![]() As you might imagine, as specialized pieces of professional broadcasting equipment, hardware encoders tend to be pricier than software encoders. Hardware encoders are “dedicated appliances,” stand-alone devices that can capture, compress, and convert data for streaming or recording-they can be anything from portable video processors in a box, to rack-mounted input/output hubs that are designed for use at a “video facility” which feature various input jacks and data interface links. Fun fact: your computer’s operating system is also a type of software, and a consumer OS like Windows can be running dozens of programs at once just so the computer operates normally. Software encoders tend to be low-cost solutions that are easy to install and customize however, they’re not as fast as a hardware encoder because software is dependent on a computer system’s resources-both how much it has to begin with (processor speed, RAM, etc.) and how much it’s using to run other programs at the same time as it is running the software encoder. ![]() ![]() “Software encoder” refers to an encoder that’s a program/app running on your laptop or desktop computer or another device. Bucking the “simple streaming workflow” example given above, you’ll also need a data connection far more immediate than a camera card most likely there’ll be a video cable (such as an HDMI or SDI connection) sending the data directly from your capture device to the encoder set up.Īs mentioned, there are two types of encoders: Since this is time-sensitive it requires an encoder that can process the video in real-time (or at least near real- time) and broadcast it over the internet with low latency. As the term suggests, a “live streaming encoder” is intended for playing live events, more or less as they are happening, on your platform or website. Live streaming is a little trickier than encoding prerecorded files for video-on-demand (VOD). But hopefully, this serves as a fundamental illustration we’ll build on as we go. This is a very “basic,” no-frills example of how pre-recorded video gets streamed over the web-no doubt the more video-tech-savvy among you are already imagining alternative scenarios where the camera can send a data stream directly to an encoder, users of social media apps can stream directly from a phone camera to the app’s online platform, etc. The encoded files, most likely formatted as H.264 (as we noted above), are then saved onto a media server or content management system, and a player embedded on the company website allows users on the page to stream the video file data-i.e., playing back the video for them to watch. The files captured by a digital camera recording the presentation could be taken from the camera’s memory (probably stored on a card or something similar) into a computer and be encoded. They both have their strengths and weaknesses.Īs a simplified workflow example, let’s say you want to film a presentation at your workplace and post video clips on the company website as on-demand video. The two main varieties of streaming encoders are software encoders and hardware encoders. Likewise, there are different types of encoders and a range of additional equipment that may be required to make use of your encoder of choice. Depending on what kind of use the encoded video files will be put to-from live streaming an academic talk to editing and releasing a feature film-the end-to-end workflow, its duration, and complexity will vary widely. For instance the RAW files from a capture device like a digital camera, to the H.264-formatted files that are the standard streaming protocol. It’s a device that compresses and converts video files from one format to another. What is an Encoder for Streaming, and Why Do I Need One?įirst things first: a streaming encoder, also referred to as a video encoder, is a necessary step in your workflow. Check out the sections below as we discuss the fundamentals of encoding and live streaming! Though we also hope it also has some added value for professional techs and broadcasters in our online audience.īut we’ll stick to the basics for the benefit of those who are just getting started in the streaming world (and because there’s so much to know about encoding and streaming). This will hopefully be accessible to a general audience without getting excessively technical. In this post, we’re going to give a high-level overview of encoding, encoders, and how a streaming encoder fits into a live streaming workflow.
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