AWS Elemental MediaLive Specialized2017年〜
A service that encodes broadcast-quality live video in real time
What It Does
AWS Elemental MediaLive is a managed service that encodes (converts) live video streams in real time. It receives input video from cameras and encoders and converts it into output streams at various resolutions, bitrates, and codecs. It handles everything from broadcast-quality live delivery to web and mobile streaming.
Use Cases
Used for internet streaming of sports events and music concerts, cloud-based broadcast infrastructure for TV stations, live streaming of company-wide meetings and webinars, and cloud migration of 24/7 news channels.
Everyday Analogy
Think of it like a TV station's sub-control room. It receives footage from cameras, converts it to broadcast-ready formats, and sends it out at the appropriate quality for each distribution channel. MediaLive provides this sub-control room functionality in the cloud, enabling live streaming without purchasing expensive broadcast equipment.
What Is AWS Elemental MediaLive?
AWS Elemental MediaLive is a cloud service for real-time live video encoding. Traditionally, live video encoding required expensive dedicated hardware, but MediaLive provides this as a cloud service. It supports input protocols including RTMP, RTP, and HLS, and can output in codecs like H.264 and H.265. It also supports adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR), delivering optimal quality based on each viewer's network conditions.
Channel and Input/Output Configuration
In MediaLive, you create channels and define encoding settings. Input sources can include RTMP push from on-premises encoders, MP4 files on S3, or flows from MediaConnect. Output groups define destinations and quality settings, outputting in formats like HLS, DASH, and Microsoft Smooth Streaming. A single input can simultaneously generate outputs at multiple resolutions and bitrates, enabling multi-bitrate delivery. For technical books related to channel and input/output configuration, technical books (Amazon) are available.
Redundancy and Service Integration
MediaLive supports pipeline redundancy, running two independent encoding pipelines simultaneously so that if one fails, delivery continues uninterrupted. Integrating with MediaPackage as an output destination lets you add DRM (digital rights management) and time-shift viewing capabilities. Combined with CloudFront, you can deliver live video to global audiences with low latency.
Things to Watch Out For
- Billed based on channel uptime, input/output resolution and codec, and number of outputs. Costs can be significant for 24/7 channels
- Input source network quality directly affects encoding quality. Ensure stable bandwidth
- Channel startup takes several minutes. Start well before the event, not at the last minute
