Cloud Video Hosting: What Professional Broadcasters Need to Know in 2021

More enterprises are moving to the cloud each year. With video content becoming so important, it only makes sense to shift their video hosting and streaming to the cloud as well. That’s why we’re taking a deep dive into cloud video hosting and streaming for broadcasters.

More specifically, we’ll take a closer look at what video streaming and hosting servers are and how they work. We’ll also get into cloud streaming and cloud video transcoding. Finally, we’ll cover the key features to look for in a cloud video hosting platform and some of the top solutions available on the market.

Let’s dive into it.

Table of Contents:

• Streaming & Video Hosting Servers
• What Is Cloud Streaming?
• Cloud Video Transcoding
• Key Features of a Cloud Video Hosting Platform
• Top 12 Cloud Video Hosting Platforms
• Conclusion

Streaming & Video Hosting Servers

A video streaming and hosting server—similar to any other web server —is a computer that’s configured to deliver data to clients or end-users. In the case of video content, the server has software for ingesting or uploading videos, storing or hosting the files, and preparing the content for delivery.

How Do Video Streaming Servers Work?

More specifically, video streaming servers ingest live streams over RTMP from an encoder that’s receiving input from cameras and other hardware. For video on demand (VOD) content, broadcasters simply upload the files to the server over HTTP.

Either way, the video files are hosted on the server, where they can be prepared for delivery in a variety of formats using transcoding. For example, live streams that are ingested via RTMP are often transcoded into HLS for delivery to end-users.

The complexity of video streaming makes the process resource-intensive in terms of both storage and processing power. That means broadcasters need a multitude of video streaming servers to get the job done.

What Is Cloud Video Streaming?

Cloud streaming is a method for storing and delivering video content using a set of cloud servers rather than on-premise servers. Cloud video streaming with a software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution can greatly simplify the streaming process for broadcasters.

With cloud streaming, broadcasters no longer have to worry about maintaining servers and other infrastructure with an in-house IT staff. They also won’t need to invest in the hardware itself upfront, so companies are able to focus on producing quality content rather than dealing with technical issues. 

As their audience grows, brands can also scale more quickly and easily in the cloud than on-premise setup. More importantly, however, when live events are over, and traffic is lower, broadcasters won’t have expensive servers sitting idle either.

Cloud Video Transcoding

When broadcasters record live streaming events, their camera, and other hardware create enormous RAW video files. These formats are often unsuitable for transfer and delivery to end-users. 

That’s why, as mentioned before, videos need to be auto transcoded into a variety of formats for delivery. Video transcoding on-premise, however, takes computing resources away from the initial encoding process and uses more bandwidth on the network.

Cloud video transcoding leverages cloud computing resources to ensure compatibility with a wide range of formats. In addition, the ability to easily support multiple formats allows broadcasters to deliver adaptive bitrate streaming for universal video playback.

Key Features of a Cloud Video Hosting Platform

Before we look at some of the best cloud video hosting options to choose from, let’s cover some essential features for broadcasters.

1. Video Monetization

Most broadcasters will want to generate revenue from their video content, so it’s crucial that their cloud video hosting platform has easy-to-use video monetization capabilities. Brands should be able to set up subscriptions, ad-based video monetization, and pay-per-view options. Moreover, there should be a secure paywall system to charge viewers across the globe.

2. Video Content Management System (CMS)

A cloud video hosting platform with video CMS features allows broadcasters to better organize and action their videos. These features should include the ability to sort and tag files so that they’re easier to access as the company’s library grows. In addition, more advanced video CMS solutions have customer-facing features that can analyze the metadata of individual videos to suggest related content to viewers.

3. Video APIs

Broadcasters should have complete control over delivering video content to their audience. With a robust and well-documented video API, brands can integrate video content into mobile apps, business applications, or other cloud software. A powerful API gives developers the ability to access video content and features from the cloud video hosting platform to implement more advanced business use cases.

4. Direct S3 Upload

There shouldn’t be any friction for adding content to a cloud video hosting platform. That’s why broadcasters need the ability to upload large files directly via FTP/S3 to the cloud host without the limitations of HTTP transfer. 

5. Mobile Video Streaming & Hosting

Today’s audiences are quickly shifting to mobile video streaming. That means an effective cloud video hosting platform should be compatible with a multitude of devices by streaming over HLS to an HTML5 video player. That way, broadcasters can reach a broader audience and deliver a high-quality viewing experience on mobile devices.

6. Chapter Markers

The viewing experience is crucial for today’s audiences. Using chapter markers, brands can mark sections of content by topic to assist viewers in finding what they’re interested in. A cloud video hosting platform with chapter marketers and other advanced playback features can help brands and their audiences get the most out of their video content.

7. Video on Demand

Many broadcasters and businesses offer both live streaming and Video on demand (VOD) content. This requires a professional business video hosting platform that can ingest a variety of video files, encode or transcode them into a format suitable for storage, and easily share this cloud VOD content across the Internet.

8. Content Delivery Network (CDN)

While a cloud platform may be scalable, the performance end-users experience often depends on the location of the servers geographically. A top-tier CDN network with servers worldwide could be critical for reducing buffering and latency issues associated with delivery video streams long distances.

9. Live Recording

Along with uploading video content, broadcasters that host live events should be able to record live streams for playback later. The cloud video host platform, therefore, should have a scalable live recording capability that doesn’t impact the stream itself.

10. Playlist Schedulers

While many viewers are cutting the cord and shifting towards online broadcasters, many still value the TV viewing experience. With playlist scheduling features, brands can pre-schedule round-the-clock content and ads to provide a viewing experience similar to a TV without the headache.

11. Security 

Broadcasters should have confidence that their cloud video platform follows security standards and privacy regulations. That way, they won’t lose valuable video content due to piracy, hacking, or another disaster. An enterprise-grade platform should include password protection, domain restrictions, encryption, and other advanced security measures.

12. Pricing

The subscription costs and live streaming pricing for a cloud video platform can vary depending on traffic, storage requirements, and many other factors. It’s crucial that broadcasters choose a platform that offers the features they need at a reasonable price while providing room for growth in the near term as well.

Top 12 Cloud Video Hosting Platforms

Let’s briefly cover the top 12 cloud video hosting platforms available today.

1. Dacast

Company Background:

Dacast offers enterprise-grade cloud video streaming and hosting capabilities at reasonable prices. The cloud platform is ideal for broadcasters with unique business requirements in terms of video streaming and storage.

The Dacast cloud platform makes it easy for users of all experience levels to get started with live streaming on their websites and across the internet. Once users learn the platform in-depth, they’ll have a feature-rich platform at their disposal.

Basic Functionality:

Dacast is a cloud video platform for brands that need a scalable, enterprise-grade solution.

Key Features:

• Cloud video hosting capabilities
• Video API for integrations with business software and cloud apps
• Player API for video integrations with apps and systems
• Robust real-time analytics

Pros:

• Cloud streaming and VOD with HTML5 video player
• Live stream recording within a cloud platform
• Positive reviews from customers
• 24/7 tech support for all plans
• China Video Hosting

Cons:

• The slight learning curve for using the multitude of features available

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: none (but 240p is the recommended minimum)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p or 4K (depends on the user’s hardware and internet)
• Aspect ratio: no restrictions (but 16:9 is the default)
• Max file size: none
• Max video length: none
• Total file storage: 10-1000GB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (preferred), MOV, M4V, M2V, AVI, MPG, FLV, WMV, MKV, WEBM, OGV, MXF, ASF, VOB, MTS

Pricing:

Dacast has pricing plans which include:

• Starter Plan: $39/month (includes 1,000 GB of bandwidth & 50 GB of storage)
• Event Plan: $63/month (includes 6 TB of bandwidth upfront and 50 GB of storage)
• Scale Plan: $188/month (includes 24 TB of bandwidth per year and 1 TB of storage)

Higher bandwidth options are available with custom plans. Please contact us for more information.

Best Use Cases:

• Cloud Hosting for Video On Demand
• Marketing Video Hosting
• Live Streaming
• Cloud video hosting for education
• Enterprise Video Platform

2. Brightcove

Company Background:

Brightcove is a cloud video hosting and publishing company that has a user base spanning 70 countries worldwide.

Its video cloud solution was built for marketing and monetization in mind. That way, broadcasters can integrate a variety of marketing, advertising, and communication applications to achieve more with their video content.

Basic Functionality:

Brightcove is an enterprise-grade cloud video platform with the capability for video delivery and video marketing. It’s designed to handle all of a brand’s video needs.

Key Features:

• Over-the-top (OTT) cloud streaming
• 24/7 live streaming through the cloud
• Monetization and advertising
• Dozens of cloud app integrations

Pros:

• Enterprise-grade privacy and security
• Intuitive online interface 
• Pre-built cloud integrations
• Customer support

Cons:

• Time-consuming to learn the platform
• Limited analytics and reporting
• 24/7 support isn’t free
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: Determined by user
• Maximum dimension: Determined by user 
• Aspect ratio: No restrictions (since Brightcove uses a responsive player)
• Max file size: No limits on files size
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: Varies by plan
• Compatible video formats: MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Since Brightcove mainly targets enterprise-level clients, they offer several custom-priced streaming plans at high price points. The three pricing tiers include:

• Starter: includes 50 to 200 videos, up to 100,000 plays, and 2-5 users
• Professional: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages plays, with +10 users
• Enterprise: unlimited videos, 100,000+ plays, and no overages plays, with 10+ users, unlimited upload, and analytics-only users

Interested broadcasters can contact their sales department to receive a quote or sign up for a 30-day free trial.

Best Use Cases:

• Live event cloud streaming
• Streaming live sports
• Enterprise and marketing cloud video hosting
• Streaming video for sales

3. IBM Video Cloud

Company Background:

IBM Video Cloud is a reliable cloud video hosting platform. It offers live streaming and VOD capabilities through the cloud, but this comes at a cost.

Basic Functionality:

IBM Video Cloud offers cloud-based live streaming and VOD services.

Key Features:

• Cloud streaming for video live and on-demand
• Secure sharing of video content in the cloud

Pros:

• Reliable streaming
• Robust features for broadcasters
• Enterprise-grade capabilities
• Responsive customer support
• Hong Kong (China) video hosting

Cons:

• Doesn’t use a CDN
• No tools for monetization
• General plans don’t offer APIs support

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 480p (480 x 270)
• Maximum dimension:  4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: No published aspect ratio
• Max file size: 4 GB
• Max video length: No published limits
• Total file storage: 1TB – 5TB (depends on plan)
• Compatible video formats: MKV, MP4, MOV, FLV, AVI, WMV, MPEG2, H264, H263, MPEG4, VP6, VP8, THEORA, WMV, MP3, AAC-LC, NELLYMOSER, PCM, SPEEX, VORBIS, WMA

Pricing:

The pricing plans for the IBM Video Cloud include:

• Silver – $99/month
• Gold – $499/month
• Platinum – $999/month
• Custom – Please contact IBM Cloud video for custom plan pricing.

Best Use Cases:

• Cloud streaming video for sales
• Marketing and enterprise cloud video hosting
• Live event streaming

4. Kaltura

Company Background:

Kaltura—the Israel-based video company—offers a cloud video hosting SaaS solution hosted on the Kaltura cloud. The service offers live streaming and VOD for large institutions.

Basic Functionality:

Kaltura focused on cloud video management and hosting capabilities for employers and universities that want to offer educational content to employees and students.

Key Features:

• Kaltura Cloud for hosting content
• Cloud TV service
• Advanced Security

Pros:

• Monetization options
• Useful for Education and Enterprise education
• Hands-off SaaS solution

Cons:

• Challenging to learn
• Slow uploading and processing
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 180p (320 x 180)
• Maximum dimension: 1080p (1920x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 2GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 10GB to Unlimited (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MOV, MP4

Pricing:

As with most SaaS solutions, Kaltura charges based on bandwidth and feature usage. There are free trials available as well.

Best Use Cases:

• Enterprises and Education cloud video hosting
• Cloud video streaming for sales
• Live event streaming in the cloud

5. Wistia

Company Background:

Wistia is a cloud video hosting solution that offers “TV-quality” streaming. It includes a video player that’s customizable with branding, annotation links, CTAs, and more.

Basic Functionality:

Wistia’s cloud solution allows broadcasters to easily create, manage, and stream videos.

Key Features:

• Interactive cloud tools for video
• Channels and “up-next” features
• CRM integrations
• Cloud video storage and management=

Pros:

• Cloud video organization
• Custom branding
• Useful analytics
• Customer support available

Cons:

• Problems with customization options
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimensions: None
• Maximum dimensions: Maximum of 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Supported aspect ratios: Any
• Maximum file size: 8 GB
• Maximum video length: 2 hours
• Total file storage: Up to 10 videos with the pro plan ($99 per month), $0.25 per month for every extra video
• Accepted video formats: MP4 (recommended format), .MOV, .AVI, .WMV, .FLV, .MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

Wistia pricing plans have 3 tiers, and include:

• Free – $0/month
• Pro – $99/month
• Advanced – Please contact Wistia directly for pricing information.

Best Use Cases:

• Live event streaming through the cloud
• Enterprise and marketing cloud video hosting
• Cloud streaming video for sales

6. Vidyard

Company Background:

Vidyard is a cloud video platform that provides businesses with everything they need to share professional video content. There are different packages available for marketing, sales, and corporate communications.

Basic Functionality:

Vidyard aims to give its users an all-in-one solution for converting viewers into customers.

Key Features:

• Cloud video hosting
• Advanced security for its cloud platform

Pros:

• Active user community
• Customer service
• Cloud integrations

Cons:

• Issues with consistency
• Complex backend
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension:  360p (480 x 360)
• Maximum dimension:  4k (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size:5GB to 16GB (depends on the plan)
• Max video length: 1 hour (live stream)
• Total file storage: Not available
• Compatible video formats: WEBM, MP4, MKV, MOV

Pricing:

Vidyard pricing plans come in four tiers, split amongst two categories: Individual and Teams. All plans are billed annually:

• Individual – $300/month
  • Free – $0/month
  • Pro – $15/month

• Teams
  • Teams – $300/month
  • Business – $1250/month

Best Use Cases:

• Enterprise cloud video hosting
• Marketing cloud video hosting
• Cloud video streaming for sales

7. DailyMotion

Company Background:

DailyMotion is a cloud-based video hosting and live streaming service for businesses.

Basic Functionality:

DailyMotion makes it easy to upload and share videos in the cloud.

Key Features:

• Cloud-based video infrastructure
• Integration with many gaming platforms
• Localized interface for viewers in 35 countries and 18 languages

Pros:

• Support for a global audience
• Unlimited cloud storage and bandwidth
• China video delivery with Huawei partnership

Cons:

• Limited file size and duration of videos
• Doesn’t support private cloud video hosting

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9 (adds padding to videos with other aspect ratios)
• Max file size: 128GB
• Max video length: 12 hours
• Total file storage: Unlimited
• Compatible video formats: MOV, MPEG4, MP4, AVI, WMV,  MPEG-PS, FLV, 3GPP, WebM

Pricing:

DailyMotion is a mostly free cloud platform but offers paid plans to increase video exposure.

Best Use Cases:

• Live streaming video in the cloud
• Public cloud video hosting

8. JWPlayer

Company Background:

JW Player offers cloud live streaming and VOD hosting. The service has lower pricing options but has some drawbacks as well. JW Player is great for companies with a limited budget.

Basic Functionality:

JW Player provides limited cloud-based video services and capabilities at low price points.

Key Features:

• Video distribution management in the cloud
• Cloud streaming to any device
• Suitable for any company size

Pros:

• Great sales support
• Affordable
• Customer service

Cons:

• No API support for live streams
• Uses internal server network for content delivery
• Limits live events to 5 hours
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 360p (640 x 360)
• Maximum dimension:  1080p (1920 x 1080)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 2.39:1
• Max file size:25GB
• Max video length: Not available
• Total file storage: 25GB to 500GB (depends on the plan)
• Compatible video formats: MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, 3GP, FLV

Pricing:

JW Player has pricing plans which range from free with a non-commercial license paid with numerous benefits and features.  Their pricing packages include:

• Free trial: JW Player offers a 30-day free trial subscription which includes full API and SDK access, a non-commercial license, 25 GB hosting bandwidth, and 75 GB streaming.
• Starter plan: At $10 per month, the Starter pricing plan includes an HTML5 Video Player, a video gallery, with 150 GB hosting bandwidth, and 500 GB streaming (50,000 plays) per month (billed annually).
• Enterprise plan: these business-specific plans are available with custom pricing for high-volume storage and streaming. Enterprise plans support live streaming, while lower-tier plans only support VOD.

Best Use Cases:

• Enterprise and marketing cloud video hosting
• Cloud streaming video for sales

9. Vimeo Livestream

Company Background:

Livestream is a cloud service by Vimeo for large organizations. The solution specializes in advanced marketing features for live streaming events.

Basic Functionality:

Livestream is a comprehensive cloud service for streaming, managing, and monitoring videos in the cloud.

Key Features:

• Cloud-based live streaming
• Advanced marketing capabilities
• Cloud video management
• Audience interaction features

Pros:

• In-depth analytics
• Easy for both users and viewers to use
• Works directly with YouTube 

Cons:

• Limited CDN support
• Frequent software updates interrupt streams
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 3GB
• Max video length: Information not available 
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (recommended)

Pricing:

Vimeo Livestream offers three main pricing plans, including:

1) Vimeo Premium:

• Premium pricing: $75/month
• Their Premium plan includes both live streaming and VOD support. This plan is the best option for professional broadcasting on this platform.

2) Vimeo Enterprise:

• Enterprise Pricing: Please contact Vimeo for custom pricing information
• The Enterprise plan includes white-label service, monetization, and video API access. It also includes branding control and added security features.

3) Vimeo OTT:

• Starter Pricing: $1/subscriber per month
• Growth Pricing: starting at $500/month
• This OTT-specific pricing package comes with the Vimeo.com relationship. These plans include all the basics for starting your web-based OTT channel, as well as growing your OTT business online.

Best Use Cases:

• Marketing cloud video hosting
• Live event streaming through the cloud

10. Panopto

Company Background:

Panopto is a cloud video solution for businesses and universities. In fact, its platform serves over 5 million end-users in the global online learning space.

Basic Functionality:

Panopto specializes in internal cloud video streaming for education. It integrates with learning management systems (LMSs) to manage and organize videos efficiently in the cloud.

Key Features:

• Mobile-ready solution
• Live streaming and recording in the cloud
• Cloud video management
• White-label streaming

Pros:

• Video and Audio content support
• China video hosting
• Regional video cloud infrastructure
• Custom branding

Cons:

• No SEO management
• No version control

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: 240p (426 x 240)
• Maximum dimension: 4K (3840 x 2160)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max video length: Information not available
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: AVI, MP4, MPG, WMV, MOV, QT, ASF, 3GP, WMA, MP3, M4V, and more.

Pricing:

Panopto prices based on a licensing model that’s determined by the number of users or students accessing the content. While Panopto doesn’t handle external-facing content, the plan does include unlimited streaming and cloud storage.

Best Use Cases:

• E-learning 
• Educational cloud video streaming
• Corporate training videos in the cloud

11. SproutVideo

Company Background:

SproutVideo is a cloud-based live streaming and on-demand video service. The platform has bare-bones plans through to fully-featured solutions.

Basic Functionality:

SproutVideo offers capabilities for live streaming and VOD in the cloud.

Key Features:

• Cloud live streaming and video hosting
• Advanced privacy and security features
• Live chat support with every plan

Pros:

• In-depth analytics
• Plans available for all budget sizes

Cons:

• Occasional buffering issues
• Limited storage at lower plans
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Minimum dimension: None
• Maximum dimension: None
• Supported aspect ratios: Any
• Maximum file size: Up to 100 GB
• Maximum video length: Unlimited
• Total file storage: 500 GB 
• Accepted video formats: MP4, MOV, AVI, WMV, FLV, MKV, 3GPP

Pricing:

SproutVideo flexible pricing plans come in four tiers for teams of all sizes:

• Seed: $24.99/month
• Sprout: $59.99/month
• Tree: $199.99/month
• Forrest: $499.99/month

Best Use Cases:

• Cloud-based live streaming
• VOD cloud hosting
• Enterprise video streaming through the cloud

12. Vimeo Live

Company Background:

Vimeo Live is a cloud service for hosting reliable live streaming events. The platform includes a professional toolset for broadcasters.

Basic Functionality:

Vimeo Live is a comprehensive cloud platform for video hosting and live streaming.

Key Features:

• Cloud live streaming
• Video hosting in the cloud
• Advanced distribution and marketing tools

Pros:

• Highly Professional interface
• Easy to get started
• Unlimited events and viewers

Cons:

• Generates less traffic than some competitors
• Potential issues with connection to an internal server
• No China video delivery

Upload Guidelines and Specs:

• Recommended dimension: 720p (1280 x 720)
• Aspect ratio: 16:9, 4:3
• Max file size: 3GB
• Max video length: Information not available
• Total file storage: Information not available
• Compatible video formats: MP4 (recommended)

Pricing:

Vimeo Live has plans from $7/month, including:

• Plus plan: $7/month
• Pro plan: $20/month
• Business plan: $50/month
• Premium plan: $75/month
• Enterprise plan: Custom pricing

Best Use Cases:

• Cloud streaming video for sales
• Enterprise and marketing cloud video hosting
• Cloud-based Live event streaming

Conclusion

Cloud video platforms are changing the way broadcasters operate. The ability to host videos and deliver live streaming events at scale is crucial for achieving more with video content. Choosing the right cloud video hosting solution, however, makes all the difference.

Dacast is an online video platform (OVP) and a cloud video hosting solution that’s secure and feature-rich. To date, more than 300,000 broadcasters have trusted Dacast to deliver their live and on-demand video content to create video players on their business websites.

Try our 14-day FREE trial and see if the platform is right for your needs. Dacast’s cloud solution is ready to grow with your business.

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