Service Rules Encoding

Settings below apply to both MediaLive and MediaConvert except where marked [MediaLive only] or [MediaConvert only]. API field names are given in parentheses.

Distribution Encoding

Rate control:

• QVBR (Quality-Defined Variable Bitrate) with Quality Level Auto SHOULD be used for all distribution encoding.
  • MediaLive H.264: H264Settings.RateControlMode: QVBR, H264Settings.QvbrQualityLevel (omit or set to default for Auto)
  • MediaConvert H.264: H264Settings.RateControlMode: QVBR, H264Settings.QvbrSettings.QvbrQualityLevel
• QVBR uses MaxBitrate (not Bitrate) to set the bitrate ceiling. Bitrate MUST NOT be used with QVBR; it causes a validation error.
• CBR SHOULD be used only for contribution feeds.

Bandwidth Reduction Filter [MediaLive only]:

• (H264Settings.FilterSettings.BandwidthReductionFilter)
• Strength SHOULD be set to Auto for most content.
• For graphics/screen capture content: MUST be set to Off (sharp edges need preservation).
• For UGC at low resolution/bitrate: High is RECOMMENDED.
• The Bandwidth Reduction Filter and Temporal Noise Reducer MUST NOT be used simultaneously. They conflict.
• MediaConvert exposes a different filter set (e.g., NoiseReducer); see the Noise Reducer note below.

Lookahead:

• MediaLive: H264Settings.LookAheadRateControl SHOULD be HIGH for standard distribution; MUST be LOW for low-latency (LL-HLS, contribution).
• MediaConvert exposes equivalent behavior through its quality-tuning level (see “Quality tuning” below); there is no direct LookAheadRateControl field.

GOP configuration:

• GOP size SHOULD be 2 seconds for distribution. Segment/fragment duration MUST be an integer multiple of GOP size.
• GOP size MUST be identical across all ABR rungs — varying GOP per rung breaks segment alignment.
• For Low-Latency HLS (LL-HLS), GOP size SHOULD be 1 second to match the shorter segment/part duration.
  • MediaLive: H264Settings.GopSize: 2, H264Settings.GopSizeUnits: SECONDS
  • MediaConvert: H264Settings.GopSize: 2, H264Settings.GopSizeUnits: SECONDS
• B-Frames: 3 is RECOMMENDED for general content. For low-bitrate moderate-motion UGC, 5 MAY be used.
  • MediaLive: H264Settings.GopNumBFrames: 3 and H264Settings.GopBReference: ENABLED
  • MediaConvert: H264Settings.NumberBFramesBetweenReferenceFrames: 3 and H264Settings.GopBReference: ENABLED
• Reference Frames: 3 is RECOMMENDED (H264Settings.NumRefFrames: 3 on both services).
• Dynamic Sub-GOP [MediaConvert only]: H264Settings.DynamicSubGop: ADAPTIVE SHOULD be enabled.

Profiles:

• H.264: High profile with CABAC entropy MUST be used for ALL ABR rungs. Baseline or Main profiles MUST NOT be used on lower rungs.
  • MediaLive: H264Settings.Profile: HIGH, H264Settings.EntropyEncoding: CABAC
  • MediaConvert: H264Settings.CodecProfile: HIGH, H264Settings.EntropyEncoding: CABAC
• HEVC: Main profile (or Main 10-bit for HDR/10-bit sources) SHOULD be used.
  • MediaLive: H265Settings.Profile: MAIN or MAIN_10BIT
  • MediaConvert: H265Settings.CodecProfile: MAIN_MAIN or MAIN10_MAIN

Adaptive Quantization:

• SHOULD be set to Auto.
  • MediaLive: H264Settings.AdaptiveQuantization: AUTO; FlickerAQ via H264Settings.FlickerAq: ENABLED
  • MediaConvert: H264Settings.AdaptiveQuantization: AUTO; flicker control via H264Settings.FlickerAdaptiveQuantization
• Flicker AQ SHOULD be enabled only for pulsing artifacts on grass/textures (sports) or dark/night content.

Input video filters (content-dependent):

• Sports: No filter SHOULD be used (preserve motion detail).
• Filter strength: 3-4 is RECOMMENDED for low-bitrate content (below 4 Mbps at 1080p, 2 Mbps at 720p, 1 Mbps at SD).

Noise Reducer:

• MediaConvert (NoiseReducer.Filter on the input): for old film content, CONSERVE mode SHOULD be used. For clean sources, the noise reducer SHOULD NOT be applied.
• MediaLive uses the Bandwidth Reduction Filter (above) for similar purposes.

Quality/density trade-off [MediaLive only]:

• MediaLive sets quality vs. throughput indirectly via LookAheadRateControl and the channel class; there is no numeric “speed” parameter.

Quality tuning [MediaConvert only]:

• H264Settings.QualityTuningLevel: SINGLE_PASS_HQ SHOULD be used for live VOD encoding when wall-clock matters.
• H264Settings.QualityTuningLevel: MULTI_PASS_HQ MAY be used for non-time-sensitive VOD (slower, higher quality).
• HEVC: H265Settings.QualityTuningLevel: SINGLE_PASS_HQ for sub-4K, SINGLE_PASS for 4K when real-time performance matters.

Scaling:

• Scaling Sharpness when downscaling SHOULD be 100 (preserve contour detail).
• Scaling Sharpness when upscaling SHOULD be 50 or 25 (avoid aliasing artifacts).

Deinterlacing (interlaced sources):

• For sports with interlaced source (e.g., 1080i): frame rate SHOULD be doubled to progressive (29.97i to 59.94p or 25i to 50p) using the Interpolation deinterlace algorithm.
• If source is interlaced and output is set to progressive WITHOUT enabling the deinterlacer, the output will have combing artifacts. The deinterlacer MUST be enabled.

H.264 Level by resolution (typical, both services):

• 1080p60: H264_LEVEL_4_2
• 1080p30: H264_LEVEL_4_1
• 720p60: H264_LEVEL_4_0
• 720p30: H264_LEVEL_3_1
• 480p30: H264_LEVEL_3_1
• When in doubt, set Level to AUTO and let the encoder pick.

Contribution Encoding

Contribution feeds prioritize low latency and high bitrate over encoding efficiency.

Key differences from distribution:

• Rate control: CBR MUST be used.
• Lookahead: MUST be Low.
• B-Frames: MUST be 0.
• Dynamic Sub-GOP [MediaConvert only]: MUST be Disabled.
• Bandwidth Reduction Filter [MediaLive only]: MUST be Disabled.
• Input video filters: MUST be Disabled.
• Adaptive Quantization: SHOULD be Low (spatial only, no temporal).
• GOP size: SHOULD be 1 second.

H.264 vs HEVC for contribution:

• At high bitrates (>50 Mbps for 1080p, >80 Mbps for 4K), H.264 and HEVC perform similarly.
• H.264 is RECOMMENDED for contribution due to lower latency and better real-time performance.
• HEVC contribution at 4K 50/60p and 80+ Mbps MAY NOT maintain real-time on all encoder hardware.