What is transcoding?

2019/02/4
Well, if you end up visiting this page it seems you were trying to learn about video transcoding which is a basic term for streaming video and online video industry in general. Not only we will explain here what is transcoding video, but also what is a transcoder and why you need to know anything about all this.

Transcoding definition

Transcoding means the process of converting content files or audio-video stream into a different format suitable for delivery over internet and compatible for a playback on a wide range of end-user devices. The raw data input stream from your camera must be adjusted and packed to survive the harsh conditions of public IP networks. Also, at the moment of transcoding an additional stream processing is performed such as DRM, SSAI, Logo burn-in and etc.

A transcoder (encoder) is a device that encodes the stream data.

Answering the question "What is transcoding?" it is worth adding that under this concept you can consider a list of specific tasks solved in the process of transcoding. First of all, the stream bandwidth is decreased to fit an average Internet connection. Or instead of one stream a transcoder builds a set of streams of a different resolutions and bandwidth to allow ABR (Adaptive bit rate) streaming. It allows end user device to seamlessly switch between streams to attenuate to the changing bandwidth available, but provide an uninterrupted playback slightly sacrificing the picture quality.
What is transcoding
Why do you need video transcoding?

Ultimately the transcoding emerged long time ago when the variety of input formats produced by cameras, smartphones, photo cameras, recorders and other equipment was so vast, that it was the only way to provide the online playback and delivery of user generated UGC content. Nowadays, the hardware makers allow content to be recorded in widely accepted and compatible formats like .mp4 or rtmp for live streams, but they still don't have enough processing power as transcoding is very CPU/GPU demanding operations and require powerful server solutions or cloud-based computing. The end user devices and browsers support a certain number of streaming formats, but lately the HLS and dash are considered the most common. Therefore, the main reason of the transcoding process is to deliver the content in the most compatible for online streaming and playback format.

Finally, the video transcoding is a necessary part of video processing to provide the best user experience on all platforms that requires robust and effective software from a reliable partner. We are proud to offer the best pricing for our Streambuilder encoder that was built to help you meet your goals without spending a fortune for transcoding.

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