1. Com 597 Streaming Media Class 6 July 26, 2007

2. Blog Log Belle: http://www.harvesteating.com/ & http://www.celebtv.com/http://www.harvesteating.com/ http://www.celebtv.com/ Carie: Wine Spectator & Serious EatsWine SpectatorSerious Eats Chloe: KidzBop.com & NIKKI BEACH Nikki newsKidzBop.comNIKKI BEACH Nikki news Kaichen: Music Box & Taste TVMusic Box Taste TV Mr. Random (Mark) http://www.blaztv.com/http://www.blaztv.com/ & http://www.canalmicro.com/http://www.canalmicro.com/

3. Mini: Mediapost.comMediapost.com Nancy: Lookandlearnit & TeachFirstLookandlearnitTeachFirst Randa: Crack the Case & blinkxCrack the Caseblinkx Stephanie : SuccessTV & tourvideosSuccessTVtourvideos Steve: Nomadsland & CubeNews1.com. NomadslandCubeNews1.com Tharaa: FuzzydiceFuzzydice Tony: RealMeals & MarvelRealMealsMarvel Vaun: AussieMedia & RealVibezAussieMediaRealVibez Amy: TheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.comTheLookAndSoundOfPerfect.com

4. Randa

5. Netflicks and Silverlight Silverlight

6. Packetization To stream a file over the internet you need to break the file down Kilobyte sized chunks These are called packets The audio and video needs to synch up and must be sent fast enough, but not too fast Packets that are lost in transit need to be detected and resent

7. Packetization cont. The process of breaking the streaming file into chunks is called packetization

8. Could I have a hint? To speed up the process and reduce the work of servers this is often done ahead of time This is called hinting Hinting adds additional information in the file (a hint track) to tell the media server how to packetize the stream. The hint track not only has data defining what audio and video exist in the file, but also how large a chunk to send over the internet and at what time intervals.

9. Common Internet File Formats Category One Video container file formats, hierarchical in structure and hold many different kinds of media (Audio, video and text.) This data is synchronized in time.

10. Common Internet File Formats Category Two Simple raw storage of stream formats This holds the compressed video data without headers or footers They are essentially a live audio-video stream saved to disk

11. Common Internet File Formats Category Three Play list, index and scripting formats These don’t hold the actual media files These are pointers and commands that indicate where the files are located These files are usually, comparatively small.

12. Microsoft and Windows Media The standardization of Windows Media technologies by international standards groups generally means the format will not suddenly change. Inertia = stability MS has seen the benefits of non-discriminatory licensing terms with companies Low cost = wide distribution

13. Windows Media Technology Like Real, there is a family of codecs Video- Windows Media Video 8, Windows Media Video 7, Microsoft MPEG-4 V3 & MPEG-4 V1 Audio- Windows Media Audio V7 & ACELP.net voice codec

14. Windows Media also supports: Video- VP3, ClearVideo, VDOnet, Vivo video Audio- Voxware MetaSound and MetaVoice, Learnout and Hauspie, MP3, Vivo audio, and all pre-G2 Real Audio and Video codecs Why the Real support? Windows Media started as NetShow, which licensed RealNetworks technology

15. Microsoft Files AVI (Audio Video Interleaved) Developed in 1992 First real-time playback of video on a PC These can hold most anything. It works on every platform It is not all that great at managing sync It can be quite slow This is because the file index is often located at the end of the file The format has been extended so much that variations wont always play in every player

16. Microsoft Files ASF (Advanced Streaming Format) This is Microsoft’s proprietary format MS Filed a patent for it in 1998 Released in 2002 One of the dominant formats Fixed a lot of the problems inherent in AVI files It can show up as WMV or WMA Primarily designed to hold synchronized Audio and video

17. Microsoft Files ASX (Active Streaming Index) Index files that work in the Windows Media system They are metadata pointers The direct a player where to retrieve the actual media files Can be one URL or a long list (playlist) They can be nested

18. Why choose Windows Media? Consider your audience: Whether you like the Company or not is irrelevant. If your target audience is in the business world then you need to seriously consider Windows media Because WM comes bundled with the Microsoft OS, and because nearly every enterprise corporation runs on a Windows environment, a staggering percentage of the Fortune 1000 businesses will have Windows Media on their employee’s computers. Microsoft is the clear leader in market share in the enterprise space Plus, their server technology incorporates many aspects of DRM quite seamlessly.

