From Overloaded CPUs to Barely Idling Machines

How VPUs Revolutionize Video Encoding Cost & Performance

Viewers expect high-quality content delivered seamlessly, whether they’re watching on-demand movies or live sports events. However, achieving this level of performance can be financially and operationally challenging. That’s where Video Processing Units (VPUs) revolutionize the game. This article is tailored for video streaming engineers looking to optimize workflows, cut costs, and elevate user experiences.

Let’s explore how VPUs can redefine your video processing infrastructure, key insights on leveraging this technology, and actionable strategies to integrate it effectively.

Breaking the Cost Barrier: Why VPUs are Game-Changing

Delivering massive volumes of video content globally can overwhelm traditional infrastructure. High operating costs and reliance on public cloud solutions often make scalability unsustainable. VPUs provide a solution that dramatically reducing capital (CapEx) and operational expenditures (OpEx).

VPUs significantly increase throughput, allowing you to achieve up to 10 times the processing power compared to CPUs while reducing server requirements by 80%.

VPUs significantly increase throughput, allowing you to achieve up to 10 times the processing power compared to CPUs. They reduce server requirements by 80%, which saves on hardware investments and energy costs. Moreover, lower energy consumption contributes to greener operations. For instance, API.video reduced its transcoding costs to just $0.0002 per minute by integrating VPUs. This move enabled them to offer customers free transcoding services, which enhanced their competitive positioning. Start small by integrating VPUs into existing workflows to measure cost and efficiency gains before a full-scale rollout.

Hardware Acceleration vs. Traditional Software: Why VPUs Win

Traditional CPU-based video processing struggles to keep up with growing demands. VPUs offload compute-intensive tasks, enabling CPUs to focus on dynamic packaging, real-time subtitling, or other essential operations.

VPUs enhance performance by offering 20 times greater throughput. They simplify architecture by allowing software transcoding frameworks like FFmpeg or GStreamer to run on the same hardware. Additionally, VPUs streamline operations that would otherwise require significant computational resources. However, avoid underestimating integration efforts. Ensure compatibility with your existing infrastructure, including codecs and formats. Also, avoid overloading CPUs by reserving tasks better suited for VPUs, thus freeing CPU resources.

Flexible Deployment Options to Meet Every Need

Whether you’re operating a live streaming platform, a video-on-demand service, or a high-volume encoding system, VPUs offer flexibility in deployment. Add-in cards (AICs) are ideal for retrofitting existing servers. Standalone video servers come pre-configured for high-density encoding and decoding. For dedicated tasks, ASICs provide high-performance options. Products like NETINT Quadra VPUs support ultra-low latency, 8K HDR, and high-efficiency AV1 encoding. Quadra Video Servers can encode 320 live streams at 1080p30, supporting formats like HEVC, H.264, and AV1. Evaluate your workload’s scalability requirements and choose a deployment model that aligns with your growth plans.

Meeting Modern Encoding Demands with Advanced Codecs

As video resolutions and quality expectations rise, so does the demand for efficient codecs. VPUs support modern formats while maintaining high compression efficiency and low latency. They support H.264, HEVC, and AV1 codecs, which efficiently handle high-definition and ultra-high-definition formats. VPUs seamlessly encode and decode ultra-high-resolution content like 8K HDR. They also integrate AI capabilities for overlays, graphics, and real-time subtitling. However, neglecting codec compatibility can create issues. Ensure your chosen VPU supports all required formats. Additionally, overlooking future-proofing can lead to costly upgrades later. Opt for VPUs that handle emerging standards like AV1 to remain ahead of the curve.

Simplifying Workflow Management with Bitstreams Edge

Managing high-volume video streams can be complex. Bitstreams Edge, a VPU control interface, simplifies this process, making it easier for engineers to monitor, configure, and optimize their workflows. Bitstreams Edge streamlines live stream setup with intuitive templates and features a comprehensive dashboard to monitor system health, error alerts, and resource loads. It utilizes AI-powered subtitling through OpenAI Whisper for real-time voice-to-text captions. The platform supports protocols like SRT, RTMP, DASH, HLS, multicast, and UDP. Use Bitstreams Edge’s reporting logs to identify bottlenecks and optimize resource allocation effectively.

Real-World Success Stories: Proven Impact

Companies like API.video have reduced costs to $0.0002 per minute, enabling free transcoding services. Mayflower Live Streaming transitioned from CPUs to NETINT VPUs, saving $8.6 million in the first year and cutting encoding OPEX by over 90%. Zapping, a streaming service in Latin America, halved its hardware footprint while improving live sports streaming quality with VPUs.

The Path Forward: Revolutionizing Video Streaming Workflows

VPUs offer a transformative opportunity to optimize your video streaming infrastructure. By integrating this technology, you can achieve significant cost savings, enhance performance and scalability, simplify workflow management with tools like Bitstreams Edge, and future-proof your operations with advanced codec support and AI features.

To get started, identify key pain points in your video processing workflows to assess your needs. Evaluate solutions and choose the right VPU model based on your scalability and codec requirements. Begin with a pilot deployment to measure performance gains and use management tools like Bitstreams Edge to streamline operations. The evolution of video streaming demands innovative solutions. VPUs not only meet these challenges but position your platform for sustained growth.

The time to act is now — start leveraging the power of VPUs to stay ahead in the ever-competitive video streaming landscape.

The time to act is now — start leveraging the power of VPUs to stay ahead in the ever-competitive video streaming landscape.

Schedule a meeting to learn how NETINT VPUs can enhance live streaming with energy-efficient, scalable solutions.