Video encoding format is a way to encode the original video signal into a data stream through a compression algorithm. Its purpose is to reduce the file size while ensuring the image quality as much as possible, so as to facilitate transmission and storage. The server's support range for video encoding formats directly affects transmission efficiency, storage cost and cross-device compatibility.
Video encoding usually involves two dimensions:
Encoder: such as H.264, H.265, VP9, etc., which belong to the compression algorithm standard.
Encapsulation format: such as MP4, MKV, TS, etc., used to package audio and video streams and metadata.
Video storage servers need to identify and process these two dimensions at the same time to achieve complete video reception, storage, retrieval and playback.
Overview of mainstream video encoding format support
1. H.264 / AVC (Advanced Video Coding)
Features: The most compatible video encoding standard with a wide range of applications: native support on almost all platforms (mobile phones, PCs, embedded devices); encoding efficiency is doubled compared to the old MPEG-2; commonly used in video surveillance, online education, and live broadcast platforms.
Server support: 100% support, suitable for hardware accelerated decoding, real-time transcoding, long-term storage; moderate file size, easy to distribute on CDN.
2. H.265 / HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding)
Features: Next-generation encoding standard, higher compression efficiency: 50% bandwidth reduction under the same image quality; support 4K, 8K high-definition video storage; high requirements for CPU/GPU.
Server support: High-end video servers have H.265 hardware decoding cards; usually require FFmpeg, GStreamer, etc. for software transcoding; mostly used in VOD (on-demand) scenarios, not commonly used for live broadcast.
Note: H.265 involves multiple patent licenses, which have certain restrictions on open source deployment and commercial distribution.
3. VP8 / VP9 / AV1
Features: Open source encoding format led by Google: VP9 is equivalent to H.265 performance; AV1 performance is higher than H.265, but the decoding overhead is greater; YouTube and Netflix use AV1 to gradually replace VP9.
Server support: If the latest version of FFmpeg is integrated, software decoding of VP9 and AV1 is supported; hardware layer support is less, suitable for compression cost-oriented scenarios; open source streaming media system support is good.
4. MPEG-2 / MPEG-4 Part 2
Features: Old standard, still used in radio and television and old DVR systems: large file size, low compression rate; strong compatibility, but not suitable for modern storage scenarios; it is recommended to transcode old videos to H.264 before storage.
Server support: backward compatibility; mainly used for archiving and reading historical data, not the main encoding standard.
Video encoding has a great impact on server resource consumption:
CPU usage: High-resolution H.265 decoding tasks occupy a very high CPU, and it is recommended to deploy a GPU transcoding solution.
GPU acceleration: NVIDIA T4 and RTX 4000 series support hardware transcoding capabilities of H.264/H.265/VP9.
I/O bandwidth: High-bitrate video formats (such as uncompressed ProRes, RAW) place extremely high demands on storage I/O.
Network pressure: The volume of encoded video affects traffic cost and transmission efficiency.
Design suggestions:
Real-time live broadcast uses H.264 + FLV or TS encapsulation to reduce latency;
VOD on-demand recommends using H.265/VP9+MP4 encapsulation to reduce costs;
AV1 needs to be deployed carefully and is only suitable for high-concurrency CDN scenarios;
Historical videos such as AVI and MPEG2 should be standardized before importing.
The range of video encoding formats supported by the video storage server is directly related to the compatibility, operating efficiency and cost control of the business platform. The wide support of H.264, the efficient compression capability of H.265, the future orientation of AV1, and the flexibility of encapsulation formats such as MP4 and TS together form the basis of the current server construction and deployment strategy.
Rationally evaluating the source, distribution path and terminal platform of business content, and selecting the video encoding format and server decoding support solution in a targeted manner are the keys to building a high-performance, highly available video service system.
