Tool for Encoding to MP3 audio files on the Mac

If you need to encode MP3 audio files on the Mac then using tools such as Episode and Sorenson Squeeze are obviously good choices for this. There are MP3 encoding presets already built into both applications. If you're trying to save money a free tool that you can use is called Audacity. This tool was first recommended to me by Brian Alves, one of the world's leading podcasters and host of The DV Show. If you have AIFF source files Audacity can encode them. To use Audacity for encoding MP3 files you'll need to download and install the Audacity application and the LAME mp3 encoder available on the Audacity website under downloads.

Working with Videos in Sorenson 360

Today we'll be discussing working with videos in Sorenson 360. Now if you thought Sorenson Squeeze was an amazing compression tool, wait until you get a load of his big brother for video delivery Sorenson 360. When looking at the available features of this tool since its May release it boasts a lot of excitement right out of the box. Many times individuals and organizations that want to host videos on-line have to set-up a server for the video delivery but Sorenson 360 takes that job off your plate because it is a Video Delivery Network.

Let's now look at the Video section in 360.



After logging into Sorenson 360 you can click on the Video tab to access your videos.



On the main page of the Video section you can get a quick snapshot of the Video Title, Description, Format, Upload Date, and Number of Views. You can also sort through the videos that are Live, Retired and in the Trash. Sorting by Upload Date, Title and Number of Views is another option.

Now, let's look a little bit further into the features in the Video section of Sorenson 360.

If you click on one of your videos you'll get access to many other items. You can choose a Player Style, Player Size, copy Embed Code and copy a Permalink. In this area you also have the option to Edit Title, Edit Description and Password Protect videos. If you want to make a video Live, Retire it or Trash it this is where you'll do it. Lastly, this area will give you quick access to video metrics and settings used during encoding. Wow, and that's only the Video section of Sorenson 360.

To get more hands-on instruction on using Sorenson 360 attend one of our 2-Day Video Streaming and Compression classes. It'll be featured in Day 2 of the Authoring track.

Performing Log file analysis with Sawmill

Consider performing log file analysis with Sawmill. If you have some log files that you need to analyze, Sawmill is an excellent tool for this purpose. The log analysis tool can process almost any log on the planet. What's also nice is you can customize reports, use macros, apply filters and zoom in to analyze data even more. With Sawmill you can resolve domain names, create users, assign user roles and perform a host of other task. A feature I think is very cool is the ability to create users accounts and assign them a Statistics Visitor role. This means you can have the user log-in from anywhere with Internet access to view stats without having access to Administrative settings. There are many more features found in this tool. You should at least download a 30 day trial of Sawmill. Get some Firewall, Web Server, Streaming Server, System, or FTP logs and analyze them with this tool.

RipCode Announces Availability of On-Demand Transcoding Tool

RipCode today announced the availability of on-demand video transcoding for the holiday season's must have video-enabled phones including the Apple iPhone, T-Mobile G1, RIM BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Storm all of which are now available in stores.

The coupling of On-Demand Transcoding -- a game-changing video delivery technology pioneered by RipCode with the Apple iPhone, T-Mobile G1, RIM BlackBerry Bold and BlackBerry Storm is an industry first. On-Demand Transcoding enables content owners and operators to quickly and cost-effectively scale multi-media delivery by transcoding video content only when requested, while at the same time progressively downloading or streaming to end user devices. An appliance-based, infrastructure solution, RipCode extends video delivery across multiple channels, without requiring specialized handset applications or video players, and without the need to pre-transcode content for each device.

"As the holiday buying season kicks off next week, these are the phones making people's wish lists," said Brendon Mills, RipCode CEO. "As these popular video-enabled devices increasingly penetrate the market, content aggregators and operators will offer solutions that leverage the devices' video attributes and larger screen real estate to extend content and brand value to mobile customers."

An inherent feature of RipCode's On-Demand Transcoding technology is the ability to support ad insertion and integration with ad networks through an open API, enabling operators to monetize the delivery of on-demand video content. Additionally, RipCode's Client Detection Application which accurately identifies the characteristics of a variety of Internet-enabled devices and handsets -- lets operators seamlessly optimize video delivery or image re-sizing for the mobile market.

MTV Networks Ramps Up Live Streaming with Inlet Tool Spinnaker

Inlet Technologies, a leading provider of advanced encoding solutions for new media, announced today that MTV Networks, a division of Viacom will use the Spinnaker 7000 live streaming appliance to stream online events, such as episodic "After Shows," bonus footage and tent poles. In the past, MTVN has utilized Spinnaker for the Flash live stream of "The Hills After Show."

"Having a solid live streaming solution as part of its arsenal is important for any media company today" said Manny Parisi, of MTV Networks. "With its excellent pre-filtering abilities, easy to use Web UI and useful scheduling features, Spinnaker provides MTVN with the ability to send out great looking Flash Live Streams to its Web sites in an extremely reliable manner with tons of flexibility."

"We are proud to support MTVN's new media strategy in general and its live streaming initiative in particular," said Neal Page, Inlet Technologies CEO. "No organization is more in tune with the needs and wants of the new generation of consumers than MTVN."