Whitepaper: Video encoding in live broadcast production

Live production requires many video, audio and other signals to be transported within and between production locations. Often, there is a compromise between the number of signals required for the production, and the bandwidth available to transport all the signals. Using video compression or encoding allows more signals to be packed onto the same bandwidth, but compression brings its own set of compromises, between compression ratio, quality loss and latency.

This whitepaper examines the encoding methods commonly in use in live production, and suggests how to pick the right compression for specific circumstances.