live - create

Video Get

Normal

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Doug Twitter

Doug Sillars

Tutorials

JavaScript

We recently launched [record.a.video](https://record.a.video), a new web app that can record your camera and screen right from the browser!  When you are done recording, it uploads the video to [api.video](https://api.video) to create a link for easy sharing of your video.

In the process of building this app, I learned a lot about a few web APIs, so I thought I would write a bit more detail in how I used these APIs and how they work.

* In this post, we'll use getUserMedia API to record the user's camera and microphone.

* In [post 2](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/building-record-a-video-the-screencapture-api/), I discussed recording the screen, using the Screen Capture API. Using the video streams created in posts 1& 2, I draw the combined video on a canvas.

* In [post 3](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/building-record-a-video-the-mediarecorder-api/), I'll discuss the MediaRecorder API, where I create a video stream from the canvas to create the output video.  This output stream feeds into the video upload (for video on demand playback) or the live stream (for immediate and live playback).

* In [post 4](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/building-record-a-video-using-the-webspeech-api-for-live-captioning/), I'll discuss the Web Speech API. This API converts audio into text in near real time, allowing to create 'instant' captions for any video being created in the app. This is an experimental API that only works in Chrome, but was so neat, I included it in record.a.video anyway. 

You can also check out our [live stream API reference documentation](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Live-Streams#list-all-live-streams).


## MediaDevices.getUserMedia()

Let's start at the beginning, With record.a.video, we grab the camera and microphone inputs from the device to record the video. This API allows the browser to interact with external media devices, and read their output.

In record.a.video, we enumerate the video and audio inputs to display them as options for the recording:




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Once the capture begins, we display the chosen camera, and record from the chosen microphone.

So, how does this work?

## Enumerating the devices

When you call the enumerateDevices, you get all of the details of the devices:

```
    navigator.mediaDevices.enumerateDevices()
    .then(function(devices) {
        devices.forEach(function(device) {
        console.log(device.kind + ": " + device.label +" id = " + device.deviceId);
        
            if(device.kind =="videoinput"){
                //add a select to the camera dropdown list
              //  var option = document.createElement("option");
              console.log(device);
                deviceIds[counter] = (device.deviceId);
                deviceNames[counter]= (device.label);
                counter++;
            }
    });
```

If we look at the console log, we get a list of all the input and outputs:


```
audioinput: Default - Blue Snowball (046d:0ab9) id = default
audioinput: Blue Snowball (046d:0ab9) id = 693957e7a6c63d00cf9068338ec0108bfdfad2f108182bc988f7ed79430d5024
audioinput: Logitech StreamCam (046d:0893) id = ec257829b4d910400bdff0fe8639e3e2c5b9bd761c1cd4454b8f272672e4d482
audioinput: MacBook Pro Microphone (Built-in) id = be26a24fb1ca054193d51c80a6c875a091a285153959ddae8ab24f55c939bcd5
audioinput: Iriun Webcam Audio (Virtual) id = 5e911d92f330fb9333fee989407c5c84c3b99af29046d8182e582545e772687f
videoinput: Logitech StreamCam (046d:0893) id = 8d59c8e7bc02076c4230ba70125c03491020950b008769bd593bdb13e33c1ce7
videoinput: FaceTime HD Camera (Built-in) (05ac:8514) id = e3fce20226c193876c5ff206407fd4815ad5b1e6329e67a8e82c9636d8e75c8d
audiooutput: Default - External Headphones (Built-in) id = default
audiooutput: U32J59x (DisplayPort) id = b342ee4661c78101936e50a2b5a3e5080d5ed748e031547e492c7ab0eeddd9df
audiooutput: External Headphones (Built-in) id = 4a3980d8579a418193b1e8ff46771f204e87b2997b90d0d4e7e60a4acaae1235
audiooutput: MacBook Pro Speakers (Built-in) id = b7045191ebec43d797348478004f25472c868bcae61ad04a7de73f70878e27b2
```

Here we learn that, yes, I have a lot of audio/video devices hooked into my computer.  (mental note: why is Iriun webcam only presenting as audio, and not as video?)

Each device has a:
* kind: audio or video; input or output
* label: A text description for human consumption
* deviceId: a random string that uniquely IDs the device.


We'll use the deviceId to decide which device to broadcast, but in record.a.video, use the labels in the form - since they are better descriptions for our users.

