Choosing a Live Streaming Encoder: A Video Guide

There are several options available for companies that need a live streaming video encoder. At the recent Streaming Media West conference StreamingMedia.com contributor Jan Ozer explained the different ways of creating a set of adaptive files for both desktop and mobile delivery.

"It's important to realize that where we want to get to, there's more than one way to get there, okay?" Ozer said. "You don't need to buy a $36,000 encoder to produce the multiple streams. Now, there are some very good reasons to buy that encoder, but that's not the only alternative. You have multiple options. Two years ago you couldn't say this. Two years ago, if you wanted to produce those multiple sets of streams you needed the big iron encoders. Today, there's a lot more alternatives coming."

Ozer then explained the different live streaming encoder options, starting with big iron, itself.

"When do you buy a big iron system? A big iron system, to me, is a system that costs anywhere from $15,000 to $40,000," Ozer said. "From my perspective, you need to be distributing frequent large events to justify such an expenditure. You guys know what your ROI requirements are, so you need to be able to have a return on investment for an investment of that size."

To learn about lower-cost live streaming encoder options, watch the video below and download Ozer's presentation.

HOW-TO: Choosing a Live Streaming Encoder

Streaming Encoder This session discusses factors to consider when choosing a live streaming encoder, starting with free or inexpensive software options to high-volume, big iron systems, including quality, performance, portability, features, and format support. The session also examines how new cloud- based features such as live transrating are changing the requirements for on-location encoding. If you’re considering buying hardware or software for producing live events, you’ll find this session particularly useful.

Speaker: Jan Ozer, Principal, Doceo Publishing