Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) has been introduced to Screeners.com to be able to optimize the viewing experience for a wider variety of network connection speeds. With ABR, any new screeners added after the implementation date will automatically have two proxies created from it upon upload: an HD version and an SD version.
NOTE: When a screener is uploaded, the HD proxy will be the original resolution of the file uploaded, and the SD proxy will be a lower resolution version. If a user uploads a lower quality resolution file it will not create a higher resolution proxy from this file. It will only make a lower resolution proxy from the original file. If the original file is too low of quality, a lower quality proxy will not be created.
The overall workflow will not be affected, the only change will be that if the screener is ABR compatible (uploaded after the implementation date) then the viewer will see an HD button on the player both on the Admin side and the Press Reviewer side during playback.
Playback Options
The viewer has three options to choose from pertaining to playback quality. Depending on the resolution of the original file uploaded these three options will be Auto, HD (720p), and SD (540p).
AUTO: Screeners.com will adjust the playback resolution according to your internet connection speed for the least interrupted viewing experience automatically. A better connection speed will playback HD, while a slower connection speed will playback SD. Screeners will switch between the two during playback depending on the network connection and what it thinks will best suit the users specific network connection.
HD (720p): This will be the original file resolution uploaded. The HD playback option will work well for higher speed network connections.
SD (540p): This will be the second, lower quality proxy made from the original file. As it is lower resolution, it will take less time and effort to load for playback. SD is suggested for those experiencing slower network connection speeds to minimize the chance of buffering, stuttering, or player timeouts one might see if trying to play back HD with a slower network speed.
Admin Side ABR Playback
From the Admin side, the HD button will appear on the right side of the player for screeners that are ABR compatible. By clicking on the HD button, the user will be able to choose which playback option they would like to experience.
Press Reviewer Side ABR Playback
From the Press Reviewer side, the HD button will appear on the right side of the player for screeners that are ABR compatible. By clicking on the HD button, the user will be able to choose which playback option they would like to experience.