A Buyers' Guide to Encoding and Transcoding Products

The lines are blurring in the field of encoding solutions. 不久前，似乎有一种特定的产品适用于范围狭窄的输入和输出文件类型. Now, 几乎每个产品都能通过高清宽带和广播质量输出适合多个低带宽移动设备的文件. Adaptive streaming and H.264 solutions are widely available, 大多数产品都有用于工作组编码和分发的服务器选项. Workflow solutions are integrated, and the need for real-time live stream encoding is expanding quickly.

Where stand-alone in-house implementations were once the norm, 现在，基于云的解决方案很常见，它可以使那些需要高效且具有成本效益的解决方案的人更容易找到解决方案. And why not use it? With ever-increasing consumer demands for formats for smartphones, game consoles, desktops, web, TV, and any number of other emerging devices, 大容量内部编码的复杂性正在变得既笨拙又可能令人沮丧.

一些解决方案结合了一种混合方法，在本地执行编码，并易于扩展到虚拟云环境中. It used to be easy to delineate among software-based and hardware-based products. Many hardware products now have a software solution available and vice versa. 因此，考虑到功能集的模糊，这里有一些顶级编码器的选择.

Hardware Solutions

Harmonic/Rhozet
www.rhozet.com

Many of you have used Carbon Coder over the years. That core product still exists, but it has been renamed ProMedia Carbon since Rhozet became part of Harmonic. ProMedia套件包括ProMedia Carbon，用于多种格式的基于文件的转码, ProMedia Live for real-time encoding, and ProMedia Package for preparing streams for adaptive streaming. Harmonic还在ProMedia Origin产品中提供了一个用于多屏幕分发的HTTP流视频服务器. The Harmonic products support formats from mobile to HD and can integrate DRM, closed captioning, and a scalable workflow. Carbon Server可以用来建立一个多达100个ProMedia Carbon节点的企业转码场.

Inlet Technologies/Cisco
www.cisco.com/web/about/ac49/ac0/ac1/ac259/inlet.html

Inlet Technologies一直是提供基于SD和HD硬件的编码解决方案的领先公司之一，现在是思科家族的一部分. The well-known Spinnaker family is now renamed the Cisco Media Processor Family, and Armada is renamed the Cisco Transcode Manager. 媒体处理器解决方案在提供体育直播流方面一直很强大, web, 以及IPTV应用，在冬季奥运会和美国职业棒球大联盟中的应用证明了这一点. 媒体处理器支持自适应流媒体，包括微软平滑流媒体, Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streaming, and Apple HTTP Live Streaming. The family supports streaming to smartphones and iOS devices. 思科转码管理器是用于大批量转码需求自动化的工作流程管理解决方案，并为预处理和转码到直播和视频点播(VOD)格式提供高级设置.

Elemental Technologies
www.elementaltechnologies.com

Elemental Technologies provides multiscreen solutions for broadcasters, content programmers, and service providers. A centerpiece of the Elemental offerings is the Elemental Server running on Linux. 它利用多个并行gpu的功能，可以提供比实时更快的基于文件的视频转码. 这些特性使该产品非常适合广播公司所要求的大规模VOD转码. Output formats include all H.264 profiles, MPEG-2, and VC-1 with targeting to Microsoft Smooth Streaming, Apple HTTP Adaptive, and Flash Media Server. They can also provide CableLabs-compliant streams. Elemental Live是该公司的处理系统，用于向主要cdn提供多屏幕自适应比特率流和开箱即用的连接，同时存档多个比特率流.

Digital Rapids
www.digital-rapids.com

Digital Rapids is well-known in the hardware-based encoding and transcoding arena. Digital Rapids产品将适应从移动到广播传输的编码应用. Its StreamZHD encoders are a “do-all” platform. They can ingest, preprocess, format, 并输出并发流视频点播和实时自适应流分发到多种压缩和容器格式. Adobe Flash, H.264, Microsoft VC-1, and MPEG-2 are supported, 这些编码器被需要大量转码的大型广播公司所使用. What is not so well-known is its Transcode Manager software encoding solution. 它可以通过广播电视作为手机的独立多输入输出解决方案. Version 2.0 will be available soon and adds a compelling feature. 它可以通过完整的配置和编码控制部署到Windows Azure的云中，而不仅仅是作为一种基于云的服务. 最后，它的TouchStream设备提供了一个完全独立的便携式流媒体解决方案. 它的设计是为了方便非技术用户操作，并结合了一个触摸屏界面与实时视频监控.

