1. The document provides guidelines for handling video content across different platforms and devices, including YouTube, Facebook, and mobile. 2. It discusses standardizing on 16:9 aspect ratio and resolutions like 720p and 480p. Non-standard videos should be encoded to fit these without pillarboxing/letterboxing. 3. Encoding recommendations include maintaining original aspect ratio, fitting player height, and providing 2 quality levels unless below 360p. Standard and non-standard aspect ratios are addressed.

1. Video Content Handling
Ahsan Saleem
August, 2013

2. Agenda
1. Problem
2. Key Terms
3. Youtube Video handling/guidelines
4. Suggested video handling guidelines
a.
b.
Standard resolution and aspect ratios cases
Non-standard cases
5. Useful resources

3. Problem
● Multiple playback platforms: Web, FB,
iPhone, iPad, Android devices
● Free form video upload, any resolution or
aspect ratio expected
● Achieve consistent video experience
● Avoid too many video outputs
● Avoid complex calculations

4. Key Terms
Aspect Ratio: Width to height pixel ratio of video arranged
as x:y - Note its a ratio and NOT pixel size of video. 4:3
and 16:9 are the most common ones
Orientation: Portrait or Landscape depends on how video
was shot (Camera Vertical or Horizontal)
Video Resolution: Number of horizontal and vertical
pixels. For example: 1280 x 720 (width x height).
Widescreen: Any video with width:height pixel ratio greater
than 1.37:1 on width side

5. Key Terms
Frame Rate: Frequency of images displayed called frames
(frames per second). 24FPS is a progressive common
format for film and 30FPS also common for digital video.
Video Codec: Format video is compressed and encoded in
H.264 (High Profile) is a common standard mp4 & flash.
Google recently switched to VP8 / libvpx
Progressive Scan (720p): Displaying or storing video in
which each frame is drawn in order.
Interlace Scan (720i): Displaying or storing video in which
odd then even lines are drawn. Used by analog TV.

6. Key Terms
Audio Codec: Format that audio is encoded in along side
video. Common formats are AAC (mp4, m4v) & MP3.
Audio Channels: Mono (Single) Stereo (Left & Right) or
5.1 (Dolby 5 Speakers)
Anamorphic Video : Video footage shot intentionally on
3:2 ratio (35MM Film) then stretched to fit widescreen
2.40:1 ratio.

7. Key Terms
Standard Definition (SDTV): Often 4:3 Ratio with video
quality less than 720P
High-Definition (HDTV): 720p, 1080i and 180p
Enhanced-Definition (EDTV): 480p
4k Resolution: Future standard for HD cameras shot at
3840x2160

8. Key Terms
Standard Video Qualities: Standard combinations of aspect
ratio and video resolution
Video Quality
4:3 Aspect Ratio Resolution
16:9 Aspect Ratio Resolution
360p
480 x 360
640 x 360
480p
640 x 480
854 x 480
720p
Not generally used
1280 x 720
1080p
Not generally used
1920 x 1280

9. Letterboxing
Letterboxing is practice to fit wide-screen
videos to standard width displays (black bars
on top and bottom)

10. Pillarboxing
Pillarboxing is opposite to letterboxing i.e.
displaying non-wide screen videos on a wide
screen player window (black bars on sides)

11. Windowboxing
Pillarboxing and letterboxing happening
together. Windowboxing is always a bad idea

12. How YouTube handles video
• Suggests 16:9 aspect for uploading videos
• Suggest standard resolutions like 240p,
•
•
•
360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p
Discourages adding pillarboxing or
letterboxing before upload; Youtube player
adds that by itself if needed
Displays 4:3 videos in 16:9 player with
pillarbox
Offers set player sizes or embeddable player

13. Next: Our Strategy
● Your Player
● Video encode handling of standard
resolutions
● Video encode handling of non-standard
resolutions
● Suggested zencoder settings

14. Our Video Player
● Fix to a 16:9 ratio on web & player either on
Desktop, tablet and Mobile
○ Canvas App 746*420
○ Website Player 854*480
○ Newsfeed 400*225
○ User Timeline 505*284
● Support two sizes of video (both qualities)

