London
April 2005
Creating
Video Ads
Eyeblaster
The Rich Media
Platform
The basics of digital video
Video delivery methods
Video components
Videostrip
Best Practices
Digital video is a sequence of digital images that are
serialized based on a predefined timeline.
A digital image is a matrix of pixels.
A pixel is the smallest element in a digital image; holds the
digital colour representation of a specific image location.
The process of producing digital video involves sampling live
or analogue objects and storing the colour samples digitally
in pixels, images and episodes.
Digital Video may be used in conjunction with a parallel audio
stream.
Digital Video
What is Digital Video ?
Digital video file sizes can be calculated as:
Episode duration (in secs) x Frame rate (FPS) x Frame
height (pixels) x Frame width (pixels) x Pixel memory size
(BPP)
Let’s take a video commercial:
30 seconds duration, 30 FPS, 640x480 pixels, 32 BBP
30x30x640x480x32 = 8,847,360,000 Bits = 1054 MB !!!
(This doesn’t include audio)
Uncompressed video files are huge!
Digital Video
Uncompressed Digital Video
The bit rate is the speed at which data travels from one place
to another on a computer network. This is usually measured
in Kilobits Per Second (Kbps).
The digital video bit rate is the amount of data stored in one
second of video.
The bit rate determines the minimum bandwidth
requirements to guarantee smooth playback when streaming.
Digital Video
Uncompressed Digital Video
Bit rate calculations:
Frame Rate (FPS) x Frame Height (pixels) x Frame Width
(pixels) x Pixel Memory Size (BPP)
For video commercial:
30x640x480x32 = 281 Mbps
Streaming uncompressed digital video is not possible.
Digital Video
Uncompressed Digital Video
We cannot serve uncompressed video files over the internet:
•
Storage problems.
•
Processing problems.
•
Bandwidth problems.
Digital Video
Uncompressed Digital Video
Many different techniques, many different formats.
Compression is the process of reducing the video file size.
There are many factors that impact the result of
compression:
Output dimension
Output frame rate
Key frame interval
Bit rate / quality
Audio parameters
Digital Video
Compressed Digital Video – how?
Decoding Workflow:
-
-
-
Each Micro block is decompressed
in the opposite process to the
compression
“I” (Intra) frames are “Key” frames
compressed directly from a real
source frame
“P” (Predicted) frames are created
from an “I” frame + a motion vector
“B” (bi-directionally interpolated)
frames are artificially created to
smooth the motion and increase
the frame rate
Digital Video
Encoding Workflow:
The basics of digital video
Video delivery methods
Video components
Videostrip
Best Practices
When using “caching” a complete download of the video file
is performed prior to playing the video
“Streaming” allows to “display as you download”.
The video player downloads the video in “packets”, organizes
it in a buffer and pulls data from the buffer to display the
video frames.
Buffer size is usually small, which means short loading time,
however play might be jumpy in cases that the buffer is not
filled quick enough (User’s bandwidth does not match the
movie’s bit rate).
In Streaming we have a 2 way communication between the
client and the server, which means that instructions from the
client can be sent to the server – this enables advanced
features such as seek and stream changes according to
bandwidth.
Delivery methods
Streaming vs. Progressive Download
“Progressive Download” (also known as “http streaming”)
takes the video size into consideration when determining the
buffer size.
Buffering continues until the remaining download time is
shorter then the movie play time.
Delivery methods
Progressive Download is the middle option between full
caching and streaming.
For our needs “Progressive Download” is usually the best
option.
Since there is no bandwidth dependency the quality is
usually better than in streaming.
Simple setup – as there is no need for a streaming server.
Local storage of files – after the user views the video, the file
is stored in the local’s computer internet cache. The user can
view the movie again without having to download it each
time.
Note that this may be perceived as a disadvantage in some
cases.
Delivery methods
Progressive Download - Pros
Local storage restricts the streams to short or moderate
length files.
The viewer does not have random access into the stream
until the movie is fully loaded (can’t implement seek
features).
Can’t be used for live event streaming.
Delivery methods
Progressive Download - Cons
Video components
The basics of digital video
Video delivery methods
Video components
Videostrip
Best Practices
The video components let you easily download and display a
video, achieving the best possible quality.
Eyeblaster offers 3 different video components:
SWF video loader
FLV streaming player
FLV progressive loader
Video components
It is possible to incorporate video into any of the Eyeblaster
formats.
This component is a video downloader that can
download a video which is embedded within a
separate flash movie.
The component uses progressive
download to download the video.
You can achieve smooth play on any
bandwidth by using this component.
Flash 6 is required.
Eyeblaster recommends using
this component for most cases.
Video components
SWF Video Loader
This component is a streaming video downloader and player.
