Video Encoding Help

THE “HOW-TO” OF VIDEO ENCODING

To upload video content, please note the following:

  • You must be a “FULL” Broadcasting Member (more info).
  • Video files can be uploaded at any bitrate and we’ll auto-convert to the correct bitrate for you.
  • Some acceptable video formats for upload include WMV, MP4, M4V, F4V, MOV.
  • Please note that copyrighted content or musical performances of any kind are not permitted. Other restrictions may apply.

Some other points of interest for those wishing to load video:

  • Videos can be easily embedded on other sites (more info).
  • We will automatically generate several qualities of the same video and an audio-only MP3 for listeners on slower or limited bandwidth connections (more info).
  • We fully support 1080p and both 16:9 widescreen and 4:3 standard sizes!
  • Multi-Platform Support! All new videos uploaded to SermonAudio are transcoded into the industry-standard MP4 (H.264+AAC) format. This enables us to stream the same video to a wide variety of devices including PCs, Macs, iPods, Roku, Chromecast and mobile phones like the iPhone, Android, TV set devices and more! (more info).

There are a number of ways to prepare video for the site (live capture, editing, DVD-ripping, converting existing video files). It is beyond the scope of our help page to give step-by-step details on each of the different methods of creating the video content. However, we can summarize the various methods below.

  • Capture LIVE video or DUB video from another source directly into the computer using a video capture tool. Use any tool that is available with your PC.
  • If you are a live webcaster on SermonAudio already, you can simply turn ON the “archive” option of the encoding software (Windows Media, Adobe Encoder, etc).
  • Optionally, you can RIP the video (to WMV or MP4) from existing DVDs using any DVD-ripping tool such as Boilsoft DVD-Ripper, the Magic DVD-Ripper, or the Xilisoft DVD-Ripper. The free VLC Player works well for this as well.
  • Optionally, you can convert existing older Quicktime or RealVideo files to WMV or MP4 formats using any conversion tool such as Boilsoft (also provides handy tools to JOIN or SPLIT video files).
  • Optionally, you can edit your video using any video editor of your choice (Sony’s Vegas Movie Studio, Movie Maker, iMovie, etc).
  • Optionally, you can use the Windows Media File Editor (which is included with the Media Encoder installation) to quickly and easily TRIM your WMV files without re-encoding.
  • Optionally, you can use QuickTime Pro to quickly and easily TRIM your MP4, F4V, or M4V files without re-encoding.
  • Some acceptable video formats include: WMV, MP4, M4V, F4V, MOV.
  • Upload large videos via FTP or Dropbox. (Video files can get very large and uploading them may require a fast Internet connection.)

(Video files can get very large and uploading them may require a fast Internet connection.)

Feel free to upload your videos at any bitrate and resolution and look great every time!

Some helpful recommended Tools for Video capture and conversion:

  • Boilsoft provides tools to rip DVDs, split and join WMVs, convert Quicktime and RealMedia files.
  • The Magic DVD Ripper is a tool you can use to “rip” (copy) the video from existing DVDs.
  • Movavi Video Converter is a ground-breaking video format converter to convert video & DVD files.
  • We recommend the powerful yet easy-to-use Sony Vegas Movie Studio tool for any video editing!
  • Windows Live Movie Maker is a free video-editing tool on Windows. Capable and can’t beat free!
  • iMovie for the Mac is the standard video-editing tool on the Mac. Start here if you own a Mac.

VIDEO TIP 1: Recommended Encoding Settings.

Video encoding can get confusing. But the following details may help give some guidance on what settings to use when encoding your video.

Video settings (1 Mbps)

  • Suggested Sizes: 768×576 (Widescreen: 1280×720, 1024×576)
  • Bitrate: Upload at any bitrate over 1 Mbps
  • Frame Rate:30fps
  • Audio Format: 64kbps

AUTO-CONVERT: You can actually upload your video in any format and we will automatically convert it to the correct format+bitrate with the ideal settings for the optimum video quality! To learn more, click here..

As a general rule of thumb, feel free to use any settings that look best to you. Once the video is uploaded to our system, we will transcode it into the industry-standard MP4 (H.264+AAC) format. This enables us to stream the same video to a wide variety of devices:

  • Computers. Our flash-based video player is used for no-hassle playback on PCs and it utilizes a true-streaming system that allows you to instantly view and scrub through the video without waiting for it to first download.
  • iPhone, Android,  TV devices, Windows Phone. The videos on SermonAudio provide smooth playback on most smartphones via our SermonAudio apps. Providing a satisfactory streaming experience for viewers over any network connection is part of our bitrate policy.
  • ROKU and Chromecast via Internet. The videos on SermonAudio are also compatible with other non-phone devices such as the ROKU and Chromecast devices which allows users to access any audio or video content on SermonAudio through their television.
  • Slower Connection Users. High-speed users will of course benefit the most from videos. But there are still many who are on slower connections. It is for this reason that we automatically create lower-bitrate versions for all uploaded HIFI videos.

Videos can be complicated to make available across all platforms. But we’ve made it as simple as possible for all broadcasters to reach the maximum number of platforms with their single video upload!

VIDEO TIP 2: Improving the Quality of ‘Noisy Video

This entire step is an optional tip to help improve the quality of “noisy video” for those experiencing this problem. The “noise” is a result of the choppy or jagged edges in the image due to motion that sometimes appears in video. The solution is simply to turn ON the DE-INTERLACING option on your encoder settings if available.