HIGH Quality Video

[videohelpnewbie]

I am planning to host a streaming website with exceptionally high quality movie clips. If I want to achieve the quality delivered by www.crackle.com or netflix.com:
- What best format should my source files be ?
- What encoders do I use to retain the best quality and reasonable size
- Encoding formats so that I can stream across TV, Gaming Console, IPhone, Ipad
- Name few encoding services that are out there with good quality and reasonable costs


Appreciate your feedback,
Martin

[edDV]

- What best format should my source files be ?

How did you get this gig?

Assuming you have legal rights, the best you can get. Go for the digital intermediate.

- What encoders do I use to retain the best quality and reasonable size

h.264 or better Microsoft Silverlight

- Encoding formats so that I can stream across TV, Gaming Console, IPhone, Ipad

Follow Netflix. Silverlight works well. You will need custom encodes for each platform.

- Name few encoding services that are out there with good quality and reasonable costs

You said above you have a relationship with Crackle and somehow Netflix.

[aedipuss]

how much upload bandwidth do you have? every individual "good" HD video upload to a viewer will cost you at least 5/mbps constant stream. hope you are not trying to be some crappy cable isp user host.

[videohelpnewbie]

@edDV - Thanks. We are planning to buy the rights.

Well I do not have any relationship with them. I just admire the quality they provide.
Currently I am trying to shop for good encoding services. Not sure if web encoders like heywatch, zencoder,etc can provide these qualities.

[videohelpnewbie]

@aedipuss - We are planning to start with 2MBPS (due to high costs), which should be sufficient for good SD quality video streaming.