Ingestions Options and Optimal Settings for Video Quality

Kaltura Platform: Ingestion Options

There are multiple ways to ingest content into the system:

For Administrators

• Uploading content from desktop or local storage – this can be done via the Kaltura Management Console (“KMC”) Admin access
• Migrating content from current hosting - this can be done via KMC bulk upload. Publishers can submit a CSV with links to their FTP / HTTP hosting, as well as provide metadata for these files (name, description, tags)
• Via Kaltura’s Uploader Widget, when integrated into the publisher content management system (Kaltura has pre-integrated its platform into most widespread CMS platforms)
• Utilize Kaltura’s Professional Services to ingest content from multiple locations

For Publishers’ End Users (UGC content)

• Via Kaltura’s Uploader Widget (“KCW”) embedded into the Publisher’s website, allowing end users to: (i) upload content from computer; (ii) ingest content from users accounts on the web (Flickr, Myspace, Photobucket, etc.); (iii) use webcam for live recording of video and video comments
• Using Kaltura APIs

Once upload is complete, content will be processed by the system. All content will appear in the content section of the Kaltura Management Console as an “Entry List”.
There are different optimization options available via the KMC, such as destination bitrate control, preparation of content for remix, forcing an aspect ratio (16:9, 4:3) or forcing output size (pixels).
More advanced optimization options of the transcoding services are available through Kaltura’s Professional Services.

Suggested Video Settings for Kaltura Video Platform

Implementing the following video settings will enable you to upload and deliver the highest quality of video using Kaltura. We hope you find them useful.

Codecs - For the best quality we recommend encoding video in VP6 with MP3 audio or H.264 with AAC audio. VP6 allows improved seeking capabilities for non-buffered portions of the video and H.264 allows improved compression and quality.
If these versions are unavailable, we also accept many other common codecs. FLV files will be passed through our system without additional processing.

Frame Rate - We recommend shooting or encoding to 24 (23.98), 25, or 30 (29.97) fps.

Pixels - Encode using isomorphic (square) pixels. This is usually the default setting on your video software, but if you’ve been making some adjustments for 16:9 you may be unknowingly encoding to (rectangular) anamorphic pixels. We can only support videos using isomorphic pixels (1 x 1).

Deinterlace - If your video is interlaced, always deinterlace before uploading to avoid jaggy lines in playback.

Keyframes - This can be set to Automatic.

Frame Size - In general, encode your video to the same size and aspect ratio you intend to embed at. This means that if the video embed size is 512 x 384 you don’t need to upload 800 x 600. Encoding to embed size will help you optimize upload time, file size and playback quality. By default, Kaltura does not resize your videos, although this is possible via configuration.

Bitrate – We recommend you upload your best quality file. A bitrate of at least 1200kbps is recommended to produce the best result after Kaltura processes the file. You may find that a higher or lower bitrate is preferred based on your frame size and video profile (e.g. sporting event where rapid movement is involved vs. a lecture where there are mild changes between different frames).

Content that is intended for remixing and editing by the Kaltura Online Video Editors – For content intended for mixing we recommend VP6 codec. Content should be marked for editing, and the Kaltura system will create an additional rendition with high Key-Frame rate to allow best quality of editing.

All file formats supported by Kaltura’s Hosted Services

MPEG audio
MPEG-1 systems
MPEG-2 PS
MPEG-2 TS
ASF
AVI
WAV
Macromedia Flash
FLV
Real Audio and Video
Raw AC3
Raw MJPEG
Raw MPEG video
Raw PCM8/16 bits, mulaw/Alaw
Raw CRI ADX audio
Raw Shorten audio
SUN AU format
NUT
QuickTime
MPEG-4
Raw MPEG4 video
DV
4xm
Playstation STR
Id RoQ
Nullsoft Video (NSV) format
ADTS AAC audio
Creative VOC
American Laser Games MM
AVS
Smacker
GXF
QT
MOV
MPG
MPEG
WMV
MP4
M4V
3GP
Id Cinematic (.cin)
FLIC format
Sierra VMD
Sierra Online
Matroska
Electronic Arts Multimedia
Interplay MVE
WC3 Movie
Sega FILM/CPK
Westwood Studios VQA/AUD