2 Video Quality Options for Curvage Clips?

[panhype2]

For a while now i’m buying plenty of clips. More recently i’ve noticed that the file sizes (bit rates) are shrinking, and the quality is deteriorating, even from girls who used to have much better quality before. Today i bought a clip - 720p, 9:15, 100mb = running at 1330 kbps. That’s the quality from the early 2000s. Barely watchable, and i’m pretty sure this pixel mess was caused by the low bitrate.

 

Now i’m aware that there are users with different priorities. On one hand those like me who download the clips and watch them on decent (larger) displays, especially since such displays got so affordable. They want quality and don’t mind bigger files. On the other hand there are users who prefer to stream, maybe to phones, maybe need to watch their data plan, so they prefer smaller file sizes. And accept reduced quality, to some extent. Very different priorities, definitely!

 

I got the impression that you are briefing the girls, like telling them to watch the file sizes, to go for lower file sizes, whatsoever. Of course you didn’t tell to go as low as that girl did. But this just happens then, as a result.

 

Anyway, since  i am editing + encoding the videos for a site that a few of you may know, i’m well aware of the problem with the different user priorities. So we are offering a whole bunch of different quality options. My idea for Curvage now would be: What about 2 quality options? One for streaming users (with the option to download too) with reasonable quality/lower file sizes, one for downloaders with better quality?

 

The next question then would be: How to implement this? Asking the girls to upload 2 versions from now on would be too much (time, etc). I think the best way would be to stick with one upload, in good quality. With Curvage implementing an online encoder to generate the 2nd version. Ok, must admit i have no idea how much that would cost. I’m just optimistic… With this solution each clip would show up with 2 buttons: "Streaming/Download Version" and "High Quality Download Version"… Another idea would be to just encourage the girls to submit each clip individually, in different qualities. But i think that wouldn’t work. And, even worse, mess up the clipstore (navigation).

 

A final comment about 'better quality': I’m not promoting insane quality demands or file sizes. So, for my work, after only a little research and testing, i’m using the (free) Handbrake encoder more or less with standard settings, at factor 17 (18 would probably be still good) "constant quality rate" - that choice is important because the bitrate gets adjusted on the basis of the images: outdoors shots f. ex. usually have more complex image information = they need a higher bitrate/higher file sizes. Easy! Anyway, in other words, I’m just looking for a way to get rid of this current need to compress so rigidly on Curvage.

 

Thoughts?