Whether you’re streaming video on your phone, editing promotional videos for an ad campaign, or preparing digital signage and setting up audio-visual (AV) equipment for a corporate event, bitrate matters.
Bitrate directly impacts the size and quality of digital video and audio files. When you’re presenting information at an important event, you need your video and audio to come through clearly and reliably. This is true whether you’re live-streaming to a worldwide audience, recording a pre-taped presentation, or projecting video to aid a keynote speaker.
In this guide, we’re introducing you to the ins and outs of bitrate and how to make strategic choices so you can rely on high-quality video and audio and give your attendees a truly immersive experience.
In the world of AV, bitrate is a measurement of the amount of data that can be processed or transmitted within a particular period of time. Bitrate is typically reflected in one of the three following units of measurement:
Video bitrate refers to the amount of data used to transmit live or recorded video. A higher bitrate typically means higher resolution, sharpness, and detail. For example, a standard definition 720p video typically has a bitrate of between one and three mbps, while a 4K UHD video may require a bitrate of 80 mbps or higher.
Bitrate can also measure data processing and transmission of audio. Just like video footage, the quality of the audio is impacted by the bitrate. A higher bitrate generally means greater clarity and crispness. In most situations, audio files require much lower bitrates than video files. In fact, you can expect to get very high-quality audio output with a bitrate of just about 300 kbps.
Bitrate is especially important for event production and large-scale streams. It also affects independent creators and consumers on a daily basis. Here are some everyday examples of how bitrate can affect how you record, distribute, or consume video and audio content:
There are numerous reasons why you should address bitrate concerns when selecting AV solutions for corporate and entertainment events – and make sure you work with AV professionals who can advise you.
You can control bitrate by adjusting key settings during recording or rendering and choosing between constant and variable bitrate. You should also consider content type, resolution, and frame rate in order to ensure high-quality, reliable video and audio.
Bitrate directly controls the sharpness and smoothness of live video. This is a crucial consideration when you’re projecting on big event screens or streaming to virtual attendees. Footage that appears choppy, pixelated, or blurry can damage the audience experience and prevent you from communicating your points effectively.
This is especially important when you’re working with large visual displays like LED walls or jumbotrons, which is common at major corporate events. While a low bitrate video may be acceptable when you’re watching a YouTube video on a small laptop screen or mobile phone, a 50-food LED wall exaggerates video flaws. If you want your audience to feel engaged with the images and videos you present at your event, you need adequate bitrate.
Corporate events typically involve a variety of different types of audio, from speeches and panel discussions to music and special effects. Compressing audio too much reduces the clarity and richness of the sound your audience hears.
You never want your guests to be disappointed during an opening song or miss sections of a keynote address, so you should always work closely with your AV provider to choose the right equipment and adjust settings in order to ensure sound clarity.
When you’re streaming video and audio, you need to find the right balance between quality and bandwidth restrictions. This is particularly important if your venue has unreliable internet, although that should always be avoided.
Excessively high bitrate can lead to buffering and stream interruptions, while excessively low bitrate leads to blurriness and pixelation. You want to find the right balance so your stream is smooth and reliable.
Whether you’re recording content to play at your venue or recording the event itself, bitrate is an important consideration for post-production.
Editors have more control when they’re working with higher bitrate recordings. It’s easier to create smooth transitions and sync audio and video files. Low bitrate footage is more difficult to work with and you may end up with lower-quality color, awkward transitions, or out-of-sync video and audio.
Is your event content generally static (still) or dynamic (in motion)? For mostly static visuals such as slideshow presentations or podium speeches, you typically won’t need a high bitrate to produce good-quality video.
On the other hand, action-packed or dynamic visuals like musical performances or in-depth product demonstrations will require smoother, more detailed visuals with a high bitrate.
The internet connection at your event space must have sufficient upload speed to support your chosen bitrate. Before selecting a venue and AV equipment, you should always perform speed tests. In general, it’s a good idea to try to use 50% or less of the available upload bandwidth capacity to ensure reliable, high-quality audio and video.
It’s important to consider your audience, and more specifically, the devices they’re likely to use. For example, a younger audience may be more likely to watch from a smaller screen like a phone or tablet, while an older audience is probably more likely to choose larger computer monitors or TVs.
Smaller screens typically have reduced processing power when compared to larger ones, meaning a lower bitrate is better able to produce a smooth viewing experience on smaller displays.
Depending on the size and location of your audience, you may have viewers in certain areas with lower internet speeds. Fortunately, most popular streaming platforms offer adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR). This means they’ll automatically adjust the bitrate of the video dynamically to suit each viewer’s bandwidth, preventing lag and buffering during your event.
The process of live streaming an event can be complex and overwhelming, especially when you’ve got so much on your plate already. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert in event technology to produce a truly spectacular virtual event.
Catalyst is a full-service AV provider specializing in designing, managing, and executing the technical aspects of corporate events. With us, you can rest assured that you have a true partner in your court.
Contact us today to learn more and tell us about your event!
Whether you’re streaming video on your phone, editing promotional videos for an ad campaign, or preparing digital signage and setting up audio-visual (AV) equipment for a corporate event, bitrate matters.
