COVE Webinar II Preparing for COVE Wednesday, April 8, 2009.

COVE Webinar II

Preparing for COVEWednesday, April 8, 2009

Overview

Walkthrough of the key components a station should have in place to prepare to implement the Local/National Video Player powered by COVE.

– Encode video to COVE specification– Obtain video hosting solution– Generate metadata and media assets– Develop content strategy– Q & A

Preparing Video - Encoding

Jasmine BulinDigital Video Producer

Video Content, General Audience

The Web Delivery Video SpecAudio Stream

• Codec: AAC

• Audio Stream BitRate: 48 Kbps

• Audio Stream BitRate Mode: CBR

• Number of Audio Channels: 1 (Mono)

• Audio Channel's Positions: C

• Sampling Rate: 44.1 KHz

• Bit Depth: 16 bits

General

• File Format: MPEG-4 (.mp4)

• Total Stream BitRate: 448 Kbps

Video Stream

• Codec: AVC (H.264)

• Frame Size 16/9: 512 x 288

• Frame Size 4/3: 480 x 360

• Frame Rate: 15 fps

• Video Standard: NTSC

• Scan Type: Progressive

• Video Stream BitRate: 400 Kbps

• Video Stream BitRate Mode: VBR

Why H.264• Industry Use

• Flexibility– Multi-platform Codec

– Encoding Options

– Future implementations

• Number of users on flash 9.0.115.0 and higher

• Compression ratios

Encoding Suggestions

Watch out for• Cropping and letterboxing • Color and saturation • Levels/contrast/gamma • Artifacting/blocking • Interlacing • Synch Issues

Test

• Different software applications use different encoding profiles

• Set up multiple templates

Video Hosting

• COVE uses two types of delivery – streaming and HTTP• Implementing a COVE video player requires the ability to

host Flash video content• National content and Local content• Sources of streaming service

– “In-house” server– Hosted streaming solution– Content Delivery Network (CDN)

• PBS/Limelight Deal for Stations (contact: [email protected])

Video Hosting

Rob VincentInternet Development Manager

Oregon Public Broadcasting

OPB’s Online Video Process

Digitizing and Metadata

• Pipeline– Standard Definition, single channel– Remote control from dedicated Mac mini– Outputs to IMX 50 Mbit

• Transcoding– ffmpeg converts from IMX to MPEG-4, H.264

• Metadata and Images

COVE and Video Server

• Metadata on thePlatform– Includes reference to video hosted on video.opb.org

• video.opb.org– Wowza streaming server– Apache serves thumbnails and some management

tools

Bandwidth and Traffic

• OPB’s ISP is Nero with no cap on outgoing traffic, but cost is based on peaks.

• Outoing peak is usually 40Mbit/s, in December 2008 it was near 100Mbit/s.

• From November 2008 and March 2009, Electric Car Drag Racing was served 1 Million times.

• In March 2009 OPB served 33k video views.

Cost and Resources

• Network bandwidth– Monthly cost for 7Mbit connection is about $21,000

• Staff– Master Control Operators

• 80 hours of video takes about 100 hours

– Coding and Graphics• About one hour for a 30 minute program (3 segments)

Cost and Resources

• Telestream Pipeline– video capture device = $1950

• Server Hardware– Apple XServe with 1 TB = $4500

• Streaming Server– Wowza Pro Unlimited = $995

Metadata and Media Assets• Metadata – Required, Optional and Chapters• Worksheet and Publishing Tool• Media Assets

– Images• Thumbnails• Episode Cards• Program Background Images• Logos

– Customization• CSS File• Masthead

– Text files• Transcripts• Closed-Captioning (SAMI)

Metadata and Media Assets

Angee SimmonsExecutive Producer, Promotions & New Media

KCPT – Kansas City, Missouri

Preparing Metadata

• Use the Metadata worksheet - It’s your Friend.

• Who’s going to get me all this content? Identifying Providers– Program Producers– Web Producers– Public Information/Communications– Traffic– Graphic Designers - create templates

• Working with the Admin Tool - You Don’t Have to Do it All!– It’s easier than it sounds!– Conduct a training with content providers

• Workflow

Metadata Worksheet

Admin Tool

Logo (454x90)

Background Image (950 x 356)

Stack Images (454 x 255)Title Card (454 x 255)

Static Images & Sizes

Developing a Video Content Strategy

A good video strategy . . . – Is the first step to delivering video– Distinguishes what content to distribute online– Identifies the appropriate audience(s)– Determines how content will be “programmed”– Coordinates inter-departmental personnel and resources– Maximizes unique opportunities to cross-promote platforms and

content

Developing a Video Content Strategy

Two of the most important questions:

1. How do we want to syndicate our content?

2. What kind of video experience do we want to create?

Developing a Video Content Strategy

How do we want to syndicate our content?– Syndication = Sharing content with COVE stations– Your Audience is Anywhere– “Cover” stories without producing content– The power of COVE is in syndication– Station hosts content wherever it plays

Developing a Video Content Strategy

What kind of video experience do we want to create?– Full Player Experience – a completely customized portal with

local, national and syndicated content from entire COVE system– Single clip – Uses single clips of video to embed in program web

sites, blogs or video aggregation pages– Fully-branded national portal – National content only, full local

branding; complement existing local video section– Syndicated Content Player – Content syndicated from other

stations in COVE is programmed into unique collections that address the community’s needs

Developing a Video Content Strategy

Tim BischoffDirector of Marketing

KET – Kentucky Educational Television

Online Content Strategy

• What are our strengths?

• What are our challenges?

• What do our audiences expect?

Online Content Strategy

• What are our goals?

• Embrace online video as a co-primary distribution platform – in addition to broadcast, rather than to only support or promote broadcast – that provides an experience that is easily navigated and engages users in aggregated local, national, local-to-local and educational content.

• Use online video to increase the overall viewership and impact of our programs and services.

Online Content Strategy

• Where to begin?• More than 4,600 episodes of video available now on-line.

• Each year, we produce more than 1,200 hours of local programming for both on-air and online distribution.

Online Content Strategy

• What are our audiences watching on-air and online?– Examined Nielsen’s and our current online video

viewership analytics• PBS

• Local

• Education

Online Content Strategy

• Content at launch• Homepage “Featured Video” Area

• Portal experience: local/national

• Need link to “old” video…. all the video that is not in COVE

• Series-based pop-up for One to One

Online Content Strategy

• Level of Content Available by end of CY09• Series-based pop-ups for all weekly, local series

» With “cross linking” between series

• Embedded video » in our blogs

» Social Bookmarking/everywhere

• Micro-player for K-12 Educational series “News Quiz”

Online Content Strategy

Aspirational Goal:

All rights-clear content available in a unified video experience.

COVE Webinar II – Preparing for COVE

Thank YouFor more information,

contact [email protected]