set their default video quality, such as SD or HD, so that their preferred quality is automatically selected when watching videos. At the same time, users can switch video quality at any time during the viewing process. Data analysis and optimization: Continuously optimize video content, resolution, encoding, and transmission strategies by collecting and analyzing user viewing behavior, device information, and network conditions to improve user satisfaction and viewing duration.<h2 id="Future-changes,-long-term-choices">Future changes, long-term choices</h2>With the continuous development of technology and changes in user needs, the future trends of SD (Standard Definition) and HD (High Definition) will also change. Here are some possible trends:<ol><li>Widespread adoption of high-definition video: As high-definition display devices such as smartphones, tablets, and HDTVs become more popular, and network speeds improve, HD video will become increasingly favored by users. This may lead to SD video being gradually replaced by high-definition video.</li><li>The rise of ultra-high-definition video: With the development of ultra-high-definition video technologies such as 4K and 8K, more users may switch to these higher-resolution video formats in the future. This will further promote the development of high-definition video, while the demand for SD video may further decrease.</li><li>Improvement of adaptive streaming technology: Adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) technology can adjust video quality in real-time based on user network speed and device performance. As this technology improves, more video websites and applications may adopt ABR technology in the future, allowing users to automatically obtain the best viewing experience without manually choosing between SD and HD.</li><li>New video encoding technologies: With the emergence of new video encoding technologies (such as H.265/HEVC, AV1, etc.), future video files can maintain high image quality while having smaller file sizes and lower bandwidth requirements. This will help reduce video transmission and storage costs, further promoting the popularization of high-definition video.</li><li>Development of virtual reality and augmented reality: With the development of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies, more video content may require higher resolution and image quality in the future. This will place higher demands on SD and HD videos and may even give birth to new video resolutions and formats.</li></ol>In summary, the future trends of SD and HD may develop in the direction of widespread adoption of high-definition video, the rise of ultra-high-definition video, improvement of adaptive streaming technology, application of new video encoding technologies, and development of virtual reality and augmented reality. This will bring a better viewing experience for users and present new challenges and opportunities for video content providers and technology developers.

SD vs HD? Helping You Make the Right Choice

Difference between MP4, MOV, MKV, and AVI

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<img src="https://mps.live/media/8c667b16-8430-4d5c-bfcf-b8aae48bd53f.png" alt="TV industry.png">When&nbsp;it&nbsp;comes&nbsp;to&nbsp;video&nbsp;formats,&nbsp;understanding&nbsp;the&nbsp;differences&nbsp;between&nbsp;various&nbsp;container&nbsp;formats&nbsp;is&nbsp;crucial&nbsp;for&nbsp;ensuring&nbsp;optimal&nbsp;playback,&nbsp;compatibility,&nbsp;file&nbsp;size, and specific features.&nbsp;In&nbsp;this&nbsp;article,&nbsp;we'll&nbsp;explore&nbsp;the&nbsp;most&nbsp;popular&nbsp;video&nbsp;container&nbsp;formats&nbsp;to&nbsp;help&nbsp;you&nbsp;make&nbsp;an&nbsp;informed&nbsp;decision&nbsp;when&nbsp;choosing&nbsp;the&nbsp;right&nbsp;one&nbsp;for&nbsp;your&nbsp;needs.<h2 id="What-is-a-Video-Container-Format?" id="What-is-a-Video-Container-Format?" style="margin-left:0pt;">What is a Video Container Format?</h2>Before diving into how to choose the best format, it's essential to understand what a video container format is. Essentially, a video container is a file format that encapsulates various types of data such as video, audio, subtitles, and metadata (like title, description, and author) into a single file. The container format does not affect the video quality but plays a vital role in determining the file's compatibility, compression, and playback options. Popular video container formats include MP4, MOV, MKV, and AVI.<h2 id="Difference-between-MP4,-MOV,-MKV,-and-AVI" id="Difference-between-MP4,-MOV,-MKV,-and-AVI" style="margin-left:0pt;">Difference between MP4, MOV, MKV, and AVI</h2>1.&nbsp;MP4&nbsp;(MPEG-4&nbsp;Part&nbsp;14)MP4, or MPEG-4 Part 14, is a widely-used multimedia container format that can store both video and audio data. It is compatible with most devices and media players, making it a popular choice for sharing and distributing video content. MP4 files are typically smaller in size than other formats, making them easier to upload and download.Advantages:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Wide&nbsp;compatibility:&nbsp;MP4&nbsp;is&nbsp;supported&nbsp;by&nbsp;most&nbsp;modern&nbsp;devices&nbsp;and&nbsp;media&nbsp;players.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Efficient&nbsp;compression:&nbsp;MP4&nbsp;files&nbsp;can&nbsp;be&nbsp;compressed&nbsp;using&nbsp;H.264&nbsp;or&nbsp;H.265&nbsp;codecs,&nbsp;reducing&nbsp;file&nbsp;size&nbsp;without&nbsp;compromising&nbsp;quality.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Supports&nbsp;digital&nbsp;rights&nbsp;management&nbsp;(DRM):&nbsp;MP4&nbsp;supports&nbsp;encryption,&nbsp;making&nbsp;it&nbsp;suitable&nbsp;for&nbsp;copyrighted&nbsp;content.2.&nbsp;MOV&nbsp;(QuickTime&nbsp;File&nbsp;Format)MOV, or QuickTime Movie, is a file format developed by Apple for storing video and audio data. It is commonly used for recording and editing video on Mac computers. MOV files are known for their high-quality video and audio, making them a popular choice for professional video editing and production.Advantages:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Versatile:&nbsp;MOV&nbsp;is&nbsp;compatible&nbsp;with&nbsp;both&nbsp;Windows&nbsp;and&nbsp;macOS&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;High-quality&nbsp;video:&nbsp;MOV&nbsp;supports&nbsp;various&nbsp;high-quality&nbsp;video&nbsp;codecs,&nbsp;including&nbsp;ProRes&nbsp;and&nbsp;DNxHD.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Editing-friendly:&nbsp;MOV&nbsp;is&nbsp;widely&nbsp;used&nbsp;in&nbsp;professional&nbsp;video&nbsp;editing&nbsp;software.3.&nbsp;MKV&nbsp;(Matroska Video)MKV, or Matroska Video, is an open-source multimedia container format that can store multiple audio, video, and subtitle tracks in a single file. This makes it a popular choice for high-quality video content, such as Blu-ray rips and high-definition video files. MKV files also support advanced features such as chapter markers and metadata.Advantages:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Open-source:&nbsp;MKV&nbsp;is&nbsp;an&nbsp;open-source&nbsp;format,&nbsp;free&nbsp;from&nbsp;patents&nbsp;and&nbsp;licensing&nbsp;issues.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Highly&nbsp;customizable:&nbsp;MKV&nbsp;allows&nbsp;users&nbsp;to&nbsp;store&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;audio,&nbsp;video,&nbsp;and&nbsp;subtitle&nbsp;tracks&nbsp;within&nbsp;a&nbsp;single&nbsp;file.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;High-quality&nbsp;streaming:&nbsp;MKV&nbsp;supports&nbsp;high-quality&nbsp;video&nbsp;codecs&nbsp;like&nbsp;H.264,&nbsp;H.265,&nbsp;and&nbsp;VP9.4.&nbsp;AVI&nbsp;(Audio&nbsp;Video&nbsp;Interleave)AVI, or Audio Video Interleave, is a file format developed by Microsoft for storing video and audio data. It is compatible with most media players, but is less common than other formats. AVI files are known for their high-quality video and audio, but can be larger in size than other formats.Advantages:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Legacy&nbsp;support:&nbsp;AVI&nbsp;has&nbsp;been&nbsp;around&nbsp;since&nbsp;the&nbsp;early&nbsp;days&nbsp;of&nbsp;video&nbsp;playback,&nbsp;making&nbsp;it&nbsp;compatible&nbsp;with&nbsp;many&nbsp;older&nbsp;systems.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;No&nbsp;digital&nbsp;rights&nbsp;management:&nbsp;AVI&nbsp;does&nbsp;not&nbsp;support&nbsp;DRM,&nbsp;making&nbsp;it&nbsp;suitable&nbsp;for&nbsp;non-copyrighted&nbsp;content.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;-&nbsp;Customizable:&nbsp;AVI&nbsp;allows&nbsp;users&nbsp;to&nbsp;customize&nbsp;the&nbsp;video&nbsp;and&nbsp;audio&nbsp;settings.<h2 id="Key-Factors-to-Consider" id="Key-Factors-to-Consider" style="margin-left:0pt;">Key Factors to Consider</h2>When selecting the best video container format for your project, several key factors come into play:1. Compatibility: Ensure the format is compatible with the platforms where the video will be uploaded or the devices it will be viewed on. MP4, for instance, is widely supported across different devices and platforms.2. Quality: Some formats support higher video and audio quality. For example, MKV can hold high-quality video and multiple audio tracks and subtitles but might not be compatible with all devices.3. Compression: Consider the format's support for compression to reduce file size without significantly impacting quality. MP4 is known for balancing quality and file size efficiently, making it a preferred choice for online streaming.4. Features: Evaluate the specific features you need, such as support for subtitles, multiple audio tracks, and metadata. MKV excels in this area, offering comprehensive support for various audio and subtitle formats.<h2 id="Making-Your-Choice" id="Making-Your-Choice">Making Your Choice</h2>To choose the best video container format, consider the end-use of your video. If you're aiming for wide compatibility and efficient streaming, MP4 is often the safest bet. For projects involving extensive editing or requiring high-quality results with no concern for file size, MOV or AVI might be more suitable. MKV stands out for its support for multiple audio and subtitle tracks, making it ideal for films or shows meant for multilingual audiences.In conclusion, there's no one-size-fits-all answer to the best video container format. Assess the compatibility, quality, file size, and specific features you need for your project. Understanding the strengths and limitations of each format will guide your decision, ensuring your video reaches its intended audience in the best possible form.<h2 id="Tencent-MPS" id="Tencent-MPS" style="margin-left:0pt;">Tencent MPS</h2><a href="https://mps.live/products/encoding">Tencent MPS encoding </a>supports a variety of container formats, with input formats including: 3GP, AVI, FLV, MP4, M3U8, MPG, ASF, WMV, MKV, MOV, TS, WebM, and MXF. Output container formats comprise: Video - FLV, MP4, HLS, MXF; Audio - MP3, MP4, Ogg, FLAC, M4A; and Image - &nbsp;GIF, WebP.&nbsp;Below are several common scenarios for your reference:1. Video Websites: MPS covers all mainstream video formats and supports multiple resolutions and bitrates, enabling video websites to deliver a smooth and consistent user experience to users with different bandwidth options.2. Online Education: MPS' powerful video transcoding feature can generate video files of different specifications, so video can be played back on various devices, making it highly suitable for the online education industry.3. Broadcasting Industry: MPS features fast and stable multipart transcoding and supports concurrent task execution and dynamic scaling, satisfying the needs for efficient transcoding in the broadcasting industry.4. OTT Smart TVs: MPS supports video transcoding to 2K and 4K resolutions for smart TVs, so as to provide enhanced video quality for viewers.Choosing the right video container format is crucial for ensuring optimal video quality, compatibility, and compression efficiency. Feel free to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact Us</a> for more information.

