SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTING EFFICIENT ENCODERS FOR STREAMING MEDIA
A computer-implemented method for selecting efficient encoders for streaming media may include (i) predicting that an expected download demand for a higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than an expected download demand for a lower-demand segment, (ii) encoding each segment of the media file with an encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment by (a) encoding the higher-demand segment with a more computationally intensive encoder that produces a more efficiently compressed segment compared to a less computationally intensive encoder that produces a less efficiently compressed segment and (b) encoding the lower-demand segment with the less computationally intensive encoder, and (iii) enabling streaming of the media file by providing the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
1 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
predicting that an expected download demand for a higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than an expected download demand for a lower-demand segment of the media file, wherein each segment of the media file comprises a non-overlapping time-bounded portion of the media file;
encoding each segment of the media file with an encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment by:
encoding the higher-demand segment with a more computationally intensive encoder that produces a more efficiently compressed segment compared to a less computationally intensive encoder that produces a less efficiently compressed segment; and
encoding the lower-demand segment with the less computationally intensive encoder; and
enabling streaming of the media file by providing the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file.
2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file are both encoded at a same level of quality.
3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file are both encoded at a same resolution.
4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein predicting that the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than the expected download demand for the lower-demand segment of the media file comprises:
predicting that the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment meets a predetermined threshold for high download demand; and
predicting that the expected download demand for the lower-demand segment does not meet the predetermined threshold for high download demand.
5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein predicting the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment of a media file comprises:
identifying a segment type of the higher-demand segment; and
retrieving historical download data for the segment type that indicates that the segment type experiences high download demand.
6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein encoding each segment of the media file with the encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment comprises:
determining a segment type of the segment; and
selecting an encoder that is optimized to encode the segment type.
7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein determining a segment type of the segment comprises determining at least one of:
an amount of change between each video frame of the segment;
a distribution of colors of pixel within each video frame of the segment; or
a type of change between each video frame within the segment.
8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein encoding each segment of the media file with the encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment comprises:
detecting a source of the segment of the media file; and
selecting the encoder based at least in part on the source of the segment.
9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 8 , wherein the source of the segment of the media file comprises at least one of:
a virtual camera within an artificial reality environment;
a virtual camera within a game;
a physical camera in an indoor environment; or
a physical camera in an outdoor environment.
10 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a request from a device to download the higher-demand segment;
streaming the higher-demand segment to the device in response to the request to download the higher-demand segment;
failing to receive a request from the device to download the lower-demand segment; and
declining to stream the lower-demand segment to the device in response to failing to receive the request to download the lower-demand segment.
11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:
predicting that an expected download demand for a moderate-demand segment of the media file is higher than the expected download demand for the lower-demand segment of the media file and lower than the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment of the media file; and
encoding the moderate-demand segment with a moderate computationally intensive encoder that produces a more efficiently compressed segment compared to the less computationally intensive encoder and a less efficiently compressed segment compared to the more computationally intensive coder.
12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein each segment comprises a scene of a video.
13 . A system comprising:
at least one physical processor;
physical memory comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the physical processor, cause the physical processor to:
predict that an expected download demand for a higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than an expected download demand for a lower-demand segment of the media file, wherein each segment of the media file comprises a non-overlapping time-bounded portion of the media file;
encode each segment of the media file with an encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment by:
encoding the higher-demand segment with a more computationally intensive encoder that produces a more efficiently compressed segment compared to a less computationally intensive encoder that produces a less efficiently compressed segment; and
encoding the lower-demand segment with the less computationally intensive encoder; and
enable streaming of the media file by providing the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file are both encoded at a same level of quality.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file are both encoded at a same resolution.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein predicting that the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than the expected download demand for the lower-demand segment of the media file comprises:
predicting that the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment meets a predetermined threshold for high download demand; and
predicting that the expected download demand for the lower-demand segment does not meet the predetermined threshold for high download demand.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein predicting the expected download demand for the higher-demand segment of a media file comprises:
identifying a segment type of the higher-demand segment; and
retrieving historical download data for the segment type that indicates that the segment type experiences high download demand.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein encoding each segment of the media file with the encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment comprises:
determining a segment type of the segment; and
selecting an encoder that is optimized to encode the segment type.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein determining a segment type of the segment comprises determining at least one of:
an amount of change between each video frame of the segment;
a distribution of colors of pixel within each video frame of the segment; or
a type of change between each video frame within the segment.
20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:
predict that an expected download demand for a higher-demand segment of a media file is higher than an expected download demand for a lower-demand segment of the media file, wherein each segment of the media file comprises a non-overlapping time-bounded portion of the media file;
encode each segment of the media file with an encoder that correlates to the expected download demand of the segment by:
encoding the higher-demand segment with a more computationally intensive encoder that produces a more efficiently compressed segment compared to a less computationally intensive encoder that produces a less efficiently compressed segment; and
encoding the lower-demand segment with the less computationally intensive encoder; and
enable streaming of the media file by providing the more efficiently compressed encoding of the higher-demand segment of the media file and the less efficiently compressed encoding of the lower-demand segment of the media file.