Our Cloud Transcoding service allows the creation of multiple resolutions using HLS protocol based on the sending of a single resolution, for example, if you send a signal at 1080p quality, platform will automatically generate the resolutions 1080p, 720p, 480p, 360p, 240p and 144p, which will be distributed in HLS.
This feature is activated by a commercial agreement since it has an additional cost.
Feature Configuration
1- Create a new live-video signal or use a previously configured existing signal.
If you use a new signal, you must configure the publishing zone, for this service the US (Primary) zone must be used, additionally specify the respective encoding profile with the highest quality required.
Recommended Encoding profile configuration
2- Go to the publishing points and select the Cloud Transcoding tab, you will see the following options:
Enabled: this button completely activates and deactivates the service..
Type: according to the type of feed input, RTMP_PUSH is available by default and, by commercial agreement, the new SRT_LISTENER input.
Use Backup: if an additional publishing point is required for redundancy of the ingest in case of failure of the first one, this button should be activated, if it is not required, platform only delivers one publishing point.
2.1. Configuration using RTMP_PUSH
Activate the service (Enabled), indicate whether or not a secondary publication point is required (Use Backup) and save the changes, when doing so, the RTMP and WebDAV publishing points will disappear from the Live-stream interface.
This provides the two required publishing points along with their respective stream keys, which must be configured in the encoders that will do the redundancy (only if the backup was activated).
2.2. Configuration using SRT_LISTENER
As for RTMP, activate the service (Enabled), indicate whether or not a secondary publishing point is required (Use Backup) and save the changes.
Once the changes are made, platform automatically provides one or two inbound IP addresses (SRT_CALLER) to be pointed to from the encoders, this type of URL does not require a stream key.
2.3. By clicking on the gear icon in both types of configuration, a series of parameters are displayed, which must be set before starting the transcoding, these are:
SRT Configuration: only available if the SRT_LISTENER type is enabled, this field is used to change the publication port, if this setting is made, the incoming IPs are automatically changed (if this setting is not made in the encoder, the srt will not start transcoding).
Quality: It allows us to select the maximum quality at which we send the RTMP or SRT to generate the qualities.
These qualities are generated by default when Quaility is selected and cannot be edited, it is always activated with the 1080p availability.Aspect Ratio 9:16: to indicate that the live signal production is in portrait mode.
Aspect Ratio 4:3: for productions with square type signal (commonly SD quality)
Low latency: reduces the standard segment loading, making the segments to load faster and reducing the buffering time of the stream according to the final user.
Motion graphics configuration: to insert images or overlay motion graphics into the signal through the use of an HTML URL, for example, game scoreboards, CG credits, overlay ads, etc; these must have the default alpha channel integrated from source, it is the only section that is enabled for editing once the Cloud transcoding is activated.
If the Duration option is set to 0, the animated image or graphic will be permanently visible in the player; once this option is enabled, the URL and duration can be edited as required, this duration must be set in seconds, any changes made in this section must be saved.
Captions: This refers to the subtitles that come embedded in the origin signal, once the format is defined (608 or SCTE20), the button is activated and the label is assigned by clicking on the + as they are configured in the source signal.
It is important to note that if the subtitle, despite being configured into the signal is not received, the cc button will not be activated in the player, once the platform detects these captions, the button is activated automatically; the cc is displayed differently according to the device.
Once this configuration is done, just activate the transcoding and save the changes, then wait a few seconds and start the signal ingestion from encoder, all buttons will be blocked.
3- In order to completely stop the service, you must first disable the Transcoding option and save changes. Finally, you can disable Cloud Transcoding in the Enabled option and save again.
Considerations:
Disabling Cloud transcoding (Transcoding Start/Stop) will delete all related settings and leave only the publishing points active.
Using cloud transcoding requires responsible use to avoid unnecessary charges. Activating it has a cost and starting up the channel has a different one. Remember to deactivate it if it is not being used.
To make changes in the configuration during the broadcast, it is required to stop the current process.
To Activate/Deactivate Low latency, first enable/disable, save and then start the job again.
Every time the Cloud transcoding option is enabled and disabled on a live signal, the rtmp, stream key and SRT Inbound IP parameters provided will change, therefore, they must be set again in the encoder(s).
Auto Switch Transcoding
With this new feature, it is possible to keep the Cloud transcoding service active without the need to start it, this reduces costs and unnecessary increase in the live transcoding hours quota, it is useful for a live signal that does not broadcast constantly 24/7 but will have schedule programming and, in which it is mandatory to have the same endpoint active 100% of the time.
Configuration:
A. The cloud transcoding service must be Enabled.
B. Select input type (RTMP or SRT) and enable backup if required.
C. Turn on the Auto Switch Transcoding button, then save the changes.
The feature interface will look as follows:
The transcoding power button, as well as the backup button, will be locked.
D. Deploy the additional configuration and adjust the steps mentioned in section 2.3 of this document.
E. There is an additional section called Auto Switch Transcoding Configuration, in this section you can adjust the start and end of the automatic transcoding in minutes, by default the start always appears in 30 and the end in 60, this configuration starts the cloud transcoding 30 minutes before the programmed schedule and ends it 60 minutes later, this in order to give the necessary time to generate the media if the schedule has an active auto record and, in case you forget to stop the job, the times can be set as desired, any change made must be saved..
F. Program the schedule as required, one time and recurrent can be used, they will fulfill the same function, the configuration in the schedule does not need special adjustment for the feature to work.
G. Once the auto switch is activated, the Transcoding button starts automatically and will be locked, it is important to note that the signal must be routed to the live during the minutes prior to the schedule start setting and stopped at the schedule end range..
Important: the publishing point will be deactivated only at the end of the time described in point E, if you continue publishing from the encoder, it will alert you that it is unable to link to the publishing point.
To remember:
It is not recommended to delete the schedule before completion, as this could cause bugs in the auto switch behavior.
The schedule times can be set prior to the start of the Auto Switch Transcoding Configuration, in case of an extension in the schedule time, the 60 minutes end time is available for adjustment, any new end time set in the schedule will start again at the 60 minutes range in the auto switch
Once the auto switch has started, no changes can be made to the cloud transcoding service.
If you have any related questions please do not hesitate to write to us through the chat.
Atte. The Mediastream Team