How to choose the best video container format?

Stream

4K/8K UHD

Real-Time Ultra HD(8K/144FPS) represents a monumental leap in the evolution of Ultra-High Definition visual experiences, offering unprecedented detail and fluidity that far surpasses current mainstream standards. As display and streaming technologies continue to advance, this level of clarity and smooth motion is poised to become the new benchmark for immersive entertainment, gaming, and professional applications.<h2 id="What-is-Ultra-HD?" id="What-is-Ultra-HD?">What is Ultra HD?</h2>UHD, short for Ultra-High Definition, is a video resolution standard. UHD typically includes two specifications: 4K UHD and 8K UHD.&nbsp;4K UHD: It has a resolution of 3840x2160 pixels, which is four times that of Full HD (1080P, with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels). 4K UHD is commonly found in televisions, computer monitors, projectors, and some high-end smartphones.&nbsp;8K UHD: It has a resolution of 7680x4320 pixels, which is four times that of 4K UHD and sixteen times that of Full HD. 8K UHD is primarily used in high-end televisions and professional-grade display devices.&nbsp;The main advantage of UHD is that it provides extremely high picture clarity and detail, especially when viewed on large-screen devices, offering an outstanding visual experience. However, 4K/8K ultra-high-definition videos greatly enhance resolution and clarity, but also come with extremely high bitrates that present significant challenges to the transmission, processing, and playback.<h2 id="Introduction-to-the-Solution" id="Introduction-to-the-Solution">Introduction to the Solution</h2>Tencent MPS has launched a real-time ultra-high-definition end-to-end solution to cater to the real-time processing and distribution needs of users for ultra-high-definition content. The solution is based on Tencent's <a href="https://mps.live/blog/details/top-speed-codec">Top Speed Codec</a> transcoding, ultra-high-definition cross-domain transmission capabilities, and a wealth of global resource nodes.&nbsp;This solution supports access protocols like SRT, QUIC, and RTP, and can achieve real-time processing and distribution of up to 8K/144FPS ultra-high-definition videos. It also supports real-time processing capabilities such as transcoding, media processing, video AI, time shifting, live video caster, and advertisement insertion. Furthermore, the solution can be flexibly deployed in a hybrid cloud model, combining public and private cloud, to cover a wider range of business scenarios. With its ultra-high-definition low-latency cross-domain transmission and real-time processing capabilities, this solution is an ideal fit for users seeking to process and distribute ultra-high-definition content in real-time.<img src="https://mps.live/media/ff410d8c-c4d6-4b1f-b050-1ce92cb69818.jpeg" alt="Real-time ultra-high definition solution architecture"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:hsl(0,0%,60%);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:11px;">Real-time ultra-high definition solution architecture<h2 id="Advantages-of-the-Solution" id="Advantages-of-the-Solution">Advantages of the Solution</h2><h3>1. Ultra HD Transmission and Global Distribution Acceleration</h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">The real-time ultra-high-definition end-to-end solution supports cross-domain transmission of ultra-high-definition source streams such as SRT/QUIC/RTP protocols, combined with Tencent MPS<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">'s global audio and video acceleration distribution node group, quickly covering the world with ultra-high-definition content. The cross-regional audio and video transmission capability provided by the solution has advantages such as high packet loss resistance, low latency, and convenient access. The delay of 100Mbps audio and video data transmission under rtt=100ms can be stably controlled within 400ms.<img src="https://mps.live/media/35db0094-71c7-4084-91d8-746723ee0358.jpeg" alt="Low latency streaming media transmission scheme"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:hsl(0,0%,60%);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;font-size:11px;">Low latency streaming media transmission scheme<h3>2. Lower Bitrate and Superior Image Quality</h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">Whether it's H.264, H.265, AV1, or H.266, Tencent has independently developed corresponding encoding cores internally. Compared with the widely used x264/x265/libaom in the industry, there are significant improvements in compression performance, encoding speed, bitrate control, and subjective vision. Encoding formats such as H.265 and AV1, paired with Top Speed Codec transcoding, offer superior bitrate and better image quality at the same resolution. By saving 50% of bandwidth, they enhance subjective image quality and enable real-time processing services for ultra-high-definition videos.<img src="https://mps.live/media/7a70fad2-add0-4a3e-ad01-b156553e5424.png" alt="VOD Transcoding Experience">VOD Transcoding Experience<h3>3. Real-time Processing and Seamless Integration</h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">The real-time ultra-high-definition end-to-end solution can achieve real-time processing of 8K/144FPS video through slice transcoding technology. It supports ultra-high-definition content recording, image quality enhancement, and other media processing capabilities. It can seamlessly integrate with video AI, ad insertion, time shifting, live video caster, and other Cloud Streaming Services's functions.<img src="https://mps.live/media/08898897-4576-454e-9e5c-c2e81486411b.jpeg" alt="Architecture of 8K Slice Transcoding Scheme">Architecture of 8K Slice Transcoding Scheme<h3>4. Supports Hybrid Cloud and More Flexible Deployment</h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">The system supports a hybrid deployment model of public cloud transcoding + private cloud distribution. Transcoding resources can be expanded as needed, and private distribution nodes can be set up on the internal network to reduce public network bandwidth. This approach is flexible, stable, and reliable.<img src="https://mps.live/media/138a3344-aee7-4e2b-933f-cf55e193adc6.jpeg" alt="Privatized distribution scheme architecture">Privatized distribution scheme architecture<h2 id="Applicable-Scenarios-for-the-Solution" id="Applicable-Scenarios-for-the-Solution">Applicable Scenarios for the Solution</h2><h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">1. Broadcasting</h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">The real-time ultra-HD end-to-end solution features a high-speed and stable chunk transcoding system, supporting multi-task concurrency and dynamic expansion. It supports real-time processing of 4K/8K ultra-HD, meeting the broadcasting industry's need for simultaneous output of multiple streams for distribution. The solution also supports powerful AI capabilities such as content understanding, auditing, and quality inspection. While ensuring video safety and high quality, it recognizes scenes and segments of content, meeting the content operation needs of the broadcasting scene.<h3><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">2. Online video</h3>The real-time ultra-HD end-to-end solution supports a wide range of transcoding formats. Through Top Speed Codec transcoding, it can significantly compress video bit rates while ensuring image quality, reducing user storage bandwidth costs. The solution also supports adaptive bitstream, automatic switching of multiple resolutions, and meeting the playback requirements under various terminals and network environments.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">3. Live streaming platform</h3>The real-time ultra-HD end-to-end solution supports seamless integration with video AI, ad insertion, time shifting, live video caster, and other Cloud Streaming Services<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">'s functions, meeting your various business needs. Combined with <a href="https://mps.live/blog/details/live-event-broadcasting">Live Event Broadcasting</a> service provided by Tencent MPS, it has been fully upgraded in terms of WebRTC end-to-end signaling process, audio and video encoding format support, transmission transformation, media processing optimization, etc., providing audiences with a millisecond-level ultimate live viewing experience.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">4. Enterprise live streaming</h3>The real-time ultra-HD end-to-end solution supports a hybrid deployment mode of public cloud transcoding + private cloud distribution. It is suitable for internal live broadcasting, training, and other scenarios in enterprises. While processing ultra-HD content in real-time, it can reduce public network bandwidth by setting up private distribution nodes through the intranet, saving costs for enterprises.<h2 id="Conclusion" id="Conclusion" style="margin-left:0px;">Conclusion</h2>Tencent MPS<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;">'s Real-time Ultra HD Full Link Solution is a solution provided by <a href="https://mps.live">Tencent&nbsp;MPS</a><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:&quot;Open Sans&quot;, &quot;Clear Sans&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, Arial, &quot;Segoe UI Emoji&quot;, sans-serif;"> to meet the needs of users for real-time Ultra HD video transmission and processing. This solution covers the entire link from video capture, transmission, encoding, transmission, and decoding to playback, ensuring that users can have a high-quality real-time video experience. <span style="color:rgb(36,41,47);font-family:-apple-system, &quot;system-ui&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, &quot;PingFang SC&quot;, &quot;Hiragino Sans GB&quot;, &quot;Microsoft YaHei&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;">Welcome to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact&nbsp;Us</a><span style="color:rgb(36,41,47);font-family:-apple-system, &quot;system-ui&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, &quot;PingFang SC&quot;, &quot;Hiragino Sans GB&quot;, &quot;Microsoft YaHei&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;"> for consultation.

