Configure settings for VP6 video

Important: These options pertain only to video encoded with the VP6 codec. Use these options carefully. The settings affect the way that Flash Media Live Encoder uses your computer’s processor and memory. These settings persist until the next time you readjust them.

  1. With VP6 selected, click the settings icon  next to the Video Format box.

  2. In the Advanced Encoder Settings dialog box, configure any of the following settings:

    Keyframe Frequency
    Specifies the minimum frequency for inserting keyframes in the output video stream. Keyframes are encoded without reference to any other frames in the stream, and they provide a recovery point if the viewer's connection is dropped or rebuffered.

    Quality
    Specifies image quality. Depending on the nature of the content (such as static or dynamic) and processor capability, this setting can affect the output, as noted in each setting. The Best Quality setting attempts to retain image sharpness but is processor-intensive; if CPU resources become exhausted while encoding, Flash Media Live Encoder compensates by dropping frames. In general, the first setting in this list that your system can support without dropping frames is best. To confirm that frames aren’t being dropped, monitor the Status display while encoding. For more information on the Status display, see Using the Encoding Log.
    Note: This setting may depend on the CPU Usage setting. For example, if you choose Best Quality but set CPU Usage to Very Low, Flash Media Live Encoder drops frames.

    Noise Reduction
    The encoder attempts to blur what it perceives as unwanted artifacts in the video stream. This setting specifies how aggressively to apply the technique.
    Note: Noise reduction is a matter of personal preference; do not adjust this setting unless you determine that there is a quality advantage.

    Datarate Window
    Specifies how much data rate fluctuation to allow while encoding.

    Flash Media Live Encoder can recognize similarities between adjacent frames. It allocates fewer bandwidth resources to encoding sequences that have fewer changes in the frames (such as a sitting interview using a fixed camera), reserving the resources for sequences with more motion (such as a sports event). With a larger Datarate Window value, Flash Media Live Encoder holds more data in its buffer—it can process more video frames, resulting in better compression. If you believe that the viewers may have suboptimal network connections, you may want to reduce this value. Conversely, for encoding streams that are saved to file for local playback only (that is, streams that are never transmitted over a network), use the Huge setting.

    The best way to determine the practical effects of this setting is through real-world testing of the viewer experience.

    CPU Usage
    Specifies the CPU resources to allocate to the video encoder. You achieve best encoding results from a dedicated machine. Special circumstances may require that you reserve some processing power for a second task.