Settings that You Specify When You Create an Elastic Transcoder Preset

The preset that you want to use as a starting point for your new preset. Elastic Transcoder copies the values from the preset that you select into the fields for the new preset. You can choose either one of the default Elastic Transcoder presets or a preset that you created.

The name of the preset. We recommend that the name be unique within the AWS account, but uniqueness is not enforced. The maximum length is 40 characters.

A description of the preset. The maximum length is 255 characters.

The container type for the output file. Valid values are flac, flv, fmp4, gif, mp2, mp3, mp4, mpg, mxf, oga, ogg, ts, wav, and webm. The following table shows the supported codecs for containers.

The video codec for the output file. Valid values are gif, H.264, mpeg2, vp8, and vp9. The following table shows the available combinations of containers and video codecs.

For more information about the H.264 video-compression format, go to the Wikipedia page on H.264/MPEG-4 AVC.

For more information about VP8, go to VP8. For more information about VP9, go to VP9.

The profile that you want to use for the output video. When the video codec is H.264, Elastic Transcoder supports the following profiles:

For more information about H.264 profiles, see Profiles in the Wikipedia entry "H.264/MPEG-4 AVC."

When the video codec is VP8, Elastic Transcoder supports values of 0, 1, 2, and 3.

The H.264 level that you want to use for the output video. Select the applicable value.

For more information about levels, see Levels in the Wikipedia entry "H.264/MPEG-4 AVC."

The maximum number of previously decoded frames to use as a reference for decoding future frames. If you enter a value greater than the recommended value based on the values that you specified for Max Height, Max Height, and Level, Elastic Transcoder displays a message that contains the recommended value. For a detailed explanation, including the calculation that Elastic Transcoder performs, see MaxReferenceFrames in the topic Create Preset.

The maximum number of kilobits per second in the output video. Specify a value between 16 and 62,500, inclusive.

If you specify auto for Bit Rate, Elastic Transcoder uses the bit rate of the input video as the average bit rate of the output video. Maximum Bit Rate allows you to cap the bit rate of the output video, which is useful when the maximum bit rate supported by a target device is lower than the bit rate of the input video. Reducing the maximum bit rate might reduce the quality of the video.

The maximum number of kilobits in any x seconds of the output video. This window is commonly 10 seconds, the standard segment duration when you're using MPEG-TS for the container type of the output video. Specify an integer greater than 0. If you specify Maximum Bit Rate and omit Buffer Size, Elastic Transcoder sets Buffer Size to 10 times the value of Maximum Bit Rate.

The interlace mode for the output video.

Interlaced video is used to double the perceived frame rate for a video by interlacing two fields (one field on every other line, the other field on the other lines) so that the human eye registers multiple pictures per frame. Interlacing reduces the bandwidth required for transmitting a video, but can result in blurred images and flickering.

The two sets of lines are known as fields, and an interlaced frame splits two images across the fields:

Valid values are Progressive (no interlacing, top to bottom), Top First (top field first), Bottom First (bottom field first), and Auto.

If no InterlaceMode is specified, Elastic Transcoder uses Progressive for the output. If Auto is specified, Elastic Transcoder interlaces the output.

For more information, go to the Wikipedia page Interlaced video.

The color space conversion Elastic Transcoder applies to the output video. Color spaces are the algorithms used by the computer to store information about how to render color. Bt.601 is the standard for standard definition video, while Bt.709 is the standard for high definition video.

Valid values are None, Bt709toBt601, Bt601toBt709, and Auto.

If you chose Auto for ColorSpaceConversionMode and your output is interlaced, your frame rate is one of 23.97, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, or 60, your SegmentDuration is null, and you are using one of the resolution changes from the graph below, Elastic Transcoder applies the following color space conversions:

If you do not specify a ColorSpaceConversionMode, Elastic Transcoder does not change the color space of a file.

If you are unsure what ColorSpaceConversionMode was applied to your output file, you can check the AppliedColorSpaceConversion parameter included in your job response. If your job does not have an AppliedColorSpaceConversion in its response, no ColorSpaceConversionMode was applied.

For more information about color space, go to the Wikipedia page Color space. For more information about Bt.601 and Bt.709, go to the Wikipedia pages Rec. 601 and Rec. 709.

The sampling pattern for the chroma (color) channels of the output video. Valid values are yuv420p and yuv422p.

yuv420p samples the chroma information of every other horizontal and every other vertical line, yuv422p samples the color information of every horizontal line and every other vertical line.

To learn more about chroma subsampling, go to the Wikipedia page Chroma subsampling.

The number of times you want the output gif to loop.

Valid values are Infinite and integers between 0 and 100, inclusive.

