How to Choose an Enterprise-Class Video Encoder

At the recent Streaming Media West conference in Los Angeles, Jan Ozer explained to the audience the differences between desktop and enterprise video encoders, citing some popular choices.

"What is an enterprise encoder?" Ozer asked. "We know Sorenson Squeeze. Sorenson is a pretty well known company in the streaming space. They've got a Squeeze Server, they've got Squeeze Desktop that costs $1,000. Telesteam has Episode Engine which costs $3,000 and Episode Pro that costs $1,000. What's the difference between the desktop versions and the enterprise versions, and when do you want to choose one over the other?"

While enterprise encoders cost more, they offer several features that make then essential for high-production environments.

"You get an enterprise encoder for shared use. Squeeze Desktop is a product you can install on your desktop and encode, but you can't really share usage of that very easily. You get an enterprise encoder because you want to share use of your watch folders via direct user interface that people have access to or programmatically via an API," Ozer said. "So, Episode Engine has an API; Episode Pro does not. Typically, you'll get the highest performance in the enterprise encoder class. Episode Engine differs from Episode Pro because it's got full parallel encoding. Episode Pro does not have that, so Episode Engine will deliver multiple files much faster than Episode Pro will."

For more on the reasons to go with an enterprise encoder, such as scalability, watch the full video below. Also, download Ozer's presentation.

Choosing an Enterprise-Class Video Encoder

Enterprise-Class Video Encoder This session discusses factors to consider when choosing an on-demand enterprise video encoding system from the likes of Digital Rapids, Elemental, Harmonic, Sorenson, and Telestream. Factors incorporated into the analysis include performance, output quality, quality control options, format support, expansion options, programmability, and other variables. If you're considering buying an enterprise encoder or upgrading your current systems, you'll find this session particularly useful.

Speaker: Jan Ozer, Principal, Doceo Publishing