Bitrate directly impacts the size and quality of digital video and audio files. When you’re presenting information at an important event, you need your video and audio to come through clearly and reliably. This is true whether you’re live-streaming to a worldwide audience, recording a pre-taped presentation, or projecting video to aid a keynote speaker.
In this guide, we’re introducing you to the ins and outs of bitrate and how to make strategic choices so you can rely on high-quality video and audio and give your attendees a truly immersive experience.
In the world of AV, bitrate is a measurement of the amount of data that can be processed or transmitted within a particular period of time. Bitrate is typically reflected in one of the three following units of measurement:
Video bitrate refers to the amount of data used to transmit live or recorded video. A higher bitrate typically means higher resolution, sharpness, and detail. For example, a standard definition 720p video typically has a bitrate of between one and three mbps, while a 4K UHD video may require a bitrate of 80 mbps or higher.
Bitrate can also measure data processing and transmission of audio. Just like video footage, the quality of the audio is impacted by the bitrate. A higher bitrate generally means greater clarity and crispness. In most situations, audio files require much lower bitrates than video files. In fact, you can expect to get very high-quality audio output with a bitrate of just about 300 kbps.
Bitrate is especially important for event production and large-scale streams. It also affects independent creators and consumers on a daily basis. Here are some everyday examples of how bitrate can affect how you record, distribute, or consume video and audio content:
There are numerous reasons why you should address bitrate concerns when selecting AV solutions for corporate and entertainment events – and make sure you work with AV professionals who can advise you.
You can control bitrate by adjusting key settings during recording or rendering and choosing between constant and variable bitrate. You should also consider content type, resolution, and frame rate in order to ensure high-quality, reliable video and audio.
Bitrate directly controls the sharpness and smoothness of live video. This is a crucial consideration when you’re projecting on big event screens or streaming to virtual attendees. Footage that appears choppy, pixelated, or blurry can damage the audience experience and prevent you from communicating your points effectively.
This is especially important when you’re working with large visual displays like LED walls or jumbotrons, which is common at major corporate events. While a low bitrate video may be acceptable when you’re watching a YouTube video on a small laptop screen or mobile phone, a 50-food LED wall exaggerates video flaws. If you want your audience to feel engaged with the images and videos you present at your event, you need adequate bitrate.
Corporate events typically involve a variety of different types of audio, from speeches and panel discussions to music and special effects. Compressing audio too much reduces the clarity and richness of the sound your audience hears.
You never want your guests to be disappointed during an opening song or miss sections of a keynote address, so you should always work closely with your AV provider to choose the right equipment and adjust settings in order to ensure sound clarity.
When you’re streaming video and audio, you need to find the right balance between quality and bandwidth restrictions. This is particularly important if your venue has unreliable internet, although that should always be avoided.
Excessively high bitrate can lead to buffering and stream interruptions, while excessively low bitrate leads to blurriness and pixelation. You want to find the right balance so your stream is smooth and reliable.
Whether you’re recording content to play at your venue or recording the event itself, bitrate is an important consideration for post-production.
Editors have more control when they’re working with higher bitrate recordings. It’s easier to create smooth transitions and sync audio and video files. Low bitrate footage is more difficult to work with and you may end up with lower-quality color, awkward transitions, or out-of-sync video and audio.
Is your event content generally static (still) or dynamic (in motion)? For mostly static visuals such as slideshow presentations or podium speeches, you typically won’t need a high bitrate to produce good-quality video.
On the other hand, action-packed or dynamic visuals like musical performances or in-depth product demonstrations will require smoother, more detailed visuals with a high bitrate.
The internet connection at your event space must have sufficient upload speed to support your chosen bitrate. Before selecting a venue and AV equipment, you should always perform speed tests. In general, it’s a good idea to try to use 50% or less of the available upload bandwidth capacity to ensure reliable, high-quality audio and video.
It’s important to consider your audience, and more specifically, the devices they’re likely to use. For example, a younger audience may be more likely to watch from a smaller screen like a phone or tablet, while an older audience is probably more likely to choose larger computer monitors or TVs.
Smaller screens typically have reduced processing power when compared to larger ones, meaning a lower bitrate is better able to produce a smooth viewing experience on smaller displays.
Depending on the size and location of your audience, you may have viewers in certain areas with lower internet speeds. Fortunately, most popular streaming platforms offer adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR). This means they’ll automatically adjust the bitrate of the video dynamically to suit each viewer’s bandwidth, preventing lag and buffering during your event.
The process of live streaming an event can be complex and overwhelming, especially when you’ve got so much on your plate already. Fortunately, you don’t have to be an expert in event technology to produce a truly spectacular virtual event.
Catalyst is a full-service AV provider specializing in designing, managing, and executing the technical aspects of corporate events. With us, you can rest assured that you have a true partner in your court.
Contact us today to learn more and tell us about your event!
Are you planning a shareholder meeting, conference, product launch, trade show, or other type of major event? You need to make sure the production value matches the quality of your event’s content. Working with a reliable, proven leader in audio visual event production like Catalyst ensures your event runs smoothly, exceeds the expectations of your audience, and has the impact you want.
Get in touch today to schedule a free consultation, learn more about our services, and tell us about your event.
We work events both nationally and internationally. No matter where you are, Catalyst can come to you.
(818) 818-6117
info@thecatalystcompanies.com