October 2024 Summaries

Mux has expanded the capabilities of its basic quality video assets by introducing MP4 support, allowing users to create video MP4s up to 1080p resolution or audio-only m4a files without an upfront cost, although a small monthly storage fee applies. This update addresses the demand for MP4s needed for various uses, such as offline playback and content analysis, and maintains the platform's Just-In-Time encoding feature. Users can enable MP4s on both new and existing basic quality assets by following instructions provided in the MP4 Support Guide. While the company has not yet launched 2K and 4K support for basic assets, it assures users that these features are forthcoming and encourages feedback on additional desired functionalities.

Netflix's 2015 concept of "one size does not fit all" in video encoding emphasizes the inefficiency of applying a uniform adaptive bitrate (ABR) ladder to all video content. This leads to either bandwidth waste or compromised perceptual quality. Mux has adopted a novel approach to this issue by implementing per-title encoding that assesses video complexity to determine optimal encoding settings. This approach, which contrasts with conventional content classification methods, aims to maintain consistent quality while adhering to bitrate constraints—categorized under basic, plus, and the newly introduced premium quality levels. The premium tier is tailored for content demanding the highest visual quality, with safeguards ensuring viewability by integrating intermediary renditions when necessary. Mux's premium quality level, available for both on-demand assets and live streams, offers enhanced video output quality and is priced at 1.5 times the plus level, making it suitable for high-demand streaming scenarios.

Analyzing Quality of Experience (QoE) involves understanding the factors behind playback issues to enhance viewer experiences, akin to solving a mystery. Mux Data introduces the "View Dropped Percentage" metric to identify trends in video views that unexpectedly end without a clear signal. Views can end due to user interactions like closing the player or exiting a page, resulting in a viewend event, but if no signal is received within 60 seconds of playback inactivity, the session is marked as dropped. The new metric helps distinguish between normal viewing behaviors, like pausing and not resuming, from potential technical issues, which may cause an increase in dropped views. By examining dropped views as a filter or dimension, users can identify patterns or technical problems across different players, browsers, or devices, aiding in resolving QoE issues. This metric is accessible to Mux Data customers via the Metrics API and Dashboard, providing a new tool for solving data mysteries.

Mux has enhanced its video clipping capabilities by enabling instant clipping for all on-demand video assets, allowing users to create clips without additional costs, regardless of the video's origin. Previously available only for live streams and VOD assets from live streams, this feature now supports instant clips using relative time, rather than the absolute timestamps required before. Mux offers two types of clipping: instant clipping, which is cost-effective and does not create new assets, and frame-accurate clipping, which allows for new asset creation but incurs encoding and storage costs. Users can leverage playback modifiers to set start and end times for clips, and Mux Player supports these parameters for seamless integration. For security, Signed Playback URLs can be used to restrict changes to clipping parameters, and images also support relative timing for consistency. Feedback on this upgraded functionality is encouraged.

Aging technical documentation can erode trust and user satisfaction, as observed by the team at Mux, who recognized their own documentation needed attention to keep pace with their evolving products. In response, they initiated DocsJam 2024, a focused effort to revitalize their developer documentation by addressing key issues such as clunky search UX, difficult navigation, and the discovery of resources like SDKs and workflows. The team undertook a creative retreat in the mountains, which fostered collaboration and innovation, resulting in the integration of Algolia DocSearch to improve search capabilities and the implementation of simpler, more effective tables of contents. They also established a new section on the docs homepage to highlight community projects and educational content, resulting in a refreshed documentation codebase and a renewed sense of purpose and energy among the DevEx team. This initiative highlights the importance of regularly updating and checking in on documentation to ensure it remains a valuable resource for users.

The narrative explores a technical challenge encountered in audio and music production, specifically addressing a muted audio issue in a customer video. Initially perplexed by the silent playback on some devices despite successful audio on others, the investigation revealed that the problem stemmed from out-of-phase audio channels, where stereo signals were 180 degrees out of phase, leading to cancellation when summed to mono. This issue primarily affected users with an accessibility setting on iPhones that summed audio to mono, while others listening in stereo experienced no problems. The story underscores the complexities of audio production, the often unintentional creation of out-of-phase audio due to microphone placement, and the importance of post-production corrections. Solutions to such phase issues include using phase flip or invert options in a Digital Audio Workstation or manually adjusting waveform alignment. The experience highlights the intricate nature of video and audio production, emphasizing that even minor technical details can significantly impact the final output.

Glassdoor has introduced a new video feature aimed at enhancing user engagement by allowing users to create and interact with video posts, fostering authentic connections within its community. This initiative, led by Sr. Engineering Manager Ilya Starostin, integrates Mux's technology due to its modern API, ease of use, and robust support infrastructure, which stood out during a comprehensive vendor evaluation. The decision to partner with Mux, rather than develop an in-house solution using AWS, was driven by time constraints, cost considerations, and the lack of existing expertise in video hosting at scale. The Mux integration facilitated a seamless development process, enabling Glassdoor to swiftly implement a functional proof of concept and connect various platforms, including mobile apps and web interfaces, to their existing backend stack. The collaboration exemplifies a successful partnership, as evidenced by the proactive support from Mux and the timely completion of the project, positioning Glassdoor to potentially scale its video capabilities in the future.

Video.js, launched in 2010, was designed for developers to customize player controls using web technologies instead of Flash. Despite its widespread use on sites like Twitter, Instagram, Amazon, and LinkedIn, the default controls were rarely customized. The introduction of React and Web Components led to the development of Media Chrome, which provides both Web Components and React Components for building video player UIs. Player.style is a collection of Media Chrome themes that can be used across all major web players and UI frameworks, allowing developers to easily customize their media player with just HTML and CSS.