Topic: Best video upload format?

I see that the RC transcodes video files after upload.

I'd love to output from my video software at the optimized size and format so that there doesn't have to be another transcode at the RC end, or, if that's not possible, to upload at the best possible quality so that the transcode doesn't degrade my files too much.

For instance, I uploaded this file which is around 96MB h264 .mov and the site transcoded it to around the same size, same codec etc... which seems like it's just a loss of quality for no benefit in file size...  the loss isn't huge but I'm still willing to find the absolute best.

I'd love to upload a video in such a way that RC likes it, but that I don't have two transcodes?  Has anyone found the ideal mode for this?

Re: Best video upload format?

Dear Flick,

RC will always transcode any video, there is no way to escape that.
For encoding we use a setting above medium quality setting, which is not bad (better than YouTube claims the encoder),
but indeed not always enough for all purposes.

However, we are currently reviewing the encoding process (also for pictures for instance, which currently are scaled in a sub-optimal resolution). Your suggestion is quite interesting, since it could also save RC encoding costs (we use an external service for conversion currently and for high resolution videos the cost is very significant). We will certainly try to include this suggestion once we start implementing the changes, so that encoding is bypassed if the format is correct already.

Re: Best video upload format?

Thanks for the response.

I'm not a coder but it seems like detecting the encoding settings on the uploaded files is a pretty trivial thing, and letting the uploader take responsibility for video quality is fine, even preferable from an aesthetic standpoint.  I hope it is as easy to implement as it sounds!

These days it should also be acceptable to list the video standards that the site demands, and put the onus on the uploader to conform...  your site actually does that but it gives enough options that I suppose a less-technical person just accepts what their software spits out the most easily, instead of figuring out what is the most precise standard - I suppose this expands the scope of who can use the RC easily.

But as I say, nowadays h264 video is bog-standard for any software to output, the only wildly-variable part is the bitrates.  And HEVC (h265) is coming in fast, smaller files but slower encodes, and RC may have to keep up (that kind of knowledge management an external service is probably good at).

Re: Best video upload format?

PS to add:  I wondered about h264 being proprietary and thus less desireable as a mandatory format, but it apparently is free and open:

https://www.videolan.org/developers/x264.html

Re: Best video upload format?

Another question - is there any way to FTP videos directly to the exhibition?  That way I could bypass the video upload tool and the encoding process.

I am doing a video piece right now and it would make things easier.