Low Bitrate Video
Technical Aspects

Compliant with International
MPEG Standard
Mastery’s low bitrate versions are possible through recent improvements in MPEG encoding technology. This new encoding capability produces standard ISO/IEC 11172 MPEG files that can be played by any MPEG compliant software player such as ActiveMovie or SoftPEG. The video streams are so small that even a 486 computer is fast enough to play them at their best possible quality.

Easy on Your Server and Your Bandwidth
These low bitrate courses make it possible to run interactive video training over older network connections, fast communications links, and busy networks. This is achieved by reducing the encoded data rate, thus the file sizes of the course’s audio and video. The reduced file sizes require less file server capacity and network bandwidth to play the courses.

Effect on Quality
The low bitrate video files play in a partial-screen window (about 1/4 screen), versus the full-screen video window of the standard bitrate CD-ROM versions. The low bitrate files exhibit a modest loss in video quality when compared to the standard bitrate full-screen CD-ROM files, however the loss is not commensurate with the reduction in file size. In other words, a great reduction in file size is achieved for only a modest reduction in video quality.

Data Rates
Mastery’s standard CD-ROM-based courses are encoded at the following bitrates:

	Audio:	112 Kb/sec
	Video:	1.2 Mb/sec

Mastery’s low bitrate courses are encoded at the following bitrates:

	Audio:	32 Kb/sec
	Video:	128 Kb/sec
		and 256 Kb/sec

Low bitrate versions include both the 128Kb/sec and 256Kb/sec video files. Either set can be installed.

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