Exploring the Future of Streaming: Real-Time Ultra HD(8K/144FPS) End-to-End Solution

Application Scenarios of Variable Frame Rate

Detecting and Handling Variable Frame Rate

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In the ever-evolving world of digital media, video quality and efficiency are paramount. As technology advances, Variable Frame Rate (VFR) has emerged as a crucial technique in video encoding, offering significant benefits over traditional methods.<img src="https://mps.live/media/65a5c6b9-28a8-411b-a9a6-e92736001da0.png" alt="What is Variable Frame Rate"><h2 id="The-Basics-of-Frame-Rate">The Basics of Frame Rate</h2>Frame rate, expressed in frames per second (fps), is fundamental to video technology. It represents the number of individual frames or images displayed each second during video playback or recording. Standard frame rates vary by the medium and intended effect, with 24 fps traditional for film, while 30 fps or 60 fps are common in television and online videos. The fixed frame rate, or Constant Frame Rate (CFR), has been the norm for decades, ensuring synchronization of audio with consistent video playback.<h2 id="What-is-Constant-Frame-Rate-(CFR)?">What is Constant Frame Rate (CFR)?</h2>Constant Frame Rate (CFR) refers to the encoding technique where each frame in a video sequence is displayed at a consistent and unchanging rate. For example, a video set at 30 frames per second (fps) will maintain this rate throughout its entire duration, ensuring uniform time intervals between each frame.In CFR, the video encoder processes and outputs frames at a fixed rate, regardless of the scene's complexity or motion. This fixed rate means that every second of the video contains the same number of frames, providing a steady and predictable playback experience.<h2 id="What-is-Variable-Frame-Rate-(VFR)?">What is Variable Frame Rate (VFR)?</h2>Variable Frame Rate (VFR) is a technique used in video encoding where the frame rate of the video can change dynamically depending on the content being displayed. Unlike Constant Frame Rate (CFR), where each second of video has the same number of frames, VFR allows for a varying number of frames per second. This flexibility can lead to significant benefits in terms of storage efficiency and video quality. In essence, VFR adjusts the frame rate on-the-fly, increasing it during scenes with a lot of motion and decreasing it during static scenes. This adaptability makes VFR particularly useful in scenarios where bandwidth and storage are limited, or where the content itself has varying levels of complexity.<h2 id="The-Difference-Between-CFR-and-VFR">The Difference Between CFR and VFR</h2>The primary difference between Constant Frame Rate (CFR) and Variable Frame Rate (VFR) lies in the consistency of the number of frames displayed per second throughout the video.Constant Frame Rate (CFR):<ul><li>Consistency: CFR maintains a fixed number of frames per second (fps) across the entire length of the video.</li><li>Synchronization: With CFR, audio and video synchronization is typically easier to maintain because the timing is uniform.</li><li>Compatibility: CFR is widely compatible with most video editing and playback systems.</li><li>Predictability: Since the frame rate does not change, the size of the final video file and the required bandwidth for streaming are more predictable.</li><li>Standardization: Many traditional broadcasting and DVD standards require CFR because of its stability and predictability.</li></ul>Variable Frame Rate (VFR):<ul><li>Flexibility: VFR allows the frame rate to change dynamically throughout the video. It can increase for fast-moving scenes and decrease for static shots.</li><li>Efficiency: VFR can be more efficient in terms of file size because it doesn't use a high frame rate when it’s not needed.</li><li>Complexity: Handling VFR can be more complex, especially during editing and playback, because not all systems support the variable nature of the frame timing.</li><li>Quality: For certain types of content, such as recorded gameplay or mixed-media presentations, VFR can maintain high visual quality without unnecessarily large file sizes.</li><li>Potential Issues: VFR may cause issues with sync, especially if the software or hardware isn't designed to handle frame rate variability. &nbsp;</li></ul>In essence, CFR is the more traditional and widely supported format that guarantees compatibility and ease of editing but can result in larger file sizes. VFR offers more efficient data storage and potentially enhanced viewing experiences but requires careful handling to avoid sync and compatibility issues.<h2 id="Advantages-of-Variable-Frame-Rate">Advantages of Variable Frame Rate</h2>Storage Efficiency: One of the most significant advantages of Variable Frame Rate is its ability to reduce the data size of video files. By allocating more frames to motion-heavy scenes and fewer frames to static scenes, VFR efficiently uses storage space. This reduction in data size can be crucial for streaming services and applications that require efficient use of storage.Enhanced Video Quality: VFR improves the fluidity and clarity of videos, especially in dynamic scenes. By adjusting the frame rate based on the content, VFR ensures that high-motion scenes are captured with more frames, resulting in smoother playback. This can be particularly beneficial for action-packed videos, sports broadcasts, and gaming streams.Flexibility: Variable Frame Rate offers dynamic adjustment according to content needs. This flexibility allows for a more tailored approach to video encoding, ensuring that each scene is encoded with the optimal number of frames. This adaptability can lead to a better viewing experience for the end-user.<h2 id="Application-Scenarios-of-Variable-Frame-Rate">Application Scenarios of Variable Frame Rate</h2>Live Streaming: In live streaming, conditions can change rapidly, such as variations in network bandwidth or scene complexity. VFR allows the encoder to adjust the frame rate dynamically, ensuring a smoother streaming experience by reducing buffering and maintaining video quality.Screen Recording: VFR is also widely used in screen recording applications. Different operations and scenes on a computer screen may require various frame rates. For instance, a static desktop background may need fewer frames than a high-motion video game. VFR allows screen recording software to adjust the frame rate dynamically, resulting in smaller file sizes and better quality recordings.Animation and Special Effects: In the world of animation and special effects, achieving optimal visual effects often requires varying frame rates. VFR enables animators and special effects artists to use higher frame rates for complex scenes and lower frame rates for simpler scenes. This flexibility can lead to more efficient workflows and higher-quality animations.Gaming Videos: Gaming videos often feature sequences with varying levels of action and detail. VFR can handle these fluctuations more efficiently than a constant frame rate, providing better synchronization and quality during high-action scenes while conserving resources during slower moments.Sports Broadcasting: Sports events feature rapid motion and varying levels of activity. VFR allows broadcasters to adjust the frame rate in real-time, ensuring that fast-paced action is captured smoothly without unnecessary resource usage during slower moments.Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): In VR and AR, the frame rate needs to adapt to different levels of interaction and complexity within the immersive environment. VFR ensures a seamless and responsive experience by adjusting the frame rate according to the content's demands.Surveillance and Security Cameras: Security cameras often use VFR to adapt to varying levels of activity in their field of view. This helps in conserving storage space and processing power by lowering the frame rate during periods of inactivity and increasing it during moments of high activity.<h2 id="Challenges-of-Variable-Frame-Rate">Challenges of Variable Frame Rate</h2>Compatibility: One of the primary challenges of Variable Frame Rate is ensuring compatibility with various media players and editing software. Not all players and software support VFR, which can lead to playback issues or synchronization problems. Ensuring broad compatibility is essential for the widespread adoption of VFR.Synchronization: Maintaining audio and video synchronization in VFR streams can be challenging. Since the frame rate is not constant, the timing of audio and video must be carefully managed to ensure they remain in sync. This requires sophisticated encoding and playback mechanisms.Complexity: The encoding and decoding processes for VFR are more complex than for CFR. This complexity can lead to increased processing power requirements and potential issues during playback. Handling this complexity effectively is crucial for delivering a seamless viewing experience.<h2 id="Detecting-and-Handling-Variable-Frame-Rate">Detecting and Handling Variable Frame Rate</h2><h3>Detecting Variable Frame Rate</h3>Detecting VFR in video content is crucial for ensuring proper synchronization and playback. Video editing software often includes a feature that alerts you to VFR content when it is imported. Furthermore, media tools like MediaInfo or Adobe Premiere Pro can analyze a video file and report whether it's encoded with Variable Frame Rate (VFR) or Constant Frame Rate (CFR).<img src="https://mps.live/media/7b8a949b-b0a0-49e3-b912-0c498488bd15.png" alt="Detecting Variable Frame Rate"><h3>Handling Variable Frame Rate</h3>Once VFR is detected, handling it properly is essential to maintain the integrity of audio-video synchronization and to ensure a smooth editing process.Using VFR-Compatible Editing Software: Some modern video editing platforms like Adobe Premiere Pro are designed to handle VFR natively. They can automatically adjust the timeline to match the variable rates of the footage, preventing common issues like A/V desync.Adjusting the Playback Engine: Some media players and editing systems allow customization of the playback engine settings to accommodate VFR content. Adjusting buffering and timing settings can ensure smoother playback.Transcoding to Constant Frame Rate (CFR): If other methods are not suitable for you, you can try transcoding it to CFR. Transcoding software can convert VFR footage to a consistent CFR that matches the majority of editing and playback systems. This process safeguards against dropped frames and synchronization problems. However, this will result in the loss of the advantages of Variable Frame Rate (VFR).&nbsp;<img src="https://mps.live/media/a52f4735-f6e8-4024-8d7b-b65eabaa9c4f.jpg" alt="Handling Variable Frame Rate"><h2 id="Conclusion">Conclusion</h2>Variable Frame Rate is a powerful technique that offers numerous benefits, including storage efficiency, enhanced video quality, and flexibility. Its applications span various industries, from live streaming to animation, making it a valuable tool for content creators and broadcasters.However, VFR also presents challenges, including compatibility, synchronization, and complexity. Addressing these challenges requires careful planning and adherence to best practices.<h2 id="FAQs">FAQs</h2>Q: What is the primary difference between Variable Frame Rate (VFR) and Constant Frame Rate (CFR)? A: The primary difference between Variable Frame Rate (VFR) and Constant Frame Rate (CFR) is that VFR allows the frame rate to change dynamically based on the content being displayed, while CFR maintains a consistent frame rate throughout the video. VFR adjusts the number of frames per second according to the complexity of the scene, leading to potential benefits in storage efficiency and video quality.Q: How does Variable Frame Rate improve video quality? A: Variable Frame Rate improves video quality by allocating more frames to high-motion scenes and fewer frames to static scenes. This dynamic adjustment ensures that fast-moving scenes are captured with greater detail and smoothness, resulting in enhanced fluidity and clarity. This adaptability makes VFR particularly beneficial for action-packed videos, sports broadcasts, and gaming streams.Q: What are some common challenges associated with Variable Frame Rate? A: Common challenges associated with Variable Frame Rate include compatibility with various media players and editing software, maintaining audio and video synchronization, and the increased complexity of encoding and decoding processes. Addressing these challenges requires sophisticated encoding techniques, robust error handling strategies, and adherence to best practices to ensure a seamless viewing experience.You are welcome to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact Us</a> for more information. &nbsp;

