How to Choose a Live Encoder for Adaptive Video Streaming
Live video encoding needs have evolved with the rise of adaptive streaming, StreamingMedia.com contributor Jan Ozer explained at the recent Streaming Forum conference in London. Broadcasters' needs have become much more complex.
"When we first started producing live events we would encode a single file on-location." Ozer said. "We'd send that to a streaming server, and the streaming server would distribute that single file to all viewing platforms. The file that you encoded on-location was the file that actually got delivered to the remote viewer. That was pretty simple when it came to distributing a single file, but when you were distributing multiple files for adaptive streaming and you wanted to support both mobile and desktop viewers, you had to encode two sets of streams on-site."
Encoding files for adaptive streaming, naturally, is a much more demanding process.
"The problem with that approach in an adaptive streaming schema was that you needed very expensive encoders on-site," Ozer explained. "If you need to encode two sets of five or ten streams each, you're going to need maybe one or two $20,000 encoders on-site to do that. Number two, you're going to need huge outbound bandwidth on-location to support all those files that you're sending out to the streaming server."
To learn how to choose the right encoder to reach any viewer on any device with live adaptive streaming, watch the video below.
Choosing a Live Encoder
This session discusses factors to consider when choosing a live streaming encoder, from free or inexpensive software options to high-volume, big iron systems, including quality, performance, portability, features, and format support. The session also examines how new cloud- based features such as live transrating are changing the requirements for on-location encoding.
Jan Ozer, Principal, Doceo Publishing
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