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How does the audio / video transcoder work?
30. April 2025
Table of Contents
The audio and video transcoder in FotoWeb converts audio and video files in FotoWeb archives to a format that is playable on most devices.
The transcoding is non-destructive - i.e., we use your original files to create proxies and then use those proxies for playback. The originals are safe and unmodified in the storage repositories.
Note: The FFmpeg library required to decode video formats is not included with the Fotoware installers. It can be installed manually on the Fotoware server. For more information, see How to install FFmegp for FotoWeb, Index Manager, and Color Factory.
Video Proxy file specifications and bandwidth requirements
The video proxy file is an H.264 encoded MPEG using CRF mode (constant quality and variable bit rate) and will play back on practically all modern browsers and devices. Giving an exact bandwidth requirement is difficult because the compression depends largely on the resolution and activity in the video feed since these factors affect the level of compression that can be applied.
Supported video resolutions
Video formats are simply interpreted as X x Y, i.e., width x height. The transcoder consequently supports mostly all video formats, from small web to 4K.
The proxy files that FotoWeb creates are resized to HD720 for optimal playback on most device types and the web. Large formats require more storage and processing power than smaller formats.
MPTS (Multiple Program Transport Stream)
Fotoware currently does not support MPTS. Only SPTS files are supported. In practice, this means that if the transcoder is served a MPTS file with multiple programs, only the first program will be available in the transcoded preview.