Overview

Some videos are designed to appear as a thin, extra-wide visual element on a webpage rather than in a standard video player frame. These are commonly used for homepage banners, sticky anchor areas, branded motion strips, and other horizontal website elements.

Because this format is very different from standard video, it should be encoded with a custom transform built specifically for adaptive bitrate streaming.

What this type of video is

This is an ultra-wide banner video. In this case, the transform is designed for content with a top rendition of 1940 x 180, which is much wider and much shorter than standard video dimensions.

These videos are typically used to:

• add motion to a webpage header or banner
• display branded visual content across a wide page section
• support promotional or decorative content in a narrow horizontal area

Why it needs special encoding

Ultra-wide banner videos should not be encoded with a standard streaming preset.

A standard transform may:

• create renditions with unsuitable dimensions
• reduce clarity for text and logos
• compress the content in a way that causes visible artifacts
• produce outputs that are not well optimized for webpage embedding

This type of content often contains simple motion graphics, branding, and text, so preserving sharp edges and clean visual quality is important. It also benefits from adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming, which allows the player to switch between renditions based on the viewer’s connection and device performance.

Before starting

Before using this transform, make sure:

• your source video is intended for a thin, horizontal webpage placement
• you want the output delivered as ABR streaming
• you do not need a standard 16:9 encoding ladder for normal video playback

What the transform does

This Ravnur Media Services transform creates a custom ABR ladder for ultra-wide banner videos using:

• H.264 video
• AAC-LC audio
• MP4 outputs
• 2-second keyframe intervals
• CRF-based quality settings

It generates these renditions:

• 1940 x 180 at 6 Mbps
• 1280 x 118 at 3.5 Mbps
• 960 x 90 at 1.5 Mbps

These output sizes preserve the same general ultra-wide aspect ratio as the source, which helps the content display correctly on the webpage.

The transform also uses a filename pattern of:

{Basename}_{Label}_{Bitrate}{Extension}

This makes each output rendition easier to identify after encoding.

Why the audio setting is included

Some banner videos do not contain meaningful audio or may be completely silent. Even so, this transform includes AAC-LC audio intentionally. This helps maintain compatibility with streaming and playback workflows that expect an audio configuration, even when the source content is effectively silent.

How to use this transform

1. Upload the ultra-wide banner video to Ravnur Media Services.
2. Create or submit an encoding job using this custom transform.
3. Wait for RMS to generate the ABR renditions.
4. Publish the encoded output for streaming.
5. Embed the resulting stream in the webpage area designed for the banner.

When to use this transform

Use this transform for:

• homepage banner videos
• sticky anchor banner videos
• branded motion strips
• decorative horizontal webpage video elements

Do not use this transform for:

• standard 16:9 on-demand videos
• portrait videos
• full-screen marketing videos
• general-purpose streaming assets

Summary

Use this transform when you need to encode an ultra-wide banner video for adaptive web streaming. It preserves the unusual aspect ratio, creates a custom ABR ladder for smooth playback, and uses quality-focused settings that help keep logos, text, and motion graphics clear on the webpage.

  {
  "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Media.StandardEncoderPreset",
  "codecs": [
    {
      "profile": "AacLc",
      "channels": 2,
      "samplingRate": 48000,
      "bitrate": 128000,
      "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Media.AacAudio"
    },
    {
      "layers": [
        {
          "profile": "High",
          "entropyMode": "Cabac",
          "bitrate": 6000000,
          "maxBitrate": 6500000,
          "level": "4.1",
          "crf": 18,
          "referenceFrames": 4,
          "width": "1940",
          "height": "180",
          "label": "FHD_1940x180"
        },
        {
          "profile": "Main",
          "entropyMode": "Cabac",
          "bitrate": 3500000,
          "maxBitrate": 3800000,
          "level": "auto",
          "crf": 20,
          "referenceFrames": 4,
          "width": "1280",
          "height": "118",
          "label": "HD_1280x118"
        },
        {
          "profile": "Main",
          "entropyMode": "Cabac",
          "bitrate": 1500000,
          "maxBitrate": 1700000,
          "level": "auto",
          "crf": 22,
          "referenceFrames": 4,
          "width": "960",
          "height": "90",
          "label": "SD_960x90"
        }
      ],
      "sceneChangeDetection": false,
      "rateControlMode": "CRF",
      "complexity": "Balanced",
      "keyFrameInterval": "PT2S",
      "stretchMode": "AutoFit",
      "syncMode": "Auto",
      "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Media.H264Video"
    }
  ],
  "formats": [
    {
      "@odata.type": "#Microsoft.Media.Mp4Format",
      "filenamePattern": "{Basename}_{Label}_{Bitrate}{Extension}"
    }
  ]
}