Real World Video Compression [Paperback]

Andy Beach (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321514696 | ISBN-13: 978-0321514691 | Publication Date: April 12, 2008 | Edition: 1

Video is the Internet these days and as the growing trend toward viewing video on mobile devices increases too, the attention is turning toward creating a good user experience for downloading and viewing that video. One of the keys to this is delivering video in the correct format with the proper compression for that delivery. Real World Video Compression is one of the first books on this topic to demystify the various approaches to compression. It begins by describing the basic concepts of video compression, explains why you might choose a particular compression tool over another, and covers important workflow practices. After the groundwork is laid, readers will learn how to compress their video according to the specific requirements of their projects and will learn some best practices by following the author's own tips and recipes. Experts in the field lend their own solutions in several sidebars throughout the book, making this a valuable learning tool for anyone learning to encode video, whether they are bloggers, DVD authors, video editors, or students.

Contents at a Glance
Chapter One: Understanding Video and Audio.
Chapter Two: The Language of Compression
Chapter Three: Best Practices
Chapter Four: Preprocessing
Interview with a Compressionist: John Howell
Chapter Five: Compression Tools
Interview with a Compressionist: Nico Puertollano
Chapter Six: Compressing for DVDs
Interview with a Compressionist: Ben Waggoner
Chapter Seven: Compressing for the Web
Interview with a Compressionist: Jim Rohner
Chapter Eight: Compressing for Mobile
Interview with a Compressionist: Ryanne Hodson
Chapter Nine: Compressing for Set-Top Boxes
Interview with a Compressionist: Andy Beach

"In the highly accessible REAL WORLD VIDEO COMPRESSION, Andy Beach 
illuminates the dark-art of encoding and provides candid insight from 
working professionals. Andy's fluid style and easy prose decode this 
often misunderstood and often misinformed world...he is the Carl Sagan 
of compression."

Brian Gary
Filmmaker, Compressionist
Author of the COMPRESSOR 3 QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Andy Beach is the Director of Product Management at Inlet Technologies. Prior to joining Inlet, he served as the Director of Product Development at Magnet Media where he oversaw the creation of Zoom In Online. His expertise in video postproduction, compression, and interactive design has attracted clients worldwide, including: Apple Inc., Adobe Systems, British Design Council, V2 Records, Universal Music and Paramount Pictures, to name a few. Andy has spoken at industry conferences including NAB, Web Video Summit, and WWDC, has been featured in industry magazines, and has taught digital filmmaking and encoding at the School of Visual Arts.

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press; 1 edition (April 12, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321514696
• ISBN-13: 978-0321514691
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.6 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #610,156 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Andy Beach is a digital media professional who combines technology, creativity, and business strategy. He is also the author of Real World Video Compression, a book that seeks to explain the world of compression in plain English.


Andy brings significant expertise and experience in the field of product strategy & marketing, video compression and rich media solutions. His knowledge of video post-production, compression and interactive design has attracted clients worldwide, including: Microsoft, Major League Baseball, Apple, INC and Adobe Systems, INC.


Most recently, Andy was VP of Marketing for Elemental technologies, a Portland based video compression software company. Prior to Elemental, he served as the director of product marketing & support at Inlet Technologies where he oversaw the creation of Armada, an automated media processing solution encompassing analysis and transcoding. Before Inlet, Andy co-founded an interactive agency in New York City and taught digital filmmaking at the School of Visual Arts.


He has a B.F.A. in film & video from the Savannah College of Art and Design.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Recipe Book, October 30, 2008

By 

Pedro Novaes "Roadrunner" (Brazil) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Real World Video Compression (Paperback)

Not really what I was expecting for. I guess it answers the needs of those looking for better performance on compression jobs without having to go too deep, serving as well as a good introduction to video and audio compression. I found the conceptual and analytical part of the matter too shallow on codec differences and performances, standards, etc. But the recipes for getting quickly started on compression processes for different purposes, using different softwares can be quite useful.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The art of video compression, May 12, 2008

By 

Entropy (Vienna, Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real World Video Compression (Paperback)

Great book. What jumps out is that there is an art to video compression -- this is more than a how to book or compression for dummies book or a long tome that recites MPEG standards. What I really liked about it was the way the author describes things in language that is easy to understand. Another great feature of the book is the section on compressionists today. Great interview with Ben Waggoner, a national expert from Microsoft who really understands what it takes to bring digital video to the web... Highly recommend this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent primer in video compression, April 25, 2008

By 

Avid reader (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Real World Video Compression (Paperback)

Excellent resource for getting up to speed on compression. Not a detailed step by step guide for every situation but rather an overview of the current standards, codecs, players, encoding software, as well as the general principles of compression. I think it gives a good level of detail for a complicated subject. It provides mostly general principles and then a few points of guidance pertaining to individual software titles. I think I personally would have preferred more detail on certain areas, say compressing for DVD and mobile, and cut out the interviews with compressionists.

I would also quibble with the $44.99 retail price. Publishers are making it so you must buy your books online.