Why your video quality changes during playback
When you upload a video to Videas, it is not delivered as-is: it is re-encoded automatically into several qualities to enable adaptive streaming. There is nothing to configure — no profile and no codec to choose. Each viewer’s player then picks the quality best suited to their connection, and adjusts it mid-playback if the bandwidth changes, without interruption. Videas produces qualities up to 1080p, and an eco mode caps them at 720p for viewers who want to save data.
This article explains what happens after upload and what the viewer can adjust. There is nothing for you to do on the encoding side.
Encoding is automatic
As soon as the upload finishes, encoding starts in the background. You can leave the page: processing continues. During that phase, the media page shows a “Your video is being prepared” banner, along with the current step (Analyzing file, Generating previews, Encoding for streaming and so on).
There is deliberately no encoding setting in the interface: no choice of resolution, codec or profile. Videas applies the same processing to every video, calibrated for a good balance between quality, compatibility and speed.
What Videas produces
Several qualities, derived from your source
Videas generates several versions of the video, up to 1080p: 1080p, 720p, 480p and 360p. These tiers make it possible to switch automatically from one quality to another depending on the viewer’s connection.
The qualities produced depend on your source file: Videas never manufactures a resolution higher than the original (no artificial upscaling). A 720p source therefore only produces 720p, 480p and 360p.
Tip: upload your videos at their highest actual resolution (at least 1080p if possible) to benefit from every quality tier. Orientation is respected: a vertical video stays vertical.
Adaptive streaming (HLS)
Videas delivers over HLS, the adaptive streaming standard, compatible with every modern browser and system (desktop, iOS, Android). Each quality is encoded in two modern codecs (VP9 and H.264) to serve the most efficient version to each viewer while staying compatible everywhere. Audio is encoded in AAC.
Your video plays before encoding finishes
Videas does not wait until every quality is produced to make the video playable. Processing is progressive: as soon as a first quality and the audio track are ready, the video becomes playable (generally one to two minutes after upload for a short video). The higher qualities are added afterwards, as encoding proceeds.
In practice: you can share or embed your video quickly; the maximum quality available climbs steadily over the following minutes. For a long video, encoding every tier naturally takes longer — but playback is possible well before that.
What the viewer can choose
Setting the quality belongs to the viewer, in the player.
- Auto (default): the player picks and adjusts the quality according to the available bandwidth. This is the recommended mode.
- A fixed quality: the viewer can force a specific resolution (1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p) from the player’s Quality menu.
- Eco mode: caps quality at 720p to save data. When it is on, the menu shows “(Eco)” next to Auto.
As the creator, you cannot force a resolution, but you do decide whether the eco mode button is shown and whether it is on by default on your embeds. See Customize the video player.
The terms on this page: the glossary defines HLS, adaptive streaming and transcoding if any of them is unfamiliar.
Can I choose the encoding resolution or codec?
No, and that is deliberate. There is no encoding setting in the interface: no profile, no codec, no resolution to pick. Videas applies the same treatment to every video, tuned for a balance of quality, compatibility and speed.
What you control is the source. Upload at the highest real resolution you have: Videas derives its rungs from your file and never manufactures a resolution above the original.
Why doesn’t my video go up to 1080p?
Because your source file is not 1080p. Videas does no artificial upscaling: a 720p source yields only 720p, 480p and 360p.
That also explains why re-uploading the same video from a better master gains a rung. If you are after the best possible delivery, upload the master rather than a version already compressed for another purpose.
Do I have to wait for encoding to finish before sharing a video?
No. Processing is progressive: as soon as a first quality and the audio track are ready, the video becomes playable — usually one to two minutes after upload for a short video. Higher qualities are added afterwards.
So you can share or embed straight away; the maximum available quality climbs on its own over the following minutes. For a long video, full encoding naturally takes longer, but playback is possible well before that.
Why does the quality change during playback?
Because Videas delivers in adaptive HLS streaming: the player measures the available bandwidth and picks the rung that plays without interruption, then adjusts if the throughput changes. That is what prevents buffering when the connection weakens.
So it is not an encoding fault but the expected behaviour. A viewer who prefers a steady quality can force a specific resolution from the Quality menu in their player.
Can I force a playback quality on my viewers?
No: the choice of quality belongs to the viewer, through the player’s Quality menu, set to Automatic by default.
What you do decide is whether the eco mode button appears on your embeds and whether it is on by default. Eco mode caps quality at 720p to save data — the player menu then shows (Eco) next to Automatic.
In short
- Encoding is entirely automatic: no profile, codec or resolution to choose
- Videas produces several qualities up to 1080p, derived from your source (never upscaled) — upload at maximum resolution
- Delivery over adaptive HLS streaming (VP9 and H.264 codecs, AAC audio)
- The video becomes playable quickly, before encoding finishes; the maximum quality climbs afterwards
- The viewer chooses the quality (Auto by default) or turns on eco mode (720p cap)