The maximum number of frames between key frames. Not applicable for containers of type gif. Key frames are fully encoded frames; the frames between key frames are encoded based, in part, on the content of the key frames. The value is an integer formatted as a string; valid values are between 1 (every frame is a key frame) and 100000, inclusive. A higher value results in higher compression but might also discernibly decrease video quality.

For Smooth outputs, the Frame Rate must have a constant ratio to the Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes. This allows Smooth playlists to switch between different quality levels while the file is being played.

For example, an input file can have a Frame Rate of 30 with a Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes of 90. The output file then needs to have a ratio of 1:3. Valid outputs would have Frame Rates of 30, 25, and 10, and Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes of 90, 75, and 30 respectively.

Alternately, this can be achieved by setting Frame Rate to auto and having the same values for Video Max Frame Rate and Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes.

For more information about key frames, see the Wikipedia entry Video compression picture types.

Whether to use a fixed value for Fixed Number of Frames Between Keyframes:

The bit rate of the video stream in the output video, in kilobits/second. You can configure variable bit rate or constant bit rate encoding:

Valid values for the video bit rate depend on the value that you chose for Codec:

The frames per second for the video stream in the output video. Select the applicable value.

If you specify auto, Elastic Transcoder uses the detected frame rate of the input source. If you specify a frame rate, we recommend that you perform the following calculation:

Frame rate = maximum recommended decoding speed in luma samples/second / (Video Max Width) * (Video Max Height)

where maximum recommended decoding speed in luma samples/second is less than or equal to the maximum value listed in the following table, based on the value that you specified for Level.

For Smooth outputs, the Frame Rate must have a constant ratio to the Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes. For example, if you specify an input file with a Frame Rate of 30 and a Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes of 90, the Frame Rate and Maximum Number of Frames Between Keyframes of the outputs must also have a ratio of 1:3.

If you specify auto for Frame Rate, Elastic Transcoder uses the frame rate of the input video for the frame rate of the output video, up to the maximum frame rate. If you do not specify a Video Max Frame Rate, Elastic Transcoder will use a default of 30.

Specify the maximum frame rate that you want Elastic Transcoder to use when the frame rate of the input video is greater than either the desired maximum frame rate of the output video or the default maximum frame rate.

Elastic Transcoder uses the highest supported frame rate that meets both of the following criteria:

For example, if you have an input file with a frame rate of 50 and specify a value of 30 for Video Max Frame Rate, Elastic Transcoder produces an output video for which the frame rate is 25 frames per second, because 25 is less than 30, and 50 divided by 25 is 2.

The maximum width of the output video in pixels. If you specify auto, Elastic Transcoder uses 1920 (Full HD) as the default value. If you specify a numeric value, enter an even integer between 128 and 4096.

For more information, see Max Height.

The maximum height of the output video in pixels. If you specify auto, Elastic Transcoder uses 1080 (Full HD) as the default value. If you specify a numeric value, enter an even integer between 96 and 3072.

If you specified H.264 for Codec We recommend that you specify values for Max Width and Max Height so the product of the two values is less than or equal to the applicable value in the following table.

Specify one of the following values to control scaling of the output video:

The following table shows possible effects of Sizing Policy settings on the output video:

When you set PaddingPolicy to Pad, Elastic Transcoder might add black bars to the top and bottom and/or left and right sides of the output video to make the total size of the output video match the values that you specified for Max Width and Max Height. For more information, see the table at Sizing Policy.

The value that Elastic Transcoder adds to the metadata in the output video. If you set Display Aspect Ratio to auto, Elastic Transcoder chooses an aspect ratio that ensures square pixels. If you specify another option, Elastic Transcoder sets that value in the output video.

A unique identifier for the settings for one watermark. The value of Id can be up to 40 characters long.

The maximum width of the watermark in one of the following formats:

If you specify the value in pixels, it must be less than or equal to the value of MaxHeight.

The maximum height of the watermark in one of the following formats:

If you specify the value in pixels, it must be less than or equal to the value of MaxHeight.

A value that controls scaling of the watermark:

The horizontal position of the watermark. To position the watermark with respect to the left or right border, also specify a non-zero value for Horizontal Offset:

The amount by which you want the horizontal position of the watermark to be offset from the position specified by Horizontal Alignment:

For example, if you specify Left for Horizontal Alignment and 5px for Horizontal Offset, the left side of the watermark appears 5 pixels from the left border of the output video.

HorizontalOffset is only valid when the value of Horizontal Alignment is Left or Right.

If you specify an offset that causes the watermark to extend beyond the left or right border and Elastic Transcoder has not added black bars, the watermark is cropped. If Elastic Transcoder has added black bars, the watermark extends into the black bars. If the watermark extends beyond the black bars, it is cropped.

