If you use the internet on a regular basis, you might already know about transcoding, or you are hearing the word transcode for the first time. Either way, you must be aware of the importance of transcoders. Transcoding is an important part of video streaming which is used to change the output of videos.
Since most of the internet traffic is made up of videos, a large part of the effort on streaming is given to the compression and transcoding of the video content. This is basically done to use the same quality of video even after lowering the memory size of the video. Transcoders not only decrease the size of the video file but also enhances the quality of the stream.
In this article, you will learn about transcoders in general, as well as the various types of transcoding. Furthermore, we will also talk about video transcoding and its importance. Finally, we will also talk about the importance of video transcoding for the success of video streaming.
What Are Transcoders? – Transcode Definition
Technically, as per the definition of Cisco,
“A transcoder is a device that performs codec conversion, it converts an input stream from one codec into an output stream that uses a different codec.”
Basically, converting one type of digital media to another format is called transcoding. This applies to both audio and video.
The process of transcoding includes unencoding an already encoded digital media file like an audio or a video and changing the size or the bitrate of the file. This helps in better streaming of the file on the internet. Furthermore, with the help of this, you will be able to maximize how many compatible playback devices you use so that you will be able to make a wider audience access the encoded data.
Apart from changing the bitrate of the file, you can also change the type of codec, like changing from MPEG2 to MP4, H.264, etc. Since different streaming protocols make use of different types of codecs, hence you will need transcoders for converting the files to use them in different streaming platforms.
Benefits Of Transcoders And Transcoding
The following are the major reasons why transcoders are important for video streaming and also in the case of other digital media:
1. The conversion of digital media files is important so that different devices are able to support the format of the files. Hence, more people with more devices will be able to access video content through the internet.
2. The process will mainly help you to effectively live stream your videos to people with different devices and operating systems, as well as a different source of access. Apart from that, if you use transcoded digital media, your viewers will be able to access the video content easily, without any buffering from the internet, since the file size will be small.
3. You will also be able to increase the reach of the audience since more people will be able to access your content. Transcoders help in making the video accessible despite the major challenges related to connection and network.
4. Since different people use different internet connections and media devices, hence they require the same digital media in different formats and sizes. Using a transcoder helps you to encode the video or audio in such a way that the quality of the file is adjusted accordingly. Furthermore, transcoders also help in enhancing the resolution of the video.
Types Of Transcoding
Depending on the quality and format of transcoding, it can be of mainly three types:
1. Lossy to Lossy
Here you initially compress the file using lossy compression. Then you uncompress and recompress it again, which leads to a lowering of the quality of the video file.
2. Lossless to Lossless
This includes the compression of the data without discarding any part of the information on the file. Then the file is again uncompressed and compressed in the same way as before.
3. Lossless to Lossy
In this case, you are compressing the data of the file without removing any part of the information in the file. Again, you are uncompressing and compressing the media file. However, the information is lost in some form here.
Video Transcoding And Types Of Video Transcoders
Video transcoding includes transcoding a video’s format, size, and bitrate for streaming on video platforms through the internet. According to Adobe,
“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. This improves the performance of the editing program as well as the filmmaker’s user experience — especially if a creator or editor is collaborating on work. Transcoding gives projects a common file type that all collaborators can work with.”
Transcoding Video Through Different Transcoders
For the best conversion of your videos for streaming, you will need to look for the best transcoders for yourself. If you are looking for the best transcoders for your videos, you will need to look for the following ones:
Cisco Transcoders
The Cisco D9854 Streaming Video Transcoder is a great video transcoder. With the help of this transcoder, you will be able to decode the major types of videos for streaming.
AWS Elastic Transcoder
According to Amazon AWS transcoding,
“Amazon Elastic Transcoder is media transcoding in the cloud. It is designed to be a highly scalable, easy to use and a cost effective way for developers and businesses to convert (or “transcode”) media files from their source format into versions that will playback on devices like smartphones, tablets and PCs.”
Summing Up
Hope this article helped you find the best transcoders and get a general overview of video transcoders and their importance. With the help of a transcoder, you can change the format of the video, compress its size, and also alter the video’s bitrate as per the demand of the streaming platform. Transcoding also helps in making the video better accessible for different people. This is because different viewers use different media devices, connections, and platforms to watch video streaming.
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