Private Live

Normal

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Doug Twitter

Doug Sillars

Tutorials

We were recently asked in our website chat:

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I love hard questions. Befiore I come up with my answer, let's walk through a few definitions to describe what we are attempting to do.

## Live streaming

When you livestream a video with api.video, we take your live video input and turn it into multiple output streams (of different sizes) on the fly.  If your upload stream is 1080p, we will deliver 240p, 260p, 480p, 720p and 1080p streams to your viewers.

If your users are on a smaller screen (like a phone) - they’ll get a smaller resolution video.  If they are on a slower connection - we’ll serve the biggest video that will play in their network conditions.

## Watermarking

Adding a watermark requires ‘burning’ text into the video.  If you use our sandbox, you’ve seen what a watermark *could* look like:


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In our sandbox, we watermark each video to show that it is being delivered from the sandbox.

### What the ask was:

Burn the user’s name into the video. For example, if I were watching their highly sensitive video, it might look like:


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The idea here is to prevent leakage of the information. If anyone takes a screenshot, or they share the video stream - it is clear that the culprit was Doug, not Cedric, Anne-Sophie or Erikka.

### Why we cannot do this

If we create a unique stream for each user, and the video is 1080p, we’d have to encode 5 streams *per viewer*. Since we can host live streams with hundreds of thousands of viewers, it is not feasible (or cost effective for the account holder) to encode 100k unique videos.

## But...

It turns out, there is a pretty good workaround that satisfies the requirements of our user.

First, we’ll use a [private livestream](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/new-beta-feature-private-livestreams/). Private livestreams work just like a regular livestream, but our player URL has an added token on the url:

https://embed.api.video/live/li5rw3I105fgajJEpfvr59AK?token=1d5a3684-c653-4f2a-a9cb-0ae25c00fe66

If the token is removed, the live stream will not play.  Each token can be used exactly once. If your viewer starts watching your event and they grab the URL from the source code and share with their friends - all views past count 1 will get an error message.

So that takes care of the live stream being shared with people who should not have access.

### Screenshots

The video cannot be shared, but what if the video is showing off the latest top secret product from your company?  You want to show it to your selected audience, but photo leaks of the product would be just as disastrous to your company.  So, we’ll add watermarks.

As we stated above, watermarks cannot be ‘burned’ into the video.  But, we can overlay the video with CSS. Here’s the HTML:

```
<html>
<head>
</head>

<body>

<div class="container">
    <iframe id= "video"src="https://embed.api.video/vod/vi2nVamC6JpFFNXEJrV5kI1J" width="100%" height="50%" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe>
    <div class="overlay">
        <p>This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug.. This video is being watched by Doug..</p>
    </div>
</div>
</body>
</html>
```

There is a div with an iframe holding our video (in this case, it is a VOD that is not private -strictly for demo purposes, but you could add your private livestream in the src tag).  Then we have a paragraph of text that we will overlay on the video.

In the head of the HTML, add this style:

```
<style>
	.container { position:relative; }
	.container video {
	    position:relative;
	    z-index:0;
	}
	.overlay {
		display:inline;
	    position:absolute;
		color: orange;
		font-size:100;
		opacity: 0.8;
		height: 100%;
		top:0;
		bottom: 25%;
	    left:5%;
	    z-index:1;
		pointer-events:none;
		overflow: hidden;
	}

	
	</style>

```
This places the overlay on top of the iframe, makes the text big, orange and slightly see through.


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## Private video with a custom overlay

Now you have a custom live stream that cannot be shared. The watermark added to the video is unique for each viewer, which should prevent screenshot photos from the stream (or if there *are* leaks, you'll know who it was).


## Security

Sharing the video:  With our private tokens, sharing the live video is not possible.

Removing the watermark: There ARE workarounds that a technically savvy user might use to disable the CSS overlay. But for the vast majority of your users, this is unlikely to be an issue.  As in all issues of security, your team will have to weigh this possibility and decide if it is sufficiently secure to prevent leakage of your content.