ViewCast
www.viewcast.com

ViewCast Niagara系列代表了硬件流媒体设备和编码器的既定路线. Niagara Pro II对多个流进行编码，并兼容苹果iphone和ipad的流媒体. It is used by CDN broadcasters and incorporates ViewCast’s SimulStream software, which encodes multiple streams to multiple resolutions and formats concurrently. 它是一个独立的单元，支持Microsoft、Adobe和Apple HTTP中的自适应流. Niagara GoStream SURF是一款便携式直播设备，具有编码器配置文件和快速设置的按钮选择. 尼亚加拉SCX管理软件可用于远程控制尼亚加拉线通过一个简单的web界面. The enhanced Niagara SCX 6.2 .软件版本专门为iOS设备提供更好的流媒体功能. All of the ViewCast products feature easy setup, multiple inputs, and industry-standard output formats.

Software Solutions

Telestream Episode
www.telestream.net/episode/overview.htm

Telestream Episode Pro在图形用户界面中具有拖放灵活性，用于创建编码工作流. 该公司的最新版本是市场上最快的软件编码器之一. A unique feature of Episode Pro is its capability to support encoder clustering. 一键式集群功能具有内置的文件共享功能，允许跨多个工作组机器或集群进行编码，并且可以在Pro版本中同时编码两个文件. Clusters can be configured in a mixed environment of Mac and PC machines. Telestream还为Episode Engine中的高容量编码环境提供了一个产品. 通过为多核机器和集群的每个核心分配同时的编码任务，Episode Engine可以充分利用并行处理的优势，并且可以完成比实时更快的处理. Engine还支持无限的并行编码作业，而不是Pro版本中的两个同时编码. Episode supports most input formats and hundreds of output formats including H.264, Flash, and Windows.

Sorenson Squeeze
www.sorensonmedia.com

Sorenson Squeeze has always provided ease of use, multiple output formats, excellent quality, and fast encoding speed. The latest iteration is Squeeze 7, which continues to build on the feature set. 它支持一系列的输入格式和输出格式的移动设备，通过能力创建一个DVD直接从挤压和包含新的编码选项广播视频. Squeeze 7 incorporates GPU acceleration for H.264 on video cards supporting NVIDIA CUDA technology. Adaptive encoding is now supported for mobile devices, including iOS devices, and the batch encoding features are robust and easy to use. Automatic publishing options to multiple major CDNs, as well as YouTube and Sorenson 360, are easy to use and definitely speed the process. Sorenson 360是一个独特的功能，可以立即将您的编码视频上传到您的密码保护帐户. 该功能免费使用1年，可用于审查和客户批准流程. Presets are increasingly important for multiple devices, and Squeeze provides dozens of them in the product; it also has the Sorenson Media Exchange, 用户配置的额外预设可用于特定任务，并可免费下载.

Microsoft Expression Encoder
www.microsoft.com/expression/products/EncoderPro_Overview.aspx

Microsoft Expression Encoder Pro 4 supports encoding, live streaming, and options for streaming to Silverlight projects. Microsoft’s adaptive bitrate IIS Smooth Streaming for devices includes H.264 streaming to iOS devices as well as Windows Phone 7. For Windows Media the Microsoft VC-1 codec is included, as is H.264 Main, High, and Baseline profiles for MP4 output. 苹果电视、Xbox 360和索尼PlayStation Portable只是部分可用的设备预置. Facebook, YouTube, and Vimeo presets provide a good starting point for users of those online services. 用户界面中包含的基本编辑功能包括裁剪和修剪媒体，以及添加标记和元数据的能力. 实时流功能是另一个特性，并且很容易添加多个实时和文件源. Standard output presets include H.264 Smooth Streaming to iOS and HD-capable devices. Microsoft’s VC-1 codec is another option for delivery. Live connections are easy to establish either to a Windows Server or to CDNs. It is important to note that H.264 encoding is only available in the Pro version of the product.

