How to Choose a Cloud Encoder for On-Demand and Live Video
The trend to cloud encoding is growing, and at the recent Streaming Forum conference in London, attendees got expert tips on how to select a vendor. Streaming Media contributor Jan Ozer lets a first-day panel on what to think about when shopping for a cloud encoder.
"When we think about cloud encoding, someone either builds their own encoding center and rents it to you -- and Encoding.com has their own encoding center, as well as using several different cloud services -- or they integrate with a cloud computer vendor and then sell the service to you," Ozer said. "Basically, it's encoding in the cloud and the high-level benefits are lower capital expenditures -- you don't have to buy the hardware -- and elastic scalability."
Encoding needs often aren't steady. A publisher might need only a few files encoded each day, but then need thousands turned around quickly at some point. Cloud encoding excels at satisfying that variable demand.
"The theory of cloud encoding to a lot of people, and I think this is the classic cloud encoding schema, is if you have a thousand files you need done tomorrow, you just send them up to the vendor and they should be able to encode those," Ozer continued. "You don't have to worry about how they provision machines, any of that stuff. Elastic scalability, I think, is one of the key value propositions of the cloud."
For tips on choosing a cloud encoder, watch the full video below.
Choosing a Cloud Encoder
The session describes what cloud encoding is and how it works for both live and on- demand applications; details the types of applications that work well with cloud encoding; and identifies factors to consider when choosing an on-demand and live- cloud encoding service, including qualitative and performance results from recent reviews.
Presenter Jan Ozer, Principal, Doceo Publishing
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