File-to-File Transcoding

Video is captured or created in thousands of different file formats, video resolutions, and bit-rate combinations and needs to be repurposed for multiple types of viewing devices. The process of re-purposing video into different formats is called transcoding. The RipCode V4 appliance offloads file transcoding from network servers, improving system-wide performance for delivery of transcoded media.

In a file-to-file transcoding scenario, directories or “watch” folders are hosted on a network storage device or shared network drive. Incoming media files are detected by the RipCode V4 as they are stored in these inbound directories. The RipCode V4 transcodes these incoming media files into as many formats as predefined by user-specified workflow definitions and then stores them in an outbound directory on network storage.

Workflow Automation - “Watch” folders and workflows can be setup once and left to perform their work automatically whenever a new piece of content is available. There is little user interaction making the process mostly automated.

Load Balancing - Load balancing can be controlled by the design in which workflows are created on the individual RipCode V4 appliance in a cluster of appliances. Load balancing is inherent in the architecture of the cluster and by the nature of watch directories spanning across the workflows of multiple RipCode V4 systems. Optionally, load balancing can be controlled through an external workflow server using the RipCode XML-RPC application programming interface (API) where the workflow server controls the load distribution.

Intelligent Parsing and Error Detection - The RipCode V4 appliance features intelligent parsing of incoming input files. By actually parsing the file to determine its container, codec, and parameters instead of relying on naming structure, the RipCode V4 can accurately analyze and validate format structure. If the inbound file is found not to be a valid format, the file is moved to an error sub-directory and recorded in a log file. This pre-transcode error detection prevents processing cycles being wasted on non-video formats such as viruses often submitted to UGV web sites under the guise of video content.

Stay Up-To-Date and Protected - As new codec support and enhancements are made available, the RipCode V4 can be easily and quickly updated via software updates directly from RipCode. By having a trusted source for adding new codecs to your transcoding system, you can be assured that the codecs are current, reliable, and 100% supported by RipCode.