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What media encoding and file types to use so processing and uploading are faster

Grant G.
Updated

We want to ensure you get all your videos on Playlister as smoothly as possible. 

When you upload a video into Playlister, we process all the videos in AWS MediaConvert to meet the spec for perfect playback on an Apple TV. Because an Apple TV will crash if it does not have the proper video file setting for playback.
 
If your video file is larger than 500MB, the time your video file takes to process in AWS MediaConvert can take several minutes and be longer than the upload. 
 
To speed up the processing of your video files, make sure the video file meets these specs when you upload:
  • Have an internet speed of at least 10 Mbps
  • File type: MOV, MP4
  • Aspect Ratio: 16x9
  • Max File Size: 10GB
  • Audio: 2 Channel Stereo
  • Encoding: AVC (H.264), HEVC (H.265), MPEG-2, Apple ProRes
To make the processing process go even faster for your videos, make sure your videos follow these specs:
  • Have an internet speed of at least 20 Mbps
  • Resolution: 1920x1080
  • Frame Rate: 29.97p or 30p
  • Max File Size: 10GB
  • Encoding: AVC (H.264)
  • Bitrate: VBR 2 pass
  • Target Bitrate: 2Mbps
  • Max Bitrate: 7Mbps
  • If your video does not have sound, please make sure to export in Stereo, NOT Mono

 

Here are file setting templates you can use to ensure the files meet the specs above:

Playlister - Adobe Export Settings.epr (Updated for 2023)

Playlister - Handbrake Preset (Last Updated - 2023)

 

For Images

Requirements

File type: PNG or JPG

Aspect Ratio: 16x9

Recommended

File Type: PNG

Resolution: 1920x1080

 

If you get your videos from Orange, Wonder Ink, Grow, or Gospel Project, please pass these specs to their support teams. All curriculum providers should automatically export videos with these settings because it is what Apple recommends for TVs. 

 

 

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Comments

4 comments

Date Votes
  • Tyler Strausbaugh
    Edited

    The Max File Size: is now 10GB in 2025.

    0
  • Grant G.

    Thank you, Tyler! Good looking out!

    1
  • Tyler Strausbaugh

    We are still seeing Pixelation or compression artifacts after uploading to Playlister. Could the Target Bitrate please be raised from 2Mbps to 4Mbps or more?

    0
  • Grant G.

    You’re totally right that compression artifacts can creep in with lower bitrates, especially on detailed or fast-moving content. Right now, we target around 2+Mbps for uploaded videos. This strikes a balance that keeps things reliable for most churches, especially considering Apple TV’s limited storage & the need for fast downloads in varied network environments. 

    Oddly, we’ve had very few requests to increase the target bitrate, so it’s not currently a high priority on our roadmap. That said, your feedback is helpful- especially in identifying edge cases where higher quality would make a real difference.

    I’ve shared this with our product team & we’ll keep it in mind if more demand builds around video fidelity controls.

    0

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