## Conclusion

Private live streams are a great way to prevent the sharing of our sensitive videos. For an additional layer of security, you can add an overlay with CSS to identify each viewer’s screen - thus preventing screenshots being released from the presentation. Give it a try: [sign up](https://my.api.video) for your free account today!

Secure live streams with unique overlay

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Product updates

One of our most popular video on demand features is the ability to turn a video ‘private,' where each url to the video has a one time token to prevent sharing.  We have been asked many times about when the 'private' feature would be available for live streaming. We are very excited to release this as a new feature today!

When you set a video to private, the video link has a one use token connected to it. This token can be used exactly once (in a single web session). This means that the video cannot be shared, and any subsequent access of the url will throw an error. This also means that each time the video is shown, a new token must be requested from api.video via the [Get video](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Videos#retrieve-a-video-object) endpoint.

If you use the api.video player, this all works automatically. If you use a different player, we have a walkthrough of how you must handle the headers.


## Private Live streaming

Starting today, we now have a public attribute for all live streams. Setting this to 

```
"public": false
```

will add a token to each url for viewing.  With private live streams, you can be sure that your live video is not being shared outside your expected audience - perfect for live concert streaming, or classes.

Of course, just like the video on demand feature, you’ll need a new URL for the live video for each viewer.  When you call the [Get Livestream](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Live-Streams#retrieve-live-stream) endpoint, each live for the m3u8, the player and the iframe will have the token attribute appended.

```
{
	"liveStreamId": "123",
	"createdAt": "2021-02-15T10:30:49+00:00",
	"updatedAt": "2021-02-15T10:30:49+00:00",
	"streamKey": "123",
	"name": "Dougs staging private livestream",
	"public": false,
	"record": false,
	"broadcasting": false,
	"assets": {
		"iframe": "<iframe src=\"https://embed.api.video/live/li4SB0HXeul4ITH5DXJFGPxT?token=4851b6b0-3c8a-4f15-8298-c2db754fa6ac\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"></iframe>",
		"player": "https://embed.api.video/live/li4SB0HXeul4ITH5DXJFGPxT?token=4851b6b0-3c8a-4f15-8298-c2db754fa6ac",
		"hls": "https://live.api.staging/private/4851b6b0-3c8a-4f15-8298-c2db754fa6ac/li4SB0HXeul4ITH5DXJFGPxT.m3u8",
		"thumbnail": "https://live.api.staging/private/4851b6b0-3c8a-4f15-8298-c2db754fa6ac/li4SB0HXeul4ITH5DXJFGPxT/thumbnail.jpg"
	}
}


```

## See it in action

### Why URL tokens?

Our video tokens are completely server side, removing the need for developers to do any security development (unless you are integrating with a 3rd party player).  The app makes an API call to the api.video server, receives the token, and can simply pass the value to their users.  

Once the token is used, api.video removes the token from being able to be used again.  As long as the user keeps their browser open, they can watch the video, but it cannot be shared, and if a new session is started, the user will need a new token.

### Saved private live streams

One of the great features of our live streams is the ability to have it available as recorded Video on Demand after the stream is completed. To enable this, the “record: true” setting must be enabled before the stream starts.

If your stream is set to private and set to record, all of the recorded videos will also be set to private - and will require the equivalent [private token](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/video-access-management-how-to-create-deliver-and-manage-private-videos-and-what/) for each view.

To make the example video above public, I had to update the video's setting to "public": true.


## Current Limitations

As we test and tweak private live streams, we want to keep the audiences lower. Please limit all private live streams to audiences of 3,000 viewers or less. For larger audiences - you can use a public live stream.

Later this year, we’ll be able to remove this cap, and allow for unlimited size of viewers for your private live stream.

[Give it a try](https://dashboard.api.video/register) - we'd love to see what you've built - share a link in our [forum](https://community.api.video)

Private live streams

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Private Videos

JavaScript

api.video offers a number of simple APIs to create and share video.  To protect videos from being shared, we offer the concept of private videos - where the ```public``` token for the video is set to ```false```.