## Picking a broadcast

Once a user has chosen their video input, we can make a request to obtain this video. (The same approach works for audio as well, so I'm only describing video here):

```
            navigator.getUserMedia = (navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia ||
                            navigator.mediaDevices.mozGetUserMedia ||
                            navigator.mediaDevices.msGetUserMedia ||
                            navigator.mediaDevices.webkitGetUserMedia);
```

When requesting a camera, you can apply constraints to the request to enforce exactly what you would like, for example:

```
            cameraW=1280;
            cameraH=720;
            cameraFR=25;

            var camera1Options = {
                audio:false,
                video:{
                    deviceId: deviceIds[0],
                    width: { min: 100, ideal: cameraW, max: 1920 },
                    height: { min: 100, ideal: cameraH, max: 1080 },
                    frameRate: {ideal: cameraFR}
                }
            };
```

Here I set the ideal video as 1280x720, but allow for differences with the min & max parameters.  This means that if the camera cannot provide 1280x720, it will give me a similar size, but in the available sizes for the camera.

Note: I have  set the audio to false.  In this demo, I am applying the video onto the screen with a video tag. If the browser were to play audio from the camera, the mic would pick it up, and you'd get an awful feedback loop. I want to avoid this. I could just mute the video, but I thought it would be cool to take another Media Stream for the audio, and apply that track to my stream during recording (after it appears on the screen).

### Getting the stream and placing it on the page

I have a video element called 'video1'. I assign the getUserMedia to display there:

```
 video1= document.getElementById("video1");           navigator.mediaDevices.getUserMedia(camera1Options).then(function(stream1){
                video1.srcObject=stream1;
```


When this call is made - the browser will ask the user for permission to use the camera. If the user accepts the sharing request - the browser grabs the camera feed, and applies it into the video1 element:

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That's all there is to it!

With the getUserdevices API, pulling the video feed from your camera to the browser just takes a few lines of code.

## If one camera is great, what about two?

While most desktops do not have multiple cameras, most smartphones do. I thought it would be very cool to extract a video feed from 2 cameras on one device. 

(Imagine a real estate walkthrough where you can see the surroundings, and the face of the person presenting.)  So I built a demo application. You can see this application in action at [record.a.video/index1.html](https://record.a.video/inex1.html).  

I basically repeat the camera1 and video1 code above with camera2 and video2, and use the first two cameras reported by the enumeration query.

When I test the page on desktop, I get both cameras to stream (which is super cool!) Unfortunately on Android & iOS, only one camera can stream at a time - resulting in the first camera grabbing a still image from the start or capture, and going moving to an inactive state as the second camera becomes active. (On my phone, the front camera has the still image, and the rear camera continues to show video).

I imagine that this is a battery/CPU saving setting, as running 2 cameras full time on a phone battery would quickly use up the battery.


## Conclusion

The MediaDevices.getUserMe4dia() API allows the browser to use the external camera and mics to display (and record) content.  [Build your own version](https://dashboard.api.video/register) of a video recording system today! If you have any questions or suggestions, please share them on our [community forum](https://community.api.video). Happy building! 

MediaDevices.getUserMedia() for camera and audio recording

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Building record.a.video part 1: MediaDevices.getUserMedia() for camera and audio recording

>Update March 2021. We now have libraries to incorporate api.video analytics in your 3rd party player integration.  Learn more in our [forum post](https://community.api.video/t/analytics-with-3rd-party-players/8047).

api.video is a full service video platform. From video upload -> transcoding -> hosting -> playback -> analytics, we can take you through the entire video delivery process from start to finish.

But maybe you already have a video player integrated that you'd like to continue using. No problem!! In this post, we'll walk through how to use external video players with api.video.

## The api.video player

The api.video player has [integrated analytics](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/video-analytics-a-primer/), and can be [fully customized](https://api.video/blog/tutorials/tutorial-video-player-customisation/). You may be dead-set on using your external player - but you should take a look anyway.

## Other players

You're here because perhaps you have already integrated a player in your service, or have picked a 3rd party player for your service. It is incredibly easy to use api.video's encoding, video hosting and delivery with an external player.  In this post, we'll show how to integrate with videoJS and THEOplayer, but any JavaScript video player will have a similar integration.

