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Overview

Learn to compute and use video metrics like VMAF, PSNR, and SSIMPLUS

Video quality metrics like PSNR, SSIM, VMAF, and SSIMPLUS predict how subjective viewers will evaluate digital videos. Many large producers like Netflix and Facebook use video quality metrics to guide day-to-day encoding decisions like choosing the optimal encoding settings, creating encoding ladders, and evaluating codecs and encoding tools. This course teaches you how to compute and apply these metrics.

Make Better Informed Configuration Decisions

This graph tracks average and low frame quality against encoding time for all x264 presets. It shows that the Faster preset delivers nearly the same quality as Medium in about half the encoding time and that Placebo is always a bad decision.
Make Better Informed Configuration Decisions

You Will Learn

  • The pros and cons of common metrics like PSNR, SSIM, VMAF, and SSIMPLUS

  • How to compute these metrics and interpret the scores

  • How to create rate distortion curves and compute BD-Rate functions for internal decision making or articles and presentations

  • How to use these results to make decisions like choosing the optimal encoding parameters or preset, building an encoding ladder, and choosing an encoder

  • How to use tools like the Moscow State University Video Quality Metric Tool, SSIMPLUS VOD Inspector, Hybrik Media Analyzer, and FFmpeg to compute these metrics

Course curriculum

  • 1
    Introduction
  • 2
    Introductory Concepts: Getting the Lay of the Land
    • Metric Overview
    • Comparing Objective Metrics
    • Using Metrics - In General (Going Beyond the Number)
    • Introduction to Rate Distortion Curves and BD-Rate Functions
  • 3
    Meet the Metrics - Pros, Cons, and How to Interpret Scores
  • 4
    Plan Your Encodes and Testing (Getting it Right the First Time)
  • 5
    FFmpeg Operations - Using FFmpeg to Compute Metrics and Convert Files for Other Tools
  • 6
    Learning to Use (and Love) the Moscow State University Video Quality Measurement Tool (VQMT)
    • Overview FREE PREVIEW
    • Load Files Into MSU VQMT
    • Choosing and Configuring Metrics
    • Running Multiple VQMT Instances
    • Fixing Out-Of-Sync Videos in the GUI and Command Line
    • Command Line Operation
  • 7
    Working with the SSIMPLUS VOD Inspector for HDR, Cross-Frame Rate and Other Unique Computations
  • 8
    Hybrik Media Analyzer - Affordable, Scaleable, Cloud-Based VQ Analysis
  • 9
    VMAF Master - The Open-Source Netflix Analyzer
    • About This Chapter
    • Download PDF Here
  • 10
    Creating Rate-Distortion Curves and BD-Rate Functions in Microsoft Excel
    • Microsoft Excel: Producing Rate Distortion Curves
    • Producing BD-Rate Functions
    • Efficient Chart Title Creation in Excel
    • Efficient Chart Title Creation in Excel
  • 11
    Applying What You've Learned - Improving Encoding Configurations and Encoding Related Decision Making

Instructor

  • Jan Ozer

    Instructor

    Jan Ozer

    Jan is a streaming consultant and contributing editor to Streaming Media Magazine, where he teaches courses on Video Quality Metrics, FFmpeg, and other topics at Streaming Media Events in New York City, Los Angeles, and London. Jan is the author of Video Encoding by the Numbers, which uses video quality metrics to direct key encoding configuration decisions and differentiate codecs and encoders, and the author of Learn to Produce Video with FFmpeg in 30 Minutes or Less which is available on Amazon and other online sites.

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