These [private videos](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/tutorial-private-videos) have a URL token that can be used just once, and cannot be shared. To authenticate the token, we insert a custom header that must also be validated with the URL token.

If you use the api.video player - there is no development required - we do all the lifting of adding the authentication header for you.

If you are using a different player, you need to recieve this header from cdn.api.video and insert this header on each subsequent request.  To learn how, read on!

## Retrieving the header

For each unique view of a private video, you must generate a unique URL token.  It will look something like this:

>https://embed.api.video/vod/vitkytkieTnEvUjKE0VQpd2?token=c7cc5f68-1c98-49a0-a1c3-406e95d95228

Using Chrome DevTools, we can see what happens when we request this url:





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The 4th request is to cdn.api.video for the player.json.  The first request to this domain for a private video (either for the .mp4, the player.json, or the manifest.m3u8) will have a custom header in the response (```X-Token-Session```).


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This header and value must be sent on every subsequent request to cdn.api.video to ensure playback.

If you use the api.video player, each subsequent request has this header added  automatically.  For example, here is the request for the video thumbnail.jpg (in Safari, with a different session token):

request for the video thumbnail.jpg (in Safari)

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At the bottom of the header list is the ```X-Token-Session```. 

## Using a different player

With a different video player, the code to insert this custom header must be added.  So lets walk through the steps to add a new request header in your code.

### Getting the session header

To retrieve the session header, simply request the first file from api.video (typically this is the m3u8 manifest file). It will look something like:

```
https://cdn.api.video/vod/vitkytkieTnEvUjKE0VQpd2/token/8e19097c-8310-4ce3-acba-206378119bc5/hls/manifest.m3u8
```

If you request this file from your player (or you can test just by loading this url in Safari), you'll receive the response with a lot of headers:

```
Timing-Allow-Origin: *
Cache-Control: no-store, no-store
Accept-Ranges: bytes
Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *
Content-Length: 590
Via: 1.1 PSfgblPAR2xf192:2 (W), 1.1 PSygldLON4zd14:8 (W), 1.1 PSygldLON2ew56:2 (W)
X-XSS-Protection: 1; mode=block, 1; mode=block
Date: Fri, 23 Oct 2020 10:02:57 GMT
Access-Control-Expose-Headers: Content-Type, Content-Length, Content-Range, X-Token-Session, Vary, Origin
X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN, SAMEORIGIN
Access-Control-Allow-Credentials: true
Content-Type: application/vnd.apple.mpegurl
ETag: "5e8f75e8-24e"
X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff, nosniff
Last-Modified: Thu, 09 Apr 2020 19:22:16 GMT
x-proxy-cache: HIT
Server: PWS/8.3.1.0.8
x-ws-request-id: 5f92aa50_PSygldLON2ew56_14724-24181
x-token-session: 284a505f-d556-4de5-9498-c68260927551
x-px: ms PSygldLON2ew56LHR,ms PSygldLON4zd14LHR,ms PSfgblPAR2xf192CDG(origin)
```

Now we have the x-token-session for the playback of the video, and we must include this in each subsequent request.

### Minimal working example

The following piece of code shows how to retrieve the source file of a private video from a token value (error handling has been omitted for readability reasons).


## Adding the token to your header


Depending on the type of resource to retrieve, adding the X-Token-Session header may not be as straightforward as in the example above.

Below are some tips that you might find useful.

### Using MediaSource capabilities

If you manage the video tag yourself, you can use the [MediaSource interface](https://developer.mozilla.org/fr/docs/Web/API/MediaSource) to add headers to video files related requests.

### Using URL.createObjectURL() method

[URL.createObjectURL](https://developer.mozilla.org/fr/docs/Web/API/URL/createObjectURL) might be useful for some kinds of assets. For instance, you could display a video poster using an img tag with the following code:


### Using a service worker

[Service workers](https://developer.mozilla.org/fr/docs/Web/API/Service_Worker_API) can be used to intercept and modify any request made by your application and thus it gives you the ability to add headers. 


