AWS Streaming Video Costs

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Can you help me estimate all of the costs involved with running a Streaming Video Library on AWS?Certainly! To estimate the costs involved in running a streaming video library on Amazon Web Services (AWS), you need to consider several components, such as storage, data transfer, compute resources, transcoding, and content delivery. The costs can vary based on your specific requirements, such as the amount of content, the number of users, and the quality of the videos. Here's a breakdown of the main cost components:

1. Storage: Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Service) You'll need to store your video files on S3. Costs depend on the amount of data you store and the region in which you store it. Charges are calculated per GB, with a lower cost per GB as you store more data.

2. Data Transfer Data transfer costs will be incurred when uploading your video content to AWS and when your users stream the content. AWS charges for data transfer out from their services (such as S3 or CloudFront) to the internet, while data transfer in is typically free.

3. Compute Resources: Amazon EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud) If you need to run web servers or other applications to manage your video library, you'll need to use EC2 instances. AWS offers various instance types, which differ in terms of resources (CPU, memory, storage) and cost.

4. Transcoding: AWS Elemental MediaConvert Transcoding is the process of converting your video files into different formats and resolutions to support various devices and internet connections. AWS Elemental MediaConvert is a service that offers this functionality. The costs depend on the duration of the output video, the resolution, and the codec used.

5. Content Delivery: Amazon CloudFront To deliver your video content to users with low latency, you'll likely want to use a Content Delivery Network (CDN) like Amazon CloudFront. CDN costs include data transfer out to the internet and the number of requests made.

To estimate the costs for your specific use case, follow these steps:

1. Determine your storage, compute, and transcoding needs based on the size and type of your video library.
2. Estimate the number of users and their average data consumption to calculate data transfer costs.
3. Choose the appropriate AWS region(s) for your services.
4. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator (https://calculator.aws) to calculate the costs of each service based on your requirements.

Keep in mind that AWS offers various pricing models, such as on-demand, reserved instances, and spot instances, which can influence the overall cost. Additionally, AWS often provides cost-saving features, such as S3 object lifecycle policies, S3 intelligent tiering, and CloudFront price classes, which can help you optimize your costs.How much storage do you think a 45 minute video would take in S3?The storage size of a 45-minute video in S3 depends on several factors, including the video format, codec, resolution, and bitrate. As a general guideline, here are some common video sizes:

1. Standard Definition (SD) - 480p: A 45-minute SD video encoded at a bitrate of 1-1.5 Mbps (megabits per second) may take up approximately 337.5-506.25 MB (megabytes) of storage.

2. High Definition (HD) - 720p: A 45-minute HD video encoded at a bitrate of 3-4 Mbps may take up approximately 1,012.5-1,350 MB (1-1.35 GB) of storage.

3. Full High Definition (FHD) - 1080p: A 45-minute FHD video encoded at a bitrate of 5-8 Mbps may take up approximately 1,687.5-2,700 MB (1.7-2.7 GB) of storage.

4. Ultra High Definition (UHD) - 4K: A 45-minute 4K video encoded at a bitrate of 15-30 Mbps may take up approximately 5,062.5-10,125 MB (5-10.1 GB) of storage.

These are approximate figures and can vary depending on the specific codec and compression settings used for encoding the video. To get a more accurate estimate for your specific video, you can check the file size of the video on your local machine or after uploading it to S3.

Keep in mind that if you're offering multiple quality options for your users (SD, HD, FHD, UHD), you'll need to store each version of the video, which will increase your overall storage requirements.How much does it cost in AWS Elemental MediaConvert to transcode a 500Mb video file?AWS Elemental MediaConvert pricing depends on several factors, including the input duration, output duration, and output resolution. As the pricing model is typically based on output duration and resolution, the input file size (500 MB in this case) is not directly used in the cost calculation.

