Exploring AWS Elemental MediaLive for Seamless Live Video Streaming

Introduction

From sporting events and concerts to breaking news and interactive streams, viewers are glued to real-time content. But delivering high-quality live experiences can be complex and expensive, requiring specialized equipment and technical expertise. 

This is where AWS Elemental MediaLive steps in. As a cloud-based live video processing service, MediaLive removes the burden of managing and maintaining on-premises infrastructure. Let’s dive into how it works and empowers you to create exceptional live streams. 

How Does AWS Elemental MediaLive Work? 

The service offers a high degree of flexibility. You can create channels for both 24/7 linear broadcasts or one-time live events. AWS Elemental MediaLive also allows you to generate multiple streams with different resolutions and bitrates, ensuring a seamless viewing experience for all your audiences. 

Here’s a breakdown of the following process: 

• Live Stream Input: The workflow starts with a live stream coming from an Open Broadcaster Software Studio (OBS Studio) application. OBS Studio is a free and open-source software for video recording and live streaming. 
• Ingest via RTMP: The live stream is ingested into AWS Elemental MediaLive through the Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). RTMP is a protocol for transmitting audio, video, and data over the internet. It’s commonly used for live streaming content.

• Packaging in MediaLive: AWS Elemental MediaLive receives the RTMP stream and performs just-in-time packaging. Just-in-time packaging refers to the process of preparing a media file for streaming delivery on-the-fly,  as opposed to pre-packaging the media file. AWS Elemental MediaLive can package the stream into multiple formats including HLS (HTTP Live Streaming), CMAF (Common Media Application Format), and DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP). 

Use cases

Here are some compelling use cases for AWS Elemental MediaLive: 

• Live streaming events: Broadcast live conferences, concerts, sporting events, and more to a global audience. 
• Linear channels: Deliver high-quality, 24/7 linear channels for news, sports, or entertainment programming. 
• Multiscreen delivery: Cater to viewers on various devices with optimized streams for each screen size and bandwidth. 
• Over-the-top (OTT) platforms: Stream live content directly to OTT platforms like Netflix or Hulu. 

What's New with AWS Elemental MediaLive?

AWS is constantly innovating AWS Elemental MediaLive to stay ahead of the curve. Here are some recent updates: 

• Enhanced channel monitoring: Gain deeper insights into your channel’s health with improved monitoring capabilities. 
• Simplified channel creation: Create live channels even faster with a streamlined user experience. 
• Advanced audio features: Leverage new audio functionalities like Dolby Atmos encoding for immersive audio experiences. 

Pricing

AWS Elemental MediaLive follows a pay-as-you-go pricing model, so you only pay for the resources you use. Pricing is based on factors like the duration of your channel, the number of inputs, outputs, and the encoding resolutions. Here’s a simplified example: 

Let’s break down the hourly cost of running a live single-pipeline channel on AWS Elemental MediaLive in the US East (N. Virginia) Region. This specific configuration has two HD inputs (using input switching) and produces five outputs with advanced audio capabilities. 

Inputs (per hour): 

• 1080p HD, HEVC, 20Mbps = $0.3528 
• 1080p HD, HEVC, 20Mbps = $0.3528 (Total: $0.7056) 

Outputs (per hour): 

• 1080p HD, 5Mbps 30fps = $0.4212 
• 720p HD, 2Mbps, 30fps = $0.4212 
• (Possible selections also include) 576p SD, 432p SD, and 288p SD (each at $0.2124 per hour) 

Add-on Functionality (per hour): 

• Advanced Audio = $0.18 

Total Hourly Cost: 

The sum of these costs comes to $2.3652 per hour. This includes the cost of both inputs, your chosen combination of outputs, and the advanced audio add-on. 

Conclusion 

AWS Elemental MediaLive empowers you to deliver broadcast-grade live video experiences without the complexities of traditional infrastructure. With its scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness, AWS Elemental MediaLive is the perfect solution for bringing your live video vision to life. 

About CloudThat

CloudThat is a leading provider of Cloud Training and Consulting services with a global presence in India, the USA, Asia, Europe, and Africa. Specializing in AWS, Microsoft Azure, GCP, VMware, Databricks, and more, the company serves mid-market and enterprise clients, offering comprehensive expertise in Cloud Migration, Data Platforms, DevOps, IoT, AI/ML, and more.

CloudThat is recognized as a top-tier partner with AWS and Microsoft, including the prestigious ‘Think Big’ partner award from AWS and the Microsoft Superstars FY 2023 award in Asia & India. Having trained 650k+ professionals in 500+ cloud certifications and completed 300+ consulting projects globally, CloudThat is an official AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Microsoft Gold Partner, AWS Training Partner, AWS Migration Partner, AWS Data and Analytics Partner, AWS DevOps Competency Partner, Amazon QuickSight Service Delivery Partner, Amazon EKS Service Delivery Partner, AWS Microsoft Workload Partners, Amazon EC2 Service Delivery Partner, and many more.

To get started, go through our Consultancy page and Managed Services Package, CloudThat’s offerings.