Brightcove宣布实时云转码和即时播放

在IBC的单独公告中， Brightcove 宣布了最近收购的两款新产品 Zencoder -- 即时玩 and LIve Cloud Transcoding -- and the availability of Widevine 在其视频云平台内进行DRM加密和包装. All three announcements are significant, although they impact different market segments.

顺便说一下背景， Brightcove收购了Zencoder 2012年8月. In addition to providing cloud-transcoding services, Zencoder is also the developer of Video.js, an open source HTML5 video player used on more than 24,000 websites. 根据新闻稿, “Brightcove计划继续开发, operate, support, and promote the Zencoder service in their current form as distinct product offerings." Brightcove will also make these services available within their own Video Cloud online video platform.

实时云转码

实时云转码 from Zencoder should impact the live event market in the short term. All live event producers face two significant issues; the cost of encoding resources to produce the required streams, 哪一个随着自适应流媒体的出现而增加, and securing the necessary outbound bandwidth to deliver the encoded streams to the streaming server. 实时云转码有助于解决这两个问题.

With 实时云转码, event producers can send a single high-quality RTMP H.264流到服务, which will transrate the stream into multiple RTMP streams for delivery via Flash Dynamic Streaming and/or transmux the streams to the HTTP 在线直播 (HLS) format for Apple or Android devices. 然后将流发送到适当的服务器进行交付.

Encoding-related latency within the service is expected to be below 30 seconds at launch. 用户将能够实时监控流状态, and arrange for failover should the primary stream fail for any reason. The service will be offered as a separate product by Zencoder but will be available to Brightcove customers within the Video Cloud platform.

The service will be priced using the Zencoder model for existing file transcoding, which starts at $.每分钟输出视频5美元，并降至每分钟5美元.02 per minute for those committing to 100,000 minutes per month or more. Even at $.05 pricing, transcoding a single one-hour stream into eight separate files -- four each for delivery to Flash and iOS devices -- would cost a paltry $24.

Zencoder并不是第一个提供这种服务的公司. Haivision, 例如, offers HyperStream Live transcoding as an Amazon EC2 web service, and you can buy or rent the Wowza Transcoder add-in to the Wowza Media Server to perform the same functions. 两者都提供了比Zencoder更多的输出格式, 最重要的是HTTP动态流(HDS), Zencoder计划在不久的将来增加哪些功能. But Zencoder's service should quickly gain market share with existing Zencoder and Brightcove customers, 而且它的定价也很激进.

就像所有的服务一样, 实时云转码存在一些质量风险, since producing multiple lower-bitrate streams from a 1-2 Mbps source won't deliver the same quality as producing streams from the original source. 出于这个原因, truly premium services and events will probably stick with the multiple-stream encoder/dedicated output bandwidth approach used today. 对于许多低于这一顶级水平的生产商来说, however, live cloud transcoding is the only way to serve multiple target platforms with adaptive streams, 所以任何质量损失都是无关紧要的.

这项服务今天在有限的β.

即时玩

其他新的Zencoder服务的适用性, 即时玩, 是不是第一眼就很难理解. 即时播放开始编码内容，因为它被上传, 并使编码视频立即可用, 当文件上传和编码完成后就不会了. The service will support HLS output at launch with RTMP to follow.

听起来不错, 但如果你通过慢速网络上传, most users would probably rather wait until the video is finished uploading than watching it in dribs and drabs. 如果你有快速的网络连接, 该优惠仅在上传期间有效, 这将是短暂的. 那么，牛肉在哪里呢?

The beef is actually in previously uploaded content that's not been transcoded into HLS format. In essence, 即时玩 lets you make this content available on-demand without pre-transcoding. 如果你有一个5人的库,000 videos, transcoding on-demand spreads the transcoding cost over time and ensures that you only transcode the content requested in that particular format. 随着新格式的出现, a content owner can use 即时玩 to support them all immediately, 而不会产生巨大的转码费用. 随着越来越多的内容所有者将他们的内容存放在云端, 这种能力将变得非常有价值.

即时玩 is in public beta and is available to anyone with a Zencoder account. Check Zencoder的定价页面有关费用及详情.

Widevine DRM加密

Finally, Brightcove announced the commercial availability of Widevine packaging and encryption in the Video Cloud media ingestion process. This allows Video Cloud customers to securely distribute content to the 539 million consumer electronics (CE) devices supported by Google's Widevine digital rights management (DRM) technology.

DRM technologies like Adobe Flash Access and HLS encryption protect content streamed to computers or connected devices, but don't support CE devices like Blu-ray players or connected TVs, which are favored viewing platforms for premium content like movies and TV shows. There are multiple DRM technologies that can protect content delivered to CE devices, 包括都, Rovi's DivX, 和微软PlayReady. Brightcove originally announced that it would support Widevine at NAB in April, 2012, 现在正在提供这项服务.

Brightcove is demonstrating all three services at IBC in Amsterdam in Hall 5 at booth 5.C20.