Video & Audio Streaming

Contents

Section One - Basics

Chapter One – Introduction

Chapter Two – IP networks and Telecommunications

Network layers, Internet Protocol, real-time protocols, multicasting. Telecommunications: T-1/E-1, Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH), Synchronous Networks (SONET), Frame relay, ATM. The Local Loop, ISDN, ADSL, Cable Modems, Satellite, Wireless.

Chapter Three – The Word Wide Web

WWW; HTML, HTTP, Web graphics, Animating pages, Proprietary Tools, Web Servers.

Chapter Four – Video formats

Scanning, Color Space Conversion, Chrominance band-limiting, Component and Composite, Digital Component Coding, Videotape formats, Digital formats, Time Code, Interconnection standards, High Definition.

Chapter Five – Video Compression

Visual Perception, Compression Algorithms, Intra-frame coding, Discrete Cosine Transform, Temporal compression, Motion estimation.
Compression Codecs: Evolution of international standards, MPEG Compression, MPEG-4, Proprietary Architectures, Apple QuickTime, RealNetworks, Windows Media.

Chapter Six – Audio Compression

Analog Compression, Digital Audio: PCM, Sampling rates, Mono, stereo and multi-channel, Psychoacoustics: The Human Voice: Lossy Compression, Statistical Redundancy, Perceptual Compression, General Audio Codecs, Codecs: Vocoders, MPEG General, MPEG-4, Proprietary Codecs: Microsoft Windows Media, RealNetworks, Apple QuickTime, Open Source codecs

Section Two - Streaming

Chapter Seven – Streaming Video Introduction

What are the applications of streaming? Corporate Communications, Distance learning, Product & Sales Training Advertising, Entertainment.
Streaming Architecture: Capture and encode, Serving, Distribution Player, Bandwidth,
Proprietary Codec Architectures: Apple QuickTime, RealNetworks, Windows Media.

Chapter Eight – Video Encoding

Distribution channels, Codecs: Video Capture, Scaling, Compression, Packetization, Encoding Hardware and Software, Live Encoding. Encoding Products.

Chapter Nine – Audio Encoding

Audio formats: AES-3, Encoding: Capture, Ripping, File formats.

Chapter Ten – Preprocessing

Video processing: video levels, de-interlacing, cropping, noise Reduction, inverse telecine. Audio: noise reduction, compresser/limiters

Chapter Eleven – Stream Serving

Web server vs. streaming server, hint tracks, network congestion, loading content, Webcasting: Splitting & relays, Multicasting, Inserting advertisements, Playlists, Logging & Stats Server Architectures Server Deployment, Video Server Hardware, Hosting, Security.

Chapter Twelve – Live Webcasting

Planning a Webcast, Video Capture, Audio Capture, Encoding

Chapter Thirteen – Media Players

Portals, Players and Plug-ins, MPEG-4 Players, Proprietary Players

Section Three – Associated Technologies & Applications

Chapter Fourteen – Rights Management (DRM)

Conditional Access, The Value Chain, DRM Business Models: Wrapping & Unwrapping, Rights Management Parties: Content Creators, Publishers, Reseller, Consumer/user, Clearing houses, System Integration, Contracts Management, Encryption: Watermarking, Security, DRM Products.

Chapter Fifteen – Content Distribution

Content Delivery Networks Overlay networks, Corporate Intranets, Webcasts RealSystem Neuralcast, QoS, Satellite Delivery.

Chapter Sixteen – Applications

Rich Media, Corporate Communications, Music Promotion, Producing Rich Media, Digital Asset Management.

Glossary