Understanding Variable Frame Rate: Improve Your Video Experience

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With the continuous evolution of display resolutions and the constant updates in viewing devices, the industry's demand for superior video clarity is on the rise. 4K and 8K Ultra HD resolutions have become widespread across sectors such as television, film production, photography, and gaming. These resolutions offer an enhanced visual experience, allowing viewers to indulge in more vivid and detailed imagery. However, the advent of these ultra-high resolutions and high bitrates presents a new set of challenges that necessitate innovative solutions. This article will delve into how <a href="https://mps.live">Tencent Media Processing Service</a> (MPS) can harness its media processing capabilities to expedite digitalization upgrades in the media industry.<h2 id="What-is-4K-Resolution?">What is 4K Resolution?</h2>4K Ultra HD: 4K resolution typically refers to a video resolution with a horizontal pixel count of 3840 pixels and a vertical pixel count of 2160 pixels. It is also known as 2160p or UHD (Ultra High Definition). Compared to traditional Full HD (1080p) resolution, 4K provides higher pixel density, resulting in sharper images and richer details.<h2 id="What-is-8K-Ultra-HD?">What is 8K Ultra HD?</h2>8K Ultra HD: 8K resolution refers to a video resolution with a horizontal pixel count of 7680 pixels and a vertical pixel count of 4320 pixels. It is also known as 4320p or FUHD (Full Ultra High Definition). 8K resolution is higher than 4K resolution, providing even higher pixel density and more details, resulting in more realistic and clearer images.<h2 id="Challenges-of-Ultra-HD-video">Challenges of Ultra HD video</h2><h3>1. Urgent Need for Efficient Real-Time Encoding Technologies</h3>As 4K/8K video introduces unprecedented resolution and bitrate, conventional encoding technologies struggle to keep up with the demands of real-time processing. Particularly in live broadcasting and major event scenarios, there is an acute need for technologies that can swiftly handle and compress high-resolution video streams to ensure seamless and real-time content delivery.<figure class="image"><img src="https://mps.live/media/7a4b5726-37aa-4841-9f3a-c4e116381913.jpg" alt="Encoding Technology Challenges"></figure><h3>2. Innovation in Live Streaming System Architecture</h3>Ultra-high-definition video significantly intensifies the demands placed on transmission and distribution system architectures. It becomes imperative to innovatively design systems capable of supporting the transmission of high-bitrate video seamlessly.<h3>3. Growing Demand for Higher Resolutions&nbsp;</h3>As the demand for high-quality content continues to rise, there is an increasing need for higher resolutions to deliver an immersive viewing experience.&nbsp;<h3>4. Memory Optimization Challenges</h3>The pursuit of higher resolutions poses challenges, particularly in terms of memory usage. How to maintain high image quality while optimizing memory bottlenecks is crucial.By focusing efforts on addressing these core challenges, the development and application of 4K/8K ultra-high-definition video technology can be propelled more effectively.<h2 id="Technological-innovation-and-solutions">Technological innovation and solutions</h2>When faced with the challenges brought by 4K/8K ultra-high-definition videos, we have not only conducted thorough analysis of these technical obstacles but also actively explored and implemented a series of innovative optimization solutions, aiming to achieve technological breakthroughs and enhance the overall video processing capabilities.<h3>1. 4K/8K Encoding Optimization</h3>Tencent MPS has developed its own encoding kernels for various video codecs, including H.264, H.265, AV1, and the latest H.266. The advantage of developing in-house encoders is the ability to design encoding features that are more tailored to real-world business scenarios and optimize them accordingly. For example, during the Beijing Winter Olympics, Our live streaming system supported real-time encoding and compression of 4K/8K videos, with a maximum of 120 frames per second (FPS) real-time encoding. To achieve real-time performance, the internal encoder underwent extensive customization and optimization.From Tencent's self-developed H.265 encoder, V265, it offers improved speed and better compression compared to the open-source X265 encoder. V265 excels in terms of speed, with its fastest preset significantly outperforming X265, enabling fast encoding even at high resolutions. Additionally, V265 supports 8K, 10-bit, and HDR encoding, providing enhanced capabilities for advanced video processing.<figure class="image"><img src="https://mps.live/media/759a70ca-16bb-4ec9-9858-5a01de31242f.png" alt="Optimization of Ultra-High-Definition Encoding"></figure>When it comes to fast encoding of ultra-high-definition videos, we focus on several key optimization directions. The first one is to improve parallelism. We understand that there is frame-level parallelism and macroblock-level parallelism in the encoding process. For real-time encoding of high-resolution content, we have optimized the frame structure to enhance inter-frame encoding parallelism. For macroblock-level parallelism, we support tile-based encoding to optimize row-level encoding parallelism.On the other hand, encoders often involve a lookahead analysis process, where the video needs to undergo lookahead analysis before subsequent encoding operations can take place. However, lookahead analysis can become a bottleneck in the overall parallel processing pipeline. To address this, we simplify the complexity bottleneck algorithms in the lookahead analysis and post-processing stages, thereby speeding up this process. Through these optimizations, both the encoding processing speed and parallelism are significantly improved.<h3>2. <span style="background-color:hsl(0,0%,100%);color:#000000;font-family:-apple-system, &quot;system-ui&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, &quot;PingFang SC&quot;, &quot;Hiragino Sans GB&quot;, &quot;Microsoft YaHei&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;">Enhancing System Architecture for Improved Encoding Performance</h3>In live streaming scenarios, it is challenging to achieve real-time encoding and compression efficiency for 8K videos solely through upgrades to the encoding kernel. It requires adjustments to the overall system architecture. Tencent MPS optimizes the system architecture to address the specific needs of live streaming scenarios.Currently, a common solution is to input the 8K AVS3 video source into a hardware encoder, which outputs multiple streams including 8K H.265, 4K H.265, 1080P H.264, and even 720P H.264 for distribution. While this solution can achieve the desired outcome, it also presents several issues.<ul><li>Firstly, hardware encoders for 8K are generally expensive, especially for 8K/AV1 encoders, which have limited options and higher prices.</li><li>Secondly, compared to optimized software encoders, hardware encoders still have lower compression efficiency. This is due to certain characteristics of hardware encoders that prevent the application of parallelizable acceleration algorithms.</li><li>Thirdly, hardware encoders often come with fixed architectures and chips, making it difficult to adapt quickly to various business scenarios. The constantly changing and upgrading business requirements pose a significant challenge for hardware encoders. However, if the same encoding results can be achieved through software encoding, it would be possible to balance transcoding efficiency and business flexibility.</li></ul><img src="https://mps.live/media/68338c80-a6ff-438b-ad51-082f0e7d0d0d.jpeg" alt="4K/8K Ultra-High-Definition real-time live streaming">To address these issues, we have made several adjustments to the overall architecture of our live streaming system. First, let's briefly explain the architecture of a typical live streaming system. The stream is pushed to an upload gateway, which then processes and transcodes the live stream. The transcoded output is then pushed to a CDN for distribution and viewing.For 8K video encoding, relying on a single machine or transcoding node in the existing live streaming processing chain makes it difficult to achieve real-time software encoding. Therefore, in this context, we have designed a platform for processing ultra-high-definition live streams.The ultra-high-definition live transcoding node does not perform actual transcoding but rather handles stream encapsulation. It slices the incoming source stream into TS (Transport Stream) segments and sends these TS segments as files to a video transcoding processing cluster. The transcoding processing cluster can parallelly process multiple TS segments, enabling distributed encoding across multiple machines. This optimization consolidates the original single-stream encoding tasks into a cluster of transcoding processing machines, allowing for distributed processing of live streams.The benefits of this approach are twofold. Firstly, it offers high flexibility through pure software control. Whether it's expanding processing capacity or upgrading the business, the processing workflow is highly convenient. Secondly, it helps save costs by allowing offline transcoding clusters and live streaming clusters to coexist, enabling greater resource reuse and improving resource utilization for a wider range of business scenarios. However, it does have a drawback: the latency is relatively higher than the standard transcoding process. This is because parallel transcoding requires an initial encapsulation process during stream processing, which introduces some waiting time to generate independent TS segments. However, the latency remains within an acceptable range, especially when using HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) for downstream live streaming, where the latency does not show significant changes.In our system, we convert real-time live streaming of 4K/8K ultra-high-definition videos into multiple parallel and independent offline transcoding tasks using a parallel encoding approach in an offline processing cluster. The capability of ultra-high-definition encoding can be utilized within the offline transcoding nodes. During the transcoding process within these nodes, we can ensure a bandwidth savings of over 50% for the same subjective quality rating. Compared to hardware encoders, we can achieve a compression efficiency improvement of over 70%. In other words, with the aforementioned system solution, the required encoding bitrate for live streaming 4K/8K ultra-high-definition videos is only around 30% of that of hardware encoders for the same visual quality. Alternatively, at the same bitrate, ultra-high-definition encoding can achieve a subjective score improvement of over 20%.<img src="https://mps.live/media/fad00120-6571-48d1-8032-f1df0f0f3600.jpeg" alt="4K/8K Speed HD">In the internal processing workflow of each independent offline transcoding node, considering the entire end-to-end chain, after receiving the video source, it undergoes decoding. Following decoding, we perform scene classification on the video source, applying different encoding strategies based on the classification. Subsequently, scene detection takes place, including noise detection, artifact detection, and more, to analyze the presence of noise, artifacts, and edge issues in the video source, preparing for subsequent encoding optimizations.<h3>3. Solutions for Content Enhancement</h3>Currently, many playback devices support 4K resolution, but not all content is available in 4K resolution. Tencent MPS leverages its technological capabilities to upgrade older content and achieve the clarity of 4K resolution. This allows viewers to enjoy a true 4K playback experience that is visually appealing to the human eye.The generation process of our ultra-high-definition 4K videos involves several steps. Firstly, the source is analyzed for factors such as noise presence and compression artifacts. Based on these results, comprehensive data degradation is performed, including denoising, texture enhancement, noise suppression, and more. One notable aspect worth mentioning, which we have observed in our practice, is that focusing on areas that are highly important to human viewers, such as faces and text, can significantly enhance the viewing experience.After enhancing the details, color correction is applied. With the widespread use of HDR (High Dynamic Range) capabilities in 4K/8K videos, we perform SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) to HDR conversion for content that does not have HDR playback effects. This allows us to achieve a true 4K effect with vibrant colors while maintaining high-definition resolution.<h3 style="margin-left:0px;">4. Optimizing Memory Bottlenecks</h3>Meanwhile, memory bandwidth may become a major bottleneck when processing high-resolution content such as 8K, and optimizing memory bottlenecks is crucial in high-resolution scenarios such as 8K.For example, let's consider a CPU with a clock speed of 3.2GHz and four 32GB memory modules, resulting in a memory bottleneck bandwidth of approximately 102GB. However, when performing real-time encoding for 8K content at 50 frames per second with 10-bit color depth, the required data bandwidth per second is around 4.7GB. In practice, the memory transfer process can only occupy a very small portion of the overall encoding time, with the majority of time dedicated to encoding computations. The instantaneous bandwidth required can be several times higher than 4.7GB, especially when the system supports multi-threaded parallel video frame copying, leading to increased instantaneous bandwidth and limiting the speed of 8K encoding.<img src="https://mps.live/media/a85ddf88-c9d0-43a8-a4f3-1c1fa459e807.jpeg" alt="4K/8K Encoding Memory Bottleneck Optimization">The encoding and decoding of 8K videos impose significant demands on memory bandwidth. When configuring hardware for such tasks, it is important to consider memory configuration based on the CPU's memory channels, aiming to maximize memory bandwidth. In this regard, Tencent MPS has undergone memory pool reconstruction, performing decoding, pre-processing operations, and watermarking in-place without requesting new memory. This approach minimizes the need for memory data copying, thereby reducing memory bandwidth usage.<h2 id="Conclusion" style="margin-left:0px;">Conclusion</h2>These solutions and optimization strategies are designed to enhance the encoding efficiency of 4K/8K videos, improve the transmission and playback experience while reducing costs and enhancing the quality and availability of content. Through these technological innovations, it becomes possible to better adapt to the demands of emerging technology scenarios and drive the development of ultra-high-definition video technology.If you would like to further understand Tencent MPS, welcome to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact Us</a> for more information.&nbsp;