### Using video.js based players

If your player is based on [video.js player framework](https://videojs.com/), you can redefine the beforeRequest method on the xhr object of videojs.Hls . This will give you the ability to add the header on any video request. 


If you have any questions about this tutorial or would like to learn more about api.video please join our [community forum](https://community.api.video/). 

Inserting custom headers

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codec

video create

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Cédric Montet

At api.video, our goal is for video to be easy and affordable for anyone to build, be it individuals or organizations. We understand that achieving this goal means reducing costs at some stage of the video streaming process. That’s why, we now offer adaptive bitrate encoding for your videos at zero cost. 

&nbsp;

Yes, you heard me right. 

&nbsp;

**Encoding videos will be absolutely free for all video qualities (1080p or 4K) at [api.video](https://api.video/) - no hidden calculations, footer notes or tricks.**

(Check out this [video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouosgLbW7Ts) for more details) 


## A step towards making video streaming affordable

Video encoding is crucial as it makes it possible for videos to be shared and played smoothly on the internet. It is why we are easily able to consume various types of video media, whether it’s a YouTube video, our favorite shows on Netflix, or even catching up with friends across the globe on Zoom. Video encoding basically makes the world go around in regards to anything related to video and video content.

&nbsp;

We at api.video recognize that. From [increasing the transcoding and playback speed ](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/2021-in-review/)to building [specialized hardware like ASICs](https://api.video/blog/video-trends/the-comeback-of-specialized-hardware/) cards to increase our transcoding capacities, we've been working to make video streaming easier for you every day. And after dedicating ample time to engaging with our customers and learning about their concerns, free encoding seemed to be the next step in this direction. 

&nbsp;

So, we worked tirelessly behind the scenes to give you what no one else will - free encoding for all video qualities, be it 360p or 4K. 

## How does free video encoding benefit you as a customer

The benefit is straightforward: you save a LOT of money!

&nbsp;

- With free video encoding, you will have one less thing to worry about. As you know, you pay for three things for streaming videos — encoding, hosting, and delivery – out of which encoding is the most expensive, especially if you have a lot of videos. Free video encoding will allow you to focus your attention and resources to what is most important.

&nbsp;

- As the video needs of your app users grow, you might need to scale up your encoding capacity. Free video encoding services will give you the power to scale without any additional costs, meaning your users can handle more videos without increasing your expenses.

&nbsp;

- You can [migrate from your previous provider to api.video](https://api.video/compare/azure-media-services/) without paying an ‘entry tax’ to us. With free video encoding, you no longer need to spend money on encoding videos with a new provider when you have already paid for encoding with an older one.

&nbsp;

Now with all the saved cost, you can allocate your resources and money to a place where it is actually important – building your product and delighting your users. 

## How to get started

To use the free video encoding benefit, getting started is easy. 

&nbsp;

- If you’re a new user, [sign-up](https://dashboard.api.video/register) for a free sandbox account and start uploading your videos
- If you are looking to migrate from another vendor, [import](https://import.api.video/) your videos from your current vendor
- If you have any questions, [talk to us](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1694417789132.1694427271479.149&__hssc=54467703.3.1694427271479&__hsfp=3654297906) by booking a slot in our calendar

&nbsp;

To know more about our[ features](https://api.video/features/), [pricing](https://api.video/pricing/) or ask any other questions, [talk to our team ](https://meetings.hubspot.com/diego398/cc-talk-to-us?__hstc=54467703.754940701eda85e3c99a902d8ab0b988.1687266643206.1694162373815.1694167498585.144&__hssc=54467703.1.1694167498585&__hsfp=3654297906)and we will help you out. 

&nbsp;

Or, you can straightaway [sign-up](https://dashboard.api.video/register) for a free sandbox account and check our product out for yourself. 


