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Wakeup Flower

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Elastic Transcoder & Elemental MediaConvert

Amazon Elastic Transcoder is a media transcoding service that AWS introduced to help convert (transcode) media files — usually videos and audio — from their original format into different formats that can be played on various devices (smartphones, tablets, browsers, TVs, etc.).

🔹 What it does

Takes an input media file (e.g., MP4, MOV).

Converts it into multiple output formats (different resolutions, bitrates, codecs).

Makes it easy to stream or download on a wide range of devices.

For example:
You upload a 4K .mov file → Elastic Transcoder can generate:

A 1080p MP4 for desktops.

A 720p MP4 for tablets.

A 480p MP4 for mobile streaming.

Audio-only output (e.g., AAC or MP3).

🔹 Key Features

Fully managed (no servers to manage).

Pay-as-you-go pricing.

Integrated with Amazon S3 (store source and destination files).

Presets for common devices and formats.

Can generate thumbnails and watermarks.

🔹 Current Status

⚠️ Important: Elastic Transcoder is a legacy service.
AWS now recommends using AWS Elemental MediaConvert, which is more powerful and supports modern streaming standards (HLS, DASH, DRM, 4K/8K, advanced codecs).

👉 So in short: Elastic Transcoder = old AWS video/audio conversion service, mainly replaced by MediaConvert today.

Amazon Elemental MediaConvert is an AWS service for video transcoding — basically converting video files into different formats so they can be played on different devices and platforms.


What it does

  • Takes a source video (like MP4, MOV, etc.) and converts it into different formats, resolutions, bitrates, and codecs.
  • Supports outputs for web, mobile, broadcast, and OTT (Over-the-Top) streaming.
  • Allows you to make videos that work on different devices and screen sizes.

Key features

  • File-based transcoding (not live streaming).
  • Supports a wide range of codecs (H.264, HEVC, MPEG-2, etc.).
  • Can produce adaptive bitrate outputs for streaming (HLS, DASH, CMAF).
  • Supports closed captions, DRM, audio normalization.
  • Works at scale with pay-per-use pricing.

How it’s used

  • A streaming company can upload a high-quality master video → MediaConvert creates different versions for mobile, web, and TV streaming.
  • A media company can repackage content for different devices and formats.
  • An enterprise can transcode training videos for compatibility with various internal platforms.

💡 Quick analogy:
If your raw video is like a loaf of bread, MediaConvert is the bakery that slices and packages it in different ways so everyone — whether they want a sandwich, toast, or croutons — can enjoy it.

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