4K/8K Video Revolution: Overcoming Challenges with Innovative Solutions

The development process of Multi-Format Codec

Advantages and Disadvantages of Multi-Format Codec

Common Multi-Format Codecs and Comparisons

Future Development Trends of Multi-Format Codec

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<h2 id="What-is-a-Multi-Format-Codec?">What is a Multi-Format Codec?</h2>Multi-Format Codec is a software or hardware solution that supports encoding and decoding of multiple audio and video formats. It enables cross-format media processing and playback, providing compatibility, efficiency, and flexibility in multimedia applications.<img src="https://mps.live/media/75020b7f-bf97-476f-85b6-e069e3bdf4bc.jpg" alt="what is multi-format codec"><h2 id="The-development-process-of-Multi-Format-Codec">The development process of Multi-Format Codec</h2><h3>A review of the development history</h3>The development history of Multi-Format Codec is closely related to the development history of digital audio and video technology. Here are some key historical stages:<ol><li>Early codecs: In the early days of digital audio and video technology, audio and video codecs were usually single-format, such as early MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 video codecs, as well as MP3 and AAC audio codecs. &nbsp;</li><li>Emergence of multi-format codecs: With the development of digital audio and video technology, codecs supporting multiple formats emerged. These codecs can process various audio and video formats, providing greater flexibility. For example, FFmpeg is an open-source multi-format codec library that supports numerous audio and video codecs. &nbsp;</li><li>Hardware-accelerated multi-format codecs: To improve audio and video processing efficiency, some hardware manufacturers began to integrate multi-format codecs into hardware, such as Intel's Quick Sync Video and NVIDIA's NVDEC/NVENC. These hardware-accelerated codecs can significantly improve the speed and efficiency of audio and video processing. &nbsp;</li><li>Open-source and standardized multi-format codecs: With the advancement of the open-source and standardization movement, some open-source and standard multi-format codecs emerged, such as VP9 and AV1. The emergence of these codecs has promoted the development of multi-format codecs, making audio and video processing more open and standardized.</li></ol>These are some key stages in the development history of multi-format codecs, reflecting the development trends and challenges of digital audio and video technology.<h2 id="Current-Development-Status">Current Development Status</h2>Currently, Multi-Format Codec plays a crucial role in the audio and video industry, and its development status is mainly reflected in the following aspects:<ol><li>Diversified codec formats: With the continuous development of digital audio and video technology, more and more audio and video codec formats have emerged, such as H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, etc. Multi-format codecs need to be constantly updated and expanded to support these emerging formats. &nbsp;</li><li>Popularization of hardware acceleration: To improve the efficiency of audio and video processing, hardware-accelerated multi-format codecs are becoming more and more popular. Many processors and graphics cards have integrated multi-format codecs, such as Intel Quick Sync Video, NVIDIA NVDEC/NVENC, and Apple VideoToolbox. &nbsp;</li><li>Open-source and standardization: The open-source and standardization movement has made significant progress in the field of multi-format codecs. Many open-source codec libraries (such as FFmpeg and GStreamer) and open-source codec formats (such as VP9 and AV1) have been widely used and supported. &nbsp;</li><li>Cross-platform compatibility: With the popularity of mobile devices and cloud computing, multi-format codecs need to provide good compatibility on various platforms. Many codec libraries and frameworks already support cross-platform development, such as FFmpeg, GStreamer, MediaCodec (Android platform), and VideoToolbox (iOS/macOS platform). &nbsp;</li><li>Real-time and low-latency applications: With the popularity of real-time video communication and gaming, multi-format codecs need to meet the demands of real-time and low-latency. To this end, many codecs consider real-time performance in their design, such as H.264's low-latency mode. &nbsp;</li><li>High resolution and high quality: The popularization of 4K and 8K high-resolution videos requires multi-format codecs to have higher compression performance and quality. To this end, emerging codec formats such as H.265 and AV1 have made significant progress in compression performance and quality.</li></ol>In summary, the current development status of multi-format codecs in the audio and video industry presents characteristics of diversification, hardware acceleration, open-source, cross-platform, real-time, and high quality. With the continuous development of technology, multi-format codecs will continue to adapt to new challenges and demands.<h2 id="Principle-of-Multi-Format-Codec">Principle of Multi-Format Codec</h2>The implementation principle of Multi-Format Codec involves audio and video encoding and decoding technology. Conceptually, a multi-format codec is actually the integration of multiple independent codecs into a framework or library to support various audio and video formats. The following are the general implementation principles of multi-format codecs:<ol><li>Codec registration and management: Multi-format codecs need to implement a set of registration and management mechanisms to dynamically load and unload different codecs during runtime. This usually involves codec initialization, resource allocation, and release operations. &nbsp;</li><li>Data demuxing and muxing: Multi-format codecs need to handle various audio and video container formats, such as MP4, MKV, and WebM. This involves demuxing input data, extracting audio and video streams, and then muxing decoded data to generate output files. &nbsp;</li><li>Codec scheduling and adaptation: Multi-format codecs need to automatically select the appropriate codec for processing based on the input data format and user requirements. This usually involves balancing factors such as codec priority, performance, and compatibility. &nbsp;</li><li>Codec implementation: Multi-format codecs usually include multiple independent codec implementations, such as H.264, H.265, VP9, AV1, etc. These codecs implement their respective format encoding and decoding algorithms, such as predictive coding, transform coding, entropy coding, etc. &nbsp;</li><li>Hardware acceleration support: To improve audio and video processing efficiency, multi-format codecs may need to support hardware acceleration technologies, such as Intel Quick Sync Video, NVIDIA NVDEC/NVENC, and Apple VideoToolbox. This involves adapting to the interfaces and protocols of hardware accelerators. &nbsp;</li><li>API and framework: Multi-format codecs usually provide a unified API and framework for easy use by users and applications. This involves the design and implementation of codec configuration, control, error handling, and other functions.</li></ol>In summary, the implementation principle of multi-format codecs involves aspects such as codec registration and management, data demuxing and muxing, codec scheduling and adaptation, codec implementation, hardware acceleration support, and API and framework. By integrating these technologies into a framework or library, multi-format codecs can support the processing and playback of various audio and video formats.&nbsp;<h2 id="Advantages-and-Disadvantages-of-Multi-Format-Codec">Advantages and Disadvantages of Multi-Format Codec</h2><h3>Advantages:</h3><ol><li>Compatibility: Multi-format codecs can handle various audio and video formats, ensuring compatibility across different devices and platforms. &nbsp;</li><li>Efficiency: Multi-format codecs can achieve high-quality encoding and decoding with lower computational resource consumption. &nbsp;</li><li>Ease of use: Multi-format codecs usually have a simple user interface and easy-to-use operation methods. &nbsp;</li><li>Scalability: Multi-format codecs can add new encoding and decoding algorithms as needed to adapt to the constantly evolving audio and video technology.</li></ol><h3>Disadvantages:</h3><ol><li>Complexity: Due to the need to support multiple formats, the implementation of multi-format codecs is relatively complex. This may result in higher development costs and maintenance difficulties. &nbsp;</li><li>Performance overhead: Multi-format codecs need to detect and select the appropriate codec during runtime. This may cause additional performance overhead, especially on resource-constrained devices. &nbsp;</li><li>Latency: Due to the need to process multiple formats, multi-format codecs may introduce more latency. This may be an issue for real-time communication and low-latency applications. &nbsp;</li><li>Integration challenges: Integrating multiple codecs into a single system may pose challenges. This may require more memory and processor resources, as well as better resource management strategies. &nbsp;</li><li>Copyright and licensing issues: Different codecs may involve different copyrights and licensing agreements. Using multi-format codecs may mean dealing with multiple licenses, which may increase legal risks and business costs. &nbsp;</li><li>Quality differences: Due to the support of numerous formats, multi-format codecs may not perform as well in terms of quality and performance for certain specific formats as codecs optimized specifically for that format. &nbsp;</li><li>Updates and maintenance: With the emergence of new codecs and formats, multi-format codecs need to be constantly updated and maintained to maintain their compatibility. This may bring additional costs and workload.</li></ol>To overcome these disadvantages and bottlenecks, the following strategies can be adopted:<ol><li>Optimize algorithms and architectures to reduce performance overhead and latency.</li><li>Use efficient resource management strategies to reduce memory and processor resource occupation.</li><li>Choose high-quality codecs to improve compatibility and performance.</li><li>Follow open standards and open-source licenses to simplify licensing and legal issues.</li></ol><h2 id="Common-Multi-Format-Codecs-and-Comparisons">Common Multi-Format Codecs and Comparisons</h2><figure class="table" style="width:97.88%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);"><colgroup><col style="width:13.86%;"><col style="width:39.08%;"><col style="width:47.06%;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Multi-Format Codecs</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Advantages</td><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Disadvantages</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">FFmpeg</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Open-source, supports numerous audio and video codecs, cross-platform, powerful features, widely used in audio and video processing, transcoding, and streaming media fields.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">For beginners, there may be a learning curve.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">GStreamer</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Open-source, supports multiple audio and video codecs, cross-platform, plugin-based architecture, easy to expand, widely used in media players and streaming media servers.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Compared to FFmpeg, it has a lower market share.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">VLC Media Player</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Open-source, built-in multiple audio and video codecs, supports various file formats, cross-platform, easy to use.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Mainly used for playback and simple transcoding tasks, not suitable for complex audio and video processing and development.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">MediaCodec (Android platform)</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Official support, supports various audio and video codecs, compatible with Android device hardware acceleration, suitable for Android application development.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Only applicable to the Android platform.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">VideoToolbox (iOS/macOS platform)</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Official support, supports various audio and video codecs, compatible with Apple device hardware acceleration, suitable for iOS and macOS application development.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Only applicable to iOS and macOS platforms.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Intel Quick Sync Video</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Hardware acceleration, supports various audio and video codecs, compatible with Intel processors, improves audio and video processing and playback efficiency.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Only applicable to devices with Intel processors.</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">NVIDIA NVDEC/NVENC</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Hardware acceleration, supports various audio and video codecs, compatible with NVIDIA graphics cards, improves audio and video processing and playback efficiency.</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:8px;">Only applicable to devices with NVIDIA graphics cards.</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;In general, these multi-format codecs differ in functionality, platform compatibility, and hardware acceleration. When choosing a multi-format codec, you need to weigh the actual needs and application scenarios.<h2 id="Future-Development-Trends-of-Multi-Format-Codec">Future Development Trends of Multi-Format Codec</h2><img src="https://mps.live/media/f27c019a-ea99-47ec-859f-7344ff1f8c0e.jpg" alt="toward the future">With the continuous development of digital media technology, the future trends of Multi-Format Codec mainly reflect the following aspects:<ol><li>More efficient encoding and decoding algorithms: With the popularization of high-resolution videos such as 4K, 8K, and VR, future multi-format codecs need to support more efficient encoding and decoding algorithms to achieve higher compression performance and better video quality. For example, emerging H.266/VVC, EVC, and LCEVC encoding and decoding standards have already explored this area. &nbsp;</li><li>Stronger hardware acceleration: To improve audio and video processing efficiency, future multi-format codecs need to support stronger hardware acceleration. This not only includes traditional CPU and GPU acceleration but may also include emerging AI chips and FPGA hardware acceleration. &nbsp;</li><li>Wider open-source and standardization: The open-source and standardization movement will continue to promote the development of multi-format codecs. By being open-source and standardized, it can lower technical barriers, promote technological innovation, and improve market competitiveness. &nbsp;</li><li>Deeper AI integration: Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is gradually being applied to the field of audio and video encoding and decoding. Through AI technology, more intelligent encoding decisions, more efficient compression, and better video quality can be achieved. For example, AV1 has begun to explore content-adaptive encoding using AI. &nbsp;</li><li>Stronger real-time and low-latency: With the development of 5G and edge computing, applications such as real-time video communication and cloud gaming have increasingly higher demands for real-time and low-latency. Future multi-format codecs need to meet the demands of these applications, providing stronger real-time and low-latency capabilities.</li></ol>In summary, the future trends and development prospects of multi-format codecs are very broad. With the continuous advancement of technology, multi-format codecs will continue to play an important role in the field of audio and video processing and playback.