19. Profiles Windows Media Encoder uses Profiles What is a profile and how would I use one? A profile determines how files or source groups are encoded Each profile may include one or many target audiences, along with video and audio codec information You can save the profile and use it repeatedly

20. Target Audiences What is the concept of target audiences? This is the naming convention for their multiple bitrate technology With it you can select multiple target audiences (bit rates) and weave your different versions into one file

21. Moving Targets An anomaly with the WindowsMedia version of MBR is the video is encoded with multiple qualities of compression. But all the video files share only one Audio file There are not multiple audio files only one so choose wisely The lowest audience profile will determine your audio settings All the video target audiences will share a video screen size

22. Which encoding mode to choose? CBR? VBR? My recommendation: Start with VBR Then two pass CBR Then one pass CBR

23. Why VBR? VBR when used on proper content Long and varied in complexity Will give you an appreciably better encoded clip given the same file size. CBR is often using the bits in the wrong places and not having enough available in the difficult spots The difference can be as high as 2-to-1 Another way to look at it. If two files have the same quality, the VBR file will often be half the size of a CBR file If your source is a file and you want to encode with CBR, then two pass is better than one pass

24. Using the frame buffer with CBR Why use the default of 5 seconds? If you are streaming a longer file (over say 10 minutes) increasing the buffer to 30 seconds will often accomplish the same increase in quality that VBR does.

25. Windows.NET If you are streaming over a server with Windows Media Services in Windows.NET Standard or Enterprise editions you can enable Fast Start This allows the server to burst data to the players, filling the buffer in a shorter time than indicated, thus starting the file quicker

26. Microsoft Buzzword Translator Fast Start: Instant on playback Fast Cache: Download and cache the streaming content Fast reconnect: Automatically reconnect to a stream if interrupted Fast Recovery: Use forward error correction

27. Other Buzzwords Real’s version of the same stuff TurboPlay It is their rapid playback and seeking technology Instant On is QuickTime’s version

28. File Metrics Measuring Streaming media quality is becoming widely acknowledged as supremely important Three companies currently are the market leaders in measuring the quality of streaming media delivery One of them is Keynote is the global leader in web performance measurementKeynote They acquired Streamcheck in 2003 This is an automated service that measures both quality of streams and reliability

29. How they do it: They measure audio and video streams from multiple locations throughout North America, Japan and Europe They use measurement computers, called “Agents” And Agent will try and connect with your stream about 10 times an hour Once connected they play your stream for about 60 seconds The Agent computers will record: Network Statistics like packet statistics Connection statistics like connection success, bit rate, buffer and re-buffer Server statistics like server type streaming protocol Presentations statistics like frame rate, player errors, metafiles, URLs

30. Why do we have DRM? Content Concerns Digital audio and Video, if unmodified enables perfect duplication Low Cost or near-no-cost duplication The original does not degrade over time (video tape and film) probably The original does not degrade with duplication so copies are limited only by resources

31. This is why owners of digital content are paranoid If the copy is as good as the original, why purchase the original?

32. The music industry points to slumping sales and cries “Pirates!”

33. Record companies usually blame the internet and file sharing as the root of their business failures. In 2003 27% or Americans and 13% of Europeans downloaded music through P2P networks.

34. The tangled web of the traditional music business

35. Peer-to-Peer Networks Where are they now?

36. More Information on file sharing and the music industry “On the reproduction of the musical economy after the Internet” Leyshon, Webb, French, Thrift & Crewe Media, Culture & Society, Vol. 27, 2005 Sage Publications

37. Security Most DRM have the following security features:  Secure downloads  Secure audio path – audio can’t be streamed from user’s computer  Persistence – each license is specific to a particular computer  Individualization – the license for a player is linked to a specific computer. You can’t just move the player and music to transfer the files  Revocability – if a license is stored on a server it can be revoked if a user breaches the licensing terms  Portable device support – files can be transferred, but most distributors will limit it to devices that support the Secure Digital Music Initiative (SDMI) copy- protection scheme

38. Payment Models Varities Pay-as-you-go (iTunes) Monthly fee for unlimited use (subscription) One-time fee Pay Per View (PPV) Free – promote a product or service Timed fee Tiered access Trial offer Reward program

39. Streaming media server vendors also sell DRM tools Music producers, media creators and retailers in particular want to ensure their copyrights are protected Typical DRM features include – Strong encryption – Producer defined business rules for accessing content – Content licensing verification (“Are you authorized to view this?”) – License auditing to track royalties – Support for handheld devices and mobile phones

40. Types of rules that may be a part of a DRM system When, how, where and for how long rights are granted Limited number of CD copies File can only be played on one computer What devices are supported for transfer (iTunes/iPod model)

41. For digital distribution to reach its potential copyrighted material needs to be protected System must be: – Truly secure – Flexible – Easy to use – Integrated into existing e-comerce systems

42. Many of the current systems are not very adequate because: – Not secure enough – passwords can be shared, registration code can be hacked – Not flexible enough – content providers want different models for subscription (monthly, pay per view, free trials) – Inconvenient for users – to work it must block unauthorized use but be easy for authorized users. Passwords and registration keys are lame – Difficult to integrate into a wide variety of devices and hardware – consumers want to transfer media they own to devices they own

43. Some companies (and marketers) use DRM to mean any sort of control of media – All forms of copy protection – Digital watermarks Real, Apple and Microsoft define it more narrowly

