Recommended settings

What are the recommended settings for video encoding?

To enable a smooth Uploading and Encoding process that will optimize your visitors’ viewing experience in all major browsers and mobile devices, the video files must be configured correctly. We recommend that you follow the Video Exporting recommendations below.

TL;DR
Codecs: H.264/AAC
Max bitrate for the default profiles: 3000kbps
Framerate: Just right

Streamio accepts virtually all common video formats and codecs. Although Streamio manages a format, the movie files must be properly configured to make the final result as good as possible. Basically, all video editing software on the market allows you to decide how you want your movie to be exported.

No matter what video editing software you’re using, we recommend that you follow these recommendations when exporting your movie to upload to Streamio:

Filesize
If you have a large file and need a way to recode it, we recommend this article: Convert or recode movies.

Video

Codec: H.264
This is the format your video is compressed with. H.264 is today the most common and what we use internally in Streamio so we also recommend this for material uploaded. Streamio works with lots of other formats, but there is a greater risk of conversion problems.

Frame Rate: 24, 25, or 30 FPS
This is not normally something you need to change. If the video is recorded at more than 30 fps and the content does not require it, it may be worth changing to 25/30 fps. The reason for this is that there will be fewer images and thus each image can be of a higher quality in the same size. A high frame rate makes the most sense in materials with a lot of movement, such as in sports.

Video Bitrate: 3000 kbps
These settings control the quality of the movie as well as the file size. Most video editing programs specify this in kbps (kilobits per second). Most movies are recorded in high-resolution today and Streamio then converts the files down to different default formats (or according to the account’s own settings). By default, the maximum resolution is around 3000 kbps to ensure that it works as well as possible for as many people as possible.
For this reason, it makes no sense to send up a higher bitrate than 3000 kbps unless a) want to save a higher quality in Streamio for future needs (you may want to add a higher bitrate in a few years) or b) has created its own encoding profiles that require it.

Resolution: 640px width (SD) or 1280px width (HD)
If your video editing software allows you to adjust the Pixel Aspect Ratio (not display aspect ratio), make sure you select “1:1” or “1.00” (sometimes called “square pixels”).

AUDIO

Codec: AAC
For best results, we recommend using Advanced Audio Codec (AAC) as the Audio Codec.

Audio Bitrate: 128 kbps
We recommend 128 kbps as a good balance between quality and size – in special contexts such as music, it might be a good idea to raise this!
320 kbps is the highest Audio Bitrate our encoding engines can handle right now. If your movie has a higher audio bitrate, the movie will of course work, but the final bitrate will be a maximum of 320 kbps.

Sample Rate: 44.1 kHz
44.1 kHz is the standard bitrate in our profiles, but you can create your own profiles with 48khHz and if so, the uploaded material needs to support this.