Adobe Media Encoder
www.adobe.com

Adobe已将其编码器紧密集成到其熟悉的Creative Suite软件包中. In its latest product, Adobe继续其拖放功能，轻松加载Premiere Pro和After Effects项目到编码器. 带有实时预览窗口的新界面是一个很好的附加功能，可以预览编码结果，而不必等待完整的编码完成. Support for adaptive streaming has been added for Flash streaming. 从3G手机和平板电脑配置到电视和个人电脑的高清预置，可以提供更多的预置. 预设为编码提供了一个良好的起点，并且可以自定义以适应特定编码作业的需要. For live streaming, Flash Media Live Encoder为Flash Media Server或CDN部署创建流. Adobe Dynamic Streaming is supported on Flash Media Server 4 software, and the encoder can send three streams at multiple bitrates.

Cloud & Hybrid Solutions

Encoding.com
www.encoding.com

Encoding.com is probably the best known cloud-based encoding service. 文件可以通过简单的浏览工具轻松上传，也可以通过包含编码预设和拖放上传的桌面应用程序添加. The company supports huge numbers of file types for ingest and delivery. 用户几乎可以控制编码过程的每一个方面，从比特率到视频尺寸，从H.264 through MPEG-2. 移动输出很容易配置为iOS设备以及一些Android和黑莓设备. 自适应比特率编码支持iPad/iPhone在尽可能多的比特率作为客户选择. After transcoding, the user can have the files delivered to any of the major CDNs, or the files can be delivered via FTP to wherever the user desires. 值得注意的是，该公司是唯一一家与Rackspace和亚马逊网络服务集成的视频编码服务公司. Encoding.Com的定价是按月或按需付费，或者可以为大批量转码需求定制.

No mention of this company would be complete without including the Vid.ly universal video platform. 这项服务背后的理念是，客户只希望他们的视频在任何平台上都能播放. It is a simple process of telling Encoding.com where your video is, and it will do the transcoding and deliver a unique Vid.ly URL. Vid.ly将把您的视频转码为22种格式，并将为您提供HTML5兼容的嵌入代码. With the reasonably priced Vid.ly Pro，用户可以访问分析，API访问，并选择越来越多的cdn.

Sorenson Squeeze Server
www.sorensonmedia.com/encoding-server

Sorenson Squeeze Server建立在独立的Squeeze编码引擎上，并将其功能扩展到云端. 托管服务器选项专为使用Amazon Web Services云的高容量编码作业而设计，具有自动化工作流和经过认证的Sorenson预设，以确保可靠性, high-quality encodes. If you already have your own encoding infrastructure but need more scalability, the Hybrid Cloud option presents a unique solution. 挤压将访问您的源文件从本地和远程位置非常快速的文件上传到云使用技术从阿斯帕拉. 然后，挤压服务器根据需要自扩展到云中以完成编码. 它作为基础设施即服务模型工作，并按使用的云编码小时计费. 如果您的应用程序要求在防火墙后面内部执行编码, Squeeze可以在您自己的服务器上运行，并且可以通过简单地添加另一个编码节点进行扩展.

这些编码解决方案有一个共同的主线:每个供应商都有兴趣提供一种产品解决方案，该解决方案将为尽可能多的设备提供高质量的编码. Clearly, mobile delivery is critical on one end of the spectrum, 但在另一端，电视转播的质量同样重要，而且还将继续提高. 编码工具已经成熟到客户所期望的以多种格式进行高质量的编码. The growth of cloud encoding provides the scalability, flexi- bility, 效率将导致更多的内容被编码，同时最大限度地减少前期基础设施成本. 没有比现在更好的时间来轻松有效地将你的内容传递给大多数观众.