Multi-Format Codec: Compatible, efficient, flexible, integrated

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Audio codecs play a vital role in modern digital communications and multimedia applications. Whether it is music streaming, video conferencing, or online education, audio codecs play a key role in ensuring audio quality and transmission efficiency. This article aims to explore common audio codecs, analyze their technical characteristics and application scenarios, and introduce the current best audio codecs and the relevant audio settings.<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://mps.live/media/943fefd9-68f9-406c-8e62-ba697cd3abb1.jpeg" alt="audio_codec.jpeg"></figure><h2 id="What-is-an-audio-codec?">What is an audio codec?</h2>An audio codec is an algorithm used to encode and decode digital audio signals. Its main function is to compress the original audio signal into a smaller data file for easy storage and transmission, while restoring the quality of the original audio as much as possible during decoding.The audio encoding process includes steps such as sampling, quantization, and compression, which reduce the amount of data by removing redundant information and imperceptible audio components. The decoding process is the inverse of the encoding process, aiming to restore the original audio signal as much as possible.<h2 id="Common-audio-codecs">Common audio codecs</h2>MP3(MPEG-1 Audio Layer III)MPEG Layer III is a general-purpose audio codec based on perceptual modeling that produces low bitrates without noticeable quality loss of the decoded audio signal. MPEG Layer III is standardized according to ISO/IEC. The MPEG Layer 3 bitstream format is commonly referred to as MP3. Its main advantages are its popularity and hardware support.<img src="https://mps.live/media/0d7805b5-863f-45cb-b7ff-792de500915b.png" alt="mp3_encode.png">Before encoding, the audio signal needs to be preprocessed. This includes separating the stereo signal into left and right channels and dividing the audio signal into several frames, each of which usually contains 1152 samples.The human ear's perception of sound, namely the psychoacoustic model, is used. By analyzing which parts of the audio signal are inaudible to the human ear, these parts can be removed to reduce the amount of data.In order to better analyze the audio signal, the MP3 encoder converts the time domain signal into a frequency domain signal. This is usually achieved through fast Fourier transform (FFT, an efficient algorithm for computing discrete Fourier transform and its inverse transform) or modified discrete cosine transform (MDCT, or Modified Discrete Cosine Transform, is a transform technique used in audio and video coding and decoding).In the frequency domain, the audio signal is quantized, that is, the continuous signal value is discretized. This step will introduce errors, but through the psychoacoustic model, the errors can be controlled within the acceptable range for the human ear. The quantized data is further compressed by lossless compression algorithms such as Huffman coding.Finally, the encoded data is formatted into a bit stream. The bit stream includes a frame header, audio data, and auxiliary data. The frame header contains synchronization information and encoding parameters, the audio data is the compressed audio signal, and the auxiliary data is used for error correction and other purposes.<img src="https://mps.live/media/7e29d7a9-b622-48fb-90e4-2686aaa22e40.png" alt="mp3_decode.png">The first step of decoding is to parse the bitstream and extract the frame header and encoded audio data from it. The frame header is used to determine decoding parameters such as sampling rate and bit depth.The parsed audio data needs to be inverse quantized, that is, the discretized signal value is restored to a continuous signal. This step will introduce some errors, but these errors are usually within the control range of the psychoacoustic model.The inverse quantized data is still in the frequency domain and needs to be restored to the time domain through an inverse frequency domain transform (such as inverse MDCT).Finally, the reconstructed time domain signal is reassembled into a stereo signal and output as audio data in PCM format.AAC(Advanced Audio Coding)At present, with the increasing demand for high-quality digital audio systems, the corresponding digital audio processing technology is also constantly improving. MPEG-1 Audio (ISO/IEC 11172–3) provides three different compression levels, namely Layer I, II and III. MP3 is the abbreviation of MPEG-1 Layer 3. It has been widely used in Internet audio and handheld devices. MPEG-2 Part 7 provides a new coding standard that is incompatible with MPEG-1 Audio. It is named AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). Its compression efficiency is 30% higher than that of MP3. AAC is widely used in streaming services such as Apple Music and YouTube. AAC has better sound quality than MP3 at lower bit rates and is widely used in streaming platforms and mobile devices.Next, we will compare the differences between AAC and MP3 from the composition of the filter bank, the choice of window shape and the type of translation block.1. In the composition of the filter bank, AAC only contains the standard MDCT. Compared with MP3, AAC does not have an analysis subband filter that divides the audio signal into 32 equal subbands. Therefore, the shortcomings of the analysis subband filter will not be brought into AAC, such as lossy transformation. It can be seen that the filter bank module in AAC is lossless, while the module in MP3 brings a small amount of distortion due to the introduction of the analysis subband filter. 2. In terms of the choice of window shape, AAC has Sine window(Is a simple window function whose main feature is to use a period of the sine function as the shape of the window function) and KDB window(Is an improved window function based on Kaiser window and is widely used in audio coding) to adapt to the different characteristics of audio signals, while MP3 only contains Sine window, and the flexibility of selection is not as good as AAC. Therefore, compared with MP3, AAC can choose different window shapes for different types of signals, so that distortion and coding efficiency can be better balanced. 3. In terms of the choice of block type, AAC has longer long blocks and shorter short blocks than MP3. Therefore, when long block coding is used, AAC has higher frequency resolution than MP3, which improves coding efficiency. When short block coding is used, AAC has higher time domain resolution than MP3, which controls the noise generated by quantization within a smaller time domain range. In summary, only in the filter module, AAC shows better coding efficiency and distortion control than MP3.OpusOpus is an open source audio codec developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), designed for interactive and real-time applications, providing excellent compression efficiency and audio quality, especially in low-latency environments. Opus performs particularly well at low bit rates and is suitable for VoIP and game audio.Opus uses a hybrid coding architecture that combines the advantages of SILK and CELT. SILK is mainly used for speech coding, providing efficient speech compression and low latency; while CELT is used for music and high-fidelity audio, providing high-quality audio coding.Opus supports bitrates from 6 kbps to 510 kbps, with sampling rates from 8 kHz to 48 kHz. While research using the Opus codec is limited, it has been shown to be comparable and, in some cases, provide better quality than many popular codecs at similar bitrates. Opus also allows for a wide range of frame sizes, from 2.5ms to 60ms.FLAC(Free Lossless Audio Codec)FLAC is a lossless audio compression format that can reduce file size without losing any audio information. FLAC is mainly used for high-fidelity audio storage and transmission. FLAC is widely used among music lovers and audio archives.VorbisVorbis is an open source audio codec that provides good compression efficiency and audio quality and is commonly used in games and streaming applications. The main advantages of Vorbis are that it is open source and patent-free.