15. Suggested Zencoder Settings
● Aspect Ratio = Preserve (always)
● Audio and Video Quality = 3 or 4
● Height as follow
Input
Output 1
Output 2
height > 720
Height = 720
Height = 480
height < 720 and
height > 480
height = original
Height = 480
height <= 480
height = original
height = 360
height <= 360
height = original
None

16. Suggested Video Handling Rules
• Player handles pillarboxing & letterboxing
• After output height should fit player
If it cannot fit height then scale width and letterbox
• Provide at least 2 output formats unless
o
•
•
•
lower than or equal to 360p
Never encode into higher resolution
Never add a pillarbox/letterbox during
encoding
*Always ensure output is 30 FPS

17. Aspect Ratios to Pixel Size Chart
Most
Common
16:9
4:3
•
•
Less Common
5:4
3:2
8:5
5:3
17:9
•
•
•
•
•

18. Video Handling Standard 16:9
Standard Inputs
Output
Resolution
Quality
Quality
Aspect
Ratio
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letter
Box
Encode Scale
1920x1080
1080p
720p &
480p
original
N
N
Down
1280x720
720p
720p &
480p
original
N
N
Same & Down
854x480
480p
480p &
360p
original
N
N
Same & Down
=< 360
360p
360p
original
N
N
Same/Up (one
quality)
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

19. Video Handling Standard 4:3
Standard Inputs
Output
Resolution
Quality
Quality
Aspect
Ratio
Player
Pillar Box
Player
Letter Box
Encode Scale
1440x1080
1080p
720p &
480p
original
Y
N
Down
955x720
720p
720p &
480p
original
Y
N
Same & Down
640x480
480p
480p &
360p
original
Y
N
Same & Down
=< 360
360p
360p
original
Y
N
Same/Up (one
quality)
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

20. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
(Midcase between 16:9 & 4:3)
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
2000
1200
1
original
1200
720
Y
N
Down
2
original
800
480
Y
N
Down
- In this case the aspect ratio of video was less than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is pillarboxed
- The video should always fit the player in height
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos
Cropping

21. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
(2:1)
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
Cropping
2400
1200
1
original
1440
720
N
Y
Down
N
2
original
960
480
N
Y
Down
N
- In this case the aspect ratio of video was greater than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is letterboxed on width.
- Letterboxing should be handled by player
- Our video should always fit the player in height
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

22. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
Cropping
700
500
1
original
700
500
Y
N
None
N
2
original
672
480
Y
N
Down
N
- In this case the aspect ratio of video was less than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is pillarboxed
- The video should always fit the player in height
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

23. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
Cropping
700
400
1
original
700
400
Y
N
None
N
2
original
630
360
Y
N
Down
N
1
original
720
360
N
Y
N
N
600
300
- In first case the aspect ratio of video was less than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is pillarboxed
- In second case the aspect ratio of video was higher than 16:9 so it should letterbox
- The video should always fit the player in height
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

24. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
Cropping
1200
2000
1
original
432
720
Y
N
Down
N
2
original
288
480
Y
N
Down
N
1
original
600
720
Y
N
Down
N
original
400
480
Y
N
Down
N
900
1080
- In first and second case the aspect ratio of video was less than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is pillarboxed
- The video should always fit the player in height
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

25. Video Handling Non-Standard Aspect Ratio
Non-Standard
Inputs
Output
Width
Height
Output
Aspect
ratio
Width
Height
Player
Pillar
Box
Player
Letterb
ox
Encode
Scale
Cropping
600
720
1
original
600
720
Y
N
No
N
2
original
400
480
Y
N
Down
N
1
original
500
700
Y
N
No
N
original
340
480
Y
N
Down
N
500
700
- In first and second case the aspect ratio of video was less than 16:9 (Our player) so the video is pillarboxed
- The video should always fit the player in height with pillarbox (if needed). If cant then it should letterbox and
fit width
* Our encoding should not pillarbox, letterbox, windowbox the videos

26. Useful Resources
YouTube Uploading Guidelines
https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/1722171?hl=en
Vimeo Compression Guidelines
https://vimeo.com/help/compression
Facebook Video Guidelines
https://www.facebook.com/help/www/154271141375595
DivX Play Dimensions
http://labs.divx.com/webplayer/tips/web-video-dimensions