Huge pricing update: Introducing video encoding at no cost

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api.video

Video trends

Modern technology has been helpful for an increasingly fast and simple method of consuming various types of video media, whether it’s a YouTube video, our favorite shows on Netflix, or even catching up with friends across the globe on Zoom. Despite the relative ease of doing anything related to video, a few complex processes take place behind the scenes, away from public view. One such process is video encoding.

Video encoding basically makes the world go around in regards to anything related to video and video content. Thanks to the technologies behind the video encoding process, it has become much easier for people and companies to share video content on the internet. But what exactly is video encoding, and what happens during the process? We’ll take a closer look at this and much more in this handy guide to video encoding.

## What is video encoding?

In a nutshell, video encoding occurs when you take raw video footage, either from a digital camera or an analog film camera, and digitally compress it to make it a more manageable file size. Video encoding happens daily in both professional and personal capacities, and many people don’t realize it.

But, without encoding, services like Netflix and YouTube would not exist – or, at least, not in the same way that it does today. Without it, we couldn’t send videos of our beloved pets to our friends and family as easily as we can today.

## Why is video encoding used?

There are a variety of reasons why video encoding is used, but all factors point to the single function of video encoding – **compression**.

This is done to ensure optimal performance and compatibility with a selected suite of software and hardware, be it for DVD/Blu-ray playback, mobile viewing, online video streaming, or general video editing. A file's video and audio information undergo transformation and compression during the encoding process, all in accordance with the requirements of the selected encoding standard.

On a professional level, the ability to compress raw video into more manageable sizes makes it easier to transmit video content such as training, promotion, presentation, and so on over the internet. 

On a personal level, video encoding makes it much easier to send videos taken from your phone directly to friends and family. Most modern-day personal devices have built-in video encoding capabilities to allow for this to happen without a second thought.

To put things in perspective, uncompressed or unencoded video can have a data rate that’s as low as 3,000 Mbps and as high as 12,000 Mbps, depending on the length and quality of the video recorded. 

**Without encoding, it would take up to days for anyone to not just transmit video, but to be able to consume it, too.**

## Differences between video encoding and video transcoding

You need to be familiar with two more [essential terms related to video encoding](https://api.video/what-is/) – transcoding and codecs.

Transcoding relates to the conversion from one digital encoding format to another. It takes the already encoded video file, decompresses it, and then alters it before re-encoding or compressing it into a different codec. Codecs are what allow encoding to occur in the first place. They are software or hardware that gives us the ability to compress video to make them more easily stored and delivered tightly.

While you may hear “encoding” and “transcoding” used interchangeably, the two terms actually mean different things. Putting it succinctly, encoding is the initial process of compressing a video from a source – such as a camera – into a codec, while transcoding takes an already encoded video file to convert it into a different codec.

## Examples of video codecs

In order to understand video encoding, you must first be familiar with two interrelated terms: [video codecs and video formats](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/every-video-format-codec-and-container-explained/). These also tend to be used interchangeably, but much like the terms encoding and transcoding, they refer to two different things.

Video formats are the type of files in which the compressed video/audio is stored. Also known as a “container”, you can tell what a video format is by looking at the file’s extension — the three to four characters that sit after a period in a file name. Here are some of the most common video formats used today:

* MP4
* FLV
* MOV
* MKV
* LXF
* MXF
* AVI
* WebM
* QT

On the other hand, **the codec is short for “Coder / Decoder” (compression / decompression)** and relates to the video compression algorithms that allow encoding to happen. Over the years, codecs have gone through multiple iterations as it coincides with the increasing sophistication and rise in the quality of filmmaking. 

