Current Situation
Encoding is the process of compressing and changing the format of raw video content to a digital file or format, which will in turn make the video content compatible for different devices and platforms. Transcoding (which is a process of decoding, reformatting and re-encoding files) takes source footage of various types and recodes it into a single video codec or file format. Today, a popular encoding standard is H.264 or MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding). This is a video coding format for recording and distributing full HD video and audio. A more advanced compression standard, H.265 codec compresses information more efficiently than H.264, resulting in files of comparable video quality that are about half the size. Most digital devices and platforms support MP4, rendering it the most universal video format around. The MP4 can also store video files, audio files, text, and still images.
Goals and Objectives
Moving encoding/transcoding into the cloud helps content creators free themselves up from the task of maintaining a dedicated encoding server farm that ultimately leads to a reduced capex in purchasing and renewing hardware/software. In a cloud computing environment, encoding/transcoding is carried out by the power of the cloud. Cloud video encoding converts video files to make them viewable by any media players, devices, or web browsers and operating systems, using the power of the cloud minus any storage costs. You can encode videos fast and reach a multitude of internet-connected devices without investing in costly infrastructure. Transcoding in the cloud scales instantly according to demand. Video transcoding may also include performing simpler tasks such as adding watermarks, logos, or graphics to a video. Transcoding might also include the two types of changes: Trans-rating refers to the act of changing bitrates of a video or live stream, for example, converting a 4K video input stream at 13 Mbps into a lower-bitrate stream (called renditions). Trans-sizing is exactly as it sounds; it refers to resizing a video frame to a different resolution to fit different websites, video players, and similar forms, for example, a resolution of 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) down to 1920 × 1080 (1080p) or 1280 × 720 (720p).
Technology Deployed
H.264 or MPEG-4 AVC (Advanced Video Coding). HEVC stands for “high-efficiency video coding” and is also known as H.265. HEVC is a recently developed video compression standard pioneered by the Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding (JCT-VC). At an identical level of visual quality, HEVC enables massively improved compression, allowing video to be compressed at half the bitrate of H.264, making it twice as efficient.
Use Case Summary
JPEG2000 is a codec used for digital cinema, medical imaging, geospatial data, and document archiving. H.265/HEVC, the successor to H.264, HEVC, or H.265, is fast becoming ubiquitous thanks to the proliferation of 4K content. JPEG-XS is a lightweight “lossless” compression standard, which is useful for 4K and 8K contribution workflows over existing 3G SDI and 12G SDI or hybrid SDI/IP networks including SMPTE-2110. Versatile Video Coding (VVC) is a next-generation compression standard, which is in its early development phase. VVC will be more efficient that HEVC – it is focused on achieving 30% better compression efficiency.