Here's a general overview of AWS Elemental MediaConvert pricing based on output resolution (as of September 2021):

1. SD (Standard Definition) output:

• $0.0075 per minute of output

2To stream video on the web, how many formats do you need to transcode to?To stream video on the web and ensure compatibility with a wide range of devices, browsers, and internet connection speeds, it is common to transcode the video into several formats and resolutions. The number of formats needed depends on your target audience and the devices you want to support. However, generally, you may consider transcoding into the following formats:

1. Adaptive Bitrate Formats (ABR): These formats automatically adjust the quality and bitrate of the video based on the viewer's internet connection and device capabilities. Popular ABR formats include:

• HLS (HTTP Live Streaming): Developed by Apple, HLS is widely supported on iOS devices, Safari browser, and many other platforms.
• DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP): DASH is a codec-agnostic format supported by a wide range of devices and browsers.

2. Codecs: These are the algorithms used to compress and decompress video data. You'll need to choose a codec that provides good video quality and compression efficiency while ensuring compatibility with your target devices. Common codecs include:

• H.264 (AVC): Widely supported by most browsers and devices, H.264 is the most popular codec for video streaming.
• H.265 (HEVC): Provides better compression efficiency than H.264, but has limited browser support and may require additional licensing fees.
• VP9: Developed by Google, VP9 offers better compression efficiency than H.264 and is supported by Chrome, Firefox, and other browsers. However, it may not be supported on some older devices.
• AV1: A newer codec that provides even better compression efficiency than H.265 and VP9, but with limited device and browser support and higher computational complexity.

3. Resolutions: It's essential to offer multiple resolutions to accommodate various devices and internet connection speeds. Common resolutions include:

• 240p, 360p, and 480p for SD (Standard Definition)
• 720p for HD (High Definition)
• 1080p for FHD (Full High Definition)
• 2160p for UHD (Ultra High Definition, or 4K)

In summary, to stream video on the web, you may need to transcode into one or two ABR formats (HLS and/or DASH), one or two codecs (H.264 and possibly VP9 or H.265), and multiple resolutions (e.g., 240p, 360p, 480p, 720p, 1080p, and maybe 2160p). This results in a minimum of 6-12 different output formats. However, the specific number of formats will depend on your target audience and the devices you want to support.What is a good alternative to AWS MediaConvert?A good alternative to AWS Elemental MediaConvert is Google Cloud's Video Transcoding service (previously known as Zencoder). Google Cloud's Video Transcoding is a cloud-based service that allows you to convert video files into various formats, resolutions, and codecs to ensure compatibility with different devices and browsers.

Some of the key features of Google Cloud's Video Transcoding include:

1. Support for a wide range of input formats and codecs.
2. Output formats such as HLS, DASH, and more.
3. Adaptive bitrate streaming for optimal user experiences on various devices and network conditions.
4. Easy integration with other Google Cloud services, such as Cloud Storage for storing video files and Cloud CDN for content delivery.

There are other alternatives as well, such as:

1. Microsoft Azure Media Services: This is a cloud-based service that provides video encoding, content protection, and streaming capabilities. Azure Media Services supports a wide range of input formats, codecs, and adaptive bitrate streaming protocols.

2. Bitmovin Encoding: Bitmovin offers a cloud-based video encoding service that supports a wide range of codecs, formats, and resolutions. It is designed for high performance and scalability, making it suitable for live and on-demand video streaming.

3. Mux Video: Mux Video is a cloud-based video encoding and delivery service that provides adaptive bitrate streaming, content optimization, and easy integration with other services. It is designed for developers and offers an API-first approach to video encoding and streaming.

4. Wowza Streaming Cloud: Wowza provides a cloud-based video streaming platform that includes video transcoding, live streaming, and on-demand streaming features. It supports various codecs, formats, and resolutions, and can be used with Wowza's CDN or integrated with other CDN providers.

When choosing an alternative to AWS MediaConvert, consider factors such as cost, ease of integration, supported formats, and the scalability of the service.How does DASH work, do you need a server? Can you cache transcoded videos or do you have transcode for each request?Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) is a streaming protocol that delivers multimedia content over the internet using standard HTTP web servers. DASH works by breaking the content into smaller segments and serving them through adaptive bitrate streaming, which adjusts the video quality and bitrate according to the viewer's internet connection and device capabilities.

To implement DASH streaming, you do need a server, but it doesn't have to be a specialized streaming server. Any standard HTTP web server, like Apache or Nginx, can be used for hosting and serving DASH content. Here's an overview of the DASH workflow:

1. Transcoding: First, you need to transcode your video content into multiple resolutions and bitrates to accommodate various devices and network conditions. This process creates several versions of the same video, each with different quality levels.

