Bitrate selection for video streaming

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed, cause a processing device to perform operations comprising:

• receiving a plurality of videos associated with a plurality of video resolutions;
• identifying a minimum bitrate for each of the video resolutions based on a first bitrate point associated with the videos where a quality of the videos at a first video resolution that is upscaled to a second video resolution is better than a quality of the videos at the second video resolution at bitrates below the first bitrate point, the upscaling of the first video resolution corresponding to converting the videos from the first video resolution to the second video resolution at a client device;
• identifying a maximum bitrate for each of the video resolutions based on a second bitrate point where a rate of change of the quality of the videos is below a threshold value;
• and
• assigning the identified minimum bitrates and the maximum bitrates to the video resolutions.

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled with the memory and to:
• identify a plurality of videos;
• identifying a plurality of target video resolutions associated with the videos;
• identify a minimum bitrate for each of the target video resolutions based on a crossover point associated with the videos, wherein the crossover point is defined by a bitrate value where a quality of the videos at a first target video resolution that is upscaled to a second target video resolution is improved over a quality of the videos at the second target video resolution at bitrates below the bitrate value that defines the crossover point, the upscaling of the first target video resolution corresponding to converting the videos from the first target video resolution to the second target video resolution at a client device;
• identify a maximum bitrate for each of the target video resolutions based on a point of diminishing return that is defined by a second bitrate value where a rate of change of improving quality of the videos is below a threshold value;
• and
• assign the identified minimum bitrates and the maximum bitrates to the target video resolutions.