If you’re a content creator, you might be aware of some of the video codecs that exist today:

- **H.264 – also known as AVC, this is the most widely-used video codec available on every platform and mobile device.**
- H.265 – also known as HEVC, stands for High-Efficiency Video Coding, and it’s slowly overtaking H.264 as the standard. This codec can compress video much more efficiently than its predecessor.
- **VP9 – is an open-source, royalty-free codec developed by Google and is considered the direct competitor of H.265. The video compression codec VP9 was created to reduce file sizes, making streaming videos simpler.**
- **AV1 – is another royalty-free, open-source codec released in 2019 by the non-profit Alliance for Open Media. It was developed to become the successor to Google’s VP9 and contend with HEVC more directly.**

## How do different technologies handle video encoding

As you may have suspected, there are a majority of ways that different technologies handle the video encoding process. Let’s take a look at the most common technologies that use video and how video encoding works on each of them:

### Video editing software

When it comes to video content creation, a majority of people will use one of two video editing software — Adobe Premiere Pro or Apple’s Final Cut Pro. Both of these video editing software handle video encoding in very similar ways: when exporting the finished video.

Depending on which device the video content is recorded on, it will already be encoded and formatted according to the settings of the device. For those using iPhones recording 1080p video at 25 frames per second (FPS), for example, the iPhone will automatically encode the video using H.264 and contain it in a .mov file format. The video editing software will “open up” the container to get to the encoded, compressed video file within so the editing process can begin.

After editing the footage is complete, it will need to be exported, which typically concerns video encoding. The edited raw media taken from a recording device such as a camera will be encoded via the codec of the person’s choosing before being put into a .mp4 container once they’ve hit “export”. As we’ve mentioned before, the most common codec used in video content creation is H.264 for HD videos, with 4K videos using H.265. 

### Websites

Different websites utilize different techniques to handle video encoding – with a majority of the major sites like YouTube, Netflix, and so on using their own technologies to handle the process. A majority of social media websites allow you to upload video files directly onto the site to share, although most of them require the files to be saved in specific containers. 

These websites will take your video file and transcode it before using their own systems and serves to re-encode it to match multiple display resolutions. This process will happen regardless of your video file's original codec and settings. Different websites have different processes, but companies that don’t have the capacity to build their own video encoding systems can use a third-party application programming interface (or API) to handle this process. These APIs act as [dedicated video encoder](https://api.video/encoding/) that allows companies to add on-demand videos to their websites more efficiently.

Using [api.video](http://api.video) as an example, all of the videos submitted to the platform will be transformed into H.264 codec in an MP4 container. This may be done using transmuxing and/or transcoding.

We expect the video bitrate to be lower than 16 Mbps for up to 1080p resolution and 50 Mbps for up to 4K resolution. We accept any bitrates, however, we will scale them down to the limits mentioned because anything above is usually challenging for most viewers’ connection to watch.

### API

The ability to generate, store, and distribute video is made possible via a video API. [api.video](http://api.video)’s solution can be tailored to suit any specific need. 

The backend process of video on demand (VOD) is exceptionally complex, even if you’re a software programmer specializing in video. It is necessary to encode, package, and typically transcode the data before sending it to any of several possible destinations. All of these things, and more, may be done with minimal fuss using api.video.

Our API basically keeps the complexities of streaming media hidden from view, so you can rapidly develop apps with as much control as you need. This saves time and effort so developers can concentrate on making the product.

## Conclusion

As you can see through this video encoding guide, a lot of work goes into making the video you watch and the video you share possible. Without video encoding compressing raw video footage, it could take days to upload and transmit video content over the internet and perhaps even longer to be able to download and enjoy them. 

The best part about encoding at api.video is that is offered at ZERO cost. You will only be charged for delivery and hosting of your videos, and the encoding will be free. Now integrate your videos in minutes with api.video or [contact us](https://api.video/contact) for more information.

A Guide to Video Encoding & Video Codecs

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Erikka Innes

Encoding and transcoding are often used interchangeably but they have slightly different definitions. **Encoding is the initial process of converting raw video files into a specific digital format or codec.** It involves compressing and packaging the video data, often to reduce file size while maintaining acceptable quality. Encoding prepares the video for storage, transmission, or playback.

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**Transcoding, on the other hand, involves converting a video from one digital format or codec to another.** This is typically done to optimize the video for different devices or platforms, adapt to varying network conditions, or ensure compatibility with specific playback requirements. Transcoding occurs after encoding and often involves changing resolution, bitrates, or formats without altering the content itself.