2. Segmentation: After transcoding, each video version is divided into smaller segments, usually a few seconds long. These segments are then stored on your server or a Content Delivery Network (CDN).

3. Manifest file: Along with the segmented video files, a manifest file (also called the Media Presentation Description or MPD) is created. The manifest file is an XML document that contains metadata about the available video versions, segment durations, and URLs for accessing the segments.

4. Client-side playback: When a user requests to watch the video, the DASH client (usually a browser or a media player with DASH support) downloads the manifest file and starts streaming the segments based on the user's internet connection and device capabilities. The client can switch between different video versions as needed to ensure smooth playback with minimal buffering.

Caching transcoded videos: In DASH, you do not need to transcode the video for each request. Once the video has been transcoded into multiple formats, resolutions, and bitrates, and the segments have been created, these files can be cached and served to multiple users. Caching can be done on your own server or by using a CDN, which is recommended for better performance and lower latency, especially when serving a large number of users.

To summarize, DASH works by serving pre-transcoded and segmented video files from a standard HTTP web server or a CDN, adapting the video quality in real-time based on the user's connection and deviceHow would you do this on AWS and host much would it cost? Assume 45 minutes of video stored in 500Mb. SD video quality. 700 minutes of streaming per month.To implement DASH streaming for a 45-minute SD video (500 MB) on AWS with 700 minutes of streaming per month, you would need to use a combination of AWS services. Here's a step-by-step guide:

1. Storage: Store your video files on Amazon S3. Upload the original video file to an S3 bucket.

2. Transcoding: Use AWS Elemental MediaConvert to transcode the video into multiple bitrates and formats suitable for DASH streaming. Configure the output settings to generate an MPD manifest file along with the segmented video files.

3. Content Delivery: Use Amazon CloudFront to deliver your DASH content to viewers with low latency. Create a CloudFront distribution with your S3 bucket as the origin.

Now, let's estimate the cost for this setup based on the given usage:

A. Storage: Storing a 500 MB video file on S3. Assuming US East (Northern Virginia) region and S3 One Zone-Infrequent Access storage class:

• Storage cost: $0.01 per GB per month * 0.5 GB = $0.005 per month.

B. Transcoding: Transcoding the video using AWS Elemental MediaConvert. Assuming SD output at $0.0075 per minute of output and 45-minute video duration:

• Transcoding cost: $0.0075 * 45 = $0.3375 (one-time cost).

C. Data Transfer: Amazon S3 and CloudFront data transfer costs. Assuming 700 minutes of streaming per month and an average bitrate of 1.5 Mbps for SD quality:

• Data transfer: (1.5 Mbps * 700 minutes * 60 seconds) / 8 bits per byte / 1024 MB per GB = 9.45 GB per month.
• S3 Data Transfer Out to CloudFront: Free in the same region.
• CloudFront Data Transfer Out to the Internet: Assuming the US, Canada, and Europe region, the cost is $0.085 per GB for the first 10 TB per month. Therefore, 9.45 GB * $0.085 per GB = $0.8025 per month.

D. Content Delivery: Amazon CloudFront request costs. Assuming HLS or DASH with 2-second segments and 700 minutes of streaming per month:

• Number of requests: (700 * 60) / 2 = 21,000 requests per month.
• CloudFront request cost for on-demand pricing (HTTP/HTTPS): $0.0075 per 10,000 requests. Therefore, (21,000 / 10,000) * $0.0075 = $0.01575 per month.

Total estimated monthly cost: $0.005 (Storage) + $0.8025 (Data Transfer) + $0.01575 (Content Delivery) = $0.82325 per month. Total one-time cost for transcoding: $0.3375.

Please note that these cost estimates are based on the provided usage and AWS pricing as of September 2021. Prices may vary depending on the AWS region, storage class, and any changes in AWS pricing. Use the AWS Pricing Calculator (https://calculator.aws) to get a more accurate estimate based on your specific requirements and the latest AWS pricing.

AWS Streaming Video Costs created at Tue Jan 20 1970 10:30:22 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)