When it comes to online cloud video streaming, the terms “transcoding” and “encoding” are frequently used. Both of these processes are critical for enabling live streaming and ensuring video quality on both live and on-demand content. Video transcoding services are the ones that allow you to create multiple “versions” of the same video but also in a variety of qualities. In an adaptive bitrate player, these renditions are used for multi-bitrate streaming. With cloud transcoding and an adaptive bitrate player, you can automatically choose the best rendition for each of your viewers based on their internet speed. Video encoding, in its most basic sense, is the process of compressing video files so that they are saved as fluid videos rather than individual images. Video encoding is the process of preparing digital video for output through the use of video encoder software, where the digital video is encoded to meet proper formats and specifications for recording and playback.

While transcoding refers to making a variety of copies of a similar file in a variety of sizes, Encoding can be the initial process of compressing RAW video or the process of re-encoding video into different formats. Encoding is always transcoded, but transcoding is not always encoded. You might want to transcode or encode a video for a variety of reasons.  

How do you transcode a video?

Video is recorded in a format that is specific to the camera or program that was used to capture the images and sounds. This isn’t usually the format required to upload the video to the internet or play it on another device. Video transcoding converts an original format into one that allows video and audio to play correctly on a user’s device, whether it’s a computer, tablet, smartphone, or television. Video encoding, also known as video transcoding, is a two-step procedure. The original file is first decoded and converted to an uncompressed format. The uncompressed format is then encoded into the target format in the second step.

How do you encode a video?

Video is recorded in a format that is specific to the camera or program that was used to capture the images and sounds. This isn’t usually the format required to upload the video to the internet or play it on another device. Video transcoding converts an original format into one that allows video and audio to play correctly on a user’s device, whether it’s a computer, tablet, smartphone, or television. Video encoding, also known as video transcoding, is a two-step procedure. The original file is first decoded and converted to an uncompressed format. The uncompressed format is then encoded into the target format in the second step. We provide ott streaming services in india

Encoding is the most time-consuming part of video processing in the vast majority of cases. It depends on a number of factors, but a short video could take a few seconds while a long video with large file size and an advanced codec could take days. Regardless of how fast stand-alone video encoding API services claim to be, you must first encode the entire video before publishing it. As a result, you’ll have to wait a while before you can make it available to your viewers. However, there are developments in this space that are essentially eliminating the waiting time.

What are the types of Transcoding?

Converting an encoded or transcoded file into a different format is called transcoding. You can categorize transcoding into three different types based on what you are trying to get a video to suit a particular browser, player, or platform.:

Lossless-to-lossless: 

This transcoding is important for maintaining the quality of your video through different formats but it also offers you a chance to take advantage of better hardware or compression algorithms.

Lossless-to-lossy

It is surely going to poorly affect your video quality but will help you gain some benefit as a result. It can make your playing file small or faster or even a file that is compatible with the requirements of a particular platform, player, or browser. 

Lossy-to-lossless 

It is often confused to help video regaining quality which isn’t the case. Transcoding your video lossy format to a lossless format would mean that there will be no loss for additional quality in the conversion process. One thing that is clear is that you won’t be regaining data that was lost during compression. 

What are the examples of Encoding?

Talking about encoding, it is something when you go from an uncompressed source to a   compressed source. To anyone wondering what is like uncompressed raw video source. From a realistic perspective, it’s anything where the video file contains data that comes directly from a camera sensor. Talking about digital space, it’s SDI (Serial Digital Interface) or even HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface )  which are both popular standards. In today’s world, HDMI is more preferred in a professional environment but SDI has proven to be more popular as it is more reliable. 

What are the best Encoding settings?

You must decide what tradeoffs you are willing to make when encoding. You must decide how much you want to compress the file and how much data you want to discard during this process. For example, you could encode a higher-quality video that you can deliver to users with a fast internet connection, or you could reduce the video’s quality to save money on storage and delivery. Many factors, including the type of content you have, will influence what you choose to optimize. It can take a long time to manually configure all of the settings. You could choose a few bitrates and create a static bitrate ladder for your videos, or you could automate the process. Per-title encoding is a method of generating a unique adaptive bitrate ladder for each video based on its complexity. There are services that add a layer of sophistication by encoding individual titles using machine learning. This streamlines the process while also ensuring the highest possible quality.

Why do you need Transcoding?

The rise in the demand for video streaming has directly lead to the exponential rise in the need of video transcoding and it is all set to rise in the future because of the following reasons- 

Convenience 

Freedom is a big deal, with our lives filled with digital devices no one really likes to get tied to a schedule and streaming video and want to watch them at their convenience. It is possible only through transcoding. We Provide low cost OTT Plaform

Personalization 

User viewing profiles are used to make recommendations in video streaming apps and services. To put it another way, they personalize your content buffet based on your preferences.

Scalability 

Streaming video platforms offer you to choose the features and functions according to their preference and then pay only for what they want. The concept is simple- if you don’t use it, you don’t have to pay for it. 

Why do you need video Encoding?

There are two reasons why video encoding is critical right now. The first is that it makes it easier to transmit video over the Internet, especially when it comes to streaming. This is because compression reduces the amount of bandwidth required while maintaining a high level of quality. Raw video content, without compression, would prevent many people from streaming content over the Internet due to inadequate connection speeds. The bit rate, or the amount of data transmitted per second in the video, is crucial. This will determine whether they can easily watch the content or if they will be stuck buffering the video when streaming. Compatibility is the second reason for video encoding. In fact, content may be compressed to an acceptable size but still require encoding for compatibility, though this is more accurately described as transcoding. Compatibility can refer to services or programs that require specific encoding specifications. It may also entail improving audience compatibility for playback.

Conclusion

For anyone in the streaming industry both the concepts- Encoding and Transcoding are extremely crucial. It does appear that both codings work the same way but that is not true, from a technical perspective they are far apart. While video encoding is the science of compressing the raw files and reducing a video’s size or tweaking its bitrate with an intention to not affect its quality as perceived by the audience. The process of compressing raw, uncompressed video is known as video encoding. While video transcoding refers to re-encoding compressed files, it also includes a decoding step before encoding the video.