What bitrate is used for each of the youtube video qualities (360p - 1080p), in regards to flowplayer?

Question

When using flowplayer with the bandwidth check plugin , you need to state the bitrates for the different video quality.

Here what it looks like:

// the bitrates, video width and file names for this clip
      bitrates: [
        { url: "bbb-800.mp4", width: 480, bitrate: 800 },
        { url: "bbb-1200.mp4", width: 720, bitrate: 1200 },
        { url: "bbb-1600.mp4", width: 1080, bitrate: 1600 }
      ],

Which bitrate does a specific quality represent on youtube?

e.g what bitrate does a youtube video playing in 360p quality use?

Swinton

Answer 1

Looking at this official google link: Youtube Live encoder settings, bitrates and resolutions they have this table:

                   240p       360p        480p        720p        1080p
Resolution      426 x 240   640 x 360   854x480     1280x720    1920x1080
Video Bitrates                   
Maximum         700 Kbps    1000 Kbps   2000 Kbps   4000 Kbps   6000 Kbps
Recommended     400 Kbps    750 Kbps    1000 Kbps   2500 Kbps   4500 Kbps
Minimum         300 Kbps    400 Kbps    500 Kbps    1500 Kbps   3000 Kbps

It would appear as though this is the case, although the numbers dont sync up to the google table above:

// the bitrates, video width and file names for this clip
      bitrates: [
        { url: "bbb-800.mp4", width: 480, bitrate: 800 }, //360p video
        { url: "bbb-1200.mp4", width: 720, bitrate: 1200 }, //480p video
        { url: "bbb-1600.mp4", width: 1080, bitrate: 1600 } //720p video
      ],

Gibbeon

although the numbers dont sync up to the google table...what will the bitrate be for 1024p. Also is there a way where i can tell flowplayer to play 360p by default – Swinton

Its hard to say exactly, i would just use the bitrate figures for 1080p above, for 1024p. I dont think it could hurt things to specify a slighter higher minimum bitrate for 1024p. Its better to make the minimum too high than too low, know what i mean? And for how to set a default/adjust the flowplayer quality, open a new question for that, it looks like other people have asked similar things, but no concrete answer, so it should have its own question. – Gibbeon

Of course those numbers don't match. YouTube wants you to submit something of higher quality (i.e., higher bitrate) so they don't lose too much when re-encoding it. The tables they provide are for what you send to them. The other table is for what YT sends to you. – Lubbock

also, the tables at the google link are for livestreams, which may or may not be different from videos – Montelongo

Is above mentioned bitrate value vary according to fps? – Robinetta