## What goes on behind encoding a video?

It's easy to say that encoding is when you go from an _uncompressed source_ to a _compressed source_, but you may ask, what exactly do compressed and uncompressed sources mean?

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Uncompressed sources are video files that contain data that comes directly from a camera sensor vs. encoded video. In the digital space, it's SDI (Serial Digital Interface) or HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface). Both of them are popular standards. You'll find HDMI in places like your GoPro camera, or a mini camcorder. These days, you might also find HDMI in professional settings, but SDI is more common due to its reliability. Another example of an uncompressed source would be something analog, for instance, VHS tapes.

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A compressed sources, on the other hand, are video files that have undergone compression during the encoding process. Compression involves reducing the file size by removing unnecessary information or encoding the data in a more efficient format. This process results in a smaller file size, making it more manageable for storage, transmission, and playback.


## What are the types of transcoding methods?

There are three types of transcoding, depending on what you are trying to do to get a video to suit a particular browser, player, or platform:

* **Lossless-to-lossless** - This type of transcoding maintains the quality of your video across formats but allows you to take advantage of better hardware or compression algorithms. 
* **Lossless-to-lossy** - This type of transcoding will decrease your video in quality, but it will benefit you in ways such as – you will get a smaller and/or faster playing file, or a file that is compatible with the requirements of a particular platform, player, or browser.
* **Lossy-to-lossless** - Sometimes people think this means they are regaining quality. This isn't the case in this type of transcoding. If you transcode from a lossy format to a lossless format, all that it means is that you will not lose additional quality in the conversion process. You will not regain data you already lost through compression.

## Codecs for encoding and transcoding

For both encoding and transcoding, you will need to make use of codecs. A codec's job is to compress and decompress video files. It's right there in the name -  **co**mpress **dec**ompress or encode decode. So basically, codec is an algorithm that takes the video and shrinks it or changes it into a format that makes it compatible with the requirements of wherever you want the video to play. There are many codecs because there are many ways to compress a video or livestream for playback.



## What is transmuxing?

Now that you know the difference between encoding and transcoding, let's throw one more term in there - transmuxing. Transmuxing is when you change the container for a video instead of the format. It's a way of repackaging a video to make it compatible somewhere without changing what's in the file. 

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This process is faster than encoding or transcoding and takes less computing power because you only change the container, not the file. It's great when you need to quickly make something available, but the downside is that it doesn't handle things like making multiple video resolutions available. If you choose a container type that's incompatible with your video file, you may also cause compatibility issues, resulting in not being able to play the video.

## In closing

* **Encoding** - Encoding happens when you compress a raw data file from a video camera sensor or an analog source like a VHS tape. 
* **Transcoding** - Transcoding happens when you take an already compressed video file and change it to another format.
* **Transmuxing** - Transmuxing happens when you change the container of a video file but leave the video file untouched. 

We hope that explains the difference between encoding and transcoding clearly. 

_If you are looking for an affordable video API solution that does not burn a hole in your pocket for transcoding and encoding videos, check out our offerings on our [homepage](https://api.video/) or [sign-up for a free account here](https://dashboard.api.video/register)!_

Encoding and transcoding: what's the difference? 

Encoding and Transcoding - What's the Difference?

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Once I upload my video, how quickly will it be ready to be viewed?

Our reply to this question has always been “it's really fast.”  And it is really fast. But, the dev team gave me access to the backend database, and pointed me to a few tables that might be helpful (thanks to Thomas Persohn for your patient help!)

Thus armed, I waded into a sea of data to better understand how fast our videos are encoded at api.video

## Encoding

When a video is uploaded to api.video, it is re-encoded to a HLS stream, with several different video dimensions and bitrates.  This allows api.video to deliver properly sized video to all users - no matter the device or network connection. (Read our post on [Responsive video delivery](https://api.video/blog/video-trends/responsive-video-delivery/) to learn more.)