<h2 id="Comparison-of-common-audio-codecs">Comparison of common audio codecs</h2><figure class="table" style="width:98.82%;"><table class="ck-table-resized" style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);"><colgroup><col style="width:12.83%;"><col style="width:18.12%;"><col style="width:15.19%;"><col style="width:20.42%;"><col style="width:17.12%;"><col style="width:16.32%;"></colgroup><thead><tr><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">&nbsp;</th><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">AAC</th><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">MP3</th><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Opus</th><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">FLAC</th><th style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Vorbis</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Compression efficiency</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Excellent</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Lower</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Provides excellent compression efficiency at low bit rates</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Lossless compression, not suitable for low bandwidth environments</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Provides good compression efficiency, but not as good as Opus</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Audio Quality</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">High sound quality</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Poor sound quality at low bitrates</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Provides excellent sound quality at all bit rates, especially at low bit rates</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Lossless sound quality for high-fidelity audio</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Provides high sound quality, but not as good as Opus</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Computational complexity</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Moderate computational complexity, suitable for most applications</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Low computational complexity, suitable for real-time applications</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Computational complexity is high, but suitable for low-latency applications</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">The computational complexity is lower, but the file size is larger</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Moderate computational complexity, suitable for most applications</td></tr><tr><td style="background-color:hsl(0, 0%, 90%);border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Compatibility</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Widely compatible, especially on mobile devices and streaming platforms</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">One of the most widely compatible codecs</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Gradually adopted by more platforms, especially in real-time communication</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Widely used in the hi-fi audio community, but less commonly in streaming</td><td style="border:1px solid hsl(0, 0%, 0%);padding:6px 13px;">Widely used in the open source community, but not as popular as AAC and MP3</td></tr></tbody></table></figure><h2 id="Advanced-audio-codecs">Advanced audio codecs</h2>SoundstreamSoundstream is an end-to-end neural network audio codec that enables efficient compression while maintaining high sound quality. Its main feature is the use of deep learning technology for audio signal processing, which significantly improves coding efficiency and sound quality.AudioecAudiodec is an open source, high-fidelity neural network audio codec designed for real-time audio streaming. Audiodec is able to provide high-quality audio transmission with low latency and is suitable for a variety of real-time application scenarios.LyraLyra is a neural network-based low-bitrate audio codec developed by Google, designed for low-bitrate voice transmission. It is designed to provide high-quality voice transmission, maintaining good sound quality even under low bandwidth conditions. Combined with the open AV1 codec, voice chat can be achieved at a network speed of 56kbps. Lyra uses machine learning and other technologies for extremely low-bitrate voice compression, and can even work at a speed of 3kbps.Lyra V2 uses the SoundStream end-to-end neural audio codec, has better performance than the Opus audio codec, improved audio quality, etc. The open source code of Lyra V2 is available today.<img src="https://mps.live/media/4db27e59-d261-4f51-a87b-c3937b7ed01c.png" alt="lyra.png"><h2 id="The-best-audio-codecs-in-2024">The best audio codecs in 2024</h2>AAC is a lossy audio compression format designed to provide high-quality audio output with a smaller amount of data. It uses advanced perceptual coding technology to remove audio information that is imperceptible to the human ear, thereby achieving efficient compression.AAC usually provides better sound quality than MP3, WMA and OGG at the same bit rate. Its advanced compression algorithm can significantly reduce the amount of data while maintaining sound quality.In addition, AAC uses more advanced psychoacoustic models and transformation technology to provide high-fidelity audio output at lower bit rates.And AAC has multiple variants, such as HE-AAC (High-Efficiency Advanced Audio Coding) and AAC-ELD (Enhanced Low Delay). HE-AAC provides higher sound quality at low bitrates, while AAC-ELD achieves low latency while maintaining high sound quality, suitable for video conferencing and real-time audio streaming.AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) is one of the most popular and widely used audio codecs currently. It has significant advantages in audio quality and encoding efficiency, and is widely used in streaming services, mobile devices (including IOS and Android), broadcast (DAB+ and DVB), etc.<h2 id="Related-audio-encoding-settings">Related audio encoding settings</h2>When using AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) for audio encoding, you can adjust various encoding settings according to specific application scenarios and needs to achieve the best sound quality and efficiency. Here are some common AAC encoding settings and their related descriptions:BitrateBitrate is a key parameter that affects sound quality and file size. Common bitrate settings include:<ul><li>Low bitrate (&lt; 128 kbps): suitable for voice and low-quality music streaming.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Medium bitrate (128-192 kbps): suitable for general music streaming and broadcasting.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>High bitrate (&gt; 192 kbps): suitable for high-quality music storage and high-fidelity audio transmission.</li></ul>Sample RateThe sample rate determines the frequency range of the audio signal. Common sample rate settings include:<ul><li>44.1 kHz: CD quality standard, suitable for most music and broadcasting.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>48 kHz: widely used in video and professional audio applications.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>96 kHz and above: used for high-resolution audio.</li></ul>Encoding ModeAAC supports multiple encoding modes:<ul><li>CBR (Constant Bit Rate): constant bit rate, suitable for real-time streaming and broadcasting.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>VBR (Variable Bit Rate): The bit rate is variable and dynamically adjusted according to the audio content. It is suitable for storage and download applications to obtain higher sound quality.</li></ul>Channel ConfigurationAAC supports multiple channel configurations:<ul><li>Mono: Suitable for voice and low-bandwidth applications.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Stereo: Suitable for most music and video applications.</li></ul>&nbsp;<ul><li>Multi-channel (5.1, 7.1, etc.): Suitable for home theater and surround sound systems</li></ul><h2 id="Tencent-MPS">Tencent MPS</h2><a href="https://mps.live/products/encoding">Tencent&nbsp;MPS</a> provides powerful audio processing capabilities, supporting various audio codecs such as AAC, MP3, Opus, and more. MPS can reduce bitrate by over 20% without compromising the original audio quality. Additionally, it enhances audio quality and improves user experience through various audio processing features such as noise cancellation, audio separation, volume equalization, and audio improvement.<img src="https://mps.live/media/939aea41-4ab0-4224-96e6-36c3e3bb1f95.png" alt="MPS Audio Processing Experience Demo">You can explore the above features by experiencing the <a href="https://mps.live/demo/enhancement/audio">Demo</a>. If you have further interest, please feel free to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact&nbsp;Us</a>.