### Getting Started

To integrate api.video into an external player, you'll need an api.video video or livestream (of course!).  When you query a [video](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Videos#retrieve-a-video-object), you'll get a response that looks like:

```
{
	"videoId": "vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27",
	"title": "Buskers Playing Beatles on Tubas",
	"description": "Recorded March 2019 in Bremen, Germany",
	"public": true,
	"panoramic": false,
	"mp4Support": true,
	"publishedAt": "2020-04-01T17:00:30+00:00",
	"createdAt": "2020-04-01T17:00:30+00:00",
	"updatedAt": "2021-01-13T09:32:31+00:00",
	"tags": [
		"discourse"
	],
	"metadata": [

	],
	"source": {
		"type": "upload",
		"uri": "/videos/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/source"
	},
	"assets": {
		"iframe": "<iframe src=\"https://embed.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27\" width=\"100%\" height=\"100%\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"></iframe>",
		"player": "https://embed.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27",
		"hls": "https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/hls/manifest.m3u8",
		"thumbnail": "https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/thumbnail.jpg",
		"mp4": "https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/mp4/1080/source.mp4"
	},
	"playerId": "pt4bkKft8tU7o9csd8oHWVUn"
}
```

The 'hls' url is what we'll need to inetgrate with external players. This manifest file is actually called inside the api.video player, and describes the video stream that is created on video upload.

If you are using a 3rd party player already, you can just swap in the HLS link, and all should be good. You can also use the thumbnail url as the poster image for the video.

#### Live streaming

If you want to use a live stream with a 3rd party video player, the [live API response](https://docs.api.video/reference/api/Live-Streams#retrieve-live-stream) also has a 'hls' url that can be used in the same way as the VOD parameter described.  For the rest of this article, we'll focus on video on demand, but the same technique can be used for live video as well.

### Example with video.js


The api.video player is built on top of [video.js](https://videojs.com/).  But if you want to just use the default video.js player, you can start by grabbing the demo code from the "get Started" page, and make 4 simple edits:

```

<head>
  <link href="https://vjs.zencdn.net/7.10.2/video-js.css" rel="stylesheet" />

  
  
</head>

<body>
  <video
    id="my-video"
    class="video-js"
    controls
    preload="auto"
    width="1280"
    height="720"
    poster="https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/thumbnail.jpg"
    data-setup="{}"
  >
    <source src="https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/hls/manifest.m3u8" type="application/x-mpegURL" />
    
      To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a
      web browser that
      <a href="https://videojs.com/html5-video-support/" target="_blank"
        >supports HTML5 video</a
      >
    </p>
  </video>

  <script src="https://vjs.zencdn.net/7.10.2/video.min.js"></script>
</body>

```

The changes made:

1. Poster is now the Thumbnail url from the api.video response.
2. Source 'src' is now the HLS url from the api.video response
3. source 'type' is now 'application/x-mpegURL'
4. I deleted the other sources, as only one is required.

save this page, and open in your browser, and success!

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### Example with THEOPlayer

When you sign up with the [THEOPlayer](https://theoplayer.com), you'll have a unique SDK for your app. In this example we created a HTML5 SDK, and copied the example code from the THEOPlayer documentation:

```

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
  <head>
      <meta charset="UTF-8">
      <title>THEOplayer 2.X: Getting Started</title>
      <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
      <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href='https://cdn.myth.theoplayer.com/42bd7cab-87eb-4f38-8fb6-7f39ee2af729/ui.css'> 
  </head> 
  <body>
    <div class="theoplayer-container video-js theoplayer-skin"></div>
    <script type='text/javascript' src='https://cdn.myth.theoplayer.com/42bd7cab-87eb-4f38-8fb6-7f39ee2af729/THEOplayer.js'></script> 
    <script>
      var element = document.querySelector('.theoplayer-container'); 
      var player = new THEOplayer.Player(element, { 
        libraryLocation : 'https://cdn.myth.theoplayer.com/42bd7cab-87eb-4f38-8fb6-7f39ee2af729'
      });
      
      player.source = {
        sources : [{
          src : 'https://cdn.api.video/vod/vi4blUQJFrYWbaG44NChkH27/hls/manifest.m3u8',
          type : 'application/x-mpegurl'
        }]
      };
    </script>
  </body>
</html>

```

Again, with a few modifications:

1. libraryLocation: This value will be given to you from THEOPlayer for your SDK.
2. player.source src: the hls url from api.video.

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## Private videos/livestreams with a 3rd party player

api.video has a private video/livestream attribute (where each video or livestream playback url is unique and can only be used once).  To use our private feature with a 3rd party player, there is some development work required to insert a new header. We've described the work required in our [Inserting custom headers](https://api.video/blog/product-updates/video-access-management-how-to-create-deliver-and-manage-private-videos-and-what/) post.


## Conclusion


api.video has a great player integrated as a part of our "all the video in one API" approach. But, sometimes you might want to use your own player.  The 'hls' url provided from api.video for each video and livestream lets you use your existing player structure, and still make use of api.video's upload, transcoding, hosting and delivery.

[sign up](https://my.api.video) and try out api.video with our player (or another 3rd party player) today!

Using api.video with 3rd party video players

codec

video create

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Cédric Montet

Product updates

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. 

&nbsp;

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