> Summary:  All videos are encoded at 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p and 2160p. However, the videos are only encoded up to the initial size of the video (so if the original video is 720p, there will not be 1080p or 2160p versions available). 

**FYI:** For our customers, encoding is absolutely free – we offer adaptive bitrate encoding at zero cost. 

How long does this step take? If a customer uploads a video to our service - they want to know how efficient api.video creates the content for viewing.

### Data in the study

We are constantly making adjustments to our infrastructure to speed the encoding step of our video (and that is one reason this post is dated 2H 2020 - we expect to be faster in early 2021). The last major adjustment was made in mid October, so the data presented in this study from every video uploaded to the api.video service between 15 October and 2 December 2020.

### Parameters that affect encoding

There are 2 major parameters that affect the speed of encoding a new video stream: the output dimensions and the length (duration) of the video.  

#### Dimensions

The output video dimensions have a huge impact on video creation - a 3840 × 2160 (or 4K or 2160p) video has millions more pixels than a 320x240 (240p) video, so it takes a lot longer to create.  In general, the videos exit the encoding process from smallest to largest.

#### Duration

If a video is 30 frames per second, and is 60 seconds long, there are 1800 frames to be created.  If a 30 frame per second video is an hour long 3600s), there are 108,000 frames to be created, so the longer the video - the more time for creation.

## Analysis

To better understand the encoding time, I divided the data by the size of the output video size, and looked at 2 lengths of video  - those under 5 minutes, and videos that are 45-75 minutes long (we are often asked how long a 1 hour video takes to encode).

I calculated encoding time for each bucket of video using percentiles.  

> Quick review - percentiles break the data into 100 evenly sized segments, so the 25th percentile is when 25% of the videos have been encoded. The median is the 50th percentile, and is when 50% of videos have been encoded.  We report here to the 95th percentile for video encoding.

### Short videos - under 5 minutes long

Many of the videos uploaded to api.video are short - under 5 minutes long.  These videos are generally ready to play in a few seconds:



The above chart has a lot of data, the 25, 50, 75, 90 and 95th percentile encoding times for all 6 variants of the video that api.video creates.

The median video is ready to play (at 240p) in 5.6 seconds, but a 720p version will be ready in 15s after encoding begins, and the 4K version will be ready in 37 seconds.

95% of all videos (under 5 minutes) will be playable in 32.6s, and will have 1080p versions ready in just over 2 minutes (140s).

### Long videos - 45 - 75 minutes long

Our most frequently asked question on encoding is "how long for a 1 hour video to be encoded and ready?"  Here are the numbers:


Observant viewers will see there are no 4K videos in this report. At this time, there are very few 4K streams that reach the 1 hour timeframe, and the data was quite noisy.  Hopefully, more of our 'long uploads' will add 4K support, so we can add this metric in our next update.

The median hour long video (red line) will be ready to play (at 240p) in just over 9 minutes (555s), and a 720p version will be ready about 18 minutes after encoding begins (1099s).

95% of hour long videos will have a 240p version ready in 33 minutes, and 720p in 54 (3230s).  the 1080p version will be available for 95% of videos in 108 minutes,

## Conclusion

Short videos will be ready to play - even at high resolution - in under a minute: the median 4K encoding for a short video is 37s. 

Hour long videos take longer to encode, and the median 720p video will be ready in 18 minutes.  95% of 720p videos will be ready to play in 54 minutes.

This is really fast! You can have responsive streaming video ready for your customers in just a few minutes with a simple upload!

That said, our team is working hard in the background to improve our infrastructure to make our encoding speeds even faster! 

We're really excited to have hard numbers to share with you on our encoding speeds, and we cannot wait to re-benchmark this data in 2021 to see how much faster your videos will be encoded as we improve our service.

Do you have questions about api.video or video encoding? Reach out on our [community page](https://community.api.video).


How fast does api.video encode video? 2H 2020 data

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Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost

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Huge pricing update! Introducing video encoding at zero cost