44. Apple uses standard MPEG-4 audio technologies (AAC) This how they deliver music to iPods and iTunes They use proprietary DRM approach (FairPlay) that is unique Each manufacturer uses a proprietary DRM system Once again, it is unlikely there will be an industry “standard”

45. Implementing DRM Here is a typical sequence of events: 1)Media provider packages the media file – create file and license 2)Provider places file on a streaming server 3)When user tries to play a file, media player requests a license 4)User’s computer downloads a license without any action or directs a user to a register/payment page 5)After the license is issued, the user can play the content under the terms of the license

46. DRM Models

47. Encryption Encryption scrambles the content so that it cannot be viewed Need a decryption key This is most often an enabled viewer or player Many DRM solutions are asynchronous The key is not in your player but somewhere out on the internet

48. Encryption cont. A user needs to perform a separate action or transaction to secure the decryption key The problem for content distributors is you can hack the player to play the media without a key

49. The Encryption Dance create encryption scheme scheme is hacked distribute scheme Distributors they claim each successive scheme becomes more expensive to create and manage

50. Walled Garden A walled garden is where content is secured behind a virtual barrier A user must purchase access Authorization/authentication system – Wall Street Journal, ESPN & New York Times They have a public site with content available to the public They have a premium content site where a user pays an annual or monthly fee for access. This is a popular model among religious sites

51. “Cheap and Easy Access” iTunes To keep something from being stolen make the price less than/equal to the cost of theft This relies on the honesty of the majority of potential users Make it cheap and easy and most folks are more likely to buy than steal Challenges Many consumers are conditioned that music is free (filesharing, radio, ripping) Value is difficult to establish when there is a ready supply, scarcity creates value Disney movie example For existing music the cat is out of the bag

52. PC Client Content/Download Managers Require consumers/users to download a management client on their computer This application connects to a dedicated service – a wholesale intermediary They can use ptp strategies to move the content to the consumer They can act as the DRM police Monitor and manage the user’s functions and actions on their computer They can enforce DRM irrespective of an internet connection

53. PC Client Content/Download Managers Bit Torrent Sony’s rootkit/CD copy protection debacle Privacy Issues / Data mining  Digital Media permits intrusion & access on a massively efficient scale  International reach of technology subjects networks to multiple cultures and laws (and multiple risks)

54. PC Client Content/Download Managers There is a push for Digital Licenses, separate from the media file and conforms to a standard format Separating a universal license from the media has many advantages It can accommodate many different licensing scenarios You don’t need to prevent file copying Because file is on a server the provider has complete control

55. Windows Media Rights Server End-to-end DRM system for Windows Media It supports a huge variety of security and business model options It delivers WMA and WMV files WMRM (Windows Media Rights Manager) includes server and client software development kits (SDK) so developers can write unique applications to encrypt files and issue licenses It does not play well with other platforms and older software

56. RealSystem Media Commerce Suite RealNetwork’s DRM solution The Packager – encrypts the media The License Server – issues content licenses Media Commerce Upgrade for Real Server – tracks the business side RealSystem Server plug-in – enables the service on a media server Like WMRM it enables a variety of business and distribution models

57. Flash

58. Flash Basics Macromedia’s Flash has been adopted as the de facto “rich media” solution in the industry It is used extensively in entertainment, games and advertising Graphics are essentially vector-based instructions Infinitely scalable in an interface

59. More Flash Basics Many companies now standardize embedded video on their sites as Flash Video Huge growth in handhelds and mobile delivery Flash files are called SWF (“swiff”) Files are closely tied to the authoring system

60. Even More Flash Basics Not really a codec SWF files contain graphics and instructions how to animate Drawing is done with math (x/y/z axis and vectors over time) Files are often smaller Not sending huge graphic files, just the parts and instruction on how to recompose the animation on the user’s computer

61. Will these Flash Basics Ever End? With QuickTime support and Macromedia’s integration of the Sorenson Spark codec SWF can be used as a container for video The header information of a file has most of the same data types as the other codecs we have reviewed – File version – Length of file – Frame size – Frame count

62. The End of Flash Basics As We Have Known Them Two main types of tags – Definition tags – define content – Control tags – control content For example, definition tag defines and triangle and the control tag will move it across the screen

63. OK, I lied, this really is the final Flash Basics Slide. Perhaps SWF files are a progressive format Blocks are sent in the order of use This allows the file to be essentially streamed Viewer can watch the parts as they arrive This can occur without special server software – no need for a media server A web server, the flash content and a flash player are the only requirements

64. Great Flash Video Example http://www.lebronsbikeathon.com/http://www.lebronsbikeathon.com/ Video #11 & #14

65. Flash Example & Workshop

66. Workshop Demo Let me walk you through before your begin

67. Customizing Your Settings In the compression tab, check the bit rate selections appropriate to your target audience Audio format: you can adjust the amount of bandwidth used by the audio track in your video. If you assign a lower audio rate then you are allocating more bits for the video. An example would be a sporting event file. High fidelity audio is not as important as smooth video. A music video may want more bits for audio because fidelity is more important in this scenario.