How Cloud Transcoding Is Making Streaming Easier and Better for Content Providers and Viewers

With video streaming services becoming increasingly popular worldwide, ensuring high video quality is vital for content providers. After all, if viewers do not get access to an optimal streaming experience, they might unsubscribe. This, in turn, can negatively impact content providers’ revenue. To avoid this and provide a high-quality stream, broadcasters and over-the-top or OTT platforms are now leveraging cloud transcoding.

If you wish to know what this process is and how it is benefiting both content viewers and providers, you are on the right page. In this article, we will understand the significance of cloud transcoding for streaming in detail. Understanding this process and its key benefits can make it clear how popular platforms like Hulu and Netflix are able to deliver content for different network conditions and devices in various formats.

When consuming video content on any online platform, viewers prefer an optimal experience. It involves watching at the highest possible video quality without buffering. This makes it crucial for content providers to enhance device compatibility so that even users with a slow internet connection can view the content without any hassle. 

Precisely, content providers need to ensure streaming optimization across an extensive range of devices. This is where the process of cloud transcoding for streaming plays an essential role. 

Cloud transcoding refers to a process that takes place in a cloud converting environment. It involves the conversion of media files from one format to another. Through this process, it becomes possible to convert video files into smaller-sized files without impacting quality. The multiple renditions or versions of the videos at distinct quality levels lead to an adaptive playback experience. This means users who have access to high-speed internet can watch the video in the best quality. On the other hand, users having access to slower connections can choose lower-resolution streams to avoid buffering and enjoy optimized video content delivery. 

Note that content viewers can utilize a bitrate calculator to figure out the ideal bitrate for various resolutions. This will help maintain a balance between the video’s file size and the quality when streaming. 

Now that you have a clear understanding of cloud transcoding for streaming, let us look at the benefits offered by this process.

#1 - Improving Video Quality and Compatibility 

As more and more viewers are availing of streaming services from a variety of devices, such as smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and laptops, ensuring compatibility is becoming challenging for video content providers. They are combating this issue by using the cloud-based transcoding process. 

Cloud transcoding for streaming involves the creation of different media files from a particular encoded video file. The created files vary in terms of bitrates, resolution, and size. This approach enables OTT platforms, broadcasters and other content providers to make sure that the content viewers can consume the video content from various devices with different network conditions. 

Through this process, the video quality accessible to users generally improves as well. The content viewers can watch videos at the highest video quality that their device is able to handle without buffering. This leads to an improved overall viewing experience. 

#2 - Adaptive Streaming and Multi-Device Playback 

A key cloud-based transcoding benefit is that it converts the video files into various resolutions and formats. This helps in making sure that viewers are able to get the best possible viewing experience, irrespective of the specifications of the device that they are using. The process has been pivotal considering the present diverse landscape concerning consumers’ expectations and digital devices.

 One must keep in mind that besides devices, cloud transcoding can also support various players and platforms. For instance, content providers may need to ensure streaming optimization for HTTP Live Streaming or HLS and MPEG DASH players. 

#3 - Scalability and Efficiency of Cloud Services 

Cloud transcoding services offer the benefit of scalability as well. With the increase in the demand for videos, it is possible to scale up the process and fulfill the demand. This enables different content viewers with varying streaming optimization needs to get access to the required output formats. On account of the impressive scalability, video content providers are able to transcode substantial data with a higher level of efficiency while incurring lower costs. 

Considering that a major portion of the internet traffic comprises multimedia content, the increase in demand has been key in driving the requirement to provide ultra-low latency streaming to the increasing number of devices featuring different capabilities. 

Also, one must remember that a lot of cloud transcoding services include content delivery network or CDN capabilities. Such capabilities ensure quick and efficient video content delivery. CDNs are responsible for the distribution of media content throughout a network comprising servers worldwide. This can help in minimizing latency. Moreover, it can ensure reliable and quick media content delivery to viewers across the world. 

#4 - Cost Savings and Operational Advantages 

Another key cloud-based transcoding benefit is that the costs associated with the process are significantly lower than conventional transcoding techniques. The reason behind the lower costs is that the equipment and infrastructure are already there. The content provider does not have to establish any transcoding facility. Moreover, contrary to in-house solutions, cloud-based transcoding services generally provide pricing on the basis of usage. This means broadcasters or OTT platforms do not have to pay a fixed price at fixed intervals. 

As a result, content providers can get multiple operational benefits. For instance, they can minimize costs during non-peak or low-demand hours and optimize spending on the basis of the video content delivery requirements. 

Cloud transcoding for streaming has proven to be a highly effective process, considering the various benefits offered by it, including scalability and efficiency. According to experts, this technology will keep improving in the future with innovations in cloud computing. Moreover, the advancements in artificial intelligence or AI technology can play a key role in making the process more adaptive, cost-effective, and efficient.