Developer's Guide

1-5
Cisco Interactive Experience Platform Content Creation Guidelines
Chapter 1 Content Types
Content Types
Note Use of the native player strongly preferred over HTML5 video.
Note The native player’s video compatibility can be validated by using VLC 2.0.8.
• Video performance limitations: When using a native player, the IEC 4610 can support H.264 video
up to 720p @ 6Mbps.
Note The amount of CPU power required to decode a video clip depends on multiple factors such
as codec, bitrate, and resolution of the video source.
Different video codecs have different compression algorithms. H.264 offers much better
compression efficiency than MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 but uses much more a complex algorithm and
requires more CPU power to decode. For example, to achieve the same level of quality, it may
require 5 Mbps using MPEG2 but less than 2 Mbps using H.264.
The IEC 4610 can decode 1080p 14Mbps MPEG2 video with less than 90% of CPU usage, but
cannot decode 720p 8Mbps H.264 video without obvious frame drops.
Note When the video source is interlaced (1080i, 480i, etc.), you may see interlacing artifacts due
to the lack of de-interlacing capability on the native player.
Note The size of the native player object does not affect the CPU usage. If the video source is the
same, the CPU usage is the same regardless of the player's height and width. That is, if the
video source is 1280x720, the CPU usage will not change by setting the native player's size
to 320x180 or 1920x1080.
• Screen saver video playback should be postponed when the kiosk is being interacted with to avoid
audio conflicts and preserve responsiveness.
• Regularly-playing videos should be cached locally.
Ta b l e 1-1 Flash versus Video
Flash Video
File Size Larger — will require more
bandwidth and/or longer
transmission times
Smaller — requires less bandwidth
and/or shorter transmission times
Cost of production Generally higher Generally lower
Bit rate Higher Lower
Picture clarity Supports HD (720i, 720p, 1080i,
1080p, etc.)
Supports HD resolution and can
incorporate HD video elements
Picture quality From ~24 to ~60 frames per second Variable depending on hardware, but
generally ~20 frames per second