Brightcove announces Zencoder transcoding for ultra-high definition video content
Brightcove announces new cloud transcoding for Ultra High-Definition (UHD) video through Zencoder, which will allows video delivery of 4K UHD content to browsers, devices, connected TVs, and other over-the-top (OTT) devices.
The announcement:
Brightcove Announces Zencoder Transcoding for Ultra High Definition Video Content
April 14, 2016 – Brightcove Inc. (NASDAQ: BCOV), the leading provider of cloud services for video, today announced cloud transcoding for Ultra High-Definition (UHD) video through Zencoder, the company’s cloud transcoding service. The new UHD features add support for the HEVC and VP9 video codecs, which are popular for the delivery of 4K video. In addition, Zencoder now supports 10-bit color workflows and the wide gamut BT.2020 color space, which are essential for the delivery of high dynamic range (HDR) video. With these new features, Zencoder provides media companies with the ability to deliver 4K UHD content to web browsers, handheld devices, connected TVs, and other over-the-top (OTT) devices.
Brightcove has worked with Stan, Australia’s leading local subscription OTT service, to validate Brightcove’s UHD support. Since launching in 2015, Stan has quickly become the leading local player in the SVOD category, rapidly growing to over one million active users. Stan offers unlimited access to thousands of hours of entertainment, with first-run exclusives, award-winning TV shows, movies and children’s content.
“UHD and HDR are exciting new technologies that content owners can use to create truly differentiated premium media services. Zencoder has a track record of providing timely and robust implementations of the latest media technologies. Support in Zencoder for HEVC, VP9, 10-bit workflows and wide color gamut is a natural progression for the industry-leading cloud transcoding platform.” — David Sayed, VP Product Management at Brightcove
“High quality video is very important to us, and we think that UHD is an exciting step forward” said John Hogan, Head of Technology, Stan. “We are pleased to see Zencoder support the latest UHD HDR technologies as their technology continues to play a key role in the products we deliver to the market.”
For HEVC and VP9 formats, Zencoder supports progressive output suitable for local playback and segmented output suitable for streaming over the Internet. For progressive output, Zencoder uses MP4 for HEVC and WebM for VP9. For streaming output, Zencoder uses MPEG-DASH for both HEVC and VP9.
“Google and WebM are committed to open standards for web video compression. As the most recent WebM open video standard, VP9 allows improved video quality for over two billion end points, as well as enabling UHD and HDR distribution for the web. The addition of VP9 to the Zencoder product family gives publishers scalable and flexible options for creating and distributing high quality web video.” — Matt Frost, Head of Partnerships and Strategy at Google Chrome Media
More information about Zencoder and the newly announced UHD features is available atwww.brightcove.com/zencoder, and at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada from April 18 to 21, 2016, where Brightcove will be exhibiting at Booth SU8516 in the South Upper hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Pricing and Availability
The new Zencoder UHD transcoding features are available in limited initial availability to all customers with a new UHD pricing tier. Pricing for this UHD tier starts at five cents per minute for enterprise plans, or four times the price for standard definition transcoding. The new UHD tier enables transcoding of outputs up to a resolution of 4096 x 2160 (DCI 4K) at up to 60 frames per second.About Zencoder
Zencoder is an easy-to-use, API-driven managed transcoding service that operates with Amazon and Google cloud infrastructures. Zencoder supports a wide range of audio and video inputs, and provides customers with complete control over their transcoding workflow. Zencoder uses an easy to understand low-cost pricing model based on the minutes of transcoded output.
