Part 4/15:

• Buffering Reduction — A User Experience Linchpin: Buffering is described as a binary state—either a video is buffering or it isn't. Buffering events cause abrupt playback interruptions, which negatively impact user satisfaction. The speaker provides an example: by reducing a video file size by just 5%, buffering instances across a user base can be eliminated entirely, highlighting how marginal improvements to compression can significantly enhance user experience.

A key insight: optimizing for minimal buffer events should often take precedence over pure quality metrics, as a buffer-free viewing experience is highly valued by users.

Foundations of Video Compression

The speaker reviews the basics, starting with lossy versus lossless compression: