Distributed Video Transcoding via Segmentation and Parallel Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video on demand (VOD) systems face challenges in providing real-time broadcast content due to high CPU load from high definition (HD) video encoding, leading to increased time for encoding and transcoding, which disrupts the demand for prompt service.
Innovation Solution
A distributed transcoding method that splits video content into segments, allocates them to multiple workers for parallel transcoding, and concatenates the results, optimizing resource allocation based on available CPU resources and idle time to enhance encoding performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If video encoding is performed using a single encoding server, then the system is simple to manage, but the encoding time increases and service promptness deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the video content into multiple segments and distributes them to different encoding servers for parallel processing. Each server encodes a specific segment independently, and the results are concatenated to form the final encoded video. This segmentation approach enables simultaneous encoding across multiple servers, dramatically improving encoding speed while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular architecture.
2Productivity
If multiple encoding servers are used for parallel encoding, then encoding speed improves, but the complexity of managing and coordinating encoding tasks increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a master encoding server that acts as an intermediary to manage and coordinate the encoding tasks across multiple worker encoding servers. The master server receives the original video, divides it into segments, distributes encoding tasks to worker servers, and then concatenates the encoded segments. This intermediary approach enables efficient parallel processing while centralizing management functions, thus improving transcoding performance without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Loss of time
If video content is split into segments for parallel encoding, then encoding time is reduced, but the concatenation process adds additional processing steps
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-dividing the video content into segments with clear boundaries and metadata information before distribution to encoding servers. Each segment is marked with identification information that facilitates automatic concatenation. This preliminary organization of segments with proper metadata reduces the complexity of the concatenation process, as the system can automatically assemble the encoded segments in the correct sequence without requiring complex synchronization or validation logic.
Data Source
AI summary
A distributed transcoding method includes splitting image content into segments of a fixed interval; allocating the split segments to a plurality of workers and performing parallel transcoding; and concatenating the transcoded segments and merging same into one encoded file.