Flash communication server is used for
storing and streaming the video files
(format FLV1.1)
Smooth playback is not guaranteed
unless a bandwidth detection is
used properly.
Flash 6 is required for downloading
and playing the video.
Flash 7 is required for controlling the audio.
Streaming is recommended for very long videos, which is
usually not the case with Eyeblaster ads.
Video components
FLV Streaming Player
This component is a video downloader that can download an
FLV video.
The component is based on the
MediaDisplay component delivered
with Flash MX (professional).
The component uses progressive
download to download the video.
You can ensure smooth playback on
any bandwidth by using this component.
Flash 7 is required.
Video components
FLV Progressive Loader
When using this component, we should create 2 flash assets:
•
Container – will use the SWFVideoLoader component.
•
Additional asset – video embedded inside a flash asset.
•
The frame rate of the 2 assets should be similar.
•
•
The position of the component will determine the position of
the video.
The size of the video will correspond to the stage size of the
additional asset.
Video components
SWF Video Loader - Exercise
We’ll use “myLoader” as the component’s name.
Define a callback for getting video progress:
onProgress(bufferProgress, loadProgress,playProgress)
Set the callback:
myLoader.videoSetProgressEventHandler(onProgress);
The sound is OFF by default. You can change the MUTE
status and set the volume at the initialization stage in order to
start the video with sound ON.
Video components
SWF Video Loader - Initialization
Call the load API:
myLoader.videoLoad(videoURL, frameRate, riskFactor);
For example:
myLoader.videoLoad(_root.ebMovie1, 15, 0.1);
You can optionally call the loadAndPlay API in cases where
automatic play is needed.
instead of
myLoader.videoLoad with the same set of parameters.
Simply call myLoader.videoLoadAndPlay
Video components
SWF Video Loader - Loading
Video Exercise
Creating Video Ads
The basics of digital video
Video delivery methods
Video components
Videostrip
Best Practices
The videostrip should be configured in the Eyeblaster
interface as a panel of an expandable banner.
Note that as in the example, the strip can cover the banner,
creating an effect of a video banner that expands.
You should use the “DynamicMask” component with any of
our video components in order to create a videostrip panel.
Video strip
The videostrip feature allows you to easily create a video
teaser that expands on mouseover or user click.
Using the DynamicMask component API you can easily do the following:
Show only a short part of the movie
(teaser) in a loop when the strip
is shown.
myMask.setVideoLoop(5); - 5 sec loop
Set the expand/retract time.
myMask.setExpandTime(1); - 1 sec
Video strip
DynamicMask Component
Video can be set to MUTE automatically when only the strip is
shown and be played with sound when expanded.
myMask.setAutoVideoMute(true);
Callbacks for expand and retract can be set by the user.
myMask.onExpand = function () {
…
};
myMask.onRetract = function () {
…
};
Different effects can be set to the expand/retract transitions.
myMask.setEaseIng(Regular.easeInOut);
Video strip
DynamicMask Component
The component’s position and size defines the strip
position and size.
When the strip expands it is always to the full stage size.
The DynamicMask component must be set on the lowest
layer of the movie, so that it doesn’t block other buttons
on the stage.
Testing the component can be done in the flash editor.
You cannot test a video strip asset in “Preview Asset”.
Retract onMouseOut will only work in Preview Ad (and
only for the expandable banner format).
Video strip
Important Notes
The basics of digital video
Video delivery methods
Video components
Videostrip
Best Practices
For the commercial break format the speed is
very important and the video is usually
short (10-15 sec)
We recommend that the ad will be created
from 2 resources:
Container – this includes a progress bar or
animation while the video loads.
The video as an additional asset.
We recommend using the SWFLoader component.
Best practices
Commercial Break
We recommend that different ads are created for different
bandwidths.
Note that as long as the video bit rate matches the user’s
bandwidth, the initialization of the video should be short.
Follow the same recommendations for the “appear on next
page” option.
In general we recommend using the video components and
not embedding the video into the main flash asset, as the
components can guarantee smooth playback of the video.
Best practices
Commercial Break
If the video is user initiated in the panel, we follow the same
recommendations: the panel will be the video container and
we’ll have an additional asset with the video.
For cases where the panel should open only when the video
is ready, we recommend using the same approach but with a
mask to make the panel transparent while the video is
loading.
Another option is to embed the video inside the panel and use
“ebShowWhenReady” fscommand. We only recommend this
when the video is very light (less than 600K).
Best practices
Expandable Banner
In general you wouldn’t use true streaming for video ads.
Examples where true streaming should be used:
Site allows only streaming video content.
Copyright issues – streaming is the advised option.
Two way control is required.
Very long video (usually not the case for video ads).
Best practices
When Should True Streaming be Used?
Creating
Video Ads
London
April 2005
Questions