Use the value of Target to specify whether you want Elastic Transcoder to include the black bars that are added by Elastic Transcoder, if any, in the offset calculation.

The vertical position of the watermark. To position the watermark with respect to the top or bottom border, also specify a non-zero value for Vertical Offset:

The amount by which you want the vertical position of the watermark to be offset from the position specified by Vertical Alignment:

For example, if you specify Top for Vertical Alignment and 5px for Vertical Offset, the top of the watermark appears 5 pixels from the top border of the output video.

Vertical Offset is only valid when the value of Vertical Alignment is Top or Bottom.

If you specify an offset that causes the watermark to extend beyond the top or bottom border and Elastic Transcoder has not added black bars, the watermark is cropped. If Elastic Transcoder has added black bars, the watermark extends into the black bars. If the watermark extends beyond the black bars, it is cropped.

Use the value of Target to specify whether you want Elastic Transcoder to include the black bars that are added by Elastic Transcoder, if any, in the offset calculation.

A percentage that indicates how much you want a watermark to obscure the video in the location where it appears. Valid values are 0 (the watermark is invisible) to 100 (the watermark completely obscures the video in the specified location).

Elastic Transcoder supports transparent .png graphics. If you use a transparent .png, the transparent portion of the video appears as if you had specified a value of 0 for Opacity. The .jpg file format doesn't support transparency.

A value that determines how Elastic Transcoder interprets values that you specified for the watermark settings Horizontal Offset, Vertical Offset, Maximum Width, and Maximum Height:

The audio codec for the output file. Valid values are AAC, flac, mp2, mp3, pcm, and vorbis. The following table shows the available combinations of containers and audio codecs.

If you specified AAC for Audio:Codec, choose the AAC profile for the output file. Elastic Transcoder supports the following profiles:

All outputs in a Smooth playlist must have the same value for Profile.

For more information about AAC, see Audio Profiles in the Wikipedia entry "MPEG-4 Part 3."

The bit depth of a sample is how many bits of information are included in the audio samples. The higher the bit depth, the better the audio, but the larger the file.

Valid values for the FLAC codec are 16 and 24.

Valid values for the PCM codec are 8, 16, 24, and 32.

Whether audio samples are represented with negative and positive numbers (signed) or only positive numbers (unsigned).

Valid values are Signed and Unsigned.

The most common value is Signed.

The order the bits of a PCM sample are stored in.

The supported value is LittleEndian.

The sample rate of the audio stream in the output file, in Hz. If you want Elastic Transcoder to automatically detect the sample rate of the input file and use that value for the output file, select auto. If you want to specify the sample rate, select the applicable value.

The bit rate of the audio stream in the output file, in kilobits/second. Enter an integer between 64 and 320, inclusive.

The number of audio channels in the output file. The following values are valid:

auto, 0, 1, 2

One channel carries the information played by a single speaker. For example, a stereo track with two channels sends one channel to the left hand speaker, and the other channel to the right hand speaker. The output channels are organized into tracks. If you want Elastic Transcoder to automatically detect the number of audio channels in the input file and use that value for the output file, select auto.

For more information about how digital audio works, see Digital Audio. For more information about how Elastic Transcoder organizes channels and tracks, see Audio Packing Mode.

The method of organizing audio channels and tracks. Use Channels to specify the number of channels in your output, and Audio Packing Mode to specify the number of tracks and their relation to the channels. If you do not specify an audio packing mode, Elastic Transcoder uses SingleTrack.

The following values are valid:

SingleTrack, OneChannelPerTrack, and OneChannelPerTrackWithMosTo8Tracks

For more information about channels and tracks, see Digital Audio.

The format of thumbnails, if any. Valid formats are jpg and png.

You specify whether you want Elastic Transcoder to create thumbnails when you create a job. For more information, see Thumbnail Filename Pattern in the topic Settings that You Specify When You Create an Elastic Transcoder Job.

The approximate number of seconds between thumbnails. Specify an integer value. The actual interval can vary by several seconds from one thumbnail to the next.

The maximum height of thumbnails in pixels. If you specify auto, Elastic Transcoder uses 1080 (Full HD) as the default value. If you specify a numeric value, enter an even integer between 32 and 3072.

The maximum width of thumbnails in pixels. If you specify auto, Elastic Transcoder uses 1920 (Full HD) as the default value. If you specify a numeric value, enter an even integer between 32 and 4096.

Specify one of the following values to control scaling of thumbnails:

The following table shows possible effects of Sizing Policy settings on thumbnails:

When you set PaddingPolicy to Pad, Elastic Transcoder might add black bars to the top and bottom and/or left and right sides of thumbnails to make the total size of the thumbnails match the values that you specified for thumbnail Max Width and Max Height settings. For more information, see the table at Sizing Policy.