Audio Codecs: From Common Choices to the Best Pick

Tencent MPS Advantages in Encoding Services

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<img src="https://mps.live/media/0789f023-ab00-4eb7-a7d5-4c7576816f3c.jpeg" alt="m3u8.jpeg"><h2 id="What-is-M3U8?">What is M3U8?</h2>The M3U8 video format is a video file format based on the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol. It was developed by Apple and is widely used in systems such as iOS, macOS, and tvOS.Unlike traditional video formats, the M3U8 video format divides the entire video into multiple small segments for transmission. These segments can automatically adjust their quality and size based on the network conditions. This approach makes the M3U8 video format well-suited for playing videos in unstable network environments or with limited bandwidth.<ul><li>Advantages:</li></ul><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Adaptability: The M3U8 format can automatically adjust the video's resolution and bitrate based on the device or bandwidth, providing a better viewing experience.</li><li>Support for multiple language subtitles: M3U8 format supports various language subtitles, allowing users to choose their preferred subtitles.</li><li>Cross-platform playback: M3U8 format can be played on different operating systems and devices, including iOS and Android phones, Mac and PC computers, etc.</li><li>Easy management: M3U8 format files can be easily created and edited using a text editor, making it convenient to update content when needed.</li></ol><ul><li>Disadvantages:</li></ul><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Dependency on network quality: M3U8 format videos require a stable network connection to ensure smooth playback. Poor network quality may result in buffering and slow loading issues.</li><li>Difficult copyright protection: M3U8 format videos are prone to downloading and sharing, making it challenging to protect copyright.</li><li>Requires technical knowledge: M3U8 format requires some programming and networking knowledge, which may pose a usability barrier for ordinary users.</li></ol>Despite having some drawbacks, the M3U8 format remains widely used in various applications and exhibits excellent adaptability as a popular video streaming format.<h2 id="What-is-MP4?">What is MP4?</h2>MP4, standing for MPEG-4 Part 14, is a digital multimedia container format most commonly used to store video and audio. However, it can also store other data such as subtitles and still images. It's based on the QuickTime File Format (QTFF) and is designed to share video files over the Internet. MP4 allows streaming over the internet, which means it can be watched in real time as it is downloaded.<ul><li>Advantages:</li></ul><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Versatility: MP4 can handle a variety of multimedia types: video, audio, text (such as subtitles), and still images.</li><li>Compression: MP4 files are compressed, but the quality of video and audio is not significantly affected. This makes MP4 files relatively small in size.</li><li>Compatibility: MP4 is supported by almost all video players and devices, making it one of the most universally accepted formats.</li><li>Streaming: MP4 files can be streamed over the internet, which is why it's widely used for online video platforms like YouTube and Netflix.</li></ol><ul><li>Disadvantages:</li></ul><ol style="list-style-type:decimal;"><li>Lossy Compression: While the compression does reduce file size, it also results in some loss of quality. This might not be noticeable to the average viewer, but it could be a concern for professional video editors or enthusiasts.</li><li>Editing: MP4 files are not ideal for editing. If you try to cut or merge MP4 files, you may encounter issues with audio and video synchronization.</li><li>Complexity: The MP4 format is complex and requires a lot of processing power for encoding and decoding.</li></ol><h2 id="M3U8-vs-MP4">M3U8 vs MP4</h2>MP4 and M3U8 are both multimedia file formats, but they serve different purposes and have different characteristics.MP4 (MPEG-4 Part 14) is a digital multimedia container format that can store video, audio, and other data such as subtitles and still images. It's widely used due to its compatibility with most media players and devices. MP4 files are often used for downloading and streaming content, such as movies and TV shows.M3U8, on the other hand, is a file format used for creating playlists and it's associated with HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). An M3U8 file can contain a playlist of MP3s, or it can provide a list of URLs for live streaming. M3U8 files are often used in broadcasting for live streams.If you're looking to download a movie or a TV show for offline viewing, MP4 would be the better choice due to its wide compatibility and support for high-quality video and audio.If you're broadcasting a live event, M3U8 would be the better choice. It allows for adaptive bitrate streaming, which can adjust the quality of the video in real time based on the viewer's network conditions. This ensures a smooth viewing experience even if the viewer's internet connection is not stable.<h2 id="How-to-Convert-M3U8-to-MP4-with-FFmpeg?">How to Convert M3U8 to MP4 with FFmpeg?</h2>FFmpeg is a free and open-source software project that produces libraries and programs for handling multimedia data. It includes a suite of powerful tools for video and audio conversion, streaming, and recording. The name "FFmpeg" is a combination of "FF", which stands for "fast forward", and "MPEG", a common format for video and audio compression.FFmpeg is used by many software projects, including VLC, YouTube, and the Chrome browser, among others. It's known for its high performance, wide feature set, and strong community support. It's available for most operating systems, including Linux, macOS, and Windows.1. Install FFmpeg:If you haven't installed FFmpeg on your system, you'll need to do that first. You can download it from the official <a href="https://ffmpeg.org/download.html">FFmpeg website</a>. Follow the instructions provided for your specific operating system.2. Open a Terminal or Command Prompt:On Windows, you can open the Command Prompt by searching for cmd in the Start menu. On macOS or Linux, you can open the Terminal application from your Applications or Utilities folder.3. Navigate to the Directory Containing the M3U8 File:Use the cd command followed by the path to the directory. For example, if your file is in the Downloads folder, you would type cd Downloads.4. Run the FFmpeg Command:The basic command to convert an M3U8 file to MP4 using FFmpeg is:<pre><code class="language-c">ffmpeg -i input.m3u8 -codec copy output.mp4</code></pre>Replace input.m3u8 with the name of your M3U8 file, and output.mp4 with the name you want for your converted file.This command tells FFmpeg to take input.m3u8 as input (-i input.m3u8), and convert it to an MP4 file (output.mp4). The -codec copy part tells FFmpeg to copy the existing audio and video streams, so no re-encoding is done.<h2 id="How-to-Convert-M3U8-to-MP4-with-VLC?" style="margin-left:auto;">How to Convert M3U8 to MP4 with VLC?</h2>If you're looking to download a movie or a TV show for offline viewing，you can use VLC.VLC Media Player is a versatile media player that can also convert M3U8 to MP4. It can play Files, Discs, Webcams, Devices and Streams with no ads and no user tracking. No matter your system is windows or Mac, it can convert M3U8 to MP4 with only a few steps. Just follow the tutorial bellow.1. Open VLC: Download and install VLC from the <a href="https://www.videolan.org/vlc/">official website</a>.<img src="https://mps.live/media/09f05dc7-74cd-4671-a785-9d2a1e434b8b.png" alt="vlc-site.png">2. Open Media: Go to File &gt; Advanced Open file.<img src="https://mps.live/media/07b0c757-4c66-41e8-bd3f-8b5618b21203.png" alt="vlc-open.png">3. Add M3U8 Url: Click Network and input your M3U8 url.<img src="https://mps.live/media/16957952-c00b-4765-91b8-6a1f66716629.png" alt="vlc-url.png">4. Set Output: Click Stream output and Click Settings.<img src="https://mps.live/media/e391d20f-48f7-40b2-bace-aeef57ccb22a.png" alt="vlc-settings.png">5. Set Destination: Choose the destination file path and set the output format to MP4.<img src="https://mps.live/media/e1ea03a5-261c-4c1e-8263-a6960b739e66.png" alt="vlc-mp4.png">6. Click OK to begin the conversion process.7. Once all settings are done, you can press the "Open" button to begin the M3U8 files' conversion.<figure class="image"><img src="https://mps.live/media/e9f700fe-1d8b-4817-9ece-adbf1a76ba00.png" alt="vlc-save.png"></figure><h2 id="Tencent-MPS-Advantages-in-Encoding-Services">Tencent MPS Advantages in Encoding Services</h2><a href="https://mps.live/products/encoding">Tencent&nbsp;MPS</a> stands out for its high-quality encoding services, offering significant advantages for handling MP4 and M3U8 formats. Here are some key benefits:<ul><li>Flexibility and Integration: Provides various integration methods such as public cloud APIs, hybrid cloud, private cloud, and SDK, allowing users to choose according to their needs. &nbsp;</li><li>Leading Performance: Ranked first in the MSU Video Codec Comparison for three consecutive years and recognized as a top-tier video encoder by the Streaming Learning Center (SLC). &nbsp;</li><li>High Resolution and Frame Rate Support: Supports real-time transcoding of 8K resolution and 144FPS, providing exceptional audio and video experience. &nbsp;</li><li>Efficient Encoding Core: Utilizes proprietary encoding core technology, enabling over 50% bitrate savings without sacrificing image quality.</li></ul><h2 id="Conclusion">Conclusion</h2>Converting M3U8 to MP4 can be done using various methods, each with its advantages. Whether you prefer using command-line tools like FFmpeg, or software like VLC Media Player, this guide provides you with multiple options to achieve your goal.<h2 id="FAQs">FAQs</h2>Q: What is the best method to convert M3U8 to MP4?A: The best method depends on your needs. FFmpeg is powerful and flexible, while VLC is user-friendly and readily available.Q: Can I convert encrypted M3U8 files?A: Converting encrypted M3U8 files may require additional steps to decrypt them first, which can vary based on the encryption method used.If you have any questions about our services, don't hesitate to <a href="https://mps.live/contact">Contact Us</a><span style="font-family:-apple-system, &quot;system-ui&quot;, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, Helvetica, &quot;PingFang SC&quot;, &quot;Hiragino Sans GB&quot;, &quot;Microsoft YaHei&quot;, Arial, sans-serif;">.

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