A method including encoding a video program into a plurality of video streams, each of the plurality of video streams being encoded at a corresponding one of a plurality of bitrates; providing, to a plurality of viewing clients, an option to select one of the plurality of video streams; determining a streaming capacity of each of the viewing clients; and determining an improved plurality of bitrates based on streaming capacities of the plurality of viewing clients.
BACKGROUND
Providers of streaming video may offer streams of the same program encoded at different bitrates, for selection either by a user or automatically by software, in order to provide a high-quality viewing experience to viewers having a variety of streaming capacities. Typically, the bitrates used for the encoding are determined and adjusted only rarely, and are based on industry-standard streaming capacities. As a result, the bitrates commonly used for encoding do not necessarily reflect increases in streaming capacity due to developing technology, or the specific capacities of the viewers of a given provider's programming or a given program.
24. A method, comprising: encoding a first plurality of video streams of a video program each being configured with one of a first plurality of bitrates; generating a first alternate video stream at a first alternate bitrate that is not one of the first plurality of bitrates at which the first plurality of video streams are encoded; providing, to a plurality of viewing clients, an option to select one of the first plurality of video streams or the first alternate video stream at the first alternate bitrate; and determining, by the optimization logic, a second plurality of bitrates based on at least one selection of the first alternate stream at the first alternate bitrate by the plurality of viewing clients. ||
32. A system, comprising: a video encoder configured to encode a first plurality of video streams of a video program each being configured with one of a first plurality of bitrates and generate a first alternate video stream at a first alternate bitrate that is not one of the first plurality of bitrates at which the first plurality of video streams are encoded; and optimization logic configured to determine a second plurality of bitrates based on at least one selection of the first alternate stream at the first alternate bitrate by one of a plurality of viewing clients, wherein the video encoder and the optimization logic are configured to be processed by one or more processors. ||
39. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that are executable by a processor, the set of instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the processor to perform operations comprising: encoding a first plurality of video streams of a video program each being configured with one of a first plurality of bitrates; generating a first alternate video stream at a first alternate bitrate that is not one of the first plurality of bitrates at which the first plurality of video streams are encoded; providing, to a plurality of viewing clients, an option to select one of the first plurality of video streams or the first alternate video stream at the first alternate bitrate; and determining, by the optimization logic, a second plurality of bitrates based on at least one selection of the first alternate stream at the first alternate bitrate by the plurality of viewing clients.